ScorecardLizelle Lee hit 13 fours in her 57-ball 70•Milton Ahmed
Half-centuries from Lizelle Lee and Andrie Steyn laid the platform for South Africa women’s 17-run win against Bangladesh women in Cox’s Bazar. Lee hammered 70 off 57 balls, and added 115 for the first wicket with Steyn (66 off 98) after South Africa chose to bat. Lee’s dismissal, however, began a slide that saw them South Africa to 223 all out, with Khadija Tul Kubra’s offspin accounting for four wickets.Bangladesh’s innings mirrored South Africa’s, with one major difference. They lost two early wickets before Sharmin Akhter (74 off 127) and Rumana Ahmed (68 off 95) resurrected the chase with a 127-run third-wicket stand. At 170 for 2, Bangladesh seemed well placed, needing 54 to win off 47 balls, when Marizane Kapp bowled Rumana. That took the steam out of Bangladesh, who lost five more wickets and finished on 206 for 8. Kapp and the legspinner Suné Luus took two wickets each.
Shoaib Akhtar has been taken to hospital complaining of fatigue caused by a fever after Pakistan arrived in Kolkata ahead of the second Test against India which starts on Friday.”He was suffering from fever and got very tired after arriving here from New Delhi,” a team official told . “So he has been taken to hospital, probably to be put on a drip.” However, he isn’t expected to stay more than a couple of days and the management are confident he will recover in time for the Test.Shoaib impressed during the first Test with six wickets, including four in the second innings, but couldn’t prevent India taking the opening contest. He isn’t the only fitness concern for Pakistan as they aim to bounce back with Shoaib Malik, the captain, trying to shake off an ankle injury he picked during a game of football after the match.There is better news about Umar Gul who has overcome the back problem which kept him out of the New Delhi Test. “Gul will be available for selection,” said the official. “His scan report was seen by the Pakistan medical board and it has cleared him.” Gul will put pressure on Mohammad Sami who was expensive and wicketless last week.
Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has torn a calf muscle which could result in him missing the start of the South Africa series.Razzaq picked up the injury during the last ODI against the West Indies in Karachi and though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is presently unwilling to say how serious it might be, a source close to the board suggested he might not return to full fitness for another three weeks. That would place his position for the first Test in South Africa, due to begin from January 11.Razzaq confirmed to AFP that he may be out for three weeks and that he is seriously doubtful for the first Test. “It is a calf injury and I will be out for at least three weeks after which I will have an MRI scan. It is very disappointing as a tour to South Africa is always a good one for a player. But I will try and get fit before the third Test.”A source close to the player told Cricinfo the injury was a fairly serious one though he could be back in training soon. “It is difficult to say right now how long it will be but I think it might be three weeks before he returns to full match fitness. He can train but it will take him that much time to recover full fitness.”Razzaq missed the winter series against England last year with an elbow injury and has suffered from a number of problems since he began his career in 1996-97.The injury continues a trying period for Razzaq, coming as it does soon after a mediocre Test series against the West Indies during which his place in the Test side was questioned on a number of occasions, including by members of the management.
