The Indian Cricket League (ICL) is preparing for a legal battle against the English board if the ECB rejects the appeals of cricketers involved in the league to register for their respective counties.”It is unfortunate that the ECB has chosen not to register some players who are currently playing for the ICL,” Himanshu Mody, business head, ICL, told Cricinfo. “These players and their respective counties have begun the process of appeal, and are confident that the ECB will see reason.”Many ICL players, including South Africans Justin Kemp (Kent), Johan van der Wath and Andrew Hall (both Northamptonshire), New Zealander Hamish Marshall (Gloucestershire) and West Indian Wavell Hinds (Derbyshire) have expressed concerns in the wake of the regulations recently released by the ECB that prohibit county players from playing in the ICL.Recently, Tony Greig, a member of the ICL’s executive board, had cautioned that the ECB’s stand would leave the players with no other alternative but to take legal action.”If their appeals fail, the players and their counties may have no option but to adopt a legal remedy in English courts. ICL, on its part, will support the players,” Mody said.Mody added that the BCCI’s threat to file a complaint against the ECB if it cleared ICL players to join counties was “just another way to create a barrier”. The BCCI’s move came after the PCB granted NOCs to Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to play for the counties. But the BCCI has an understanding with other boards that they wouldn’t allow any of their players to participate in the ICL.Mody welcomed the PCB decision and felt the other boards will also follow suit. “The PCB’s decision to give the Pakistani players the NOC is a decision of the PCB and the ICL appreciates the decision. The ICL is hopeful that justice and sense will prevail and the other boards realise the contribution of the ICL.”The Edelweiss 20s challenge, the ICL’s latest tournament, has entered the final stages with the best-of-three finals being staged over the weekend. The ICL will then conduct an ‘international’ tri-series involving a World XI, a Pakistan XI and an India XI.
Already banned by the Pakistan board for five years, there was more bad news for the beleaguered Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar as Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the PCB, filed a Rs 22 crore (approx US$3.37 million) defamation suit against him.Shoaib had alleged on a TV show that Ashraf had demanded a share of his salary from the IPL. He also alleged that Ashraf had tried to extort money from other Pakistan cricketers as well. Shoaib later retracted his claims and also made an unconditional apology for “any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf”.Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal counsel for Ashraf, filed the suit in a civil court in Lahore and hearings will start from Saturday.Ashraf had earlier served a legal notice that called upon Shoaib to “retract” his statements against him, and “tender an unconditional apology”. The notice also sought damages of Rs100 million (approximately US$1.6 million) to Ashraf for “defaming him personally” and another Rs100 million to the PCB for “sullying the name of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket team.”
Kings XI Punjab have expressed their desire to play more matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Associaton stadium on the outskirts of Pune in the next edition of the IPL, but have clarified that Mohali will continue to remain their base. While the Maharashtra Cricket Association is open to hosting Kings XI, a final decision can only be taken based on whether one of the two new franchises, that will be announced tomorrow, picks Pune as their home base.The MCA stadium was one of the home venues for Kings XI in IPL 2015 and hosted three matches.Mohit Burman, one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, said the franchise would speak to the BCCI on the matter soon. “We played a few matches this season in Pune and it was a good experience. We would now want to play more matches there,” Burman told ESPNcricnfo.Burman, however, said the franchise had no desire to shift its base to Pune. “We remain a Punjab franchise and we would continue to play in Mohali,” he said.While Kings XI have lost four of their five matches overall at the MCA Stadium in Pune, they have benefited financially. “They played only three matches in Pune. They made [Rs] 10.6 crore within that short period,” an IPL official said. “If they play five-plus [games], then their profits would increase effectively.”The official, however, said that Kings XI would have to wait for the outcome of the auction on Tuesday, where the two new franchises that will replace Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be unveiled. “What if one of the new franchises opts for Pune, which is part of the nine bidding cites?” he said.
