It’s funny how some small things can make a huge difference. What would have been a quiet affair that attracted little attention – a Ranji Trophy match between Karnataka and Saurashtra, both of whom who are safe in the Elite Division – but through a mixture of circumstances the situation is anything but. Rahul Dravid, captain of the Indian team, is turning out for Karnataka in the home ground of the increasingly high profile BCCI secretary, Niranjan Shah. The day before the game, the Madhavrao Scindia Ground in Rajkot was buzzing with anticipation.The Karnataka team were out in the nets early in the day, albeit without Dravid, who was in Mumbai still trying to locate his baggage, which had somehow gone missing when the team returned from South Africa. Dravid was scheduled to arrive in Rajkot on the Tuesday evening, and one thing was certain – he would play. The Karnataka team management confirmed that Dravid would certainly play. Raghuram Bhat, the former India left-arm spinner and currently both a state selector and team manager, said, “Dravid is definitely playing. He was stranded in Mumbai as his kit had not arrived with him from South Africa.”There was just the briefest of flutters as the Karnataka State Cricket Association had not actually listed Dravid as one of its probables when the season began, probably assuming he would be away on national duty and therefore unable to play in domestic cricket. While this was not a serious matter, it was a minor procedural glitch. The BCCI takes a probables list from each state association at the start of the season for purposes of sorting out insurance cover for all domestic players.The Karnataka team management wanted to clear this up at the earliest, and a member of the thinktank was overheard clarifying the matter with Shah, who was quick to dismiss the matter – as was only right – saying, “Dravid was a contracted player with the Board and will have no problem in playing the game.” It was also understood that Dravid would not be leading Karnataka in the match, leaving the reins with Yere Goud, who has led the side all season.Even in his absence, Dravid was hogging the limelight, but there was another Karnataka cricket keeping everyone on their toes. In the nets Robin Uthappa held nothing back, belting the ball around the park, scattering those who stood and watched. With Virender Sehwag showing little form in either form of the game of late, Uthappa has a chance to regain a spot in the Indian squad, especially with Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, due to arrive in Rajkot on Friday to pick the 30 probables for the forthcoming World Cup and the home one-day series against West Indies.Away from the glare, though, Saurashtra went about their business quietly. There’s plenty of joy in that camp, though, as they have already ensured that they will spend another year in the Elite Division. Crucial outright wins against Delhi and Haryana have left Saurashtra with nine points, and though they are not in with a chance to make the knock-out phase of the competition, there’s much to cheer about. Sitanshu Kotak, that veteran run-getter, has already amassed more than 500 runs this season, and equally Cheteshwar Pujara, the exciting young batsman, has chalked up more than 500 runs.”As secretary of the Saurashtra Cricket Association I’m very happy,” said Shah. “Playing against top teams in the Elite Division has been very beneficial for us.” And now, with Rajkot being the cynosure of all eyes as the league phase of the domestic competition winds to a close, you can see why Shah is a happy man.SaurashtraJaydev Shah (capt), Sagar Jogiyani, Prashant Joshi, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sitanshu Kotak, Kanaiya Vaghela, Pratip Mehta, Sandeep Jobanputra, Sandeep Maniar, Kamlesh Makvana, Rakesh Dhruv, Ashok Kamalia, Feroz Bambaniya, Sadil Natkan.Karnataka Yere Goud (capt), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Barrington Rowland, Thilak Naidu, Deepak Chougule, Sunil Joshi, Bharat Chipli, R Vinay Kumar, B Akhil, Udit Patel, Raju Bhatkal, Devraj Patil, Gaurav Dhiman, C Raghu.