Zimbabwe’s selectors met in Harare last Wednesday to pick two squads, the first to represent the country at the Afro-Asia A-team tournament in Bangladesh next month, and a second squad to take part in the last round of the South African Airways Challenge Cup in February.Alester Maregwede, who captained the Under-23 side which returned home empty handed from the first round of the competition, was dropped from both squads, as were former Under-19 skipper Tinotenda Mawoyo, Matabeleland top-order batsman Tinashe Hove and pace bowler Christopher Mpofu. The first three were omitted after poor performances, but Mpofu was rested.A provisional squad of 24 has been named for the Under-23s, which will be trimmed down to 16 a week before the team departs for South Africa, where they will take on KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Province, Border, Bolland and Western Province in both three-day and limited overs matches.Andy Pycroft, who led Zimbabwe to the NatWest Series final in 2000, will take charge be in charge with Stephen Mangongo as his assistant. Rather confusingly, Phil Simmons, who was sacked as Zimbabwe coach in August and took the board to court claiming unfair dismissal, has been named as the A-team coach in Bangladesh.No captain has been named for the A-team, and it is not even certain that those selected will agree to take part. Almost all of the players have said that they will refuse to play for Zimbabwe while Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute remain in charge of the board.They are likely to train normally so that they are fit and ready should the dispute be resolved by January. If it has not, then a meeting is expected shortly before the A-team is scheduled to leave at which a final decision is expected.Zimbabwe A Brendan Taylor, Dion Ebrahim, HamiltonMasakadza, Colin De Grandhomme, Charles Coventry, Blessing Mahwire, Keith Dabengwa, Prosper Utseya, Antony Ireland, Waddington Mwayenga, Edward Rainsford, Bernard Mlambo, Phil Simmons (coach), Babu Meman (manager).Zimbabwe Under-23 Brendan Taylor, Stuart Matsikenyeri (captain), Gregory Strydom, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Hillary Matanga, Colin De Grandhomme, Allan Mwayenga, Benard Mlambo, Tawanda Mupariwa, Prosper Utseya, Antony Ireland, Waddington Mwayenga, Edward Rainsford, Charles Coventry, Terrence Duffin, John Nyumbu, Ryan Bennett, Elton Chigumbura, Matthew Waller, Zubair Patel, Thomas Dangarembizi, Johnson Marumisa, Ben Hundermark, Andy Pycroft (coach), Stephen Mangongo (assistant coach), Christian Chiketa(manager).
Darren Lehmann, who selflessly offered his Test place to Michael Clarke, is Cricketer of the Year. The award is recognition of Lehmann’s belated, unlikely and romantic international purple patch, which is currently on hold after he injured his hamstring in the third Test at Nagpur.The 2004-05 edition of , published today, is a history-making edition: the front image of a roaring Shane Warne is the first full-colour pictorial cover in 141-year history. mourns the modern trend towards “McCricket”, calling for a stop to “back-to-back Tests, whistlestop tours, twoand four-Test series and all other dunderheaded attempts to jam Test cricket into a polystyrene carton and shove it down our throats as quickly as possible”. For its first 125 years, the five-Test series was cricket’s prestige forum. But Australia have played only one in the past three years and India one in the past seven. New Zealand last played a five-Test series 33 years ago, Pakistan 12 years ago and Sri Lanka have never played one. new editor Christian Ryan writes in his Editor’s Notes: “Only when Australia play England are we now assured the unique thrill of a five-Test series. And beware the hardheads: with their calculators for brains and cash registers for hearts, they are plotting to take even that away from us. Cricket tampers with its own crazy, bewitching rhythms at its peril.”The disappearance of the five-Test series is one of several troublesome issues confronted by a feistier, revamped edition. Cricket Australia (CA) comes in for the fiercest criticism. Of the board’s eagerness to play against a race-based Zimbabwean side, and its description of this year’s tour to Zimbabwe as “a tick in a box”, wonders: “Have Australian cricket administrators no heart, no moral existence at all?”Of the Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s refusal to come to Australia last July, it says CA did not try hard enough to change his mind. “Anything, everything should have been done to make sure he felt comfortable … Australia is the only cricketing nation Murali has felt compelled to stay away from. History will judge us accordingly.”The 2004-05 edition of Wisden Australia is at 976 pages the biggest ever and the first – in Australia or England – to incorporate balls faced and boundaries hit in Test scorecards. Among several innovations is a new section called “Farewells”, women’s player profiles, a beefed-up back half and two new tables listing the full career records of every Australian Test and one-day player in order of appearance.Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack Australia 2004-05 is edited by Christian Ryan and published by Hardie Grant Books.
