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Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, believes Michael Clarke’s decision to quit the tour of New Zealand will not affect his chances of becoming a Test captain

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, believes Michael Clarke’s decision to quit the tour of New Zealand will not affect his chances of becoming a Test captain. Clarke, currently the Test and ODI vice-captain and Twenty20 captain, returned home on Sunday to sort out his troubled relationship with fiancee Lara Bingle, who is at the centre of a nude photo controversy.Clarke’s sudden departure sparked debate over his suitability to eventually replace Ricky Ponting as Australia’s next Test and one-day captain, with Ian Chappell and Mark Waugh among those questioning his future role. However, Waugh said Clarke’s leadership ambitions should be judged by his performances and not off-the-field incidents.”I hope it doesn’t affect his captaincy, I don’t think it would,” Waugh told the . “Michael has captained the team in the past and I don’t think this would stop that in the future.”Waugh said other Test players had experienced similar situations in the past without leaving the team. “It’s a difficult one, it’s a personal issue,” he said. “If it was for the benefit of the team and Michael then these things have to be negotiated.”Everyone is different, some players like to have their families around them when they are on tour, others prefer solititude. It helps them concentrate on the cricket pitch. It’s important to have a good support network around them, if you have a look at the top players who play for a long time they all have good support.”Clarke has been named in a 14-man squad for the two-Test series against New Zealand later this month, but Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket, said he did not know when the batsman would return.”I’ve talked to him over the last few days and we have a Test tour looming,” Brown said. “I would hope he’s part of that group. There is no point in forcing any player to go back into a cricket team when he’s not comfortable because the team won’t be comfortable to have him and that’s the message the captain has given me. Ricky wants Michael back 100% committed to cricket, that’s when he wants him back.”We’ll talk again over the next couple of days and our intention hopefully is to get him back in the side for the Test match.”

Sourav Ganguly has decided not to appear in four-day Ranji matches in the future, though he is available for the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting February 10

Cricinfo staff23-Dec-2009Sourav Ganguly has decided not to appear in four-day Ranji matches for Bengal in the future, though he is available for the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting February 10.Sambaran Banerjee, selection committee chairman of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), told the that Ganguly had informed him about the decision during Bengal’s Ranji Super League tie against Delhi, where he struck a fluent century.”Definitely it would be a big loss for Bengal which would be difficult to make up,” Banerjee said. “He is still in very good nick. However, it is his decision.”Ganguly has scored over 15,000 first-class runs in a career spanning 20 years, including 3125 runs in 46 Ranji fixtures. He has featured regularly in the domestic circuit since his retirement from international cricket in November 2008. He also represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and has been reinstated as the captain for the 2010 season.

The venue may not host day-night matches in the third edition of the IPL, after a floodlight glitch held up play in the fourth ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Kolkata

Cricinfo staff25-Dec-2009The Eden Gardens may not host day-night matches in the third edition of the IPL, after a floodlight glitch held up play in the fourth ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Kolkata. Sri Lanka were 307 for 6 in 49.2 overs batting first, when the floodlight tower at the High Court end went off, halting play for 26 minutes.Embarrassingly, the same venue had been plunged into darkness when Kolkata Knight Riders played Deccan Chargers during the inaugural IPL in April last year. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president, said a technical snag had caused the floodlights to go off.”It is a worry. We are yet to identify the problem area but we need to do that very quickly,” Dalmiya said. “Since 1993, the ODI matches are being held under lights but only in the last couple of years have we been hit by technical snags.”Dalmiya said that it was unacceptable that the lights should go out for even five minutes. He informed a seven-member committee had been set up, and a decision would be taken after the panel submitted its report.Among the other reasons was the theory that there had been a “voltage fluctuation”. However, a spokesman of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) said that it was not their fault and the power supply was uninterrupted.”There was no problem on our end,” he said. “The power supply was not disrupted even for a second. The bulbs in the tower developed a snag and it is a maintenance problem.”More recently, an ICC team inspecting the venues for the 2011 World Cup, had made the following observation about Eden Gardens. “The time to switch between power sources needs to be checked to ensure that it is immediate so that in the event of failure of the primary source there is no interruption to light. The light levels need to be checked to ensure they meet standards.”The venue is scheduled to host four matches in the tournament beginning in February 2011.

