All posts by h716a5.icu

Virender Sehwag has said that he was happy he took advantage of an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ by scoring a double-century against West Indies in Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2011Virender Sehwag has said that he was happy he took advantage of an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ by scoring a double-century against West Indies in Indore. Sehwag had slammed 219 off 149 balls, a new record in one-day cricket, which set up India’s win by 153 runs.”I am happy to have broken my role model Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Sehwag said. “It won’t be easy for people to score double hundreds. Over the last so many years only two have done it. This opportunity will come only once in a lifetime and I am happy I have taken it. I dedicate this knock to my father who is no longer with us.”It is one of my very best innings. Unlike in Test cricket when one can bat longer, in one-dayers you have to keep an eye on the run-rate. The wicket was very good for batting but the bowlers are also trying to get you out.”Sehwag said that he thought a big score was there for the taking at the Holkar Stadium. “While opening the innings, I told Gautam Gambhir that if we can show some patience on this track, we will be in for a big one. The outfield is fantastic and the distance of the boundary is only 50 yards.”He needed just 140 balls to get his double-century and his 219 broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the highest individual score in an ODI. It included 142 runs in boundaries – Sehwag smashed seven sixes and 25 fours. “It was a true batting wicket. Whenever I hit the ball into the gaps, it would go for four. Whenever I decided to hit a six, I would hit with a straight bat and it would go for six.”The first time the double-century crossed his mind, he said, was during the batting Powerplay between the 35th and 40th overs. “I never expected to score a double hundred. It was only after the batting Powerplay started, I felt that I could reach double hundred. Also when Sammy dropped me [on 170], I knew that God was with me.”The record-breaking innings ended a string of underwhelming performances in spectacular fashion, as Sehwag and Gambhir – who returned to the opening slot with Parthiv Patel dropping down the order – gave India the fine start they had been looking for in the series. “In the last match I said our top order was not contributing and it was my job and the other guys’ [in the top order] job to give a good start to the team,” Sehwag said. “The moment you give this kind of start, you end up with 400.”We [the openers] said to one another that if we can play together for 15 to 20 overs we could put up a good stand and give the middle-order the chance to build on it. But the wicket was so good, we decided we can bat till the 30-35 overs. I am sorry Gautam was run out [for 67]. I was very upset.”Sehwag did not take the field during the chase. Having batted for 46.3 overs, Sehwag said the innings had taken a toll on his body. “I’m very tired because I’m 33-years-old. I’m an old man and my back and glutes are tight.”Previously in the series, India had bowled first on all three occasions after winning the toss, with mixed results. India had initially planned on bowling in Indore as well, Sehwag said, but changed their plan at the last minute. “We had decided to field first but we were told by players who had played in the Challenger Trophy [a domestic one-day tournament] on this ground that the wicket had deteriorated in the second innings. That’s why, I changed my mind.”Legspinner Rahul Sharma was very effective on debut, claiming three wickets off the last ball of each of his first three overs, to derail the chase. India went on to complete a comfortable victory to seal the series 3-1. Rahul’s performance was very satisfactory, Sehwag said. “I was very impressed with his bowling. It was his debut. He has a very good future.”

A career-best 6 for 32 from offspinner Majid Haq, a century by Preston Mommsen and a second fifty of the match for Kyle Coetzer helped Scotland build an almost impenetrable 347-run lead on the third day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2011
Scorecard
A career-best 6 for 32 from offspinner Majid Haq, a century by Preston Mommsen and a second fifty of the match for Kyle Coetzer helped Scotland build an almost impenetrable 347-run lead with six wickets remaining after the third day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia.Scotland had reached 260 for 4 at stumps, with two partnerships of 102 and 103 for the second and third wickets having underpinned their innings against a deflated Namibian bowling attack after Haq had spun through the lower middle order and tail to bowl the opposition out for 263.Namibia had begun the day in the reasonably steady position of 230 for 6, but Haq ensured there would be no rally from the tail as he dismissed Nicholaas Scholtz and Louis Klazinga before he wrapped up the innings by having Kola Burger caught by Calum Macleod with the first ball of his 28th over.The early dismissal of Ryan Flannigan may well have raised Namibia’s flagging hopes of achieving a positive result in this match, but Haq continued his stellar performance with a 104-ball 59 in Mommsen’s company. Once he had been dismissed, trapped lbw by Pikky Ya France, Coetzer and Mommsen continued their steady work, and Scotland hold the upper hand heading into the final day.