Praveen Kumar and Shalabh Srivastava shared seven wickets between them to rock Mumbai as Uttar Pradesh shot out the 36-times champions for a paltry 199 before playing out the two overs without any damage to take the honours at the end of the opening day in the semi-final clash at the Wankhede stadium. The last time the two teams met in a semi-final clash was in 1997-98 and UP – powered by Ashish Zaidi- had shot out Mumbai for a shocking 98 on the first day. Seven years later at the same venue, it appeared the story would repeat itself but a valiant effort from the tail – involving Avishkar Salvi and Swapnil Hazare – lifted Mumbai, one stage tottering at 153 for 9 in 63.1 overs, to a fighting total. However UP – which had bounced back under Mohammad Kaif’s leadership after a lackluster start to the season – will be quite happy with their day’s work.The Mumbai batting had been brittle all summer and especially with the absence of Wasim Jaffer- away on national duty – it would have been a slightly vulnerable Mumbai team that entered the Wankhede stadium today. “We look unsettled because the guys have not scored. We have failed to put a big score. It’s time people such as Nishit Shetty converted those 30s into something big. They have to take more responsibility,” Kharsan Ghavri, Mumbai’s coach, had said on the eve of the game. The events on the field would have left him disappointed as UP bowlers created a stranglehold on the opening day.The Mumbai innings was a crawl – the first fifty came in 27.5 overs at the cost of three wickets, the second took 17 overs but Mumbai lost two wickets and bled three more for the third fifty which came in 16 overs. Only Sahil Kukreja, the opener, offered any resistance with a 142-ball 49. But he once again failed to capitalise on his good start- the story of his season so far, averaging 30 with two fifties in 11 innings. The other batsmen however didn’t quite get even a start with only Ramesh Powar and Aavishkar Salvi going past the 20-mark.For UP, everything went according to their script. The young Kumar, who has scalped 27 wickets at 26.88 this season, combined well with Srivastava, eight wickets from three games, and hustled the batsmen. Piyush Chawla, the young legspinner who had castled Sachin Tendulkar with a googly in the Challenger series held a few months back, followed the good work, mopping up the tail.The onus is now on the UP batsmen, led by Kaif and Suresh Raina, to follow up on the good work of the bowlers and post a big first-innings score to establish a firm grip on the game. But they would be the last team to underestimate Mumbai – It took UP 40 years to register their first and only win against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. A fascinating battle is on cards on the second day
Live on Cricinfo from 12.30GMT Weather forecastSouth Africa go into the first of three one-dayers against Zimbabwe at the Wanderers without Shaun Pollock and with Andre Nel and Graeme Smith both sweating on last-minute fitness tests. Pollock ruled himself out on Thursday after an ankle injury failed to respond to treatment.Smith admitted that he was less than fully fit – he is also suffering from an injured ankle – but was confident of making the side. “We’re struggling to work out exactly what the problem is,” he shrugged, “but it’s pretty much certain that I’ll play in all three matches in the series.” Nel, meanwhile, reported back from domestic duty with a hamstring strain.South Africa have other problems to ponder, the main one being who will open with Smith now that Herschelle Gibbs appears to have settled into a position lower down the order. “We’ve got a few options, and it’s important that we stabilise that position,” Smith said. “I think once we decide on someone, we should let him have a bit of a run. Adam Bacher, AB de Villiers and Jacques Rudolph are all in the frame.”Zimbabwe’s headaches concern form more than fitness. Since the split which followed the sacking of Heath Streak last April, they have won just two out of 22 ODIs – and both those victories came against Bangladesh last month in a 2-3 series defeat.Friday’s day-nighter is followed on Sunday by the second match, at Durban, with the third one at Port Elizabeth next Wednesday. The one-day series is followed by two Test matches.
The fixture list for the 2004 Twenty20 Cup was announced by the ECB today. After the success of this year’s inaugural competition, the format has been expanded to include quarter-finals. There is also a designated “Derby Day” – when several local derby matches will be played – and the list also includes the first Twenty20 match at Lord’s (Middlesex v Surrey on July 15), and the first Twenty20 international, between the England and New Zealand women’s teams (at Hove on August 5).The main county competition will again start with three regional preliminary groups of six. The first matches are on Friday, July 2. Next year the top two counties in each of the three groups will progress to the quarter-finals, along with the two best-performed third-place teams. The semi-finals and finals will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, August 7.The new “Derby Day”, on the evening of Friday, July 9, will feature five of English cricket’s major derby fixtures: Gloucestershire v Somerset, Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Surrey v Kent, Sussex v Hampshire, and Warwickshire v Worcestershire.The ECB undertook extensive research during the Twenty20 Cup in 2003. This suggested that the aim of reaching a new and younger audience was realised: 62% of the audience was under 34, and 23% were female, compared to 16% and 15% respectively at a typical Frizzell County Championship match. The research also showed that 32% of females were watching a cricket match for the first time. In addition, 36% of men, 58% of women, and 47% of under-25s stated that their image of cricket had changed in a positive way as a result of their Twenty20 Cup experiences.
Somerset Coach Kevin Shine was back at the County Ground this morning after undergoing a hernia operation in the Somerset Nuffield Hospital ten days ago.During his time in the Somerset Nuffield a mysterious bouquet of pansies was delivered which have been a considerable source of debate around the club.Earlier today Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me: “Kevin Shine appreciated the boquet of pansies but not so much the pink ribbon which was tied around them.”He wants to make it clear that the surgeon who carried out the operation blunted three scalpels cutting through his stomach muscles.”Kevin Shine exclaimed: “Is that hard or is that hard!”Welcome back coach, and glad to see that you are feeling better and back at the ground.
