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GOAL breaks down the stunning revelations from U.S. Soccer's report, and what it means for all involved

Claudio Reyna is one of the finest players American soccer has ever produced. That is undisputed. But his legacy and reputation are no longer defined by his stellar playing career. The Google searches won't bring you straight to stories about his on-field heroics or highlights of his best moments.

No, these days, Reyna's legacy is defined by all that's gone on between his family and Gregg Berhalter since the World Cup.

The clash between two of American soccer's most famous families plunged the entire U.S. men's national team into controversy as a decades-old domestic violence incident was dug up as retribution for USMNT and Borussia Dortmund star Gio Reyna's lack of playing time at the World Cup.

Following the results of an independent investigation released on Monday, it's become clear that while Berhalter's own transgressions were an isolated incident that he has publicly apologized for and doesn't deny, Reyna's were an out-of-control pattern that for too long went without discipline.

The report, put together by Alston & Bird, details a number of unsavory allegations about the Reyna family's influence within U.S. Soccer while also revealing a series of events that have seen Claudio Reyna evolve from USMNT hero into, as the report says, a "mean-spirited bully".

GOAL is here to break down the report, the series of incidents involving Reyna and what this all will mean for his reputation and employment going forward.

Getty ImagesWhat we knew

By now, all who follow American soccer know the general story, but it's worth a refresher.

Due to fitness issues, Gio Reyna is given a limited role at the World Cup by USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter, a longtime friend of the Reyna family. The winger doesn't handle it well initially and his effort in training drops. He is eventually given an ultimatum: try harder or go home. He apologizes, returns to the team and continues on.

Meanwhile, his parents, Claudio and Danielle, are unhappy and communicate that. with people around the program, and right after the World Cup, address it again with sporting director Earnie Stewart. During their talks with Stewart, Danielle reveals that Berhalter assaulted his now-wife and then-girlfriend Rosalind during their time at the University of North Carolina, where then-girlfriend Rosalind roomed with Danielle.

An investigation follows, both into the allegations made by the Reynas, the process of Berhalter's hiring and the manner in which those allegations were revealed on the heels of the 2022 World Cup.

Even prior that investigation, the Reynas' reputation had taken a hit, with many seeing them as overbearing parents who wielded a very personal decades-old incident involving two close friends to help their son. But, as it turns out, the family's World Cup actions were just the tip of the iceberg in what has been a longstanding pattern of meddling into their son's career.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe investigation itself

As part of the investigation, Alston & Bird contacted various figures around U.S. Soccer, including the Reynas and the Berhalters. Berhalter, the report says, was very forthcoming, speaking to investigators on the record without legal counsel while helping to facilitate interviews with other persons of interest.

He and his wife acknowledged the incident, which occurred when the two were teenagers.

Both corroborated the fact that Berhalter was immediately remorseful, went to counseling, volunteered and has never done anything similar in all of the years since. It was a mistake that, to this day, still haunts him, he says, but one he didn't run away from once it became public.

By the end, the investigation determined that Berhalter, legally, would not be a risk to remain USMNT head coach – and U.S. Soccer has subsequently kept the door open for him to be brought back.

As for the Reynas, investigators said they were less forthcoming. The report says: "We were less impressed with the Reynas’cooperationduring the investigation."

After several attempts at securing interviews, Danielle Reyna had two brief conversations with investigators, in which she initially denied ever telling Stewart about the Berhalter incident. She called investigators back shortly after and changed her story, detailing a "physical fight".

Claudio Reyna, meanwhile, did not speak to investigators, with the family's attorney instead offering to give a "proffer" of information on their client's behalf.

In the end, Claudio Reyna did not interview with investigators in any way.

Getty'Inappropriate, bullying, mean-spirited'

The investigation says that the 2022 World Cup was far from the first time Reyna tried to use his status with U.S. Soccer to assist his son Gio's career.

The report details a "pattern of outreach" dating back several years, with several unnamed figures revealing incidents involving Claudio Reyna.

One source described Reyna's interactions with those at U.S. Soccer as “inappropriate,” “bullying,” and “mean-spirited", as the legendary midfielder is said to have meddled several times.