Mohammed Asif was “sucked in” to fixing by his former captain Salman Butt and agent Mazhar Majeed, the prosecution told a London court on Thursday, as Asif stood in the witness stand

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court20-Oct-2011Mohammed Asif was “sucked in” to fixing by his former captain Salman Butt and agent Mazhar Majeed, the prosecution told a London court on Thursday, as Asif stood in the witness stand.Asif took the witness box at about 10.30am and will continue most likely for Friday morning. He denied having much of a relationship with tainted agent Majeed and also said he had no knowledge of any corruption going on in the Pakistan team or even just in relation to the alleged pre-determined no-balls at Lord’s.”The sad truth is that you were sucked in to a web of corruption and there were two people responsible for this situation,” Jafferjee said. “They are Mazhar Majeed and Salman Butt. You also knew how young Amir had been sucked in.” Asif replied: “No.”Jafferjee spent time ascertaining whether Mazhar Majeed was Asif’s agent or not. Asif maintained he was not and said he had never signed a contract with him. Jafferjee re-read the police interview from the initial investigation and asked why he never said at any stage that Majeed was not his agent.”They didn’t ask me so how can I say whether he is my agent or not,” Asif responded.Butt and Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments following the Lord’s Test last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenager Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.Meantime, Asif was asked about his thoughts on Amir and what kind of personality he was, and whether he was an innocent, respectful young man.Asif, who said he was Amir’s friend only inside the ground, revealed that the youngster was not exactly intimidated by his seniors and told of an incident on tour in New Zealand.”Amir had a fight with Umar Gul in a Test match in New Zealand,” Asif said. “Gul had finished his over and went to take a position in the field where Amir wanted to field and they had some disagreement and a fight in the dressing room.”The case continues.

A maiden first-class century from Ross Whiteley helped Derbyshire fight back on their first day of their Championship match against Northamptonshire

20-Jul-2011
ScorecardA maiden first-class century from Ross Whiteley helped Derbyshire fight back on their first day of their Championship match against Northamptonshire and, perhaps, pointed to brighter times ahead for the club.When Derbyshire decided to dispense with the services of their former director of cricket, Jon Morris, mid-way through a game a couple of months ago, it heralded the start of another rebuilding phase at the club.So it should be gratifying to see the likes of Whiteley and Jon Clare excel in such testing conditions. For it is around young men such as these the future hopes of the club rest. Add to that 21-year-old Dan Redfern, who misses this game through injury but is the club’s leading scorer in first-class cricket this season, and there is justifiable reason for hope at Derbyshire. That hasn’t always been the case in recent years.Whiteley and Clare, coming together with the score on 90 for 6, added 182 in 43 overs for Derbyshire’s seventh wicket to turn the day, if not the match, on its head. At one stage Derbyshire had been reeling on 39 for 5 and, with Chaminda Vaas and Jack Brooks gaining steep bounce and sharp movement, it looked as though the visitors would fail to reach three figures.But, just as they did against Glamorgan last week, Derbyshire’s lower-order fought back. Whiteley, grimly determined at the start, first stopped the rot in partnership with Luke Sutton, before gradually wrestling the initiative away from the hosts.Whiteley, a Yorkshire born 22-year-old who has developed through the Derbyshire system, was particularly impressive. Playing just his sixth first-class match, he had never made more than 33 before. Here, however, after a watchful start, he demonstrated a pleasing variety of stokes including some elegant drives through the covers and a lofted straight six off James Middlebrook’s offspin.Clare provided typically uncomplicated support. Though he played and missed frequently, Clare also hit the ball with power and, both in bearing and technique, bears more than a passing resemblance to Andrew Flintoff.Perhaps they had some fortune. Whiteley was dropped once, on 33, when Niall O’Brien was unable to cling on to a tough chance down the leg side off Lee Daggett, while a more agile fielder might have been able to reach Whiteley loose drive just over mid-off when he had 57. Clare was also missed, on 79, by Newton off Middlebrook.Conditions eased, too. The Tiflex ball, used in Division Two at present, seems to provide extravagant assistance to the bowlers for the first 30 overs or so before becoming soft and unhelpful to the bowlers. Steffan Jones, Derbyshire’s bowling coach, memorably described bowling with an old Tiflex ball as akin to bowling with “a rabbit’s head”. The bowlers, and 37-year-old Vaas especially, also appeared to tire.More than anything, however, Derbyshire’s young batsmen simply earned due reward for their hard work. While Chesney Hughes paid the price for following one he could have left, Clare and Whiteley demonstrated greater discipline and judgement in choosing which balls to attack.Batting was desperately difficult for the hour or so. Martin Guptil and Wayne Madsen were caught in the slips as they fenced at balls that climbed sharply on them, before Wes Durston paid the price for trying to force an out-swinger through mid-wicket and the skittish Greg Smith, beaten for the three previous deliveries, finally edged one angled across him. Luke Sutton resisted for a while, but when he was caught behind by a brute of a ball that bounced and left him, it left Derbyshire in deep trouble.This is an important game for both sides. While Northamptonshire are the runaway leaders in Division Two, just seven points separated the teams between second and seventh place in the table at the start of this match. Derbyshire could be playing Division One cricket next year.Northamptonshire should be, too. A superb start to the season saw them reach the T20 stage of the season as the only unbeaten side in the land. But, after losing 11 of their 16 T20 games and also surrendering their unbeaten records in the CB40 (to Scotland) and the Championship (to Essex) it is fair to conclude that their season is now at a crossroads. The next two or three days could well define it.They have matters to resolve off the field, too. Brooks, the pick of the bowlers here, is out of contract and certain to attract interest from other counties. There aren’t too many better seamers out there who have yet to win England recognition.To rub salt in the wound, Tony Palladino thumped five boundaries in the final overs of the day as Derbyshire claimed three batting bonus points that had looked most unlikely a few hours earlier.

