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Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler who was ruled out of the national side for the World Twenty20 in the eleventh hour, revealed that he had voluntarily opted out of the squad owing to fitness concerns

Cricinfo staff20-Apr-2010Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler who was ruled out of the World Twenty20, revealed he had voluntarily opted out of the squad owing to fitness concerns arising from the bowling-shoulder injury he picked during the pre-tournament training camp.”I am 70 to 80% fit at the moment but I do not think that is enough to play in an international event which demands 100% fitness,” Gul told the . “Everyone including the coaching staff was keen to have me on the team considering the fact that my bowling was of some help during the previous two editions of the World Twenty20. Majority of the stakeholders believed that I can regain fitness in ten to fifteen days but that is something that was entirely based on hope.” he said.Gul, the world’s leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals, felt going into the tournament with a question mark over his fitness would have been risky. “I knew very well that it was a big opportunity for me to bag some more wickets. But it was a risk that I think the country and the team was not in a position to afford. I think you can only stake a claim when you feel you are in a position to deliver. I may be able to regain fitness or could never have been in a position to bowl a single delivery in West Indies. That would have been a blow to the team’s chances,” Gul said.Gul was prescribed three weeks of rest before resuming action. “I even have bowled four overs on Sunday but it is the comfort level that is more important. I do not think I was feeling all that relaxed and tension-free while delivering the ball. If that is the case, it means you need rest and some weeks off from training,” he said. “I think I would be ready to offer my services for the England tour. The specialists are taking care of my injuries and hopefully I would be back in action in less than a month.”Allrounder Yasir Arafat was the other injury casualty during the rigorous training camp. After some amout of confusion, the PCB had named Mohammad Sami and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman as the replacements.

Durham’s captain, Will Smith, has tendered his resignation in the wake of his team’s innings-and-62-run defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge

Cricinfo staff14-May-2010Durham’s captain, Will Smith, has tendered his resignation in the wake of his team’s innings-and-62-run defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, and will be replaced by the 27-year-old former England wicketkeeper, Phil Mustard, with immediate effect.Smith succeeded Dale Benkenstein at the end of Durham’s Championship-winning 2008 season and managed to guide the team to their second title in a row the following summer. However, the 2010 campaign has not gone to plan so far, with the Nottinghamshire defeat being their first in first-class cricket for 21 matches, and Smith’s own form has suffered, with 114 runs in seven innings at 16.28 to date.”I am disappointed that things have not worked out as captain,” said Smith in a club statement. “I will remain fully committed to ensuring that the club continue to prosper under Phil’s guidance. He will add great spirit and character to the role and it is fitting that a North East lad is entrusted with it.””I’m honoured to have been offered the role of captain at the club where I came up through the Academy and have spent the whole of my professional career,” said Mustard. “I’m confident that with the help and support of my senior, experienced, team mates we’ll go from strength to strength.”Durham’s chairman, Clive Leach, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Will Smith for his hard work and success in the past season. I wish him well in his future career with Durham CCC. Appointing Phil was an easy task, he is totally committed to the Durham cause and I’m sure that with the support of the dressing room will take us forward over the coming months.”Head coach, Geoff Cook, added: “I’m delighted that Phil has accepted the role. This adjustment is an opportune time for us to kick start our season while at the same time giving Phil the chance to move his career up to the next stage.”

As per a West Ham United source speaking to Football Insider, there has been an update on the club’s pursuit of a forward addition involving a new target in Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye attacking additions…

Since last January, David Moyes and the Irons have been actively scouring the market in search of fresh attacking options after they agreed to sell club-record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax.

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As things stand, Jamaica international Michail Antonio is the Hammers’ only natural senior striking option, with an alternative apparently at the top of their agenda this month (Evening Standard).

New head of recruitment Rob Newman is now set for his first transfer window at West Ham as he aims to help Moyes in the winter market, with Football Insider sharing the latest on a new target.

The Latest: Newman eyeing El Ghazi bid…

As per an Irons source, speaking to the outlet, West Ham and Newman by extension are ‘plotting a January move’ for Villa’s El Ghazi amid his struggle for game-time.