A number of Wolves supporters have reacted negatively to a rumour linking the club with a move for Fenerbahce winger Enner Valencia.

Bruno Lage’s side may have found some form in the Premier League but that doesn’t mean their squad doesn’t need strengthening.

It could be that new signings are made in the January transfer window to ease the burden off Raul Jimenez given his constant international exploits, and one player who has been linked with a move to Molineux is Valencia.

According to Fotomac [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Wolves are the front-runners to sign the former West Ham and Everton man.

The 32-year-old has scored an impressive 34 goals in 67 caps for Ecuador, so he could arguably be an experienced head who provides Lage with quality.

Wolves fans react to Valencia rumour

Despite Valencia’s pedigree, these Wolves fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the rumour, saying they don’t want him to sign for Wanderers.

“Please don’t Wolves”

Credit: @parker_bradley

“Sanches this, Botman that, Donny van de Beek the other. No Enner Valencia”

Credit: @charliewwfc_

“We can’t be paying more than £3m for him”

Credit: @_samwhitehouse_

“How about we don’t do that and sign a good player instead”

Credit: @SamJGollings

“This has to be a joke right?”

Credit: @JamesSa36443478

“Please no”

Credit: @thedonck

In other news, a journalist has provided a key update on one Wolves player’s future. Read more here.

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has said Pakistan have a distinct advantage on the tour of Australia, for the hosts lack a wristspinner in their ranks

Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2009Legspinner Danish Kaneria has said Pakistan have a distinct advantage against Australia during the upcoming Tests because the hosts do not have a wristspinner in their squad. Kaneria was successful during the Test series in New Zealand, taking 13 wickets in two matches, including a seven-wicket haul, at 20.69. He will be backed up by offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who was impressive in the first Test in Dunedin and has been a regular fixture in the ODI team.”I think there is a distinct advantage,” Kaneria told AAP. “There is a big gap in the Australian leg-spin department. They have finger spinners like [Jason] Krejza and now Nathan Hauritz, the main problem for Australia in my opinion is they are lacking a wristspinner.”Kaneria said a wristspinner was an important part of any attack in Tests and could be expected to be effective on any kind of track. “Wickets around the world are being prepared so on the third day, the fourth, the fifth day, the spinners can do their part,” he said. “A wrist spinner will get the bounce from any sort of wicket, no matter if it’s green or it’s a flat track. A wrist spinner will get the turn on any track.”New South Wales allrounder Steven Smith, who bowls leg spin, was drafted in as cover for Nathan Hauritz for the third Test against West Indies, but since the departure of Shane Warne and Stuart Macgill, and the experiment with Beau Casson, Cameron White and Bryce McGain, Australia have lacked a frontline wristspinner.Pakistan take on Tasmania in Hobart in their first warm-up game of the tour, and the hosts will welcome the services of fast bowler Brett Geeves, who has been released from the Australia squad for the ongoing Perth Test. Geeves had earlier said he’d be rested for the tour game but injury concerns in the Australian line-up, the absence of Peter Siddle topping the list, had prompted a change in thinking.”It’s good for me ahead of the next Test,” Geeves said. “I’m 12th man at the moment which means I’m currently next in line and if I’m able to take some wickets who knows, anything is possible. But I certainly don’t have my hopes up and I just want to represent Tasmania as best I can.”Geeves said South Australia’s Peter George and Dan Christian, and NSW’s Burt Cockley, were also competing with him for a Test place. “But I guess the positive for me is that I’m playing against Pakistan in a tour game and the Aussies play them in a week’s time,” he said.Tasmania squad: George Bailey (capt), Ed Cowan, Brendan Drew, Alex Doolan, Brett Geeves, Wade Irvine, Jason Krejza, Tim Macdonald, Adam Maher, Dan Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), John Rogers, Jonathan Wells.Pakistan squad: Mohammad Yousuf (capt), Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Fawad Alam, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Danish Kaneria, Umar Gul, Shoaib Malik, Khurram Manzoor, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Rauf, Mohammad Sami.