In February 2016, the report says, Reyna complained to U.S. Soccer officials about a red card that his son received in a match as he attempted to persuade the federation to overturn the dismissal and allow the midfielder to play in the next game. U.S. Soccer did not overturn the decision.

Stewart said that Reyna began making complaints about his son's playing time within U.S. Soccer as early as 2019, when he reached out to complain about his son's role at the U-17 World Cup. Additionally, Reyna hit out at what he saw as inadequate travel arrangements as his son did not fly business class to join the team.

Stewart told investigators that he has never had similar discussions with other parents.

Berhalter, meanwhile, revealed that he too had received complaints from Reyna during that U-17 World Cup, as his longtime friend texted him to say that then-Under-17 boss Raphael Wicky was "the worst coach". Berhalter also provided the investigation with text messages from 2019 and 2020 that saw Reyna criticize his son's treatment, coaches and travel arrangements.

“When things don’t go great for Gio, [the Reynas] pivot and go into attack mode," Berhalter told investigators.

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Noah K. Murray'Can we get real and get male refs?'

Perhaps the most damning revelation from the report details an incident that saw Reyna complain about a female referee following a 2018 match.

“Field, referee everything!! So embarrassing all the way around,” Reyna said in an email before sending a follow-up message that stated: “And in all honest [sic] can we get real and have male refs for a game like this. Its embarrassing guys. What are we trying to prove? A game like this deserves bett[e]r attention."

An unnamed person interviewed by the report circulated the email internally, saying: “This is truly sad to see. I believe we should regroup internally . . . and decide the path we want to take. After this and his communication last week, this is not appropriate or acceptable.”

Controversy around their security arrangements in India, batting issues and changes to the squad due to injury and form mean that Pakistan enter the 2016 World T20 in a weakened state

Umar Farooq15-Mar-20165:45

Ramiz: Pakistan will be mentally fatigued

Big pictureFor the first time, Pakistan will enter the World T20 a weakened side. Over the years, they have lost their Midas touch in the format and the unpredictability that was once a defining feature, is now merely a liability.Pakistan announced their World T20 squad in early February but then made changes to their squad due to injuries and form. The last of these changes was to bring Ahmed Shehzad back into the squad in place of Khurram Manzoor, who fared poorly in the Asia Cup. Their departure was delayed following concerns over the security situation in Dharamsala, where they were scheduled to play a match against India, and this cost them one practice match. The match against India was eventually moved to Kolkata and the team arrived on Saturday.An unsettled top order and an inconsistent middle order leaves them as one of the weaker teams in the Super 10s stage. They are not being seen as favourites but the senior players – Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad – are all overdue for big performances.Pakistan’s biggest strength is the four-man pace attack, with Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Sami all capable of clocking speeds close to 150 kph. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, has, however, stressed that the batsmen will need to support the bowlers. The tracks in India, too, might work against Pakistan, as their specialist spin department is another weak link.Road to the World T20Pakistan are ranked No. 7, close to Sri Lanka at No. 8. Their performances in the last 12 months have been poor. They have nine out of 17 games, and five of those victories came against Zimbabwe and UAE. They lost series to England (3-0) and New Zealand (2-1) followed by a dismal Asia Cup where they lost crunch games against India and Bangladesh and failed to make the final.At the helmThis is Shahid Afridi’s second and final World T20 as captain; he previously led the team to a semi-final finish in the tournament in 2010. He took charge of the side after Mohammad Hafeez stepped down following the side’s exit in the group stage of the 2014 World T20. Afridi’s form has waned recently – in the Asia Cup, he scored two runs and took two wickets. Over the last 12 months, he has scored 173 runs in 15 innings at an average of 12.35 and has taken 12 wickets at 35.41. There were calls for a change in leadership after the Asia Cup but PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan refrained from making an alteration so close to the tournament.Key stats20Number of batsmen Pakistan have tried in the top three since 2012, the most for any team. They haven’t, however, been able to find a stable top order yet and their experiments in the Asia Cup only left the team with more questions.Umar Akmal’s T20 experience and form will be crucial to shore up a brittle Pakistan batting order•AFPLeading menMohammad Amir
The 2016 World T20 will be Mohammad Amir’s first ICC event since his return from a five-year suspension for spot-fixing in September 2015. He made his presence felt in the Asia Cup with a charismatic bowling show, particularly against India, and will be an important player for Pakistan.Ahmed ShehzadShehzad was first dropped from the World T20 squad and then added at the last minute after Khurram Manzoor failed in the Asia Cup. He has scored the most runs by a Pakistan opener in T20Is – 912 – but can be an inconsistent performer. He made his way back to the squad because the selectors were forced to revisit their original pick and the onus is now on Shehzad to produce the performances expected of him.Umar AkmalUmar Akmal has been in and out of Pakistan’s Test and ODI sides but is an important player in the side in T20 format. With 1611 runs in 75 matches at an average of 27.30, he is Pakistan’s highest run-getter in T20 internationals and fourth overall in the format. Currently he is in assured form – in the Asia Cup, for instance, he played a crucial 50 off 46 balls to help Pakistan overcome a scare from UAE. With the top order looking brittle, he has a vital role to give his side momentum with his flamboyant batting. In three World T20 appearances, he has scored 408 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 134.65.Burning questionCan Shahid Afridi sign-off with a bang?Afridi’s 20-year career has had exhilarating highs and excruciating lows, and he is now nearing the end of his international career. His career and extravagant persona have made a significant impact on Pakistan cricket. He brought the curtains down on his ODI career with a quiet 2015 World Cup and the World T20 is his chance to mark his remarkable career with a perfect farewell.World T20 historyThey finished runners-up in the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007, losing to India in the final. In 2009, they won the title and finished semi-finalists in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, however, they failed to move beyond the group stage.In their own words”It’s a matter of the entire team clicking together and this is the only pattern of Pakistan winning a game. Gone are the days when one player stood up and finished off the game single-handedly. Now we need to perform as a unit, and every single player in the side has to play his role. We all know what to expect and who to expect, and the answer to every question is batting. And the day we manage to get consistent with the bat, we will become the best team in the world.”
Aakash Chopra on Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses

Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, has joined the chorus of Associate voices calling for more opportunities to play against Full Members

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2016Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, has joined the chorus of Associate voices calling for more opportunities to play against Full Members. Speaking to the media on the eve of his team’s World T20 clash with Sri Lanka, Stanikzai said the level of talent in Afghanistan was evident from their remarkable climb up the cricketing ladder over the last decade, and said the gap between Full Members and Associates would only narrow from more regular competiton.”You can’t make big comparisons between Afghanistan and other Associates,” Stanikzai said. “Many other Associates have been playing for the last 30 to 40 years, participating in World Cups and other events. But if you see Afghanistan’s history at the elite level, we have only been playing for the last 6-7 years.”In that time we have achieved what other nations couldn’t do in 30-40 years. It shows how much talent Afghanistan have to play at the elite level. Definitely we need more games against the Full Members, it can increase our experience in the game.”Pointing to Afghanistan’s recent ODI and T20 series wins over Zimbabwe, both home and away, Stanikzai said his side had what it took to beat a Full Member side.”If we play against other Associate countries, we will get experience from each other, but if you play with a Full Member, like we did against Zimbabwe in ODIs and T20s, you learn how to beat them. We now have that experience. As long as we play more games against Full Members, the distance between Associates and Full Members will reduce.”Looking ahead to the game against Sri Lanka, Stanikzai was confident Afghanistan had the quality to pull off a win.”We have some game-changers, and we have not qualified for the Super 10s just to participate. We are ready to challenge some big teams.”Looking back to Afghanistan’s impressive display against Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup, where a century from Mahela Jayawardene prevented a potential upset, Stanikzai said the absence of the now retired Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara raised Afghanistan’s hopes.”We came close against Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup but their experienced batsmen, particularly Mahela Jayawardene, played outstandingly to beat us. This time most of their players are new; this time we have a good chance to beat them.”

