All posts by h716a5.icu

Muttiah Muralitharan will not have to undergo surgery on his injured shoulder and could still participate in Sri Lanka’s forthcoming three-match Test series in England

Charlie Austin20-Apr-2002Muttiah Muralitharan will not have to undergo surgery on his injured shoulder and could still participate in Sri Lanka’s forthcoming three-match Test series in England.Muralitharan, who tore ligaments above his left shoulder joint whilst fielding in the Sharjah Cup 2002 final, would have faced a three-month layoff had he required surgery, but this has been ruled out by Australian orthopedic surgeon David Young after an examination on Sunday morning.However, Sri Lanka’s precious off-spinner will be required to keep his arm in a special sling for four weeks and then need to have two weeks rehabilitation to regain full movement before making a return to the fold.With the first Test at Lords scheduled for May 16 and the second at Edgbaston two weeks later on May 30, the team management are confident that he will make a comeback in the third Test at Old Trafford on June 13. There is also an outside chance that he could play at Edgbaston.Muralitharan will now remain in Melbourne for two weeks with Young – the surgeon who operated on a similar injury to his bowling shoulder in 1999 and inserted a plate into Sanath Jayasuriya’s hand – so that his progress can be closely monitored.He is then expected to travel to England, at least in time for the Lord’s Test, when Sri Lanka’s physio Alex Kontouri will take charge of his rehabilitation.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler Dilhara Fernando, presently resting after a long term back problem, is expected to leave for England two weeks after the rest of the squad, who arrive in London early Sunday morning.Kontouri, speaking before the team’s departure to London, remained optimistic of Fernando playing in the series, pointing out that he has been rested for six weeks for precautionary reasons and that he could play in the second Test.Earlier in the week the Sri Lankan selectors had included three more players in the squad, which has now ballooned to 18, as cover for both Muralitharan and Fernando.

Leeds United’s potential summer signing of left-back Romain Perraud looks set to ‘collapse’, according to a fresh report which emerged on Tuesday evening.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Perraud

With Ezgjan Alioski’s future up in the air at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa is expected to bring in a new left-back in the summer transfer window.

A host of players have been linked with moves to Leeds, but Perraud has arguably been seen as the front-runner to make the switch, having impressed for Stade Brest.

The 23-year-old made 36 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, showing his attacking quality with three goals and seven assists.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

The Latest: Move set to collapse?

According to Football Insider, however, Leeds’ move for Perraud is now in serious doubt, with the Whites ready to ‘explore alternative targets’.

A Whites source has allegedly told the outlet there is frustration at the asking price Brest have demanded for the Frenchman, wanting between £15million-£18million for his services.

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The Verdict: Time to look at other options

The news is a setback for Leeds, considering Perraud seemed to tick many boxes, but they may have to turn their attention to other players now.

Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico looks another strong option at left-back, possessing a wealth of experience and winning 27 caps for Argentina.

There is also a lingering chance that Alioski could stay put, which could make the need to sign a new left-back less important, and save funds for signings in other areas.

In other news, a pundit has made a big claim about the future of a current Leeds star. Read more here.

No two counties will be looking forward to the return of the four-day game more than these