Cricinfo previews the third ODI between India and Australia in Delhi

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale30-Oct-2009Match factsSaturday, October 31
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)Ricky Ponting’s resources have taken a severe hit in India•Associated PressBig PictureRicky Ponting doesn’t like the idea of a seven-match ODI series. It’s too long, he believes. Now that the first two games in India are out of the way with one win each, he can pretend his team are about to embark on a five-match series. That of course ignores the question of momentum, which is firmly in India’s favour after their 99-run victory in Nagpur. Not a lot went right for Australia on Wednesday and, with injuries still plaguing their squad, they haven’t been able to enjoy a settled build-up to the third game in Delhi. Australia’s main problem surrounds their attack and its inability to contain India’s powerful batting line-up. An injured Brett Lee is flying home and an unfit James Hopes is expected to miss this clash, making India favourites to go 2-1 up.For India, there isn’t much they can improve on their Nagpur effort, although they’ll be keen for Sachin Tendulkar to post his first decent score of the series. MS Dhoni’s remarkable century in the second match, combined with strong efforts from Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir, have given Australia plenty of headaches leading into the Delhi encounter. The one key difference between Nagpur and Delhi should be the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, which is not expected to produce a particularly high-scoring match.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia – LWWWW
India – WLWLW
Watch out for …Gautam Gambhir: Yes, it was Dhoni who stole the show in Nagpur but in both matches so far Gambhir has contributed substantially at the top of the order. In Vadodara, his 68 from 85 deliveries steadied India after the early loss of the openers, and in Nagpur, he made 76 off 80 balls to set up the platform from which Dhoni launched his assault. The Australians will be desperate to remove Gambhir early at the Kotla; India will look to their No. 3 for another anchoring role.Shaun Marsh: Indian viewers have seen the very best of Marsh during the IPL and Tim Paine’s departure should ensure Marsh opens with Shane Watson for the remainder of the series. He’s most comfortable at the top of the order and will be keen to re-establish himself as one of Australia’s permanent one-day openers following a six-month lay-off that started when he hurt his hamstring during the series in the UAE against Pakistan.Team newsWith no injuries to speak of, India have no reason to alter their line-up. After a 99-run victory, why would you?India (probable): 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.The situation isn’t so clear-cut for Australia. Lee’s elbow injury has ended his series and Hopes remains on the sidelines. Australia’s sub-standard bowling effort in Nagpur could bring Moises Henriques and Doug Bollinger into the equation, with Ben Hilfenhaus especially vulnerable having leaked 83 runs on Wednesday. Ponting wasn’t happy with the team balance in Nagpur, which could mean a debut for Henriques, probably at the expense of Adam Voges. Graham Manou will replace the injured Paine but won’t take his batting position and is likely to slot in at No. 7.Australia: (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Adam Voges/Moises Henriques, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus/Doug Bollinger.Pitch and conditionsThe quality of the Kotla pitch in Delhi was slammed during the Champions League Twenty20, when slow, low bounce made it mighty hard to score runs. For the ODI the pitch is expected to be a bit better, but not much. Batsmen will need to be extra judicious in protecting against straight balls due to the low bounce. In short, don’t expect a repeat of the 354 India posted in Nagpur.Stats and trivia During the Adam Gilchrist years, Australia’s other wicketkeepers barely got a look-in as Brad Haddin held down the No. 2 spot. Things have quickly changed and Manou will be the fifth gloveman Australia have used in ODIs in just over 18 months, after Gilchrist, Haddin, Luke Ronchi and Paine. Australia haven’t played an ODI in Delhi since 1998, which means Ponting is the only man in their squad with international one-day experience there. MS Dhoni’s 124 in Nagpur was the highest score by any captain against Australia in an ODI, beating Sanath Jayasuriya’s 122 in 2003.Quotes”Although we were soundly outplayed the other day, the positive of that was we were one-nil up in the series, so we’re back to level pegging now, back to a five-match series really.”
.”We will try to carry the confidence from Nagpur and build on that rather than think about injuries to the Australians. Of course it’s a big problem for them … but we are focussing mainly on what we have to do well, and of course fielding is a major part.”
.

