Andrew Leipus on Sachin Tendulkar’s injuries Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMAIt isn’t easy coming back from injury, and nobody knows that better than Sachin Tendulkar, who, after injuries to his back and elbow, is now suffering from a shoulder injury. After he dropped out from the Test series in West Indies today, Cricinfo’s Nagraj Gollapudi spoke to Andrew Leipus to find out more about the injury. Leipus, once the Indian team’s physio, is now looking after Tendulkar, and explained how hard a toll such injuries take on cricketers.Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”) Streaming Audio: Real :: WMA
Michael VaughanOn today’s win We are pleased with the result. We weren’t quite at our best in the first half, but it was difficult because it was slippy and it was hard for the bowlers to keep their footing. We probably bowled too short. But we still had to go out and get 220 and I thought we chased very, very well. I’m not going to sit here and say the toss wasn’t important, because it was.On how chasing today was different to the NatWest Series final I think we have learnt a lot from Saturday’s game. When you are chasing quite a smallish total you just have to make sure that you don’t allow them back in the game quickly. Saturday we allowed them back too soon. At 33 for 5 Australia looked like they were going to win. We just needed to make sure we were going to give ourselves a platform to accelerate, if we needed to in the last ten overs we had players to. It’s so important that you learn and you learn fast. So to learn within one game shows the team has a bit of character about them.On how important was Trescothick’s innings? I think it was a tremendous knock. Most importantly England won by nine wickets. We weren’t fantastic in the field. We were good enough, but we weren’t outstanding, and Marcus’s 100 not out was just the platform we needed.On how the terrorist attacks have affected the side It’s difficult. It certainly puts cricket and sport into perspective. Yesterday we were celebrating London getting the Olympics and then you put the telly on this morning and you see those kinds of things – it just puts sport and life into perspective when you see what is happening. If our win today can go any way towards making a few people happy, that’s fantastic.On how much this win will affect the looming Ashes series Only time will tell. It certainly can’t hinder your confidence when you win by nine wickets against a team like Australia, but how much of an effect the one-dayers will have on the Ashes is hard to say. History suggests that it won’t have any. It’s just important that you start playing well as individuals and start hitting the ball and bowling nicely. We have got two more knocks before the Ashes series starts, so it’s important to try and make the most of the opportunities you can get.On how pleased he was with his own innings It was nice but the platform was set. Straussy and Tres really got over that hard part with Lee and McGrath and the ball seaming about. Coming in at 100 for 0, there was no real pressure on the run-rate. You can’t complain – and we just cantered over the line.How dark was it out there? It looked fairly murky late on. Only for a three or four-over period. I think we got the best of the conditions when we went out there with the sun. When the sun is out at Headingley it makes it that much easier.Ricky PontingOn the toss It would have been a nice one to win. I would have had a bowl, too. You know coming to Headingley that, if there is cloud cover, you know there will be a bit of seam movement. It was hard to bat on today and then the clouds went away and it was England’s turn to bat. It didn’t seam after ten overs and there were definitely contrasting conditions. The first ten overs of our innings were played under cloud and then the first ten of England’s were like playing at Adelaide.When you lost one wicket, another went straight away. It’s been the way for us throughout the one-day series so far. We just haven’t reacted well at critical times in the game – especially with our batting. We have probably limped towards our total rather than being able to accelerate towards the end because we have lost wickets consistently through the innings. That is one of the things we have to address as a group and hopefully we can improve on that.But 219 was still a competitive total I have to admit that I was pretty happy with that total from where we were. Just having sat back and batted myself, the ball was still reacting off the seam. I thought that if conditions were still the same then it might have been defendable but conditions changed dramatically.On the importance of Mike Hussey Nearly every game on this tour he’s been the man that’s put his hand up for us, so he has was very important for us again today. He’s an exceptional player confronted with any situation. He’s great in the field, so he’s been invaluable to the success we’ve had so far. I imagine he would have been one who was spoken about before the Test squad was announced and he’s going to be with us for the summer anyway, so if there are any injuries I’m sure his name will be top of the list.On Jason Gillespie’s poor form I’m going to have a chat to him and see where he’s at and see whether he feels he would be better to keep playing or to have a few games off before the Test series. He was a bit below his best again today as a few of us were, probably just when I thought he was starting to get it right again. I thought the way he bowled at Lord’s, on a wicket that offered a bit of assistance, he was a lot better there. He’s always been one that you can rely on in any situation.On today’s performance It’s always disappointing to lose a game and we will try to pick the areas that we can improve on. It was incredibly hard batting on that wicket today, and I think that’s the most challenging one-day wicket I’ve ever batted on so I was happy with the end total. Istill think we’ve got some room for improvement in our all round game, but probably more so on our bowling and fielding and tactical stuff.On England’s opening pair Trescothick got away from us, after getting out on a no-ball. Strauss – we allowed him to play the way he likes to play, as well. We bowled too short to him today and any time that we allowed him to try to drive us, he couldn’t do it, so there are areas like that we have to tighten up on. But they played their shots. We have to make sure that we are precise with our execution of our plans ahead of the Ashes series.