Moyes apparently sees the forward as capable of ‘spearheading’ his attack through the centre as well as out wide, with Steven Gerrard’s side set to greenlight a sale for the player this month. While the Villans would prefer a permanent deal, it is believed that they are also open to the possibility of loan.

The Verdict: Right target?

El Ghazi has become a bit-part player this season but his performances at times over 2020/21 point to a player who could be useful for Moyes. Scoring 10 Premier League goals in 17 starts for Villa, the 26-year-old also averaged a consistent 2.3 shots on goal per 90 in that time, with only Antonio making more attempts among West Ham’s squad this term (WhoScored).

The Netherlands international has been called ‘unstoppable in training’ by his former Villa teammate Alan Hutton, who also glorified El Ghazi for his ‘outstanding’ form at the time (Football Insider).

Depending on the price, or if West Ham could agree a temporary move, he could actually be quite a shrewd addition by Newman and co, given his aforementioned ability to score prolifically in the English top flight.

In other news: West Ham could now also bid to sign ‘unbelievable’ £31.5 million-valued star for Moyes, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for Dejan Kulusevski during this month’s transfer window, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio told Sky Sports News that both Spurs manager Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici, who signed the Sweden international at Juventus, are huge admirers of the 21-year-old.

“I know that Antonio and Fabio Paratici they like Kulusevski,” he said live on ‘The Transfer Show’. “He’s a Juventus player that Fabio got at Juventus, bought him from Atalanta, it’s not easy, but he is one of the names.”

Meanwhile, journalist Pete O’Rourke believes the Serie A giants would be open to letting the 21-year-old leave this month.

“They would be open to possibly selling him or maybe consider a loan with an option to buy in the summer,” he told GIVEMESPORT. “And he can play anywhere across the front three. A talented player, Swedish International.”

Conte’s new Eden Hazard?

Indeed, that versatility to play pretty much anywhere up front is certainly an attractive prospect and is perhaps why Conte is said to be keen on signing him this month.

Kulusevski has struggled for minutes in Turin since the re-appointment of Massimiliano Allegri, featuring for only 733 minutes across 22 appearances in both Serie A and the Champions League this season.

However, it was only last season that he delivered seven goals and seven assists for the Old Lady, and he did so featuring in seven different roles.

Such form led to praise from former Villa and Sweden striker Marcus Allback, who told The Sun: “Kulusevski is an explosive player who likes to challenge his direct opponent. He likes to dribble with the ball, play the short passes and he is very good on the through balls. He’s quick and would cause a lot of trouble for most of the teams he plays.”

Meanwhile, his playing style has been likened to that of Liverpool superstar Mo Salah. Italian coach Pierpaolo Bisoli once claimed: “He has incredible physical strength. He reminds me of a young Salah for the way he shakes off opponents in the first ten metres.”

As such, he could earn some further comparisons to that of Eden Hazard, a player whom Conte has managed to great success before. The Belgian, now at Real Madrid, provided 34 goals and 21 assists in 94 appearances under the Italian.

“Even after a week I think I had progressed with him,” the winger once said of Conte.

Given Kulusevski’s ability, he could well emerge as a Hazard-like figure in this Spurs side, so Paratici and co must do all in their power to seal a move for the £27m-rated dynamo before the January 31st deadline.

AND in other news, Paratici pushing to sign £31.5m-rated “animal” at Spurs, he’s way better than Sanchez…

A round-up of the fourth day’s action of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One in Bermuda