Angela Reakes, a 24-year-old legspinner with the ACT and the Sydney Sixers, was handed a suspended two-year ban from the game after she was found to have placed bets on the outcome of the Man-of-the-Match award during the World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in March. Reakes, the first Australian cricketer caught betting on matches since Cricket Australia unveiled its anti-corruption code, will now become part of information sessions designed to prevent others from making similar or worse indiscretions.She placed five bets, totalling a sum of AUD $9, in contravention of Article 2.2.1 of the Code, which outlaws “placing, accepting, laying or otherwise entering into any bet with any other party (whether individual, company or otherwise) in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Match or Event”.CA has 16 official betting partners, all of which have signed up to “assist CA in its ongoing management of the integrity of CA competitions, by agreeing to the information sharing and other integrity requirements specified by CA”. A CA spokesman declined to comment on whether Reakes’ offence had been uncovered via these arrangements.Other sanctions included an official reprimand from CA, and also the requirement to become part of CA’s anti-corruption compliance education to other cricketers in coming seasons – she will thus become part of the education process designed to prevent similar missteps. While she accepted the sanctions voluntarily, the suspended sentence will hang over Reakes for the remainder of her career, meaning an instant ban should she ever transgress again.”All elite cricketers are reminded regularly that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited,” said Iain Roy, head of CA’s integrity unit. “It is outlined in the Anti-Corruption training that we deliver on an annual basis and is written into our Code of Behaviour.”Angela understands that in placing these bets she made a bad mistake and has acknowledged the seriousness of her error. She has been cooperative during the investigation and we believe the penalty in these circumstances is appropriate.”Reakes moved from the New South Wales Breakers to the ACT Meteors in the off-season, and enjoyed a productive domestic 50-over tournament where she was her team’s leading wicket-taker. She has taken one wicket in seven matches while bowling economically for the Sixers.
Hong Kong have included 43-year-old former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Campbell in their squad for the upcoming World Twenty20, which starts from March 8 in India.Campbell, who has a Hong Kong-Chinese lineage, played two ODIs for Australia in 2002 and has been a part of Hong Kong’s domestic set-up since 2012. He is also the national team’s current batting coach.Campbell had moved to the territory in 2012 to take up a role as head coach at the Kowloon Cricket Club, which he also represented as a player. He scored 160 runs in five matches, including two fifties, for Kowloon CC in the Hong Kong Premier League one-day Tournament in September-October last year.”I’m there to mentor them as I have done for so long,” he said. “It has been a while (since I played international cricket), but if you look at my numbers I think I’m still one of the best batsmen in Hong Kong. Brad Hogg is still going around for the Scorchers and I must admit he’s inspired me a bit to say age is just a number.”The squad for the World T20 also includes James Atkinson who, like Campbell, does not feature in the 15-member team for the Asia Cup. Medium-pacer Adil Mehmood and 19-year-old allrounder Ninad Shah have been picked for the Asia Cup, where Hong Kong will first have to play a qualifying tournament that starts from February 19. Both squads will be led by Tanwir Afzal.Hong Kong coach Simon Cook said that Campbell’s experience would help Hong Kong deal more clearly with high-pressure situations on the field. “His form in Hong Kong has been good in Premier League and Sunday games for Kowloon Cricket Club,” Cook said. “One of the things that we learned about our last World T20 tournament is that having that ability to think clearly in high pressure situations is critical and Ryan’s experience will be an enormous help in that regard.”The qualifying tournament for the Asia Cup will be played between February 19 and 22. Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will play each other to decide the one Associate who will advance to the main draw involving the region’s four Full Member teams. Hong Kong will then kick off their World T20 campaign with a first-round match against Zimbabwe in Nagpur on March 8.Hong Kong squad for Asia Cup: Tanwir Afzal (capt), Mark Chapman (vice-capt), Haseeb Amjad, Nadeem Ahmed, Tanwir Ahmed, Waqas Barkat, Christopher Carter, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Waqas Khan, Adil Mehmood, Kinchit Shah, Ninad Shah, Anshuman Rath.Hong Kong squad for World T20: Tanwir Afzal (capt), Mark Chapman (vice-capt), Haseeb Amjad, Nadeem Ahmed, Tanwir Ahmed, James Atkinson, Waqas Barkat, Ryan Campbell, Christopher Carter, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Waqas Khan, Kinchit Shah, Anshuman Rath.
