Category Uncategorized

The ICC’s code of conduct commission will conduct an inquiry into the two-year ban imposed on Marlon Samuels by the West Indies board, and submit its findings to the ICC board in July. The ICC board will then decide on the course of action.On May 9, the WICB’s disciplinary committee deemed that Samuels had breached section C4 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct regulations, which involves receiving money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute.”The official enquiry, headed by Michael Beloff, QC, and two other code of conduct commissioners, will review the finding of the WICB disciplinary committee and decide whether or not the punishment was appropriate,” Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC’s media and communications manager, told Cricinfo.”It [the commission] can approve or raise the sanction handed down but as that sanction imposed was the minimum, it does not have the power to reduce the ban.”In their submission to the ICC, Samuels’ lawyers, Churchill Neita and Delano Harrison, have included a written statement from Samuels, interviews given by Richie Richardson, who was a member of the West Indies board’s disciplinary committee, as well as a letter from Aubrey Bishop, the only dissenter in the committee.It was reported that, in case the ban is upheld, Samuels’ lawyers would file for a judicial review in Antigua in the hopes of gaining an injunction to allow him to play while the case is being deliberated.

County champions Surrey hold an almighty lead going in to day four in their Division One clash with Leicestershire at The Oval

Farid Bakri20-Sep-2002County champions Surrey hold an almighty lead going in to day four in their Division One clash with Leicestershire at The Oval. The visitors lost their last five wickets for 58 runs with Tim Murtagh picking up three. Darren Maddy remained unbeaten on 127. Surrey then got off to an explosive start. By stumps they were 335 for four off 63 overs. Adam Hollioake had stuck 18 fours and three sixes in his 152-ball 146 and Ali Brown 89. Both remained undefeated with Surrey 468 in front.Warwickshire require another 297 runs for victory against Sussex at Hove. Sussex were finally dismissed for 341 in their second innings after Mark Davis and Keith Innes both batted sensibly with the former scoring 66. With seven wickets in hand Warwickshire will have it all to do on the final day if they are to wrap up victory.Yorkshire’s woes continued as they suffered yet another defeat. The already relegated penniless club were thrashed by Kent by eight wickets. Following on in the second innings the home side failed to make any significant start and lost wickets at regular intervals. Richard Blakey top scored with 94. Robert Key guided his side home with an unbeaten 33 and wicket-keeper Paul Nixon was there too at the end as the visitors rounded off a good season with a win.The Division Two title is in the balance at Chelmsford. Essex require another 210 runs while Nottinghamshire need to take eight wickets. The increasingly impressive Will Jefferson found the boundary 15 times and remains at the crease on 71 while Australian Mark Waugh ran diligently between the wickets. The visitors were bowled out for 280 with Bilal Shafayat hitting a well-deserved 70 to resist the Essex attack while the last three wickets put on a vital 131.Derbyshire were indebted to their middle order, which grew from strength to strength as the day progressed in their match against Worcestershire at New Road. Resuming on 98 for two, there were half-centuries from Steve Selwood, Jason Kerr and Nathan Dumelow. David Leatherdale took four for 50 as the home side bowled Derbyshire out for 391. Chasing 373 for victory Kevin Dean shook the visitors with an early wicket but Steven Peters kept his cool to remain undefeated on 23. At the close of play the home side were 30 for one.Darren Thomas claimed the last Northamptonshire wicket at Cardiff before Glamorgan began show again what a good pitch it is. Glamorgan lead by 388 after ending the day on 470 for five. Matthew Maynard was in awesome form as he scored 151 at more than a run a ball. In an innings which spammed just over three and a half hours, he hit 19 fours and two sixes and shared a 252 run stand for the second wicket with Darren Hemp, who also scored a hundred. Maynard was stumped by Torbin Bailey off Rob White, whilst Hemp was bowled by the same bowler for 108. Michael Powell (82 not out), Adrian Dale (50) and Robert Croft (47 not out) also found the batsman-friendly pitch easy going.Gloucestershire beat Durham by ten wickets at Bristol. Ian Fisher took four of the nine Durham wickets that fell on the third day for the addition of 198 runs. Michael Gough was the top scorer with 78, but the target of 170 posed no problems for Gloucestershire. Craig Spearman led them home with 114 not out.

Hampshire off-spinner Shaun Udal has had surgery to cure a long-term ankle problem after he was overlooked as a replacement for England’s troubled Ashes tour.

CricInfo03-Dec-2002Hampshire off-spinner Shaun Udal has had surgery to cure a long-term ankle problem after he was overlooked as a replacement for England’s troubled Ashes tour.Udal, 33, had put off the operation to have two screws removed from his ankle in the forlorn hope that he might be added to Nasser Hussain’s injury-hit squad.England’s decision to opt for Yorkshire’s Richard Dawson in place of Ashley Giles, who has broken his wrist, persuaded Udal to undergo surgery beforeChristmas. He is confident of being fit for the start of the 2003 season.Udal, who played 10 one-day internationals for England between 1994 and 1995,said: “The injury is one that has been bothering me for a while.”It got to the point where I had to make a decision on the operation because otherwise I’d have had to have it in the new year and I would have been struggling to be fit in time.”