Yasir Shah, who has become the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 Test wickets, has said his only aim is to do the best he can for his country

Umar Farooq in Colombo26-Jun-2015Before the Test series started, Zulfiqar Babar confidently predicted that Yasir Shah would take more wickets than him, and Yasir’s bowling numbers so far have emphatically proved him right. In just eight months, Yasir has made his journey from oblivion to become the fastest Pakistan bowler to take 50 Test wickets, surpassing Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis.Yasir said he was happy to achieve the record which would further strengthen his confidence. “I still remember when Shane Warne tweeted me, that gave me ample confidence,” Yasir said after the second day in Colombo. “With his words I was under pressure, thinking how I will live up to his appreciation but with every match I played since then I have started to thrive.”I never thought that far [on being the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 wickets] when I made my debut against Australia. The only aim was to just concentrate on doing good for the country. I knew in Test cricket I needed to be patient and I did exactly what needed to be done. Misbah has supported me all the way. For a legspinner, the field placement is very important and I am glad that the captain is giving me enough freedom to set the field.”After making his first-class debut in 2002, Yasir got his chance in Test chance last year, and has since left an indelible mark in the format. He took nine wickets in Galle, which included figures of 7 for 76 in the second innings – the best by an overseas bowler in Tests in Sri Lanka. After more than a decade on the domestic circuit, Yasir is not only acknowledged but also respected. On day two in the press box, Pakistan’s consistency in developing world-class bowlers was repeatedly commended.Yasir’s 13-year first-class career includes 336 wickets at an average of 25.05. He is one of many bowling prospects who had been pushed back with the burgeoning success of Saeed Ajmal in the last five years. He took his second five-for in the space of five days in the second Test in Colombo, after bowling 40 overs – the most by any bowler from both sides so far, primarily because Pakistan have lost Wahab Riaz for the rest of the series due to injury.After the first Test, Sri Lanka targetted Yasir as a tactic to neutralise him but it was to no effect as Yasir troubled the batsmen with his impressive variations and kept a check on the run rate, going at an economy rate of 2.37 in his 40 overs. Sri Lanka managed to hit him for 10 fours but kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.”The pitch is still playing well but expect more spin on the fourth and fifth day, it has definitely something to offer. Today the idea was to avoid bowling short and wait for the wickets to come and it worked. Unfortunately, Wahab Riaz got injured and we were forced to play with one bowler short. But the rest have given their 100%, though I had to bowl bit longer. But the plan remained the same to contain as much as we can.”

Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati is staring at a lengthy period on the sidelines after suffering serious injury with Brighton against Nottingham Forest.

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Fati limped out against ForestWill be out for three monthsJoins lengthy injury list at BrightonWHAT HAPPENED?

Roberto de Zerbi has been handed a double blow before they face AEK Athens in the Europe League on Thursday as the Spanish forward joined Tariq Lamptey in the treatment room. Fati limped out during the first half at the City Ground during a slender 3-2 win over the Tricky Trees after lasting for just 21 minutes and could be out for three months. He was replaced with Joao Pedro who made the most of the opportunity by scoring a brace for the Seagulls.

AdvertisementWHAT ROBERTO DE ZERBI SAID ABOUT FATI & LAMPTEY

Speaking to reporters ahead of the AEK fixture, De Zerbi informed: "Ansu and Lamptey are both injured. We've lost them for a long time. The focus is on the players who can play tomorrow. We will have enough to compete. I don't know if we will win but we will fight to win the game.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

De Zerbi has several reasons to fight for a win, despite going to Greece with a depleted squad, as three points on Thursday evening might propel them to the top of Group B given Marseille drop points against Ajax. However, it will be a tough task for the Premier League outfit as they will be without Danny Welbeck, Solly March and Pervis Estupinan apart from the recently injured Fati and Lamptey.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BRIGHTON?

Brighton will have to be on their toes when they take on the Greek side as they were beaten in the reverse fixture by 3-2 at the Amex Stadium back in September. However, they are unbeaten in their last six matches and if they continue their rich vein of form, De Zerbi's troops could avenge their earlier defeat.