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2010An all-round performance by Gary Savage helped Argentina beat Cayman Islands by 13 runs at the Sea Breeze Oval and secure their first win in the tournament. Batting first, Argentina were in trouble initially at 33 for 3 before Savage walked in and set about building important partnerships with the middle order. He added 81 with Grant Dugmore for the fourth wicket and 82 for the sixth with Alec Ferguson. Ferguson went ballistic, smashing five sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 62 off only 22 balls. Savage also made the same score, but he focused on dropping anchor and faced 123 balls. He was dismissed by Marlon Bryan, who took four wickets. Cayman Islands were off to a terrible start, losing four wickets for 21 as Lucas Parterlini and Savage made early inroads. The lower order started showing some resistance when Kevin Bazil and Ronald Ebanks added 60 for the seventh wicket. A last-ditch effort by Conroy Wright wasn’t enough as Argentina sneaked through by 13 runs. Wright scored 58 while Savage rounded off a good day with 3 for 28.Continuing with all-round performances, Bahamas had no answer to Hiral Patel and Rizwan Cheema, who starred for Canada at the St George’s Cricket Club. Hiral Patel took 3 for 15 to bundle out Bahamas for a paltry 98, and Cheema smashed a 43-ball 85 to seal the game in nine overs. Only three Bahamas batsmen went past double figures, with Narendra Ekanayake top scoring with 31. A combined effort helped Canada end the innings within 37 overs. The chase lasted just 47 minutes as Cheema pounded eight sixes and eight fours to seal the game by ten wickets.The hosts Bermuda suffered their first loss of the tournament, going down by six wickets to their neighbours United States of America at the National Stadium. Lennox Cush and captain Steve Massiah set up the victory, sharing six wickets between them to restrict Bermuda to 188. Bermuda had set the foundation for a bigger score when Steven Outerbridge and Jekon Edness added 76 for the second wicket but lost their way after that. Massiah started the collapse before Cush took four wickets to restrict them to a score under 200. Sushil Nadkarni led the chase with 57, which included four sixes, before Massiah took over. His 67 came off 103 balls with seven fours.

Tottenham Hotspur are not in active talks to sign Adama Traore this month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles, who delivered the bombshell to his ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast this week.

“I’ve just had a message from someone close to Adama who state that there are no active negotiations with Tottenham,” he claimed. 

Several outlets have suggested in recent days that Spurs were indeed in discussions with Wolverhampton Wanderers over a mid-season swoop for the £20m-rated wide man.

The Telegraph reported that the north Londoners were keen to land him on an initial loan deal, with an obligation to buy, whilst TEAMtalk suggested the club had offered as many as four first-team players in return as a bargaining chip.

Castles, who is as reliable as they come in terms of transfers, throws caution to the window with his intriguing claim.

This won’t go down well

The need for reinforcements to Antonio Conte’s squad has become ever so apparent this month.

Spurs’ inconsistent form continued as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by the Italian’s former club, Chelsea, in midweek and the boss alluded to just how far ahead the Champions of Europe were after the game.

“I think that in this moment we can’t compare the two situations, the Chelsea situation and the Tottenham situation. I think it’s not fair to compare the two situations, because it’s impossible to compare,” he said.

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By claiming that, he is suggesting that the task at hand in N17 is a massive one. The Blues have spent bid in recent windows and they are reaping the rewards for it. Meanwhile, the Lilywhites’ hierarchy have barely bolstered the playing squad at all.

Yes, they have paid some big-money fees, such as Tanguy Ndombele (£55m) and Giovani Lo Celso (£55m), but the bulk of the squad that let Mauricio Pochettino down still remain – Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo have come and gone in that time, too.

Traore has quickly emerged as a top target for both Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici and at £20m, it seems like a real bargain, considering his top-flight experience and suitability to the system. Indeed, he can play right wing-back or as a right inside-forward, and even up top.

The fact that Castles claims there are no ongoing talks is worrying and will surely anger much of the Spurs supporter base who have been ever so keen to see his signature.

It will also surely anger Conte as he knows that he needs additions and with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window, they have yet to conduct any business.

football.london reporter Alasdair Gold even suggested that there were fears the Italian head coach could walk if he doesn’t get the right players this month.

This latest bombshell will not go down well with many at Tottenham, that’s for sure. If Spurs aren’t in talks to sign Traore as some reports suggest, then what on earth are they up to? They must back Conte to the wall, and quickly.