Ross Taylor’s prolific run-scoring during his time as New Zealand’s stand-in captain was a major factor in him beating Brendon McCullum for the full-time job

Brydon Coverdale20-Jun-2011Ross Taylor’s prolific run-scoring during his time as New Zealand’s stand-in captain was a major factor in him beating Brendon McCullum for the full-time job. Taylor has been named as the captain in all three formats and the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) hierarchy believes he will operate in a similar style to his predecessor Daniel Vettori, who led by example, with minimal fuss.Taylor, 27, was preferred over McCullum after being interviewed by a three-man panel consisting of the coach John Wright, the director of cricket John Buchanan and the acting national selection manager Mark Greatbatch. The decision took nearly three months following the side’s return from the World Cup, where Vettori stepped down after the semi-final loss to Sri Lanka, and a vice-captain is unlikely to be named until the squad to tour Zimbabwe in September is announced.Greatbatch said Taylor had won out in part due to his success in as captain, having led the side to six victories from 14 ODIs and Twenty20s, compared to McCullum’s two wins from nine games in charge. Taylor has also batted well while at the helm, averaging 46.45 across both formats, while McCullum’s mark as captain is 26.22.”They’re both great Kiwis and good lads who have played for their country for a long time now,” Greatbatch told . “We had to make a tough decision and we’ve done that. I’m sure Ross will lead his country well. They were both very good candidiates. They’ve both had experience as vice-captain under Dan.”Both by nature are very good tactically and aggressive characters. Brendon might show it a bit more than Ross, but Ross is very competitive. He’s had the recent experience. He beat Australia and Pakistan recently as captain of New Zealand. He’s a good listener. His own game has improved as captain. He’s got a better record as captain than as a player. Those sorts of things were taken into consideration.”It will be a tough ask following the popular Vettori, who at one point was a selector as well as captain and the team’s best player. However, Greatbatch said Taylor was likely to lead in a similar manner to Vettori – from the front, with more emphasis on leading by example than delivering fire-and-brimstone motivational speeches.”He wasn’t that forceful to the players,” Greatbatch said of Vettori. “From his own form himself as a player he demanded excellence, because he was a pretty useful performer worldwide for us. I think Ross will be similar. He’ll be looking for his own game to be tip-top as often as he can, to be consistent. That to me is the biggest way to lead. If a captain can lead from the front with his own performance, then a lot of people follow.”Taylor conceded that he was “very quiet” and preferred to speak with individuals rather than larger groups, but said he was confident he could steer the side in the right direction. Taylor led the New Zealanders twice at the World Cup, where they went within one victory of making the final, and he said his challenge was to help them perform to a similar level in Test cricket.”I was very happy with the way we played in the World Cup and the fighting spirit we showed,” Taylor said. “We’ve been very inconsistent in the Test arena and we probably haven’t played as well as we would have liked. Each individual has to step up and commit to training hard and working hard as a team. We need to bat long periods of time with the bat and get 20 wickets. If we don’t do those two things very well then we’re going to struggle.”Test cricket is still the ultimate for me. I look forward to playing Test cricket. Some other people may differ, but for me Test cricket is still the ultimate and where I want to get the most out of myself and the team. Once that happens, one-day cricket and Twenty20 is also in there as well.”Taylor learnt of NZC’s decision while he was making preparations for his upcoming wedding, and he described it as “a great honour” to be installed as the captain. He said he was also hoping that his promotion might encourage more young players from Polynesian and Maori backgrounds to take up cricket.”I missed the phone call from John Buchanan,” he said. “I was trying to pick wedding songs for this coming Saturday. I had the music going a bit too loud. When it came through my partner was very happy and the first phone call was to Mum and Dad.”I’m very proud of my Samoan heritage,” he added. “With this role, not only playing for New Zealand but captaining, hopefully I can inspire some more Polynesians and Maoris to this game of cricket. They’re very talented athletes and I’m sure it’s an untapped market. You never know, in ten years’ time there could be a few more.”