Karachi Blues, who are battling for survival in the Grade-I, let some of the initiative slipped away on the first day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match against Sargodha at the UBL Sports Complex here on Monday.Sargodha recovered to reach 180 in their first innings after being reduced to 67 for seven an hour into the afternoon session.Karachi Blues, in reply, survived two overs to close on two without loss. But Suleman Huda might have perished LBW to pacer Umair Hasan had umpire Sajjad Asghar not declared a no ball.After electing to bat first on a slow track, Sargodha lost the top five batsmen for only 26 runs on the board. Stand-in skipper Naved Latif, who amassed 394 against Gujranwala barely eight weeks ago, fell to left-arm paceman Imranullah for a first-ball duck. Imranullah bowled a fine opening spell to claim three wickets which left Sargodha taking lunch at 46 for five.When wicket-keeper Shahid Mahmood was bowled by left-arm spinner Salman Fazal for 14, Sargodha slumped to 67 for seven. However, dogged batting, engineered by left-handed Ashraf Bashir, by the lower order brought respectability to the score.Ashraf and Faisal Khan Afridi, a burly right-hander, shared an eighth wicket stand of 51 in 40 minutes. Afridi used the long handle effectively to make 31 off 32 balls with five fours. He also lifted Salman Fazal over long-off to the top railing of the stand for massive six.Ashraf finally departed when he holed out to Karachi Blues captain Farhan Adil at cover off part-time off-spinner Nomanullah after making 39 of 130 deliveries in two hours and 10 minutes. He put on 38 for the ninth wicket with Tariq Munir.Tariq slammed six boundaries on his way to a top-score of 44 in 87 minutes off 75 balls before he was caught behind by Rashid Latif shortly after the second new ball was taken by Mohammad Javed.Imranullah and Salman Fazal claimed three wickets apiece for 26 and 74 runs respectively while Javed chipped in with two for 31.
Rafael Benitez has agreed to become the new coach of Internazionale.
The former Liverpool boss, whose six-year reign at Anfield was ended by mutual consent last week, will replace Jose Mourinho at the helm of the Italian and European champions after holding talks with president Massimo Moratti.
Benitez, 50, won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and the FA Cup the following year during his six-year stint and, prior to his move to England, led La Liga side Valencia to the Spanish title in 2002 and 2004 with the UEFA Cup arriving at the Mestalla in the same year.
Inter, who won the Serie A title as well as the Coppa Italia and the Champions League last season, have been searching for a successor to Mourinho after the Portuguese coach teamed up with Real Madrid recently and it looks like the Nerazzuri look to have found their new man.
Speaking to the club's official website, Moratti said:"We've got an agreement, we finalised the last details that in any case weren't important.
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.
"Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will say when Rafa Benitez will be presented."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Surprisingly, Arsene Wenger is reportedly ready to splash out £30 million this summer to recruit new players as he prepares to launch yet another assault on the Premier League next season.
Wenger’s wish-list this summer consists of four players, Fulham’s veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Everton’s Phil Jagielka, Chelsea’s Joe Cole and Lorient’s Laurent Koscielny, all of which are realistic targets. However, are they the correct players to be targeting with a £30 million transfer kitty? Personally, I don’t think so
Not to say Wenger doesn’t know what he is doing because in my opinion, the man is an Arsenal icon who has accomplished great things for the North London club since his arrival in 1996, but I, (maybe along with some other Arsenal fans reading this) feel that he is targeting the wrong players in the right positions. I for one am actually very surprised to hear that Wenger is willing to splash the cash, as he hasn’t done this in several years. Although, I sense that at least 2-3 player’s that Mr. Wenger has targeted this summer won’t adapt well into the Arsenal squad.
