Displaying all round efficiency, holders Indian Railways thrashedPunjab by nine wickets in the semifinals of the Cricinfo Trophy SeniorWomen’s National Cricket Championship at the Gymkhana Ground in Jorhaton Wednesday. Railways’ superiority was so marked that they wrapped upthe 90 overs a side two day semifinal on the first day itself.Having to score 85 for an entry into the title round, Railways reachedthe target in 29.2 overs. The only player to be dismissed wasHemalatha Kala who scored eight in a total of 18. But opener RajaniSharma (33 not out off 44 balls) and Rajini Venugopal (39 not out off56 balls) added 67 runs for the unbroken second wicket off 24.2 oversto help Railways reach the target comfortably.Earlier, electing to bat, Punjab were all out for 84 runs in 57.5overs. Punjab started disastrously, losing four of its top orderbatswomen with only 38 runs scored. They then lost wickets at regularintervals. Only Gulshan (25), Anjali Sharma (25) and Rajani Bhalla(12) reached double figures for Punjab. Deepa Kulkarni was quitedevasatating in picking up five wickets for three runs in 8.5 overs asshe wiped out the Punjab tail.
David Moyes’ West Ham United side take a break from their Premier League campaign on Wednesday night, with the Hammers making a trip to the South Coast for their FA Cup fifth-round tie against Southampton.
And, while many supporters would very much appreciate a cup run, with the Irons currently in the thick of a battle for a top-four finish in the league, as well as facing a trip to Sevilla in the Europa League round of 16 next week, the FA Cup is arguably the lowest of the club’s priorities this season.
As such, the fixture at St. Mary’s would appear to present Moyes with the perfect opportunity to rotate his starting XI – awarding a number of his first-team regulars a much-needed break, while also handing some of his peripheral squad members and youth prospects some first-team game time.
Indeed, one such player who it would greatly benefit – both for his personal development and for West Ham – to be handed a start this evening is Sonny Perkins, the 18-year-old centre-forward who has been tearing it up for the U23s this season.
Moyes must unleash Perkins
With Michail Antonio currently being the Hammers’ only recognised striker, handing Perkins a start against Premier League opposition would provide the forward with extremely valuable experience that could well come in extremely useful for Moyes over the remainder of the current campaign – should Antonio pick up an injury, or simply require a rest.
And, considering just how impressive the £720k-rated England U18 international has been for both the club’s U18 and U23 sides so far this season, it would certainly appear as if the youngster is not far off pushing for a regular spot in Moyes’ senior squad.
Indeed, over his four U18 Premier League appearances, Perkins has scored an impressive four goals, while, over his 14 Premier League 2 outings, the 18-year-old has bagged a further six times.
These returns have seen the young hitman earn a considerable amount of praise, with club insider ExWHUemployee stating of Perkins:
“He’s really beginning to stand out now at academy level, really getting rave reviews. Obviously, he’s performing on the international stage as well for his age, and he is one to keep an eye on. From what I’ve heard in the academy circles, he could be the next Declan Rice.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As such, with not much to lose in unleashing Perkins this evening, it would appear to be a smart move for Moyes to give the youngster a shot from the off at St. Mary’s, as a solid showing against Southampton could well convince the 58-year-old that the striker is ready for much more regular first-team game time – something that would come as a huge boost to the Scot.
In other news: GSB heading for West Ham catastrophe as deal agreed for “invaluable” £62k-p/w “leader”
It’s been a rare good week for Zimbabwe cricket with their victory over West Indies in the opening ODI at Harare, but off the field things are not so rosy.A report by Malcolm Conn in today’s Australian newspaper claims that Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe cricket chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the board’s controversial managing director, could face charges under the ICC’s code of ethics next year.In the summer the ZC executive was slammed in a leaked private report from Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, although publicly the ICC maintained the same hands-off approach that it has for several years. However, Speed’s comments regarding the accounts were damning, concluding: “It is clear that the accounts of ZC have been deliberately falsified to mask various illegal transactions from the auditors and the government of Zimbabwe.”In June the ICC appointed KPMG to carry out an independent forensic audit, which has recently finished, and which Conn claims to have seen. It reveals “alarming but unsurprising irregularities in ZC’s finances, including millions of dollars in ICC dividends that remain unaccounted for,” the paper said. “There has been a lack of co-operation and documentation from ZC, with Chingoka and Bvute constantly changing their explanations for transactions. This includes numerous transactions involving UK bank accounts that have not been adequately justified.”Stakeholders inside Zimbabwe, almost all of whom have been removed from office in recent purges instigated by Chingoka, have long maintained there were glaring irregularities in the accounts but the board has steadfastly refused to address their concerns. The board’s recent AGM, the one forum where such matters could be raised, was by invitation only and ZC even struck off life vice-presidents to avoid them being able to attend.The ICC’s code of ethics states that “each director shall act in an honest and ethical manner. In order to facilitate the transparent operation of the ICC, conduct that gives the appearance of impropriety will also be unacceptable.”The ICC won’t comment other than to say the report will be considered when the ICC executive meets again in February, but the Australian suggests that there is enough evidence to have Bvute and Chingoka removed from their ICC positions.Chingoka has been ZC chairman since 1992 and as the senior member of the ICC’s executive has used his contacts and experience to deflect much of the criticism aimed at the running of the sport in the country. Bvute was brought in by Chingoka in 2002 and many critics maintain the rapid decline of the game can be traced to his arrival.
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.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
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.