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Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain, has termed the ICC’s warning to the PCB to clean up its act as a “shame”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2010Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain, has termed the ICC’s warning to the PCB to clean up its act as a “shame”, and reiterated his stance calling for an overhaul of the current administration. Imran also criticised the influence of politics on the affairs of the board.Last week, the ICC, taking notice of the continuing decline of governance in Pakistan cricket, particularly since the spot-fixing controversy and the subsequent suspensions of three players, cautioned the board to fix its administration and introduce its own anti-corruption measures or face the consequences, potentially in the form of sanctions.”For years now our players have been linked to corruption,” Imran said. “When the spot-fixing allegations first came out against our players in the newspaper, the PCB itself should have taken action against the players instead of waiting for the ICC to step in.”Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammed Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s. “The ICC move to warn us and put us on notice is a shameful day for every Pakistani. It is a shame for Pakistan cricket and the reason is we don’t have any cricket institution in Pakistan,” Imran said.Cricketing relations between Pakistan and England took a turn for the worse when Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, suggested some England players might have been involved in spot-fixing during the ODI series – an allegation he retracted and apologised for when threatened with legal action. Imran was highly critical of the board chief. “Ijaz Butt’s governance has been a failure. He should have resigned the moment he apologised to the England board and withdraw his statement because they threatened him with legal action.”The patron-in-chief of the PCB is the president of Pakistan – currently Asif Ali Zardari – and Imran said the interference of politics in cricket was unacceptable. “Tell me in which country does the president appoint the chairman of the cricket board,” he said.”Today we face problems because the cricket board never took action against players accused of match-fixing. In order to save itself and to ensure we didn’t lose key players the administrators were reluctant to carry out and complete investigations against such players.”

A round-up of the third day’s action from the Stanbic Bank 20 tournament in Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2010A fine all-round game for Ryan Butterworth secured Mashonaland Eagles a comfortable 31-run victory over Mountaineers in the Stanbic Bank 20 match in Harare.Butterworth was instrumental in helping Mashonaland recover from 67 for 5 in the 14th over to a far healthier 133 by slamming 41 not out from 24 balls before taking two wickets in a miserly spell that helped earn his side a second win in the tournament.After Andrew Hall had opted to make first use of the Harare pitch, Mashonaland slipped to 21 for 3 with English import Nick Compton falling to Tinashe Panyangara for 5 and Cephas Zhuwawo being castled by the wily offspin of Prosper Utseya. Wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva was the next to fall, run out by Mountaineers captain Hamilton Masakadza.Ryan ten Doeschate led a cautious recovery, taking 30 balls to make 17, with Greg Lamb scoring a similarly ponderous 17. It laid the platform for a late-innings assault from Butterworth and Forster Mutizwa. Butterworth struck five fours and a six while Mutizwa made 35 off 22 balls to carry the score to 133.Mountaineers were given a decent start by their openers until Butterworth struck with his seamers to remove Jonathan Beukes. Having worked their way to 54 for 2 at the halfway stage Mountaineers had the heart ripped out of their chase, losing three wickets in seven balls for the addition of four runs. Lamb had Sean Ervine caught behind and Timycen Maruma was run out next ball. Masakadza was then snared by Butterworth for 29 to complete the mid-innings collapse.All eyes were on former South African allrounder Lance Klusener and, while he was together with Utseya, Mountaineers were still in the game. But having struck two boundaries on his way to 22, he fell to fellow former South Africa allrounder Hall who rattled his stumps. Wickets kept tumbling around Utseya, and by the time he was ninth man out for 20, Mountaineers were out of the game.

The unavailability of Hot Spot technology during the current World Cup came under scrutiny as Sri Lanka took on Canada