If I were in Wenger’s shoes as Arsenal boss, my aim would be to acquire at least four players with the £30 million transfer funds available (one of which is free) and Le Professeur has already expressed an interest in. Nevertheless, here is what I would spend the £30 million on this summer, enjoy:
Joe Hart (Manchester City)
My first protocol would be to acquire a young, talented and reliable goalkeeper and Joe Hart fits that description perfectly. He would be a definite transfer target for me without a doubt.
Arsenal suffered severely in this department last season and many will agree (along with me) that if the Gunners had a great keeper guarding the net, then they could have gone further than they did. Too many goals were conceded, and although people will say that the defence contributed to this (which evidently they did), however, its Manuel Almunia with the gloves on, and as such, needs to keep the ball out of his net…its what he’s paid for after all. Lukasz Fabianski is still young so I can’t really bad mouth the lad, but he proved with his performances last season that he lacks confidence and can’t handle pressure well, he is simply not ready.
With this all being said I would look to acquire Joe Hart from City this summer. The 23-year-old had a fantastic season on loan for Birmingham City, but is now back in Eastland’s after his long loan spell expired in May.
The shot-stopper’s future remains in the balance at City with Shay Given the obvious no.1. Hart is a great keeper who can only get better with time, and with his future unresolved, I would certainly look to buy the England international for sure. A bid of around £9 million would acquire his services, which is a real bargain in my opinion.
Cash Spent: £9 million
Total Funds Left: £21 million
Turn to page 2 to see the 3 other players on the list
Simon Kjaer (Palermo)
Having watched the 21-year-old Danish defender against the Netherlands the other day, I would certainly say that he is another player to obtain this summer. The Palermo youngster is a highly-rated centre-back in European football today, and as a result, has attracted a number of clubs in recent weeks.
Sol Campbell, William Gallas, Philippe Senderos and Mikael Silvestre seem to be all looking towards the exit doors of the Emirates, so a purchase of a top defender this summer is a must for the Gunners in my opinion.
I feel Arsenal need a young centre-back in their ranks, someone capable of playing for a big club and can handle pressure as well…all signs point to Kjaer. The defender would adapt well to the English game and would fit well into the current Arsenal squad without much hassle. Kjaer has great positional, aerial and tackling ability, attributes that need improving in the Arsenal back-line.
The defender has a release clause within his existing contract of £12 million, so if I were the Arsenal boss, I would certainly offer the amount in order to break the clause and discuss personal terms with the Danish international as soon as possible. Arsenal fans may think that they need a more experienced centre-back, they maybe right, but for a player of his age and ability, £12 million would go down as a great piece of business.
Cash Spent: £12 million
Total Funds Left: £9 million
Joe Cole (Chelsea)
I agree with Wenger’s pursuit of the out-of-favour Chelsea winger Joe Cole, although this would not affect my budget at all. Cole would be a great asset to Arsenal, as the North London club need some injection of English blood in their squad. The midfielder has great ability and trickery to suit the style of the Gunners and I’m sure many Arsenal fans will welcome the 28-year-old with open arms. Cole would sign on a free, and as a result would be a remarkable signing for the club. However, his salary demands may cost the club in the excess of £120,000-a-week, still he would require no transfer fee, so it’s all good in hindsight.
Cash Spent: £0
Total Funds Left: £9 million
John Heitinga (Everton)
£9 million left in the kitty, why not spend it on Everton’s John Heitinga? Wenger has shown interest in Heitinga’s Everton team-mate Phil Jagielka, but I feel, although Jagielka is a decent defender, the Englishman just doesn’t look the Arsenal type…John Heitinga on the other hand is.