Marvan Atapattu, Sri Lanka’s vice-captain, has strenuously denied any connection with a sum of money that is alleged to have been found in his hotel after the second Test at Kandy.Atapattu’s denial followed a report in the state-run Sunday Observer that revealed that 11,000 lakh of rupees (around £7000) had been found by an hotel employee after the team’s departure.”Was it a bribe to fix the match?” speculated the article. “Has any interested bookie had a hand in the matter similar to what happened to India’s former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and his South African counterpart Hansie Cronje?”Ajit Jayasekera, the Sri Lankan team manager, read out a statement before the start of the fourth day’s play in Colombo, and announced that the cricket board had called upon the police to make a full investigation:”There was a news item today in one of the English newspapers stating that some money was found in a Kandy hotel room that had been occupied by one of our players,” said Jayasekera. “It implies that it was found in a room occupied by Mr Marvan Atapattu. To prevent any speculation we decided to speak to the media.”Marvan has denied totally that it is his money. We left the hotel on the morning of December 14 and money had been found subsequently. There were several people that occupied that room after Marvan had left. It could be possible that the money belongs to someone else.”The cricket board will be conducting an enquiry into this. They will get the CID to look into this to find out what really took place.”Atapattu denied any connection with the money: “The coach told me yesterday that the president [Thilanga Sumathipala] was expecting a call from me. I called him and he told me what the hotel had said and asked me ‘Is it yours?’ I told him I didn’t know anything about it.”
England’s pre-Test three-day match tomorrow with Otago starting in Queenstown, New Zealand’s major tourist resort, is in celebration of 125 years of cricket for the Otago Cricket Association – the southernmost first-class association in the world.Otago’s first international opponents were the England touring side of 1863/64 which popped over in the middle of a tour of a Australia to play matches against Otago and Canterbury, a visit to the latter association being celebrated also in England’s next pre-Test game.But Marcus Trescothick’s men may be following in the footsteps of their illustrious forebears by creating a precedent fit to stand for the next 125 years.Queenstown, the same region which was home to a cousin of the immortal Grace family of Gloucestershire, W G Rees, who played in that Otago side which met the 1863/64 English team and caught out his cousin E M Grace, is hosting its maiden first-class game at its stunning new Events Centre, nestled in the lea of the Remarkables mountain range.It is doubtful that there is a more picturesque ground in the world, although that will always be a matter for individual taste.However, Queenstown’s popularity as a tourist resort, makes it an ideal venue to be developed with cricket in mind, and given that the game is only taking place here due to the mean spiritedness of New Zealand rugby officials who refused to move a Super 12 game from Carisbrook to allow the match to be played in Dunedin, it may be that Queenstown becomes a favoured venue for international matches hosted by Otago.Returning to W G Rees, he was one of the first European settlers in the Queenstown district and his name is remembered through the naming of one of the rivers in Lake Wakatipu’s headwaters, the Rees river.He also acquired some of the Grace skill in disputing his dismissal. Local legend has it that while playing a game in the region he was clean bowled but contested his dismissal saying that his attention had been distracted by some distant sheep.His biographer commented: “Rees was not the kind of man who was very often laughed at to his face, but ‘Got a sheep in my eye’ became a legendary saying in the district.”Despite their best intentions, the men of Otago, 22 of them, were no match for England in 1863/64, and there is little chance they will be severely tested by the men of 2001/02.Otago has gone through a miserable trot and have lost seven games in a row. They have lost international players, Matt Horne and Mark Richardson, who have returned to their home base of Auckland, they lost international off-spinner Paul Wiseman to Canterbury and they are without international left-arm bowler Shayne O’Connor who has damaged his knee again, during the recent tour of Australia. To compound matters, wicket-keeper Martyn Croy, who was originally named in the side, has withdrawn as a precautionary matter, one game after taking seven dismissals in an innings.But with all the subterfuge surrounding the incumbent Test wicket-keeper Adam Parore the cynics might wonder if Croy is being considered as a possible Test player should Parore not be selected.However, there are still players of talent in the Otago unit, Brendon McCullum, a member of the CLEAR Black Caps side in the recent one-day series will be keen to have a good long innings unfettered by run rates and fielding restrictions. Fast bowler Kerry Walmsley, who as recently as last summer during New Zealand’s injury hiatus was called up to South Africa, will be looking to show his wares against quality opposition.In reality, however, this game is all about the English getting their longer version of the game together.And that most affects the players not wanted for the one-day squad and who have tried to use a few days in Dunedin and, now, in Queenstown to shake off the winter blues to be ready for the next month.Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash and Usman Afzaal especially will be seeking time in the middle to press their claims for Test inclusion with their batting.While Andy Caddick showed when being hammered all around Jade Stadium in the first One-Day International that he was in need of plenty of bowling. In that regard he will have to take his place with Richard Dawson, Andrew Flintoff, James Ormond.The other concern facing England is the local weather. Queenstown has not been immune to the miserable summer New Zealand has suffered and the forecast is for rain on the first day.The teams for the game are:England: Marcus Trescothick (captain), Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe, Usman Afzaal, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White, Warren Hegg, James Ormond, Andy Caddick, Richard Dawson.Otago: Craig Cumming (captain), Simon Beare, Duncan Drew, Chris Gaffaney, Robbie Lawson, Brendon McCullum, James McMillan, Nathan Morland, Craig Pryor, David Sewell, Rob Smith, Kerry Walmsley.
The Sri Lankan cricket board has revealed that the number of teams in the Premier League – the flagship domestic competition in Sri Lanka – is to be reduced to 16. It’s only a reduction of two, but if this is the prelude to a radical restructuring of the first class game then this represents a momentous occasion for Sri Lankan cricket.More noteworthy than the construction of grandiose cricket stadiums and high technology training centers. More important than the controversial employment of foreign batting coaches and far more significant than the fanciful development of fast bouncy pitches in the backyard of Premadasa International Stadium.Sri Lanka is blessed with rich, almost embarrassing, reserves of cricketing talent. Moreover because the game is followed with such enthusiasm, Sri Lankan youngsters develop sound technical skills at an early age. Compare the best eight-year-old in Manchester or Sydney and he will not be able to match the technical prowess of the best eight-year-old in Colombo.Surely, if a combination of natural talent and technical skill were sufficient to ensure international success then Sri Lanka, India or Pakistan would be perched on the top of Wisden’s world table. Unfortunately they are not sufficient and Sri Lanka is not riding roughshod over the rest of the cricketing world.The single most important reason for this is, without doubt, the present state of first class cricket in Sri Lanka. It should pit the best players in the land against each other, it should be a finishing school that polishes the technical skills of the young, and it should wed mental substance to natural talent, ensuring that each player has the necessary tools to perform whilst under pressure. It fails miserably in all these departments and by doing so it robs a cricket loving people of their rightful success.In general, the Premier League produces middling cricket played out at an easygoing pace. There is too little at stake and far too many teams. This year, 18 teams and approximately 250 players participated. What is more, the best players in the land don’t play – national squad players missed most of the season and others opted instead to play club cricket in Australia rather than Sri Lanka.With the exception of a handful of games in the final stages of the Super Eight competition, the standard is not high enough to test the best players and not high enough to sharpen the skills of the youngsters coming through. The disparity in talent, both within and between teams, is alarming. Moreover the intensity of the games are more akin to the low tempo affairs played out each weekend on the sleepy village greens of England.Small wonder then that the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Indika de Saram, Avishka Gunawardene and Chamara Silva have struggled to bridge the gap between first class and international cricket. Although no one who has seen Dilshan in full flow doubts he that he has the talent to take on the world’s best, he lacks the precious experience of playing tough hard cricket and has therefore failed to deliver on the international stage thus far.It’s a problem not faced by Australian cricketers, who have been brought up in the harsher environs of grade and