Cast your minds back to 2017 and you may recall claims of a training ground argument between David Unsworth and two of Everton’s players at the times.

Kevin Mirallas and Morgan Schneiderlin were dropped from the Toffees squad to face Watford in November of that year after reportedly walking out of training.

Unsworth accused the pair of a lack of commitment and told them to go inside if they weren’t prepared to take the session seriously.

Schneiderlin battled back against those claims, commenting that it hadn’t happened but a similar sort of situation is now unravelling again.

It’s not a regular first-team player in question but Rafa Benitez could be heading towards his first Everton disaster over promising young defender Thierry Small.

The left-back has been tipped for great things but has refused a new contract at Goodison Park.

He’s also refusing to return to Finch Farm for pre-season and instead of training with the squad, he is building his fitness with his own personal trainer.

The Toffees have offered Small the opportunity to become more of a part of the senior side, even handing him a locker in the first-team changing room at the training ground.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

However, it looks as though the 16-year-old is trying to engineer an exit. A host of sides have been interested in his services including Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Aston Villa.

Small has played once for the first team but it would be a great surprise if he ever builds on that tally. After all, with the youngster’s attitude like it is at the moment, he should have no future at the club.

Described as a “fantastic boy” by the aforementioned Unsworth, it’s safe to say the coach would not be too impressed with his attitude now.

Supporters have been left rather puzzled with the teenager’s decision making this summer. One fan said Small was a bad egg while others claimed his attitude was “embarrassing” and that it “stinks.”

Harsh words but you can understand their point of view. Everton’s desire to entice a player to stay who is so intent on departing Goodison Park is strange but with the potential he possesses, you can see both sides of the coin.

This had the potential to be a key season in Small’s development but with his character being called into question, Benitez may as well sanction an exit.

AND in other news, Forget Zaha: Rafa could seal Everton masterclass by signing “scary” £60m beast…

Newly appointed chairman of selectors Brijesh Patel will try to persuadeJavagal Srinath out of retirement

CricInfo20-Sep-2002Newly appointed chairman of selectors Brijesh Patel will try to persuadeJavagal Srinath out of retirement.India take on West Indies in a three Test and seven one-day series at homesoon after the ICC Champions Trophy and Patel wants Srinath to reconsiderhis decision to retire from Test cricket..Patel said: “I will definitely be speaking to Srinath about playing Testmatches again.””The new ball attack is a bit of a worry,” said Patel.Patel, as secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, has tried tomake Srinath reconsider before.Srinath has repeatedly claimed that the strain of playing Test cricket wastoo much for him and that he would prefer to concentrate on the shorterversion of the game in the lead up to the forthcoming World Cup in SouthAfrica.The 33-year-old Karnataka mediumpacer hung up his boots after India’s tourof West Indies, where he was visibly flagging at the end of five Tests.Since then Srinath has been ignored by the selectors for the one-dayers.Whether the revamped selection committee can persuade the mediumpacer,currently playing for Leicestershire in the English county circuit, toreturn to the game remains to be seen. Only two days ago Srinath scalpedfour wickets in seven balls including a hat-trick against champions Surrey.Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has often said that he wanted Srinath tore-consider his position and return to the side.

Fulham are interested in appointing Slaven Bilic as Scott Parker’s successor at Craven Cottage.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that, with Parker looking set to leave the Cottagers in the coming days, Shahid Khan is considering a move to appoint the 52-year-old as Fulham’s next boss.

The report also suggests that the Swansea City manager Steve Cooper is a name of interest to the Fulham hierarchy, with the west London side looking to appoint a coach who will be capable of leading the side back to the Premier League next season.

Bilic could transform Fulham

Having highly impressed during spells at both West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion, Bilic is certainly a manager who boasts a great deal of experience in the English game, and, crucially, has proven that he is capable of securing promotion to the top flight of English football.

In his time in east London, the Croatian took over a West Ham side that had consistently finished in the lower half of the Premier League table, going on to win 16, draw 14 and lose just eight of his first 38 league games in charge of the Hammers, with a seventh-place finish being enough for the club to qualify for European football in a highly impressive first season for the coach.

Another solid season followed, with the 52-year-old securing an 11th place finish in the top flight – an impressive feat considering West Ham clearly struggled following their move from Upton Park to the London Stadium – before a poor run of results in his third term at the club saw him sacked from his position in November of 2017.