The Dutchman is strong, quick and not afraid to get stuck in. Even more so, the Everton man can play in the centre-back position as well as sit in front of the back-line, so evidently, it would be like signing two players for the price of one. He already has Premiership experience, and if he were to play with Thomas Vermaelen next season, they would make one hell of a defensive partnership for the Gunners. Incidentally, Heitinga is valued at £9 million, which is what is left in my transfer budget.
Cash Spent: £9 million
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.
Total Funds Left: £0
£30 million spent, four new arrivals, job done.
Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TMer4kl1
Get the latest Arsenal news on Twitter
Click image below to see a gallery of all the Dutch babes:
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has propelled his status from United reject to arguably one of the best defenders in the world over the past 6 years, and lifting the World Cup this past weekend with Spain has only enhanced the defender’s reputation further.
The 23-year-old Spaniard started his career in Barcelona’s youth academy in 1997 and was primarily a defensive midfielder before being converted into a centre-back. Pique continued his development up until 2004, but before signing his first professional contract with Barca, the defender opted for a move to Premier league titans Manchester United, which cost the Red Devils nothing in fees due to the player’s age at the time. However his decision to leave Barcelona proved a costly one.
The defender made a total of 10 appearances in his first 2 years at the club, and made none in his third. Instead the Spaniard was offloaded on a season long-loan to Real Zaragoza in the 2006/07 season where he managed to make a better total in one year in Spain than he ever did in England. In the 2007/08 season, Pique made a further 9 appearances in the colours of United before eventually being sold back to Barcelona (for an undisclosed fee) in the summer of 2008.
His time in England proved to be a waste of time. In his 4 year spell at United, the Spanish international accumulated a total of 23 appearances and was regarded by many fans and pundits alike more as a reject than a flop at the Manchester club.
Returning back to Barcelona in 2008 was the best decision of Gerard Pique’s professional career. Since his return, the centre-back has steadily cemented a regular first-team place alongside Carlos Puyol in the Barca back-line, and has regained his confidence which went missing in England. So far the Spaniard has had two solid seasons for Barcelona notching up a total of 94 appearances for the Catalan club and in doing so has already achieved a number of honours. Pique lifted the Primera League title, Copa Del Rey and the Champions League trophy all in the 2008/09 season. Furthermore, the centre-back also aided the club to a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup success in 2009 as well as lifting the Primera League title last season. The Spaniard has impressed immensely in Europe and domestic competitions which no doubt earned him a shot in the Spanish national squad.
Pique featured in every World Cup game this summer for his country, and performed exceptionally well considering the player’s age. The centre-back was a solid performer throughout the tournament, and along with his club team-mate (Carlos Puyol) beside him, Pique certainly showed he is no flop, but a world beater.
The defender has completely turned his career around in the past 2 years. Gerard Pique is now considered by many football fans around the globe (including me) amongst the best in the world at what he is paid to do. The Spanish international may always be remembered as a United reject, which may be warranted, but Pique is far from this these days. At 23 years of age, Gerard Pique can only get better and enhance his already reputable status even further as the years go by.
Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TMer4kl1
*
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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.
Chelsea midfielder Decohas reiterated his desire to leave Stamford Bridge and return to Brazil.
The 32-year-old midfielder still has 12 months remaining on his contract but is hoping to return to his homeland in order to finish his career.
Deco, who played international football for Portugal, was a peripheral figure at Chelsea during the closing weeks of the last Premier League season.
The former FC Porto and Barcelona midfielder has made 55 appearances for the Blues following his arrival in June 2008.
"It's been 13 years since I left Brazil for playing in Europe," said Deco, who has been strongly linked with a move to Fluminese.
"Now I want to go back home and play in my country because I have never been able to win a title there.
"I want to return to Brazil most of all because of personal reasons but I am still in contract at Chelsea and I have to resolve that. Without I doubt I know that I owe it to my career to win a title in Brazil.
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.
"I want to have the chance to win a Brazilian domestic league title and a Copa Libertadores as I imagine that it must be a very strong sensation.
"I expect to have my situation resolved before July 26 for being able to travel to Brazil as soon as possible."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email