Ed Green08-May-2002Surrey v Lancashire at the OvalNo two counties will be looking forward to the return of the four-day game more than these. Both have won their first two games and Surrey will be looking for someone to take their frustrations out on after being dumped out of the B&H Cup at the group stage.Surrey have not lost to the Red Rose side since 1998 at Old Trafford, when Adam Hollioake set their hosts a target and Andrew Flintoff hammered a lightning 61, including 34 of 38 runs from an Alex Tudor over. Since then Tudor has held something of an Indian sign over his England colleague, taking his wicket four out of the six times he has batted in their county championship meetings.Lancashire will be hoping that their massively changed batting will assist them. Byas, Law and Alec Swann are formidable additions to their squad and should more than make up for the loss of John Crawley. They may miss Murali, but they won’t mind Saqlain’s absence either. Murali has, thanks to Surrey’s legion of Left handeders and wagging tail, found this fixture less to his liking than the Pakistani hero.This is a potential decider between the top two sides in the table at this early stage. Surrey will be confident coming into this game with a perfect 40 out of 40 (minus 0.25 for the ridiculous offence of bowling slowly when winning a game that was a spectactors delight with two sessions to spare).The home side’s sharper bowling attack could be the deciding factor if, as forecast, the weather holds. Lancs Squad: Warren Hegg (captain), Alec Swann, Mark Chilton, David Byas, Stuart Law, Andy Flintoff, Graham Lloyd, Glen Chapple, Kyle Hogg, Chris Schofield, Peter Martin, Gary Keedy.Hampshire v Kent at SouthamptonIn a far from ideal piece of scheduling, these two sides met at Canterbury inthe first round. An excellent wicket combined with some fine batting and bowling that lacked penetration to see just eleven wickets fall in the first three days. Needless to say the result was a draw.The Southampton Rose Bowl will hopefully prove a little more bowler friendly,as it did when Hampshire collapsed in their round two defeat. Both sides will be looking to win this game to kick start their seasons, and build up enough points to avoid the drop. Interestingly Hants look to have the stronger bowling while the visitor’s batting line-up seems set to resume the formidable form which was key to their 2001 season. Hants must start scoring runs at home if they are to retain their first division place next season.Leicestershire v Warwickshire at LeicesterLeicestershire, who saw such an extraordinary turnover in players during the off season, have returned from away trips in the first two rounds with a respectable 26 points, despite losing in the final session to title contenders Lancashire. DeFreitas has been in good form this year with the ball, and Vince Wells has shone with the bat, But Darren Maddy has been the surprise turn of the summer. Not only has he batted well, but he took career-best match figures of 9-74 for Leicestershire in their round-two defeat of Hants.Warwicks have played just one match so far this summer, when they were beaten by Lancashire, after falling apart in their second innings. Nick Knight and Neil Smith led their batting, and Alan Richardson was their shock bowling success with eight wickets. If it hadn’t been for a fine partnership between Warren Hegg and David Byas, they could well have created an upset.Somerset v Yorkshire at TauntonSomerset, last year’s second-placed team, welcome reigning champions Yorkshire with both sides eager to register a first win of the season. Yorkshire in particular will want to put the memory of their drubbing by Surrey behind them. Taunton is known as a high-scoring ground, and with the whole of Somerset’s top nine making runs against Sussex the home side will be looking to rack up the bowling points once again.They welcome Andy Caddick back into the side after his contracted player break. Yorkshire’s bowlers are not accustomed to teams scoring heavily against them, and will have a point to prove after the way in which they were dismembered in the season’s opener. Their batsmen who fought so superbly for championship winning runs on Headingly’s difficult wickets will have a point to prove too in this contest which will rival that at the Oval for intensity and interest.Somerset Squad: Marcus Trescothick (captain) Jamie Cox, Mike Burns, Peter Bowler, Keith Parsons, Ian Blackwell, Rob Turner, Keith Dutch, Matthew Bulbeck, Andy Caddick and Simon Francis, Matt Wood

P   W  L  D  Bat Bowl  Deduct PointsSurrey                    2   2  0  0  10   6    0.25   39.75Lancashire                2   2  0  0   4   6    0.00   34.00Leicestershire            2   1  1  0   9   6    1.00   26.00Hampshire                 2   0  1  1   7   5    0.00   16.00Sussex                    2   0  1  1   6   5    0.00   15.00Somerset                  1   0  0  1   5   3    0.00   12.00Kent                      1   0  0  1   5   1    0.00   10.00Warwickshire              1   0  1  0   2   3    0.00    5.00Yorkshire                 1   0  1  0   0   3    0.00    3.00

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach winger Jonas Hofmann ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Bild, the Foxes are keen to prize the 28-year-old away from the Bundesliga outfit as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his squad over the summer.

The report also claims that fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are vying for Hofmann’s signature.

Rodgers needs him

Leicester enjoyed an impressive 2020/21 campaign, sealing their maiden FA Cup crown before narrowly missing out on a Champions League qualification spot.

Injuries to several key stars badly affected Rodgers’ charges throughout the season, with a lack of strength in depth noticeable upon their absence.