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota20-Feb-2011The unavailability of Hot Spot technology during the current World Cup came under scrutiny as co-hosts Sri Lanka opened their World Cup campaign with a thumping win over Canada today at Hambantota.Mahela Jayawardene, Man of the Match for his 100, was the focus of two referrals from Canada for caught behind decisions, both of which went against the minnows. First, in the 23rd over with Jayawardene on 11, spinner Jimmy Hansra and wicketkeeper-captain Ashish Bagai went up for a huge appeal convinced an edge had been pouched.The umpire turned it down, but Canada went for an immediate referral. TV replays suggested an edge, but were ultimately inconclusive and the decision remained. Then, in Hansra’s very next over, they went up as Jayawardene attempted a drive. Again the umpire turned it down only for the second referral to be called and again TV replays failed to provide a decisive picture.In October last year, the ICC had announced that Hot Spot cameras would be used in the semi-finals and final of the tournament. But an ICC spokesman later told ESPNcricinfo that, “the supplier of the Hot Spot technology advised that it was not willing to supply its cameras for the tournament so, accordingly, they will not be used at any stage in the tournament.”Though Jayawardene was potentially a beneficiary of the absence of Hot Spot, he said later that it was a concern not having it. “I think that’s probably the downside to it and I don’t think they have Snicko either. I am a big fan of the UDRS, I think if we have technology and if we can use it in a certain way we should.”The UDRS, in its current form, is reduced to its most basic requirements: a ball-tracker (Hawk-Eye), super slo-mo camera, and a ‘clear’ stump mic, none of which are particularly helpful with edges. “I think you need to make sure that fair decisions are being made and we need to help the umpires especially because in the conditions it’s not easy for them to make correct decisions all the time,” Jayawardene said. “There’s more technology possible so we should use that.”Canada did make successful use of one referral when they batted, Bagai winning a decision in his favour after he had been given leg-before to Muttiah Muralitharan. “For us, this was the first time we were playing under that rule and our guys were not experienced with it,” Canada coach Pubudu Dassanayake said. “Definitely without Hot Spot you can’t take proper decisions for caught behinds.”

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has begun a meeting with ICC chief Sharad Pawar at the latter’s New Delhi residence

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2010Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has begun a meeting with ICC chief Sharad Pawar at the latter’s New Delhi residence. While an official statement on his visit is awaited, it is understood that the meeting Thursday will cover the spot-fixing controversy, the resumption of bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan and issues related to World Cup revenues.Butt checked into a New Delhi hotel on Wednesday evening. While Pawar’s office continued to maintain that there was no ‘official’ meeting lined up between Pawar and Butt, sources in the BCCI indicated that there were plans for an unofficial discussion.Butt is expected to first bring up the possibility of staging Indo-Pak matches to raise funds for flood relief in Pakistan. “Matches like these will open the door for India-Pakistan cricket to resume,” a senior BCCI official said. It was likely that the ‘spot-fixing’ controversy would crop up, the official said, only later as a secondary point of discussion.Butt’s visit comes in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal, in which four Pakistani players have been questioned by Scotland Yard and three of them – Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt – have been suspended by the ICC.

Stuart Broad has been charged by ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle with throwing the ball “inappropriately” at Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, as England were frustrated in their push for victory on the third day of the second Test at Edgbasto

Andrew Miller at Edgbaston08-Aug-2010Stuart Broad has been charged by ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle with throwing the ball “inappropriately” at Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, as England were frustrated in their push for victory on the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston. The level two offence carries the possible punishment of a one-match ban, or a 50% fine.The incident occurred during a defiant seventh-wicket stand between Haider, who made 88, and Mohammad Amir, whose gutsy 16 spanned 117 deliveries. Broad fielded a drive in his followthrough, and petulantly hurled the ball at Zulqarnain, striking the player on the shoulder in an incident reminiscent of Simon Jones’ misjudged shy at Matthew Hayden during the NatWest one-day series in 2005.However, whereas Jones immediately apologised for his action on that occasion, Broad’s reaction was to gesture half-heartedly at the batsman before turning on his heel and marching back to the top of his mark, leading Salman Butt, Pakistan’s captain, to voice his disapproval at the close of the day’s play.”Cricket is a gentleman’s game but I think they got frustrated,” said Butt. “It’s not good to see people throwing balls intentionally at others, and not even excusing [themselves] properly. The throw was just one thing. There were plenty words as well, as everyone could see, and people kicking their bowling marks. It’s just frustration when you have been bowling too long.”Graeme Swann, who starred for England with career-best figures of 6 for 60, admitted that England had got frustrated as their hopes of an innings victory were thwarted, but disagreed with Butt that there had been no apology forthcoming.”Knowing Broady as I do, he certainly didn’t have any malice behind it – and he can’t throw the ball hard enough to hurt anyone anyway,” said Swann. “He apologised straightaway. It was just a sign of the frustrations that were going on.”Aside from a reprimand for excessive logos, Broad – whose father is the ICC match referee, Chris Broad – has never yet been found guilty of a breach of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, despite numerous moments in his three-year Test career when he has sailed close to the wind.His persistent failure to acknowledge the umpire when appealing for lbws has irked several onlookers, while he escaped without punishment after stepping on the ball during the Cape Town Test against South Africa back in January.

Leeds United failed to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad with any additions during the January transfer window.

The Yorkshire giants have suffered from numerous injuries throughout the 2021/22 campaign, so it’s quite surprising to see them fail to make at least one signing, especially in the midfield department, where it has now been four years and eight windows without an incoming.