shield cricket. Their youngsters experience hard-nosed cricket from an early age and, when the talented ones slip on the baggy green cap, they have a greater chance of early success. There is just simply no comparison between Australian Sheffield Shield cricket and the Sri Lankan Premier League. Even the County Championship in England, a bastion of mediocrity for so long, provides a superior apprenticeship.The Sri Lankan players themselves have long argued that the structure of the domestic competition needs to be changed and members of the Players Association can be heard enthusing about the merits of an eight team competition, in which the best players are pitted against worthy adversaries on a weekly basis – a competition that produces high quality cricket in a high tempo atmosphere.The facilities do matter – especially the pitches, which have deteriorated in recent years – but not as much as the standard of the first game. Moreover, better first class cricket will help provide the necessary facilities by attracting greater sponsorship and possible television revenues. The fact that there is no sponsor for the Premier League speaks volumes for the competition’s irrelevance.If Sri Lanka truly wants to regularly re-visit the glories of the 1996 World Cup triumph and if the cricket board is serious about making Sri Lanka the best Test nation in the world, then the standard of first class cricket has to be raised. It’s too late for 2003 – success there is dependent upon the meticulous preparations of Dav Whatmore and his growing backroom staff, who have been rebuilding the side now for 2 years, but will still need every one of the next 18-months to go on to transform a talented young team into a consistently competitive unit. If they do succeed then it will be despite not because of the health of domestic cricket in Sri Lanka.Raising the standard – a term coined by the ECB as they tried to persuade the English counties to accept two-division cricket – will not be easy of course. The belief that change is necessary is not uncommon, but so are the low expectations of real change. Administrators of all factions acknowledge the problem – it’s just that some are scared of the implications of implementing it.The constitutional structure of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka provides a formidable impediment to progress. The voting procedures and the electoral system encourage unashamed populism and to gain office one simply must curry favour with the clubs. Restructuring the game, possibly by creating two divisions in the Premier League, would mean overnight relegation for some clubs and only the most brave or foolhardy office bearers would believe that they could propose a reduction of the Premier League to eight sides and still expect to win office the following year.There were structural impediments to change in England too, but eventually change was affected, as the clubs were persuaded that a successful national side ultimately meant more money; enough money to secure their financial security, regardless of whether they were in Division One or Two. The same holds true in Sri Lanka. The value of Sri Lankan cricket is ultimately bound up with the performance of the national side. Quite simply, the more successful Sanath Jayasuriya’s team is, the more television companies and sponsors will be willing to cough up.The Interim Committee now has an opportunity, a chance that Sri Lankan cricket needs them to grasp. They have been given a mandate by Sports Minister to affect change and they are not constrained by old board’s bogus constitution. They have to persuade others of the urgent need for change. The board’s constitution must be refashioned and the Premier League must be transformed.Hiring coaches, buying software, importing Australian clay and building player dormitories will not secure the future health of the Sri Lankan game. Raising the standard of first class cricket will and if, when this caretaker’s administration has finally ended, they leave in their wake a competitive domestic game, then they will have contributed something truly significant to Sri Lankan cricket.
Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a claim on Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes and reported manager target Erik ten Hag.
The Lowdown: New Fernandes deal; Ten Hag talks
Fernandes looks set to pen a new five-year deal in Manchester, as first reported by Fabrizio Romano.
The transfer guru shared a ‘breakthrough’ in talks last week and added on the weekend that it is a matter of time until the contracts are signed.
The Red Devils star looks set to be a key member of the squad going forward under a new manager, possibly Ten Hag, after the club held ‘positive talks’ with the Ajax boss earlier this month.
The Latest: Jones’ comments
Talking to The Transfer Tavern, Jones had this to say on contract situations, such as Fernandes, and Ten Hag possibly coming in at Old Trafford.