New Zealand left-arm seamer Ben Wheeler took to England at the first time of asking with five cheap wickets to add to Somerset’s batting gloom

Alex Winter in Taunton09-May-2015
Scorecard1:18

Ben Wheeler fell in love with English conditions at the first attempt

Ben Wheeler is in the UK for the first time. He is only here because New Zealand have six of their Test squad at the IPL and needed fit bodies to fulfil this match. But he seized his chance to impress the selectors on his New Zealand debut with 11 fine overs in Somerset’s first innings that conceded just 18 and returned five wickets.Wheeler’s striking intervention on English soil helped the tourists take control of the match as far easier conditions in their second innings helped them build a lead of 182 with half-centuries from Mitchell Santner and Tom Latham.New Zealand are not short of left-arm seamers and might have another useful prospect in 23-year-old Wheeler. He was unerringly accurate, rattling off four straight maidens having taken the new ball and ripped out the Somerset top order to give the tourists a chance of a healthy first-innings lead despite their own modest total. But the rest of the New Zealand attack could not match Wheeler for consistency and the Somerset lower order rallied to get within 34.Wheeler’s first seven over spell was superb, probing away around off stump and finding some movement back into the right-hander. He struck with his fifth ball, having Johann Myburgh lbw and two overs later defeated Tom Cooper’s expansive off drive and took out his middle and off stumps for a nine-ball duck. Two more wickets followed in the final two overs of his spell – bowling James Hildreth, trying to leave, and having Jim Allenby caught in the cordon; at that stage he had 4 for 6.When Josh Davey was cleaned up in his second spell after lunch, Wheeler completed a third five-wicket haul in this, his 29th first-class match. His first-class record coming into this match, 86 wickets at 27.81 from 28 matches, is encouraging. He was the pick of the attack here and certainly performed better than two bowlers who would hope to be picked in the first Test: Doug Bracewell – a little too short and conceding four boundaries in his first over – and Neil Wagner. Both leaked more than five runs per over.Plenty of those runs were made by Peter Trego, the stand-in Somerset captain, who struck nine boundaries, the best of which a flowing extra-cover drive off Wagner, to improve the locals’ mood after the latest slippery batting display.Somerset have lost all three of their opening County Championship matches and were bowled out cheaply both in their first game at home to Durham and away to Worcestershire last week. Their batting order is a serious concern.There were further failures for both batsman who have opened with Marcus Trescothick this season. Myburgh has more leeway after a century against Durham but has since made 9, 11, 6 and made just 3 here.Tom Abell, 21, deputised for Myburgh during the Middlesex match while Myburgh’s wife gave birth. He added 1 to 16 and 13 against Middlesex. Tom Cooper and Jim Allenby were winter signings and are both yet to register a Championship half-century. Here they made a duck and 28 respectively.It was left to Trego to lead the recovery from 54 for 5. He shared a half-century stand with Alex Barrow – another Somerset player under pressure after a poor start to the season. This match might have offered the chance to give some experience to James Regan, Somerset’s 20-year-old reserve wicketkeeper who has played just one first-class match, but Barrow needs to find form with a top score of just 28 this season. He managed 32 here but fell lbw to Mark Craig’s offspin; a disappointing dismissal.Trego, living and dying by the sword as ever, fell caught at deep square following his latest blast, and it took Abdur Rehman to whack Somerset over 200, including a heaved six over the leg side off Craig.The lower-order rally gave New Zealand only a slender lead but batting became far easier after tea and progress was at above four-an-over, for the loss of Hamish Rutherford, caught at cover, Latham lbw after an 88-ball half-century, and nightwatchman Wagner, caught at slip in the final over of the day.

Ryan Reynolds made a hilarious sex joke after ex-Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster claimed to be behind the huge spike in the city's birth rates.

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Foster claims responsibility for birth rate riseWrexham's January births up 24% Reynolds make funny sex joke remarkGetty/YouTubeWHAT HAPPENED?

Retired goalkeeper Foster, who helped Wrexham get promoted to League Two last year after a short stint in his second spell with the club, posted a video about how there had been 205 January births at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, up 40 from the same time last year. Club co-owner Reynolds leapt at the chance to comment on this, referencing the 'pull the goalie' phrase – which is when a couple stop taking birth control and have unprotected sex to make babies.

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Hollywood star Reynolds tweeted about Foster's video and wrote: "Normally this happens when you pull the goalie, not the other way around. Trust me."

Getty ImagesWHAT BEN FOSTER SAID

In a Fozcast video, Foster said: "It's come to the attention of the club [Wrexham] that in January the birth rate in Wrexham jumped nearly 25 per cent from this time last year – and I feel kind of responsible."