Harvey Barnes was flying before a serious knee injury ruled the 23-year-old out for the remainder of the campaign, and the drop-off in quality among his direct replacements led to a slight change of system for the Midlands outfit.

AS Roma forward Cengiz Under arrived on a season-long loan last summer and was expected to add an exciting and intriguing option to the Leicester attack.

However, the Turkey international failed to settle in England, with Rodgers seemingly remaining unconvinced over his tactical discipline.

Although Under would have been the most natural alternative to the injured Barnes, Rodgers often opted for either Ricardo Pereira, a full-back, or Ayoze Perez, an attacking midfielder, to fill the void out wide.

Under made just one Premier League start during his time at the King Power Stadium, failing to find the back on the net while on league duty throughout a bitterly disappointing loan spell.

His return to Rome leaves the door open for a replacement which Rodgers desperately needs, and director of football Jon Rudkin may have found the perfect one in Hofmann.

The Germany international has impressed at Monchengladbach for many years now and was particularly impressive in 2020/21, bagging eight goals and providing 13 assists in all competitions.

If Leicester want to finally break into the top four next season, then the addition of Hofmann could prove to be pivotal.

And, in other news…Rudkin masterclass: LCFC must seal “dazzling” £22.5m-rated gem, Rodgers needs him 

A number of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to the club’s retained and released list from their academy on social media.

Villa’s youth side recorded a memorable FA Youth Cup triumph last season, defeating Liverpool in the final in front of fans at Villa Park. It was the first time since 2002 that Villa won the competition and the club confirmed that every member of the FA Youth Cup-winning team has been retained.

In total, 10 players who were out of contract this summer were retained for the 2021/22 campaign and nine have been released.

The likes of Jack Clarke, who has been on loan at Chesterfield, Callum Rowe and Brad Burton were three of those who have been let go, whereas Brad Young, Mamadou Sylla and Tyreik Wright were among those who are on.

Villa fans react

The club shared the news on their official Twitter page on Friday afternoon and here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply.

“I thought the first list was released and was so confused”Credit: @OcBen”I thought the first bunch of names were released I almost lost my head then”Credit: @LawsAVFC”Wow, a couple of players from the Liverpool FA Cup game being released. Good luck to them for the future.”Credit: @cratesofhippos”Callum Rowe is a bit of a surprise I thought he really impressed against Liverpool”Credit: @josephavfc”Thought Callum Rowe had looked good”Credit: @Ingramash”Hope they all prove us wrong!”Credit: @IanKeightley

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Conor Hourihane comments, find out more here. 

Sri Lanka returned to form with an emphatic victory over West Indies A atHove as they prepare for the start of the one-day series

Sean Beynon20-Jun-2002Sri Lanka returned to form with an emphatic victory over West Indies A atHove as they prepare for the start of the one-day series. Though thegame was billed as a day/nighter, Sussex saved on their electricity,with the sun still present as the winning runs were hit.The Sri Lankans may have been entitled to have felt jaded after Monday’ssnatch and grab by England at Old Trafford. But it was the West Indies team,who landed not a week ago, who looked the weary tourists.Charitha Buddika (4-30) and Upul Chandana (3-7) were the destroyers, as WestIndies mustered just 77 after choosing to bat. Five batsman scored ducks, asBuddika’s movement, then Chandana’s turn bamboozled batsman after batsman.Devon Smith’s duck set the tone, while Donovan Pagon fell victim to poorrunning, and Dwayne Bravo was trapped in front to leave the West Indies reelingon 27 for three.Daren Ganga and Runako Morton tried in vain to keep the innings together,Ganga falling for ten. Morton made a patient 20 before becoming he wasadjudged leg before. Wickets continued to tumble through poor running andgenerous umpiring, the Caribbean’s second team losing their last fourwickets for four runs.Dihan Gunawardene had his woodwork rearranged by the always impressiveMarlon Black as Sri Lanka got off to the worst possible start. Such a targetwas never going to pose a serious threat however, and Sanath Jayasuria (23 not out) and Kumar Sangakarra (35) punished already beaten bowlers. Jayasuria lofted a couple of impressive sixes, while Sangakarra’s knock was classy. Asidefrom a first-ball duck for Mahela Jayawardene, the reply ran smoothly, withSri Lanka using just 13 of their 50 overs to ease to victory.