“I think that players with their contract situations like Bruno Fernandes, for example, were led to believe that that Ten Hag was the path that they were going to go down. So I still think that it’s most likely to be Ten Hag.”
The Verdict: Interesting…
It seems as if players such as Fernandes have been getting the feeling that Ten Hag will replace Ralf Rangnick over the summer.
That could have possibly played a part in the attacking midfielder committing his future at the club, and United chiefs now need to tie up a move for the 52-year-old.
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He has been approached by two more clubs following talks with the Red Devils, so the last thing United will want is to miss out on his services and possibly upset several players, including Fernandes.
In other news: ‘Absolutely shocking’ – Source reveals Man Utd star now wants to quit even if Ten Hag arrives
The Premier League season draws to a conclusion this weekend with the title race, Champions League places up for grabs, while Bolton face a tough trip to Stoke as they look to secure their Premier League future. It promises to be a nerve jangling afternoon with plenty of twists and turns in store for those all involved.
In the news today we have seen Roberto Mancini claim City are deserving of the title; Arsene Wenger praising the Europa League, while Kenny Dalglish defends his performance as Liverpool manager.
Headlines
Roberto Mancini believes that Manchester City deserve to win the title as they have played the better football over the course of the season – Guardian
Kenny Dalglish was on the defensive yesterday and felt the club is in a better position than it was some 16 months ago when he took over the football club – Guardian
Sir Alex Ferguson believes the pressure is on Manchester City and called upon Queens Park Rangers to do an Aberdeen and go and upset the odds – Guardian
Harry Redknapp has conceded that Scott Parker is a doubt for the Euro Championships due to his Achilles injury – Guardian
Alan Pardew believes that Champions League qualification would give Newcastle what they need to cement themselves in the Premier League elite in years to come – Daily Telegraph
Arsene Wenger has praised the Europa League as a competition and believes some of the games are more entertaining than the Champions League at times – Independent
Darren Bent believes he can make a late push for a Euro’s place as he continues to make giant strides from his ankle injury that has sidelined him for months – Independent
Michel Vorm has ruled out a move to Arsenal by claiming he is happy at Swansea and playing for the best footballing side in the country – Mirror
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Roberto Di Matteo revealed he is unsure as to whether tomorrow’s game against Blackburn will be his last at Stamford Bridge as a Chelsea boss – Sun
Talk of Gareth Bale moving to Barcelona has been branded as nonsense by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp – Metro
Carlos Tevez has expressed a desire to quit Manchester City this summer, so he can be nearer to his family. It is a decision the Argentine hasn’t taken lightly and has called upon City fans to respect his decision and the reasons he needs to quit Eastlands. Some reports suggest that City will be holding out for some £50m in order to sell him, although whether they will get that remains to be seen.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Paul Scholes writing off Arsenal; Blackpool demand £9m fee for Adam, while Niko Kranjcar believes he is being priced out of a move away from Tottenham.
*
Scholes writes off ‘pretty but pointless’ Arsenal – Daily Telegraph
Blatter’s contempt: Sepp meets tyrant as FIFA are attacked by MPs over conduct – Daily Mail
Tevez seeks City departure – Sky Sports
Arsenal midfielder Song charged with malicious wounding after bar brawl – Daily Mail
Villas-Boas eyes Real Madrid star as his first Chelsea signing – Mirror
No one will Nik me at this rate – Sun
Pool want £9million for Adam – Sky Sports
Hernandez: I’ll be a United great – Sun
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Ireland plans fresh start at Villa under McLeish – Guardian
Spurs boss says Modric and Bale will stay as Harry blasts Blues’ bid for Luka – Daily Mail
Steven Gerrard is more than a player for Liverpool. He is Mr. Liverpool. He can pick the team up from the brink of defeat and propel them to victory. Just ask AC Milan… and Olympiakos… and West Ham. But with concern and worry abound at his absence at the weekend, despite the Anfield outfit playing at home against basement dwellers West Ham, has his injury in fact been a blessing in disguise for Liverpool, and particularly their much maligned midfielders?