After promoting his new partnership with VistaPrint, he added: "So to all you Wrexham-loving parents, congratulations! Here is hoping to more babies next January. Welcome to the world, fellow Bens!"

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Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In different ways, both Reynolds and Foster have played a huge role in progressing the club of late. The Welsh side ended their 15-year stay in the National League by coming first in the division last season and now they are fighting to get promoted to League One, with the Red Dragons just outside the automatic promotion spots. While Foster retired for a second time at the start of this campaign, he will go down as a club hero and Reynolds is, arguably, approaching legendary territory since taking over the club three years ago with fellow actor Rob McElhenney.

Ahead of their showdown on Sunday, GOAL rank the 10 greatest African players to play for the Premier League title contenders

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images10Ali Benarbia

Manchester City pulled off a coup when they recruited Algeria’s Benarbia from Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, with the North African having won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award two years previously.

He was influential as the Sky Blues won promotion to the Premier League under Kevin Keegan, but struggled to impose himself in the top flight.

He also represented AS Monaco, Bordeaux and Martigues, and was named Algerian footballer of the year in 2002.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Wilfried Bony

Bony was previously Africa’s most expensive player ever, costing Manchester City £28 million when he moved from Swansea City at the beginning of 2015.

However, he struggled for game time due to injuries and increased competition from Sergio Aguero and Iheanacho, and departed on a season-long loan to Stoke City on transfer deadline day as his Etihad Stadium career came to an end.

He subsequently moved back to Swansea City, and is currently with Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen.

Getty8Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor has often been a polarising figure in world football.

It seems that, as soon as he starts to get the fans on his side, he does something that conjures up the ire of his supporters.

He has represented a host of high-profile clubs, including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Arsenal, among others, and departed the Gunners for Manchester City in 2009 for a fee believed to be about £25 million, making him, at one point, Africa's most expensive player.

He remained at the Etihad Stadium until 2011, when he joined Tottenham Hotspur.

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Getty7Bruce Grobbelaar

The Zimbabwe stopper is remembered as one of Africa’s finest goalkeepers in history…and is certainly the most successful.

He was a key man in one of Liverpool’s greatest sides, winning six titles and three domestic cups during his time at Anfield.

He was influential as the Reds won the European Cup in 1984, putting AS Roma’s strikers off with his infamous bandy legs in the final shootout.

Consistent success in Test cricket might have eluded Starc, but in the white-ball game he is bowling as well as anyone in the world

Brydon Coverdale10-Mar-2015It was less than three months ago that Mitchell Starc was the subject of some stinging criticism from Shane Warne. Starc, Warne said during the Gabba Test against India, needed to have stronger body language. He looked a bit soft, Warne reckoned, although he later tried to clarify his comments. Whatever the case, it was not a ringing endorsement.Consistent success in Test cricket might have eluded Starc, but in the white-ball game he is bowling as well as anyone in the world. He is equal second on the wicket tally this World Cup with 12 victims, and his average of 10.16 is the best of anyone with more than two wickets. His economy rate of 3.77 is the best of any fast bowler who has played more than two games.Starc’s success has largely been down to swing and accuracy. His ability to curl the white ball has been second to none in this tournament, and his habit of delivering the perfect yorker has rattled plenty of stumps. Asked if Starc was as feared in the death overs as the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, George Bailey was unequivocal.”I would say he’s more feared,” Bailey said on Tuesday. “I think he’s got some really specific skills at the death that very few guys in the world I reckon are able to produce.”That would be weighing on teams’ minds. If he’s doing that really well, and James Faulkner’s skill at the death – Patty Cummins and Joshy Hazlewood do it really well too – then teams don’t know when it is that time to launch, and you can put a bit of pressure on them a bit earlier.”Starc has collected 12 for 122 in this World Cup and his six-for against New Zealand at Eden Park nearly delivered Australia a remarkable victory. Already this year he has collected two six-wicket hauls in ODIs, an achievement no other Australians have matched in their entire careers, and Bailey said Starc’s current form was a major boost for Australia.”It comes as no surprise, personally,” Bailey said. “We’ve seen that ability in him for many years. He’s had patches where he’s put it together, and the really pleasing thing is he’s just been really consistent with it. In many respects he’s earned the right now to get the new ball and bowl at the end he wants, that best helps his swing and what not. He’s certainly come on in leaps and bounds.”I’m just really proud of how consistent he has become, because the player he is and the impact he can have we were seeing glimpses of that once or twice a series, but for him to be able to put that on the park consistently is just huge. It’s making a real impact for us.”Surprisingly given the swinging conditions that often prevail at Bellerive Oval, Starc’s ODI history in Hobart has not been as impressive. In his two previous matches at the venue he has collected a total of 1 for 108 from 19 overs, although he will fancy his chances against Scotland when Australia play their final group match in Hobart on Saturday.The Australians will convene in Hobart on Wednesday after the players were given two days off following their defeat of Sri Lanka in Sydney on Sunday. Should they beat Scotland they will finish second in Pool A.