Upon his return to the English game, Bilic took over a West Brom side that had failed in their bid to secure an immediate return to the Premier League in the season prior, with the Croatian leading the Baggies to 22 wins, 17 draws and just seven losses in his debut league campaign, taking Albion to the promised land automatically after a second-place finish.

And, while results were rather expectedly poor at the start of West Brom’s Premier League campaign the following year, Bilic’s sacking after just 13 games of the season came as something of a surprise, with reports suggesting that the 52-year-old had fallen out with then-West Brom technical director Luke Dowling, as Dowling had sanctioned the sale of Ahmed Hegazi without the consent of the manager.

However, West Brom’s 2019/20 promotion-winning campaign is all the Fulham board should be concerned about, as, with the Cottagers hoping for an immediate return to the Premier League themselves, Bilic has proven that he has the determination and know-how to pull this feat off, as well as boasting a highly impressive win rate of 47.8% in the second tier of English football.

As such, it would appear as if the 52-year-old dubbed a “determined” coach by Dowling is very much a suitable candidate for the Fulham job this summer – if the club do eventually wave goodbye to Parker.

In other news: Transfer news emerges on “exceptional” £27k-p/w beast which should worry Fulham fans

New Zealand waved goodbye to the prospect of a third placing in the ICC Test Championship when failing to win the second National Bank Series Test at the Basin Reserve against England but a win in Auckland could still see them claim fourth ahead of

Lynn McConnell25-Mar-2002New Zealand waved goodbye to the prospect of a third placing in the ICC Test Championship when failing to win the second National Bank Series Test at the Basin Reserve against England but a win in Auckland could still see them claim fourth ahead of England.Already England have secured the William Jordan Rosebowl for another term – the trophy is awarded to the winner of home series between the two countries. The only time New Zealand has won it remains the summer of 1983/84.The third Test starts in Auckland on Saturday. The New Zealand team for the Test will be named tomorrow.It won’t be remembered as a match of accurate umpiring and if it proves to be the last of Steve Dunne’s career it will not be the most shining example of efficiency, a point that should have been brought home to him by the on-field responses of both sides to some decisions – muted as the responses may have been under requirements of the International Code of Conduct.The message was plain, the players were not happy, and the all-seeing television eye would suggest they had good cause.New Zealand batted through 84 overs on the last day today, having been left a target of 356 in 86 overs, but under the conditions it was never on. When play ended two overs early, New Zealand were 158/4 with Nathan Astle (11) and Craig McMillan (17) unbeaten.It was always going to be a fine balancing act for England captain Nasser Hussain. He was always conscious of the threat posed by Astle after the Christchurch onslaught, but in reality the prospect of a repeat here in Wellington was always going to be unlikely.A different pitch, different circumstances, and different needs for Astle’s team.Ten years ago in Christchurch Phil Tufnell went through the New Zealand side in an afternoon as the home team lost seven wickets for 53 runs.But Ashley Giles did not offer the same problems to the New Zealand top order that Tufnell managed.And while the Basin Reserve came under scrutiny in the match, one thing has generally remained constant about the ground since the mid-1980s, at least, it doesn’t quickly deteriorate and, in fact, gets better the further the match goes.Losing the first day and most of the second helped ensure there would be no dramatic break up of the pitch on this occasion.It was at best one of those days which provides frustration for all but the most fervent admirer of Test cricket.England came out and went for the bash to add 97 runs in 18 overs, courtesy largely of 75 runs blasted by Andrew Flintoff who was let off the leash and given free rein to pummel the New Zealand attack, which he did.The one disappointment for England had to be the failure of Marcus Trescothick to achieve his third Test century in a situation made for him. He was out for 88 to Daniel Vettori’s bowling.At one stage Flintoff was in danger of setting the world record for the fastest 50 in Test matches although the actual amount appears to be in some dispute. Some claim Ian Botham’s 26-ball effort at Delhi in 1981/82 is the record while others say Kapil Dev’s 30-ball effort at Karachi in 1982/83 is the fastest.Whatever the record, Flintoff didn’t make it as his 50 came off 33 balls. He was eventually out, offering a simple return leading edge to Vettori when on 75, scored off 44 balls. He hit two sixes and nine fours.If there was any satisfaction for New Zealand’s bowlers it was that Vettori stayed composed under the circumstances and took three for 90.In New Zealand’s response Mark Richardson fell to a good, over-the-shoulder catch by Graham Thorpe from Giles’ bowling at fine leg, at least by the time he caught it, for four.Lou Vincent then came and played an applied innings, although he was given a huge stay of execution when Dunne failed to give him out caught off his gloves by Mark Butcher at silly mid-off.Vincent scored his second half century of the match and was 71, from 181 minutes and 170 balls, before he was trapped leg before wicket by Matthew Hoggard.Earlier, Matt Horne had played a more compelling innings, and one that should probably see him retained for the third Test, of 38 in 109 minutes.Stephen Fleming provided a crease occupation intent on saving the Test with 11 runs scored in 143 minutes.Hoggard did cause a minor flutter of expectation with Vincent and Fleming’s wicket but Astle and McMillan batted without error to keep the series alive.New Zealand knew what they had to do to win the Test in terms of bowling, and they failed. Some change seems likely for the last Test, probably the selection of Daryl Tuffey for Chris Martin.But the home side also need to remember that their two first inning batting efforts in the Tests to date have been poor when they are capable of much better and without those runs they are never going to put the pressure on England in the later stages of the game.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi after another impressive season in Serie A.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (as reported by the Liverpool Echo), the Reds are monitoring the 26-year-old’s situation, with a possible bid being prepared.