I’ll set the record straight, I am not in any way suggesting that Liverpool can do without Gerrard. If they lost him to long term injury, or heaven forbid, a transfer, it would devastate the side in more ways than one. However, with the way Liverpool ably swept aside West Ham at the weekend, with their midfield personnel including Maxi Rodriguez, Christian Poulsen and Raul Meireles (all players who have been strongly criticised), Has the absence of a man so heavily relied upon by Liverpool FC, in fact been beneficial to these characters? In my opinion, in the short term, yes, for both club and the aforementioned players.
West Ham were awful, there is no hiding from that fact, but you can only beat what is put out in front of you and Liverpool applied themselves to the task with vigour, especially in the first half, and brushed the east Londoners aside. The lack of Gerrard’s presence affected the other midfielders in one of two ways; first it put more responsibility on to their shoulders, there was no hiding behind captain marvel, and second, it allowed them to play their own game with some freedom. Understandably the Liverpool midfield is based around Gerrard. So in his absence they could play with a freedom rarely afforded to them, and Poulsen, Maxi and Meireles grabbed the opportunity with both hands, with all of them performing ably.
So while Gerrard’s long-term absence would be deeply felt in a team not exactly brimming with confidence, his short-term absence may well be beneficial for those around him.
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Whether they like it or not footballers are role models and it is not always the foremost factor in the minds of the pros that they are being watched my millions upon millions and that the camera doesn’t lie. You can’t fool us! Of course, it is a tired old adversary to run to the moral high ground and say certain acts or behaviour are bad for children watching but it remains true all the same. Indeed, we all get caught up in the heat of the moment in any walk of life, and for footballers amidst a perilous relegation scrap or tenacious title tilt, it is very easy to lose your cool and make a rash tackle or more commonly surround the referee and call him most of the names under the sun.
Wayne Rooney, Craig Bellamy and Andy Carroll have all been caught cursing to the officials this term, and although this could be considered as passion and a dedication to the cause to win at all costs, the incidents are always unsavoury and definitively contravene the principles as governed in the FA’s ‘Respect’ campaign. It is so easy for the players to immediately possess that red mist which sees them charge countless yards up the pitch to confront a referee. I suppose football is so competitive, that a vital one minute breather to calm down and take stock just isn’t relevant in the game.
It must be accepted that acts of dissent are much more rife on the continent, with El Clasico in Spain this year spilling over as a fractious affair containing diving, players branding yellow cards and even goalkeepers, in Barcelona’s Victor Valdes, charging up the pitch to query a decision. This doesn’t mean we should be complacent to the situation at home however, and whilst referees have been clamping down on the ‘two-footed lunge’ over recent seasons, bravery in issuing cards for dissent isn’t always as consistent as it could be.
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Far too often, players walk free after committing bookable acts. Why can’t a foul-mouthed tirade get the same treatment as a mistimed tackle? Referees still judge fouls and contact far more rigorously than they do off the ball communication, and it is often another concept of player power that referees are seemingly frightened to send off big personalities like Wayne Rooney and John Terry, when they might do for a lesser player committing a similar offence.
It is hard to place dissent towards referees in a hierarchy of unsavoury football behaviour, with Luis Suarez’s imaginary card waving and players diving again setting the ever-disappointing tone this term. We don’t like to see any really, and whilst as fans ourselves we may get caught up in the moment and back our pros when committing such unsavoury instances, in the cold light of day and after reflection, we must accept that this behaviour is unacceptable and only exacerbates the problem of disrespect down the leagues and into the semi-professional and amateur realms.
If we look into why these acts remain unpunished in particularly, we can only speculate that fear plays a vital factor. Fear not only in irking the opinions of the managers on the sidelines given the importance and monetary repercussions of modern day football, but fear in the sense that the game may become tarnished by widespread cards being issued and the referees needing to punish almost everything in a game, inevitably ending up in too many sending’s off and damaged spectacles.
Therefore, it is down to the players and the players alone to clean up their act and help this refereeing predicament. It is so easy for us as fans to sit back, watch extra slowed down replays, ignore the human element to refereeing and simply slate the officials upon their errors, but the gap between understanding how difficult it can be to officiate a game needs to be bridged and the FA needs a more robust answer. Of course, finding a more accomplished ideal to the ‘Respect’ campaign is the million dollar question.
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How can dissent be stamped out? Docking of wages perhaps? If you have any ideas I’d like to know @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989