A finger injury to Umar Akmal has lessened the chances of him replacingbrother Kamran as Pakistan’s wicketkeeper in the match against Zimbabwe

Osman Samiuddin in Pallekele 11-Mar-2011A finger injury to Umar Akmal has lessened the chances of him replacingbrother Kamran as Pakistan’s wicketkeeper in the match against Zimbabwe onMonday in Pallekele. Though the injury to Umar’s right index finger is notthought to be serious, it is unlikely now that the management will riskusing him behind the stumps, allowing Kamran to probably retain his placein the XI despite his horror show in the 110-run loss to New Zealand onTuesday.Umar picked up the knock in fielding practice on Thursday at the Asgiriyastadium in Kandy, when he also kept wickets for a while. He sat out thepractice session on Friday at the same venue, with his finger instrapping. According to manager Intikhab Alam, scans and an x-rayrevealed no damage but no risks were taken in putting him through apractice session.In the immediate aftermath of the New Zealand game, captain Shahid Afridisaid they would consider using Umar as a wicketkeeper – a role he hasfilled in one ODI and three T20s – after Kamran fluffed three chances,including missing centurion Ross Taylor twice in three balls when he wason 0 and 8. Since then, despite criticism from all quarters, Pakistan havespoken of the need to back Kamran though they’ve stopped short ofconfirming his place in the XI.The timing and consequence of Umar’s injury is bound to raise eyebrows,especially in light of what happened after the infamous Sydney Test inearly January 2010. Then, after another poor display behind the stumpsfrom Kamran hurled the side towards a stunning Test defeat, Umarreportedly refused to play the next Test in Hobart if his brother wasdropped. Eventually Kamran was replaced by Sarfraz Ahmed, despite tellingthe press repeatedly in the run that he would retain his place. Thebrothers were both subsequently fined by the PCB after an inquirycommittee looked into the incident.As Umar sat out, Pakistan underwent an extensive, three-hours plustraining session at the Asgiriya in which they simulated match-play in abid to give their struggling openers some valuable batting time in themiddle. With Waqar Younis umpiring and coaching, Umar Gul and ShoaibAkhtar took the new ball and bowled by turn to Ahmed Shehzad and MohammadHafeez, who in four matches have put on 11, 28, 16 and 5; the pair has 93runs between them and neither has gone past 32 individually.They didn’t particularly flourish today, being dismissed a few times each asAbdur Rehman and Abdul Razzaq also bowled. “We especially focused on thetop order in today’s practice because they got out early in the previousgames and didn’t get much practice with the new ball,” Misbah-ul-Haq said.”They practised for 20 overs so that they get used to it and have theirconfidence back. It was a good thing keeping in mind the match situationwhich will be helpful.”Eventually all players in the squad were given a run-out in the samesituations; Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq batted together, Misbah andAfridi, Misbah and Razzaq and then Kamran and Razzaq; Wahab Riaz and SaeedAjmal, who have played only one match each, bowled in tandem, mixing withJunaid Khan and Afridi. Younis kept wickets while Kamran was batting.Though the beginning of the session lacked the energy of previouspractices – understandable perhaps given the nature of their loss – thecontests soon picked up. “At the moment our focus is on our own game andwe will try to restore our confidence levels which were shaken in the gameagainst New Zealand,” Misbah said. “We will try to line up all our basicsin the game against Zimbabwe before and I have every hope that the sidewill bounce back.”All eyes, however, were on the brothers Akmal and particularly Kamran’skeeping. He looked sharp and perky enough though there were a few fumblesas well. There was greater certainty with the bat, however, as he pulledand cut the faster bowlers to the boundary regularly while at the crease.Misbah sketched out the team line later, a growing show of support behindthe wicketkeeper.”It makes difference when you give such chances but then anyone can have abad day, whether its keeper or anyone,” Misbah said. “As a team we have tostay together. We’re going to support each other, back each other becausethese are the players who commit mistakes and these are the same playerswho win you matches.”It’s mentally tough for him in this situation and he has faced suchsituations before too. Our full effort is to support him becausewicketkeeper is a key member of the team and the way he is, the way hecomes back in difficult situations and gives good performances I hope hewill make a comeback and do well again.”