It’s not entirely through any fault of their own, though.

Michael Cuisance failed a medical in 2020, Conor Gallagher snubbed them for Crystal Palace in the summer and the Whites saw two bids rejected for Brenden Aaronson during the final few weeks of last month.

Bielsa really could’ve done with some form of reinforcements as the injury situation has been really severe in recent weeks. During a Premier League clash against West Ham United, he could only name one senior pro on his nine-man bench, meaning there were eight academy prospects in the squad.

And with Kalvin Phillips missing another month as he looks to recover from hamstring surgery, the Argentine needs an extra body in the heart of midfield.

He could well find a little solution in U23 gem Lewis Bate, who actually made his top-flight debut in that aforementioned win over the Irons, which suggests that Bielsa sees enough in him to feature in the big time.

The 5 foot 6 pocket dynamo has been likened to Clarence Seedorf due to his ability to run games from midfield, with the likes of Steven Gerrard and new Everton boss Frank Lampard being some of his idols.

“Primarily, Bate is a No. 6, able to play either role in a double 6, or in a 3 with two 8s. Despite being quick and robust for his size, the question during his transition into senior football is how much and how early he’ll be able to play as a solo No. 6., especially at a Premier League level,” once claimed U18 and U23 recruitment analyst Connor Rowden to LeedsLive.

“His ability to take control of the tempo of a game from deep, dropping into spaces and probing with his mastery of the short and long passing game is where he excels.”

Elsewhere, he has been dubbed “very gifted” and a “lovely passer” by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who is already a huge fan of the 19-year-old prospect.

It’s that sort of ball-carrying and ball-retaining capability that is right up Bielsa’s street and in the absence of someone like Phillips, he could well be a presence that’s needed throughout February.

He may be vastly-experienced but the former Chelsea teen ought to be considered for a bigger role in the coming games, even more so after their gutting blow over Aaronson this January.

AND in other news, Bielsa made a huge January transfer howler at Leeds over £22.5m-rated “special talent”…

Hampshire allrounder Liam Dawson has signed on as as the overseas player for the Zimbabwe franchise Mountaineers

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2011Hampshire allrounder Liam Dawson has signed on as the overseas player for the Zimbabwe franchise Mountaineers.Dawson, 21, scored 908 runs for Hampshire in the County Championship Division One at an average of 36.32 including two centuries and also picked up three wickets. Hampshire finished at the bottom of the points table and were relegated to the second division.”I’ve never been over there [Zimbabwe] before but I’ve got to be prepared because there’s extra pressure and responsibility as an overseas player,” Dawson said. “You’ve got to prove that you’re good enough to take their overseas place – there should be a few other players from England out there too.”

Steven Finn has gone from a flat in London and pre-season training with Middlesex to a Test in Chittagong in ten days

Andrew Miller in Chittagong15-Mar-2010A mere ten days ago, Steven Finn was back in his flat in London, quietly preparing for the start of Middlesex’s pre-season training, and mulling over the advances he had made in a satisfactory winter with the England Lions and the Performance Programme. Now, almost without warning, he has been whisked away to Chittagong, thrown into a three-day warm-up to test his international readiness, and charged with the task of wrapping up a Test match on one of the flattest wickets he can ever have encountered in his 20-year life.It’s quite some change, but it’s a change that Finn is taking in his somewhat sizeable stride. His figures to date, 2 for 79 from 25 overs across two innings, speak of a disciplined but unspectacular start, but there’s been no aspect of his international baptism that has overawed him in the slightest. Not even a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit in the press briefing room (which emitted a loud machine-gun-like rattle right in the middle of one of his answers) could upset his equilibrium.”It’s a fantastic opportunity to come over here,” he said. “By no means did I think, while lying in bed in my flat, that I’d be playing Test cricket in ten days’ time. But I played in the warm-up game, came out of it with no inhibitions, and said I wanted to give it my all. This is something I’ve been aiming towards since I was seven or eight. Every young kid wants to play Test cricket.”Finn’s rise to prominence has been rapid and potentially vertigo-inducing, especially for a man of his height. When the England Lions were playing Pakistan in the UAE back in February, he wasn’t even in the starting XI for those matches, so most of his three-week stint was spent working on technical aspects of his game in the nets.The last time England’s head coach, Andy Flower, had seen him in action had been in South Africa before Christmas, but the promise of pace, height and bounce on Bangladesh’s lifeless surfaces proved irresistible. “I’m well aware myself what my game is, and what I can do,” said Finn. “Andy saw me bowl in Pretoria, and he’s got recommendations, I’d imagine, from the A team. All I know is I’m here, and I want to take the opportunity with both hands.”I was sat down and they said this is what we think you bring to the party – pace and bounce, obviously, and now I’ve proved I can bowl a bit of reverse swing as well. It’s almost ego-boosting to be told you’re going to be playing Test cricket, and this is what we see you doing. But by no means have they set me any targets for being a world-beater. I’m 20 years old, in my first Test, and I’m just learning on the job.”For all that his Test baptism has involved a lot of hard yakka on an unresponsive surface, Finn’s experiences in Bangladesh have been infinitely preferable to the fate that awaited him back home. “At this precise moment, I’d probably be getting woken up by an army officer in Exeter,” he said. “We went to Dubai for our pre-season last year but didn’t do very well, so this year Angus [Fraser, director of cricket] told us we were going to boot camp. I’d probably be in a forest in a tent right now.”Talking of boot camps, that was the memorable preparation that Australia’s cricketers were put through ahead of the last Ashes series Down Under in 2006-07, and Finn’s name is already sneaking into the frame for a berth in the first Test at Brisbane in November. But sensibly enough, the man himself played down any such talk, especially in the middle of a Test match.”By no means am I targeting an Ashes tour,” he said. “It would be lovely to be there, but there’s a lot of hard work between now and then. First of all, I have to prove I can be consistent over the course of a seven-month county season. So far I’ve only been performing quite well for a month now. I felt I’d had an enjoyable winter and an opportunity to show what I can do, and beyond that, I just wanted to go back to Middlesex, take the season as it came, get picked and take my wickets as a process of my hard work this winter.”Suddenly those short-term aspirations have been transformed for Finn. A starring role on the final day in Chittagong could yet be a springboard to even greater things.