AND in other news, Spurs suffer “real blow” ahead of Leicester clash after Arsenal postponement…

Charl Langeveldt, the South African fast bowler, is set to join Derbyshire for their Friends Provident Twenty20 campaign

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010Charl Langeveldt, the South African fast bowler, is set to join Derbyshire for their Friends Provident Twenty20 campaign. Langeveldt, who had a successful stint with Derbyshire two seasons ago, will return to the county, pending the completion of the necessary paperwork with Cricket South Africa, and the obtaining of a work permit.Once the deal is complete, Langeveldt will be registered as an overseas player for the domestic Twenty20 competition, alongside Loots Bosman. Their presence means Chris Rogers, Derbyshire’s Australian captain, would then be given a break after more than two years of non-stop cricket spread between England and Australia, with Greg Smith set to captain the Twenty20 squad.”Charl is a vastly experienced campaigner and one of the very best in the world at bowling in the short form of the game,” said John Morris, Derbyshire’s Head of Cricket. “I hope he can help us achieve results in the competition in 2010, but our young bowlers can also learn a lot from his methods and execution, especially when bowling in those all important death and powerplay overs.”Langeveldt’s proposed signing comes after a World Twenty20 campaign in which the bowler excelled despite his team’s early exit. Only Dirk Nannes took more wickets than him in the competition and Langevedlt’s economy rate of 6.50 was better than anybody else in the top five wicket-takers.Derbyshire have also secured the services of Wes Durston for the tournament. Durston, 29, ran to a blistering hundred as the Unicorns – a team made up of the best un-contracted cricketers in the country – chased down a record 326 to beat Sussex in their Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Arundel last week.Durston cracked 117 from just 68 deliveries in that match, and his innings grabbed Derbyshire’s attention as they looked to bolster their batting line-up ahead of the domestic Twenty20 competition.”Wes put himself in the shop window for counties with his magnificent innings against Sussex and we are delighted to have secured his services for our Twenty20 campaign,” said Morris.”Form and confidence are very important in cricket, particularly the short forms of the game, and Wes is brimming with both at the present time. He will add competition for places in our batting line-up and that can only be healthy as we strive for a successful campaign.”Durston previously spent eight seasons with Somerset from 2002 to 2009, averaging 38.35 in first-class cricket as well as scoring 386 runs in 38 Twenty20 appearances. He will be available to Derbyshire throughout the Friends Provident Twenty20 competition, but will not be considered for County Championship selection.

Eoin Morgan’s first one-day century came against Canada, his second versus Bangladesh and his third on Tuesday against Australia at the Rose Bowl

Cricinfo staff23-Jun-2010Eoin Morgan’s first one-day century came against Canada, his second versus Bangladesh and his third on Tuesday against Australia at the Rose Bowl. Little wonder the day after his match-winning, unbeaten 103, he rated it the best of his one-day international career.”Playing against such a big side like Australia, and given the circumstances, I was quite proud of myself,” Morgan said after the squad arrived in Cardiff for the second ODI. Morgan came in at a critical time for England, who stumbled to 97 for 4 early in his innings.But he demonstrated a cool head and struck 16 boundaries to all parts of the ground. Importantly, Morgan saw the chase of 268 through to the very end, and brought up his hundred with the winning four straight back down the ground. His power was a feature of the innings, and several times he cleared Australia’s infield with ease.”I’ve learned with experience. I’ve batted at four and five for a long time and been in different situations,” he said. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes and, over the last couple of years, I’ve learned to give myself a lot more time. I’ve worked on the power-hitting and the longer I stay at the crease the more I give myself a chance.”I do put in a hell of a lot of hard work. I do a lot of work in my own time and with guys I like to work with. That’s taking nothing away from England, I work quite hard with Andy Flower and the other senior players within the side.”The Australians couldn’t maintain any pressure on Morgan, who brought up his century from 85 deliveries. It was a challenging day for Australia’s fast-bowling debutant Josh Hazlewood, 19, who collected 1 for 41 but also leaked five fours and one six.”There were a lot of boundaries hit last night,” Hazlewood said. “I felt when I was bowling there were one or two bad balls an over which they capitalised on. It’s a massive learning curve for me, but also a great opportunity to show what you can do.”I feel a bit more part of the team now I’ve played a game. You’ve just got to make sure that with very opportunity you get, you make your mark. That’s all you can do.”Hazlewood might get another opportunity in Thursday’s second game. He can only hope that Morgan has an off night.