Former Sri Lankan captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have backed fast bowler Lasith Malinga’s decision to quit Tests on account of a degenerative knee condition

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2011Former Sri Lankan captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have backed fast bowler Lasith Malinga’s decision to quit Tests on account of a degenerative knee condition. Malinga announced his retirement last week, when the Sri Lankan board questioned his participation in the IPL after withdrawing from the upcoming England Tests citing fitness issues. Sangakkara pointed out that Malinga’s decision was best for the team, while Jayawardene said it was the right call from a personal point of view.”We were all well aware of the seriousness of his knee condition and while I was captain we tried to manage him as carefully and sensitively as possible during the past couple of years,” Sangakkara wrote in his column in the . “We obviously wanted him to play Tests, but when we asked him to play the India tour it took him two months to physically recover from that.”Sangakkara revealed that Malinga’s future was one of the issues he had discussed with the Sri Lankan board while stepping down from captaincy. “The truth is that Lasith is our best fast bowler in limited-overs cricket right now,” Sangakkara wrote. “If we forced him to play Tests we would be running the risk of losing him completely. That would be a tragedy for Sri Lanka, undermining both the ODI and T20 teams.”Sangakkara dismissed suggestions that Malinga chose to quit Tests in order to extend his participation in the lucrative IPL. “Malinga has always given his best as a national cricketer. Had it not been for his knee problem he would definitely want to play Tests. I fully support his decision and hope that as a result of it we see him playing for a few more years.”Jayawardene, who was in charge of the Sri Lankan side before Sangakkara took over said it was unfair to criticise Malinga’s decision. “Given the state of his knee condition, there is no point in him taking the risk of playing Test cricket,” Jayawardene wrote in the same newspaper. “If he breaks down then it will be bad for Sri Lanka. We want him playing for us as long as possible. Some people have criticised the decision, arguing that he is being selfish. This short-sighted argument is very unfair given that he clearly has a chronic knee problem.”Lasith is a human being and, while he is totally committed to Sri Lanka, he also has responsibilities as a husband and, one day hopefully, a father. If his career is ended by injury, who is going to look after him and his family? When he suffered the injury the first time he was stripped of his central contract within about six months and left with no income.”Any individual in any profession has to consider their personal and family interests when they make big decisions in their life. Why should a professional cricketer be any different? We need to support him and protect him. He is a natural match-winner and a great asset for Sri Lanka. We should be grateful for his services and help him look after himself.”