At its Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Monday, the BCCI appointed its first ever ombudsman in Justice Ajit Prakash Shah, to look into matters relating to conflict of interest in the board. Justice Shah, 67, a former Chief Justice of the Delhi and Madras High Courts, is widely considered as one of the boldest jurists India has witnessed in recent times, delivering landmark judgments in matters of societal equality, human rights, individual liberties, and freedom of speech and expression.An ombudsman, or a “legal representative”, is generally either a public official or an employee or member of an organisation who acts as an impartial intermediary between two parties.In case the ombudsman is appointed by the government or his position is created by law, for example a Lokpal or a Lokayukta, the official often assumes the role of a watchdog, overseeing the activities of the government or bureaucracy and addressing the grievances of the public against them.Ombudsmen are often considered institutions in themselves. Once appointed, they are free from procedural or technical complexities that most judicial or governmental bodies are subject to. They have the power to initiate proceedings without any approval, summon parties, direct appropriate bodies to conduct investigations, and in some cases even impose punishments of their own accord.The scope of power, authority and jurisdiction of an ombudsmen, as well as the rules and procedures that he must follow, however, are all decided by the appointing authority. Therefore the ambit of Justice Shah’s powers will be set in place by the BCCI itself.A key component of the ombudsman’s authority would be whether he has the power to initiate proceedings against individuals (on its own) and whether he is authorised to impose sanctions or punishments independently, without prior approval of the BCCI.When asked by ESPNcricinfo about the freedom and influence that Justice Shah will enjoy, BCCI President Shashank Manohar said “he would be given complete freedom and authority like a judicial body”.However, the BCCI is yet to clarify, in detail, what the jurisdiction of and procedures to be followed by its ombudsman would be while initiating, hearing and deciding matters relating to conflicts of interest.After retiring as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in 2010, Justice Shah has been the chairman of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC) and the chairman of the Law Commission of India. Earlier this year, he turned down an offer from the Delhi government to be the state’s Lokayukta (state ombudsman).Justice Shah is considered the architect of the historic ruling in 2009 that struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, thus decriminalising gay sex in India. The judgment earned him national and international recognition. He is credited with other brave rulings including a Public Interest Litigation in 2004 where he imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the Shiv Sena (the right-wing Mumbai political party that has a history of disrupting cricketing activities in India) for calling an “illegal” (strike) in Mumbai. He delivered another landmark judgment in 2010, when he declared that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a “public authority” that falls within the ambit of the Right to Information Act, thereby making the country’s top-most judge obliged to share details of his assets publicly as per the act.At present, he serves as a member of the Committee of Experts at the International Labour Office in Geneva. As BCCI ombudsman, Shah can be contacted at [email protected].
The days where £80m would have bought you a shiny Cristiano Ronaldo are gone. Indeed, transfer fees are now simply astronomical, with Neymar costing £200m, while Paul Pogba cost Manchester United a comparatively measly £89m.
Yet, despite prices increasing throughout the entirety of the footballing world, England – and specifically English players – seem to be on another level.
United, last week, launched what looks likely to be a fairly long-lasting transfer saga, seeing a £40m (per Sky Sports) bid for Aaron Wan-Bissaka immediately knocked back. Yet, they are due to make a second bid, with the same outlet reporting Crystal Palace are holding out for closer to £60m.
Now, let’s break that down, shall we? The 21-year-old largely broke into the team last season, having previously made just seven appearances. Obviously, he is yet to make an appearance for England’s senior team and is currently valued at £22m (as per TransferMarkt), so certainly doesn’t boast the same pedigree as the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte, who cost a similar amount in recent seasons.
Making 35 league appearances, registering three assists, scoring no goals and he managed just nine shots all season, creating four big chances and had a crossing accuracy of 21%. Not his role to attack, right? Well, yes and no, we’ve seen how important full-backs are to the biggest teams in the world these days, so you’d perhaps expect more from a player commanding such a fee.
This is where the problems with English football are highlighted. A young and fairly inexperienced player, especially a full-back – despite their importance to the modern game – shouldn’t have the added burden of costing so much. Pogba himself even spoke of the pressure big transfer fees can put on players, after all.
Indeed, he’s had a poor season, but Andrew Robertson cost Liverpool £10m and Lucas Digne set Everton back £18m. That just shows the level you can bring in at such prices.