Leeds United have shown an interest in Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas, according to The Athletic, and he’s exactly the kind of player that Marcelo Bielsa would absolutely love to have at Elland Road.

What’s the story?

In a piece written by The Athletic ahead of the EUROs, they said of Elmas: “Pivotal to the Macedonian operation, but out of sync with the demands of Gattuso at Napoli last season, Elmas will use the Euros as a showcase of his skills.

“With a contract until 2025 it’s likely to take an offer in excess of the €17m plus add-ons that the Italians paid Fenerbahce in 2019. Over the last 12 months Leeds, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund are understood to have shown an interest in a mixture of loan or permanent deals for Elmas — who doesn’t have a release clause in his contract — but others have him on their radar too.”

Bielsa would love him

Despite being only 21, Elmas has proven to be a crucial part of Napoli’s first-team squad in Serie A, making 44 appearances in all competitions last season, and is equally important at international level.

He will be a part of the North Macedonia side that are involved in EURO 2020, and his head coach, Igor Angelovski, has raved about the kind of potential he possesses.

He said: “Elmas is a good guy and a very strong player. He has physique, technical skills, he is fast, ball to foot, but above all, he is fast with the mind and has a very strong character. He was born to become a great player and will become one of the best…The boy has the characteristics to work on himself and become stronger and stronger.”

Meanwhile, his agent added: “I think Napoli have a jewel. A young footballer, a leader of his national team who often scores goals.”

That ability to score goals from midfield, and the fact he’s as versatile as they come – he played in four different positions for Napoli last season including in the middle of the park and out wide – makes him a dream for Bielsa.

A ‘one to watch’ profile done by ESPN ahead of the EUROs said: “Despite his young age, Elmas has already accumulated 27 senior caps for his country and is comfortable playing either as an inverted winger or central attacking midfielder. A strong-running midfielder, capable with either foot, he’s skilled at making purposeful runs into the box and is a fine finisher when he gets on the end of crosses or picks up loose balls. He scored the winner in the famous 2-1 victory against Germany in March.”

Rated at £43m by CIES, the 21-year-old appears to have the engine, the intelligence and the versatility to be a real hit at Elland Road under Bielsa.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

The Leeds boss would no doubt love his “strong-running”, and the fact he’s “fast with the mind” – traits that make him perfect for Bielsa-ball.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could sign Leeds’ new Ben White in this 6 ft 4 beast…

Clare Taylor MBE, England women’s most experienced bowler and World Cupwinner, has today become the first English woman to take 100 wickets in hertest and one-day international career

Andrea Wiggins10-Jul-2002Clare Taylor MBE, England women’s most experienced bowler and World Cupwinner, has today become the first English woman to take 100 wickets in hertest and one-day international career.She joins only one other female cricketers to achieve the feat, theAustralian pace bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick.Clare dismissed the India captain Anjum Chopra for just six runs as Englandbeat India by six wickets at the Grainville Ground, Jersey, havingrestricted India to just 59 runs, their lowest total against England.Clare, who was awarded the MBE in 2000 for her services to women’s sport,made her England debut in 1988 and was a member of the World Cup winningEngland team in 1993. She was made a Sport England Ambassador in 1999 andpromotes sport and a healthy lifestyle to young people in Yorkshire.Clare is a double England international, playing for England in the 1995Women’s Football World Cup, and at domestic level for Liverpool F.C. and hashelped her county Yorkshire win the Frizzell County Championship ten timesin the past eleven years.Speaking from Jersey, where England are currently playing the first leg ofthe Women’s One-Day international series against New Zealand and India,Clare said “I’ve had a fantastic career with England over the past tenyears, and I’m looking forward to taking more wickets this summer”.Debutant Isa Guha took two wickets opening the bowling for England on herdebut, and fellow teenager Laura Harper was Player of the Match taking 4-11.India face World Champions New Zealand in tomorrow’s match, with Englandplaying New Zealand on Friday to complete the first leg of the one-dayinternational series in Jersey. The teams then move on to Durham for thefinal three games and the final on Saturday 20th July at Chester-le-Street.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting after seeing a number of England fans chanting Jack Grealish’s name over the weekend.