Craig Hope has revealed that Newcastle United are now eyeing up a move for Gleison Bremer in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Third signing pending…

With both Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood already through the door at St. James’ Park, it looks as if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are now working on their third signing of the month.

Interestingly, Bremer shares the same agent as both players, and so there could be an easier route to signing him.

Nonetheless, with bringing in a new central defender the ‘priority’ for the new owners, this is certainly a deal to keep an eye on as the days progress – the Magpies have the second-worst defensive record in the league.

The Latest: Bremer eyed

As per Hope, the North East club are now eyeing Bremer as their potential new centre-back, but The Daily Mail journalist has warned that he may be ‘expensive’:

“Another name to add to list of centre-back options… Torino’s Gleison Bremer.

“Seems like another expensive one but I’m told NUFC have taken a look at 24-yr-old Brazilian.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Bringing in Bremer would be a no-brainer, as he would immediately be an upgrade on their current options.

He is currently averaging more tackles and interceptions and completed passes at a higher success rate than Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored), and so would instantly slot into Eddie Howe’s side.

Described as ‘powerful’ by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, the six-foot-two Brazilian is a beast, and at 24 years of age, he will only get better.

Nonetheless, the Magpies should look no further if they want to sign a solid centre-back for the second half of the campaign.

In other news, find out what transfer claim Pete Graves has dropped from the new owners here!

Matthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day against Derbyshire

03-Aug-2010
ScorecardMatthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day of their County Championship Division Two match against bottom of the table Derbyshire at Grace Road.The two seamers had Derbyshire reeling at 68 for 8 at lunch and it needed a battling innings of 85 from Dan Redfern to spearhead a recovery that steered the visitors to a total of 182. By the close, Leicestershire had regained the momentum reaching 117 for 1 with opener Matt Boyce still there on 51 having shared half-century partnerships with Greg Smith and Jacques du Toit.Derbyshire’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired on them in a remarkable morning session. The ball swung and seamed and half the side were out inside 17 overs with only 37 runs on the board. Wayne Madsen, the only player to reach double figures in the 29 overs before lunch, was dropped on 4 off the bowling of Nathan Buck to prevent Derbyshire’s position being even worse.Hoggard, who bowled 15 overs unchanged, and Malik exploited the helpful conditions superbly. Skipper Hoggard took the first three wickets in his opening seven overs. Chris Rogers was trapped lbw, Madsen chased an away swinger and was caught behind for 14 and Garry Park edged low to second slip.When Malik replaced Buck at the Pavilion End he immediately had Greg Smith lbw with the fourth ball of his first over before Hoggard picked up his fourth wicket at his next visit. Chesney Hughes was also adjudged lbw offering no shot.Malik plunged Derbyshire deeper into trouble by picking up three more wickets in his last three overs before lunch. Robin Peterson, Lee Goddard and Steffan Jones all fell to driven edges leaving Malik with eye-catching figures of four for seven in seven overs while Hoggard had 4 for 43.It was a different story after lunch as Redfern led the fight back and Derbyshire’s last two wickets added 115 runs in 29 overs. Redfern and Tim Groenewald shared the bulk of that with a ninth-wicket stand of 89. Redfern reached 50 off 83 balls to post his best score of the season, the innings containing six fours and a six off Malik that flew high over wicketkeeper Tom New’s head.Groenewald was finally bowled by Buck and Redfern’s excellent innings came to an end when he was caught at mid-wicket off Claude Henderson having made 85 off 121 balls.Boyce and Smith shared a half-century opening stand when Leicestershire replied before Smith was bowled by his namesake, Derbyshire’s Greg Smith, for 21. Boyce reached 50 with nine boundaries and was still there at the close alongside du Toit, the second-wicket pair having added another 63 runs to put the home side in a strong position.