The report claims that fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in snapping up Berardi this summer, meaning Jurgen Klopp may have to move quickly in order to secure his man.

New Mohamed Salah

After bagging an impressive 17 goals and providing a further eight assists in just 30 top-flight appearances last season, Berardi earned a place in Italy’s squad for Euro 2020.

The 6 ft forward has carried his fine club form onto the international stage, becoming one of Roberto Mancini’s standout performers in the group stage of the European Championship, with two assists in two games for the unbeaten Italian side leading The Guardian’s Nicky Bandini to say that he, and his club teammate Manuel Locatelli, have been at the heart of the revitalisation of Italy.

He’s been a highly-rated talent in his homeland for many years despite not featuring for one of Italian football’s biggest teams, drawing praise from former AC Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi back in 2014.

“Berardi is a player of great talent, a modern footballer who plays for the team all over the field,” said Sacchi. “He has liveliness, intuition, temperament, and strength combined with a good technique.”

A failed two-year stint at Juventus saw Berardi fail to make a single appearance for the Old Lady, spending the entirety of his time back on loan at Sassuolo, but he’s continually been linked with another exit since.

At 26, the pacey gem may think it’s the right time to take the next step in his career, and Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards could discover the club’s new Mohamed Salah with a swoop over the coming months.

The Eygpt international has fired the Reds to Champions League and Premier League glory since making his switch from Serie A outfit Roma four seasons ago, and Berardi could have a similar impact.

He’s contributed to 172 goals in 291 games for his boyhood club to date, highlighting the star quality he possesses. And he could become the next attacking talent from Italian football to steer Klopp’s charges to major trophies next season.

And, in other news…Edwards must seal Liverpool swoop for 18 y/o “incredible talent”, Klopp would love him 

Senior Indian cricketers want the Cricket Board to have a “contract” systemfor greater security and a graded system of payment linked to seniority. This was stated by a member of the Board’s finance committee and Mumbai Cricket Association joint secretary Ratnakar Shetty, who was asked by the BCCI to speak to the players regarding the contract system.Shetty told PTI in Mumbai on Friday that this was just a suggestion whichcame from the players. A decision in this regard will be taken by the Board’s finance committee only after going through all the aspects.Meanwhile, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who had talks with Shetty, said in Bangalore that the contract was likely to take shape after three more rounds of meetings with the Board.Shetty returned here from Bangalore last night after speaking at length to Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, besides Ganguly.Asked whether such system will work in India, Shetty said “it has to be seen after it (system) comes into existence. But for this, the players will have to turn professionals and also their tax and legal problems have to be taken into consideration”.”When a player gets injured and is out of the team for months, he does not get paid enough though the Board bears his medical and travelling expenses,” Shetty said. “Hence, the players want something like a contract system which will give them a sense of security.”However, the players have not demanded a specific amount but asked for graded payment according to seniority as except India and Pakistan, the system is in application in almost all cricket playing countries, he said.Asked for his opinion on these suggestions, the former manager of the Indian team said that it would instil a sense of security among junior players who are knocking at the doors of the national side.Asked how long the Board would take before coming to a conclusion, Shetty said if everything went well, the system could be applicable by the next season.

Former Everton star Michael Ball has told The Transfer Tavern that the club will have to pay through the nose to sign Norwich City right-back Max Aarons this summer.

The Toffees have been heavily linked with a potential summer move for the England U21 international.

Aarons has been in brilliant form for Norwich thus far this season, as the club have won the Championship title at a canter.

He has made 45 Championship appearances this season, scoring two goals and laying on five assists.

The Independent have reported that Everton are keen on a swoop, and that he would cost around £30m to sign this summer.

Ball believes that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been tracking Aarons for some time, and will have to make a decision on whether they are willing to invest heavily to bring him in, as a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman, or sign a budget option.

He told TT: “I think Everton have come quite strongly for Max Aarons. I feel they’ve probably been looking at Max Aarons for the last 18 months or so, wanted to bring him to the football club.

“Norwich, rightly so, want top dollar. Everton need to try to figure out how they’re going to prioritise that position and whether they’re going to look at a cheaper option for the next year or two years.”