Grealish was left out of Gareth Southgate’s side during the 1-0 win over Croatia on Sunday, with Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling all getting the nod instead.

The Villa captain, who has seven senior caps to his name, failed to make it on from the bench in the Three Lions’ opener, despite starring in both pre-tournament warm-up games.

The 25-year-old is clearly becoming a fan favourite at international level though, and that was on show at a fan zone in Croydon.

Several England supporters sang ‘Super Jack Grealish’ during England’s opener, with the clip available to view here.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News were the ones to share the 23-second clip on social media on Monday afternoon.

These Villa supporters were thrilled at the love shown to the boyhood Villa fan, with one describing the footage as ‘special’.

“goosebumps man”Credit: @brettgallear29″Beautiful”Credit: @deano7villa”That’s something special. Deserved recognition from the fanbase”Credit: @Franziipan”You love to see it!!!”Credit: @4evavilla”WOW! Chills”Credit: @espenstrand”This is class”Credit: @GjamieJ

In other news: Pundit claims he spotted Spurs man in Midlands and makes possible Villa transfer claim, find out more here. 

© CricInfo The Indian performance at Headingley has been nothing short ofmagnificent

Erapalli Prasanna27-Aug-2002
© CricInfoThe Indian performance at Headingley has been nothing short ofmagnificent. With the team playing as a unit at last , theystunned their critics and supporters alike on their way to one ofthe most famous wins in Indian cricket history.The seeds of this win were possibly sown at Trent Bridge wherethe Indian batsmen came up with a commendable display in the face of relentless pressure to eke out what might possibly turn out to be a series-defining draw. Sourav Ganguly had presciently observed after that Test – and he was a brave manto voice those thoughts at that point of time – that the “great escape” had opened up the series.He and his team-mates proceeded to prove precisely this atHeadingley. The right beginning was made when the Indian thinktank ensured that the best combination took the field onThursday. Playing Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, despiteHeadingley’s reputation of being seamer-friendly, was a wise moveand as later events proved it played a more-than-significant rolein ensuring a series-levelling win.Backing his reading of the pitch and the conditions, Ganguly madeyet another vital decision after winning the toss – he elected tobat despite the overcast conditions. This possibly took theEnglishmen by surprise, for their new-ball bowlers were soonspraying the ball all over the place. Seizing the opportunitythat their waywardness presented, Sanjay Bangar and Rahul Draviddisplayed praise-worthy application to fashion a 150-plus secondwicket partnership that laid the platform for a mammoth Indianfirst innings total.Bangar’s grittiness and resolve during the stand was impressive.As for Dravid, it was one of his finest knocks. He came in whenthe conditions were heavily loaded in the favour of the bowlersand his determination and application showed the way to theremaining batsmen.The scintillating partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and SouravGanguly that followed firmly wrested the initiative and musthave rattled the Englishmen no end. Tendulkar’s 30th Test ton wasa true milestone – it went on to play a major role in ensuringone of the most impressive Indian Test wins ever.After the batsmen had done their job in the most glorious fashionpossible, it was the turn of the bowlers to came to the party.Summoning their best when it was most needed, they maintained agood line and length for once and dismissed England for a cheapscore in the first innings. In the second innings too, they madea promising beginning and exercised almost complete mastery overthe early batsmen. It was only when Nasser Hussain and AlecStewart got together that they seemed to lose the plot.
© CricInfoAnil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, in particular, gave theimpression that their primary objective lay in restricting thescoring-rate. It was a baffling ploy to say the least, for theirbest chance in earning a wicket lay in tempting the batsman intoinjudicious strokeplay. Fortunately, Hussain’s dismissal on thefifth morning meant that the spring was back in the steps of theIndian bowlers. With Stewart too following soon after, theEnglismen were quick to wilt. The innings and 46 runs victorywhich ensued was just reward for what was a true team effort fromthe Indians.Now, the caravan moves on to the Oval where my illustrious teammate Bhagwat Chandrasekhar engineered one of the greatest IndianTest wins in 1971. I am sure that 31 years on, a confident Indianteam, with due help from their excellent spin duo, would be ableto ensure that history repeats itself.