Real Madrid have been warned they must be cautious about signing a big name like Kylian Mbappe as the forward's arrival will not guarantee success.

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Madrid expected to sign MbappeWould be monumental transferClub warned to learn from 'mistakes'WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish giants are said to be closing in on a deal to land the French forward after he informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. His signing could mark a new Galactico era for Madrid, recreating the time they signed Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham together. However, ex-Madrid star Ivan Helguera has warned they could end up failing to live up to their potential.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HELGUERA SAID

Helguera said at a La Liga and DAZN event: "It could be, what happens is that you have to see the mistakes that were made , there were many figures and very good players… but nothing was won. In Madrid it is important to win every year. It is wonderful to have all those players, but you have to know how to balance with a good squad. For Mbappe to come to Real Madrid would be an impressive signing and upwards it would be difficult to beat."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe would be joining a a squad that already boasts the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, as well as veteran stars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Despite the quality at Carlo Ancelotti's disposal, the Santiago Bernabeu side failed to win La Liga or the Champions League last season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

The capital club are expected to seal the Spanish league title this season, and may also go on to claim their 15th European crown, while they work out a deal to bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window.

Everton are in a vulnerable position this season and have now found themselves in the relegation zone following their defeat in the Merseyside Derby, however, despite the struggles the club are still linked with transfer interests this summer.

What’s the latest

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Calciomercato), there are several Premier League clubs interested in signing Torino player Wilfried Singo, including Everton.

The report suggests that the club could make an offer for Singo, competing with Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Leicester to secure his signature this summer.

Better than Iwobi

The 21-year-old has been performing at a high level for his Italian club, and has been deployed in predominantly a right midfield position this season but can also play right-back.

Singo, who was hailed a “revelation” by journalist Matteo Bonetti, has become more of an attacking threat for his Serie A team this season scoring three goals and contributing four assists, winning the majority of his duels (58%), making 1.6 tackles and 1.4 clearances on average per game, proving he can impose an attacking threat as well as providing defensive qualities.

With that being said, the Ivorian national could be the perfect upgrade for Alex Iwobi this summer following a disappointing stint at Goodison Park over the last three years.

Iwobi has only scored seven goals in 91 appearances for Everton, and despite playing on the left compared to Singo on the right, the impact in comparison that the latter could provide for the club would be huge if he can emulate his performances for Torino on Merseyside next season.

Frank Lampard has been giving Iwobi his second chance in the team since arriving in January, becoming a consistent player in the team and despite scoring the winner against Newcastle United last month has otherwise not positively impacted the team to secure safety from relegation this season so far.

Everton may have competition to sign the in-demand £13.5m-rated star, and it could be much harder to add Singo into the team if they drop into the Championship this season and Premier League clubs make a move for him. Therefore, the Toffees boss will need to work hard to make sure that he can secure top-flight football in the remaining games.

AND in other news: Frank set for disaster on “fabulous” £5.1k-p/w gem, EFC supporters may not forgive him