The Barbados Cricket Association announced on Saturday via a press release that it has “agreed to a mutual separation” with chief executive Jeff Miller after he served in the post for just three and a half months

Peter Della Penna14-Oct-2014The Barbados Cricket Association announced on Saturday via a press release that it has “agreed to a mutual separation” with chief executive Jeff Miller after he served in the post for just three and a half months.Miller, 55, reportedly faced legal issues back home in the United States. The Barbados Today reported on October 3 that Miller pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge of grand theft in Florida on July 25. He was sentenced to 12 years’ probation for pleading guilty to grand theft. The charge carried a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Three other felony charges stemming from an initial arrest in April 2009 – mortgage fraud, fraudulent use of an ID and uttering a forged instrument or check – were not pursued, according to court documents obtained by ESPNcricinfo.According to the BCA press release, Miller was appointed to his role on June 23 but told officials less than a month later that he needed official leave from his position to attend to “an urgent personal medical matter overseas.” When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, neither the BCA nor Miller would confirm or deny a connection between the charges and him leaving his chief executive position. A phone message left with Miller’s lawyer, Khurram Wahid, also went unreturned.As part of his probation sentence, Miller was due to serve two years of community control, a supervised form of house arrest. Court filings show that an affidavit was filed in Miami-Dade County Court on September 9 for a violation of probation.Miller stayed active in the cricket community in various other capacities while his case was ongoing. He served as president of the South Florida Cricket Association for six terms, and remained in the position through 2010 while the felony charges were still pending. He was also employed as the vice president of operations and tournament director for Cricket Council USA, helping run the annual US Open $100,000 club cricket tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, as well as various other lead-in satellite tournaments in New York and other cities.Miller went on to become a founding member of the Friends of Central Broward Regional Park in 2011, a group which helped facilitate more cricket games to be played at the $70 million cricket stadium facility, the only ICC certified ODI stadium in the USA. Miller served as executive director of the group and also played an instrumental role in the logistical planning and execution of the Twenty20 series played between West Indies and New Zealand at the stadium in 2012 during New Zealand’s Caribbean tour.His administrative reach also extends to Asia. Miller was involved in bringing four USA based players – Steven Taylor, Ricardo Powell, Adam Sanford and Jermaine Lawson – to Karachi, Pakistan in October 2012 for a pair of exhibition matches between a World XI All-Star team and a Pakistan XI. They were the first international games played in the country since the Sri Lanka team bus was the target of a terrorist attack in Lahore in March 2009.A well-known figure in US cricket, Miller is originally from Barbados but moved to New York at age 18. He eventually played for the USA national team, opening the bowling for USA at the 1986 ICC Trophy in England. It was USA’s best performance at a World Cup Qualifier as they went 7-1 in group play with their only loss coming to the Netherlands. USA missed out on the semi-finals due to the net run rate tiebreaker despite finishing on equal points with both Netherlands and Bermuda. He took eight wickets in seven games, with one profile stating that he took a hat-trick in USA’s opening game win over Canada.After finishing his representative career, Miller served as a USACA board member and moved to Florida in the late 1980s where he became involved with the SFCA, first as treasurer before later becoming president. He was also a USACA chairman of selectors in 2005 and part of the local organising committee which pushed for a cricket stadium to be built in South Florida in the early 2000s in the hope it would result in receiving a bid to host games during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. The World Cup bid failed, but the stadium was eventually built and opened in 2008.