Yet, with Kyle Walker going to City for £53m, it sets a benchmark for full-backs to be compared to. Ben Chilwell is now reportedly going to require a world-record bid for a bid to be accepted, while of-course Crystal Palace are demanding so much for Wan-Bissaka. There is an argument that they add to the number of homegrown players in the squad, but the transfers are somewhat ridiculous.
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Where £56m once bought you Kaka, it’s now more likely to land you Wan-Bissaka. It’s been going on for years, but this is just yet another reminder of how mad football has become.
United fans, what do you think? Is £60m unreasonable for a player who has played just one full season? Or is it just essential you improve the squad at all costs? Comment below.
After their somewhat lacking start to the season and the simply awful game at Old Trafford, people were questioning both Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, asking if it was time for the Frenchman to move on, and just how much could they actually accomplish this season – in short, times were not happy at the Emirates, and even certain sectors of the fans were voicing dissenting opinions.
Any realistic person would have known that following the departures of Cesc Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy, Arsenal would have struggled initially, having to come to terms with the loss of three very influential players – none more so than skipper Fabregas, who was the creative heart of their side, yet the patience vastly evaporated from supporters, with all kinds of negativity both in the media and stands, and following the humiliation against United, Wenger entered the transfer market in what was perceived as a flurry of panic – something the carefully spending manager had never done before.
In came Arteta, Mertersacker, Santos and Benayoun, and Wenger came out with the usual spiel of how the season was not over, and Arsenal still had plenty to offer. As it turns out, this seems to be the case, with Arsenal going strong in Europe and also making a comeback in the Premier League, with a top four spot looking more than a feasible achievement – especially when you look at the form of Chelsea and wonder if Newcastle can really last the whole season in the top four.
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Now, of course, the dissenting voices have faded away, yet did they really have anything to complain about at all?
Only Arteta out of the new signings has made any kind of significant impact, with Mertersacker in particular struggling with the nature of the Premier League, and whilst both Santos and Mertersacker look like players with potential, only the former Everton midfielder has had an immediate effect, so really did Arsenal have it in them all along?
The simple answer to this question is obviously yes – all teams go through bad patches, and it was unfortunate that Arsenal’s came at the start of the season – but there is plenty of time for their season to be turned around, and they are well on the way to doing that.
It is the all too familiar story of fans and media jumping on the negative bandwagon after a couple of bad results – Chelsea are the latest club to go through this, and after a couple of poor results – should they get them – City will also have to deal with this. It is very easy to forget that the season is 38 games, not 3, and a great start does not mean trophies, nor does a few defeats signify doom. Arsenal fans are realising this, prehaps they should pass it across London to Chelsea fans!
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Arsene Wenger has confirmed that former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will come out of retirement to sign with Arsenal for the rest of the season.The 41-year-old German joins as a free agent after retiring in 2010 following two seasons with Bundesliga club Stuttgart.Lehmann made 199 appearances for Arsenal between 2003 and 2008, winning the Premier League title in 2004 and the FA Cup in 2005.The move comes after injuries sidelined regular goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski, meaning Lehmann will be used as back-up for first-choice Manuel Almunia.Italian youngster Vito Mannone is out on loan at Hull City and also injured. “He will sign for us for the rest of the season because we have Wojciech out for six weeks, we have Manuel out for six weeks and we have Fabianski out for the rest of the season,” Wenger said.”So, we have no cover of any experience at all in the Premier League and that is why I decided to get Jens back to cover up Almunia and, of course, to give us some experience.”During his previous spell at the club, relations between Lehmann and Spaniard Manuel Almunia were reported to be tense. And Wenger revealed that Almunia was not consulted before the decision was made to bring Lehmann back.”No. You make your decision,” he said.”Much more has been said that what basically happened, like many times.””There is a lot of respect between the two goalkeepers and I personally think that Jens Lehmann will get the best out of Almunia because he will be showing every day that he is ready to fight for his place as he has always been doing and Almunia will be motivated by that.”Wenger confirmed that the former Germany international will be on the bench for the Premier League game at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dropped a major hint that he will end his managerial career with the Gunners.
The 61-year-old Frenchman has only another 12 months left on his current contract, but says that extending his reign at the Emirates Stadium is the most likely scenario.
He told The Observer:"I am at a stage where if I extend my contract it means I will finish my career at club level at Arsenal.
"If I go for a different challenge – I have been offered many challenges you know – it has to be now.
"That's a decision I have to make. But basically I have no desire to change from here. I have one more year and we are maybe thinking about extending it.
"I cannot see that my enthusiasm will drop, but I am not necessarily the same resistance physically as Alex Ferguson.
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"At 65 I will certainly move to some different job, unless I still feel like I feel today."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email