The IPL has initiated steps to ensure that all contracted cricketers, except those with international commitments, are made available for the entire season

Ajay S Shankar16-Nov-2009The IPL has initiated steps to ensure that all cricketers who have been contracted by its franchises are available to play for the entire season from next year, except those with international commitments. This effectively means that these contracted players, and their national boards, will have to put the IPL ahead of their domestic commitments.A press release issued on Monday said that in case of a default, the IPL will impose penalties on such players, including termination of player contracts and a ban on future participation, although Lalit Modi, the league’s chairman, told Cricinfo that this would only happen in a worst-case scenario.In what can be seen as a two-pronged deterrent, the IPL, which is owned by BCCI, will also ask the governing council of the Champions League Twenty20, comprising senior officials from India, Australia and South Africa, to take “appropriate action” against participating national boards in that tournament if they don’t issue an IPL clearance for their players citing domestic commitments as a reason. While an IPL ban will affect players directly, any sanction on participating in the Champions League will impact the national board, which gets a share of the money from the organisers apart from an appearance fee for its competing domestic team.However, the IPL said that this move does not cover players with international commitments and those who will play in matches scheduled under the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) during the tournament. These decisions were finalised during the league’s workshop in Bangkok last week to ensure that the IPL franchises get their best players, who have been paid huge amounts by the teams, to be part of the league.Expansion opposed

The IPL has confirmed its previous decision to expand to 10 teams from 2011, but the move was opposed during the recent Bangkok workshop by one franchise, believed to be Chennai Super Kings. “A discussion for the addition of two new franchises in Season 4 was held with the same being adopted with 7 of the 8 franchises being in favour of increasing the number of teams to 10,” an IPL statement said. The Chennai franchise, owned by N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, is apparently concerned that the addition of teams would impact the value of existing franchises, and cut into their share of the central sponsorship pie that includes a billion-dollar TV rights deal. It will also necessitate a fresh auction of all players before the fourth season. But an IPL official said that the addition of more teams would add more money to the pool in terms of franchise purchase fee, which is expected to run into millions of dollars.

“The IPL will work with all the cricket boards to ensure that cricketers contracted with the eight franchises are available for the season,” Modi told Cricinfo. “The IPL 2010 season is in March-April, when a lot of domestic domestic tournaments will still be on. This is a one-off situation. A worst-case scenario could mean penalties on such players (who skip IPL matches citing domestic commitments), including termination of contracts, jeopardising future participation. However, we do not want to walk that path and are hopeful that we can sort this through discussions with the boards.”The next IPL will be held from March 12 to April 25, instead of the usual April-May slot, to avoid a clash with the ICC World Twenty20 that starts soon after. However, this advanced IPL schedule clashes with the Australian domestic season, which ends on March 23, and the South African season that ends on March 28. Players from both these countries are among the most sought-after in the Indian league. The Australian cricketers will then be busy with the New Zealand series that ends on March 31.Apparently, the IPL wants to adopt the model of the Champions League Twenty20, which ensured that the best players from the top domestic teams from the seven participating countries (India, Australia, South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand) were available for the multi-nation club tournament. “Given that this was also the founding principle of the Champions League Twenty20, it was agreed that in the event any of the member boards not issuing an NOC to their players for participation in the IPL, on the pretext of domestic engagements, IPL could make a representation to the governing council of the Champions League for taking appropriate action against the members boards’ participation in the League,” the IPL release stated.The BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa are founding partners of the Champions League and its governing council comprises Lalit Modi, its chairman, Niranjan Shah, its vice-chairman, N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, Dean Kino, CA’s business and legal affairs head, and Gerald Majola, CSA’s chief executive.The IPL press release added that the measures discussed at the workshop in case of a no-show by the players include “termination of player contracts and barring from future participation in the IPL, of players that have signed contracts, but fail to make themselves available for playing in the IPL.”This will exclude any instances wherein players would have international and FTP commitments and was aimed at ensuring that players make themselves available for the IPL post their FTP commitments, especially, since such players would have already received a player release to play in the IPL from their respective boards.”

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow regarding the return of Christopher Jullien.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by 67hailhail, Ange Postecoglou revealed that the centre-back, who has not featured for Celtic since a 2-0 win over Dundee United back in December of last year due to a knee injury, will not be back in first-team action until after the next international break in mid-November.

Speaking over the weekend, the 56-year-old manager said: “I expect between now and the international break for him to continue to work hard and then post-international break hopefully it’s a little bit of a target for him to become available.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering the fact that it was previously reported Jullien could be in line for a return to Celtic action after the October international break, the news that the Bhoys looks set to be without the influential defender for another month is sure to have left fans of the club gutted.

Indeed, following his £7.2m move from FC Toulouse back in 2019, the £18k-per-week man has already proven that he is an extremely important part of the Celtic side, scoring seven goals and registering two assists over his 47 appearances in all competitions during his debut season – playing a key role in the Bhoys clinching a domestic treble.