The ICC Tribunal’s statement on the spot-fixing sanctions

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2011The ICC tribunal announced a sanction of ten years’ ineligibility for Salman Butt (with five years suspended); seven years for Mohammad Asif (with two years suspended) and five years’ ineligibility for Mohammad Amir. The sanctions follow investigations of their role in spot-fixing, along with Mazhar Majeed, a players’ agent, during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010.The tribunal released a statement after announcing the decision. The full text is reproduced below:’The independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal which has been hearing the cases of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif under the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel had adjourned on Tuesday 11th January 2011 after a six day hearing. ‘The Tribunal reconvened today for further submissions and thereafter announced the following decisions.’The Tribunal found that the charge under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that Mr Butt agreed to bat out a maiden over in the Oval Test match played between Pakistan and England from 18 to 21 August 2010 was dismissed, whereas the charge under Article 2.4.2 that Mr Butt failed to disclose to the ICC’s ACSU the approach by Mr Majeed that Mr Butt should bat a maiden over in the Oval Test was proved.’The Tribunal found that the charges under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that (respectively) Mr Asif agreed to bowl and did bowl a deliberate no ball in the Lord’s Test match played between Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August 2010, Mr Amir agreed to bowl and did bowl two deliberate no balls in the same Test, and Mr Butt was party to the bowling of those deliberate no balls, were proved.’We impose the following sanctions:’On Mr Butt a sanction of ten years ineligibility, five years of which are suspended on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education.’On Mr Asif a sanction of seven years ineligibility two years of which are suspended on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education.’On Mr Amir sanction of five years of ineligibility.’No further sanctions are imposed on any player and no orders are made as to costs. ‘The Tribunal has recommended to the ICC certain changes to the Code with a view to providing flexibility in relation to minimum sentences in exceptional circumstances.’The Tribunal note that it is for the ICC, whether and if so when, the fully reasoned decision in respect of the breaches of the Code and of the sanctions imposed in consequence should be published.’It is our strong and unanimous view that it is in the interests of all concerned in the world of cricket that publication should take place as soon as possible.’

Phil Hay has dropped a teasing injury update concerning Leeds United centre-forward Patrick Bamford.

What’s the latest?

In comments made on a recent Q&A for The Athletic ahead of the Arsenal fixture on Saturday, the Leeds correspondent revealed that, while the 28-year-old was not deemed ready to feature at The Emirates, it is very possible that the England international does make a return to action prior to the end of the current campaign.

Hay went on to suggest in a further comment made after the 2-1 loss that, with the Whites lacking any real attacking threat in the striker’s absence, Jesse Marsch could well look to take a risk on reintroducing the forward to his starting XI over the club’s remaining Premier League fixtures – even if he is not 100% fit.

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Regarding the current condition of Bamford, the journalist said: “Patrick Bamford isn’t ready to return, although it’s very possible that Bamford will feature before the season ends…  I’d be gambling on Bamford if he’s ready for the last two games.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering the fact that Leeds’ 2-1 defeat in north London, coupled with Everton’s 2-1 win over Leicester City, saw the Whites slip back into the relegation zone with just three fixtures of the Premier League season left to play, the news that Bamford could make a return to first-team football before the end of the current campaign is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £18m-rated striker proved just how important he is to the Leeds attack over his 38 Premier League fixtures last term, scoring 17 goals, registering seven assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £74k-per-week forward average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as his club’s seventh-best performer in the English top-flight – with the 28-year-old playing a key role in Leeds securing a top-half finish in the league.

As such, should Bamford be able to refind this level of goalscoring form upon his potential return to the side over their last three games of 2021/22, it would undoubtedly come as a huge boost to the Whites’ chances of remaining a Premier League outfit next season – an outcome that everyone involved with the club will certainly be hoping for.

AND in other news: “I’m told…”: Insider drops huge Leeds transfer update, Victor Orta will be buzzing

Rangers will face Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly at Ibrox this summer.

The lowdown

Rangers will likely be preparing for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first full season at the helm. In addition to drawing up transfers, they’ll also have to arrange friendlies to help the squad build fitness for competitive fixtures.

If Rangers finish second in the Scottish Premiership and fail to win the Europa League, then they’re likely to enter the second round of Champions League qualifiers, scheduled for the second half of July.

Meanwhile, the start of the SPFL season is pencilled in for the weekend of 30/31 July.

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The latest

Football London’s Alasdair Gold writes that Rangers held talks with Spurs this week over a potential summer meeting at Ibrox.

The Lilywhites are due to jet off to South Korea for two matches, and wanted to line up a game in Glasgow on their return.

And those efforts have been a success, with the ‘excited’ Spurs officially confirming the fixture for Saturday July 23.

The verdict: Exciting indeed

This can only be good news. Rangers’ players get the chance to test themselves against elite opposition, and the added intensity should be of benefit to Van Bronckhorst’s side.

Last summer, when they faced Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal, they could only welcome 2,000 spectators amid coronavirus restrictions, but this year, there’s no reason why they can’t get close to a full house and generate considerable funds too.

And the club hierarchy will be looking for alternative revenue sources this pre-season after backing out a friendly against Celtic in Australia following a backlash from fans.

In other news, read this journalist’s concerning Alfredo Morelos claim.