The £4.95m-rated defender continued his fantastic form over his nine Scottish Premiership fixtures prior to his injury last season, helping his side keep five clean sheets, scoring one goal and providing one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 3.6 clearances and winning 6.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the 28-year-old who Neil Lennon dubbed a “brave” player average a SofaScore match rating of 7.43, ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the league last time out.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Jullien’s continued absence is a major blow for Postecoglou, who will undoubtedly be hoping to get the centre-back up and running before the club’s crucial Europa League tie against Bayer Leverkusen on November 25.

In other news: Forget Taylor: Ange must sanction Celtic swoop for 20 y/o dubbed “one of the best”

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left slamming the display of John Lundstram in the first half of their game at home to Aberdeen.

The former Sheffield United midfield player was guilty of losing the ball cheaply while the Light Blues were trying to play out from the back at Ibrox, leading to Christian Ramirez opening the scoring for the visitors.

Lundstram also appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball as former Celtic captain Scott Brown headed home to put Aberdeen 2-0 up just after the 15-minute mark.

Alfredo Morelos spared his blushes a little by pulling one goal back for Steven Gerrard’s men shortly after, but it was a nightmare start for the Englishman, who will now be hoping to put in a much better personal performance in the second half.

Rangers fans on Lundstram display

These Bears supporters slammed his first 45 minutes on Twitter, with one Ger even going as far as to claim that he is ‘amateur’:

“If anybody thinks Lundstram is Rangers class please book an appointment with your doctor first thing tomorrow”

Credit: @mullanmcm

“Goldson and Lundstrom provide Aberdeen with a goal. Amateur stuff! 8 times this season @RangersFC have conceded the first goal.”

Credit: @NaeBull

“Can the Lundstram slander make a return now?”

Credit: @72Rab_

“Lundstram doesn’t do himself any favours making mistakes like that all too often. Hard to defend him when he makes mistakes that cost goals.”

Credit: @GordzCC

“John Lundstram again. Unbelievable.”

Credit: @christtocs

“Lundstram AGAIN.”

Credit: @rfc986532784512

In other news, find out what news before Aberdeen had Gers fuming here!

According to journalist Phil Smith, Sunderland could be without Nathan Broadhead for Saturday’s game against Portsmouth.

The Lowdown: Loan move

The 23-year-old joined the Black Cats on loan after making two appearances for Everton, coming on in the final two minutes in last December’s 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Broadhead spent the 2019/20 campaign at Burton Albion, where he scored three times and grabbed three assists, and he joined Sunderland in August, making four League One appearances so far on Wearside.

However, after playing 90 minutes in the 5-0 home win over Cheltenham on Tuesday night, unfortunate news has emerged about the youngster.

The Latest: Very unlikely

In a Q&A for the Sunderland Echo, Sunderland correspondent Smith has discussed the possibility of the 23-year-old featuring in Saturday’s game at Portsmouth following an injury concern from the midweek romp.

He said: “Though Sunderland retain some hope that the scan will come back clear, it seems unlikely that Nathan Broadhead will be available from the start given the hamstring injury picked up on Tuesday night.

“Lee Johnson thinks he could be sidelined for a couple of weeks, depending on what the scan shows.”

Smith added: “That’s the one change he’ll have to make, and to be honest I think he may well have looked to bring one of his playmakers (Elliot Embleton or Alex Pritchard) back into the fold anyway.”

The Verdict: He’ll be missed

Broadhead has only scored against Wigan Athletic in the Carabao Cup, drawing blanks in the league games against Burton Albion, AFC Wimbledon, Fleetwood and Cheltenham (Transfermarkt), so he has not been hugely prolific so far for Sunderland. However, his versatility as a winger or a striker could be a big miss for their trip to Fratton Park.

The league leaders, who are 10 points ahead of Pompey going into the weekend’s clash, may need to call upon Elliot Embleton or Leon Dajaku, the latter of whom scored in Tuesday’s win, to replace Broadhead on the right wing.

As Smith stated, they remain optimistic that the 23-year-old’s scan will come back clear, so he could be available for forthcoming matches against Oxford United or Gillingham.

In other news, many Sunderland fans have hailed one man’s midweek performance. Find out more here.