Shane Warne might have plenty of things to worry about at the moment, but his cricketing future need not be one of them. Bob Merriman, the chairman of Cricket Australia, has said that the many controversies emanating from Warne’s personal life will not affect his standing with the board.Speaking to the Herald Sun newspaper, Merriman said: “We are certainly looking forward to February 10 next year [when Warne’s ban expires] and Shane Warne coming back as a strong player. He has co-operated in respect to the issues the board has control on. We don’t have control of any player’s private life. He has certainly reacted in all the areas we have asked him to. It is [now] really a matter for the selection committee.”Merriman indicated that the Australian board does not intend to concern itself with a player’s personal life. “The board has not taken a view on that,” he said. “We have not discussed player X or player Y, but certainly a hell of a lot of work has been generated in the board office because of the issues of the last four months.”Obviously we are hopeful that issues in his private life remain private, like any person. That’s probably a pious hope given the high-profile sports person he is.”
Northern Districts’ convener of selectors Rick Pickard resigned his position today.A long-time ND selector, Pickard has accepted an education related career opportunity in the Cook Islands.A former national selector who was replaced on the national selection panel when Sir Richard Hadlee came onto the panel, Pickard returned to Northern Districts and resumed his selection duties there.His selection experiences dates back to his first involvement with Counties Manukau in 1984.ND chief executive John Turkington said today: “Rick had an immense passion for the game and achieved excellent results andwhile he will be missed, we wish him all the best in his new position.”Northern Districts Cricket is looking at options as a replacement for Pickard. In the meantime Operations Manager Pat Malcon will assume Pickard’s role.
The former Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, current New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum and the former New Zealand spinner and captain Daniel Vettori are among a cast of high-profile witnesses set to take the stand in the perjury trial involving former New Zealand allrounder, Chris Cairns.Cairns has been accused by the Crown Prosecution Service of lying under oath during a 2012 libel case and could face a prison sentence of a maximum of seven years if found guilty.Also standing trial is Cairns’ former legal counsel Andrew Fitch-Holland, who has been charged for perverting the course of justice in the 2012 case against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who had accused the one-time New Zealand captain of match-fixing.Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and opener Mark Greatbatch have been named as potential witnesses as the trial got underway at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday morning. Also featuring on the 50-plus witnesses list, named by the prosecution and defence teams, are Cairns’ former New Zealand team-mates Shane Bond, Kyle Mills, Chris Harris and Andre Adams.There will also be some former and current ICC officials providing evidence: Ronnie Flanagan, the current head of the anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU) and Ravi Sawani, former ACSU general manager. Other witnesses are expected to include Cairns’ wife, Mel, and Mal Loye, the former England one-day batsman.Chris Cairns arrives at Southwark Crown Court on the first morning of his perjury trial•PA Photos
Although the court will reassemble on Wednesday afternoon, when a 12-person jury would be sworn in, the trial proper is likely to begin from next Monday when the prosecution begins calling on the witnesses. The first witness is likely to be former New Zealand opener Lou Vincent, who was banned for life last July by the ECB and the ICC following his confession that he had accepted money to underperform.On Monday the court was read the two charges against Cairns, the second of which is a joint action against Fitch-Holland, namely that the pair induced Vincent to provide a false witness statement during his successful libel action against Modi.Count one, which has been made against Cairns alone, was that, in the course of the same trial, Cairns “wilfully made a statement … which he knew to be false, namely that he has ‘never, ever cheated at cricket and nor would he ever contemplate such a thing'”.The trial is likely to stretch over a month with Justice Nigel Sweeney, the judge hearing the case, making it clear to the shortlisted jury that it was his “pessimistic view” that the trial would go until November 20.Cairns was first to arrive to the court as early as 8.45 am. In the morning session that lasted two hours, Cairns confirmed his identity to the court registrar, and exchanged a few words with Fitch-Holland, who sat next to him in the glass-panelled dock.The court shortlisted a jury of 16 members, out of which on Wednesday 12 would be sworn in with two spare members who would be present till the prosecution completes its arguments. The potential jury was also made aware of the fact that some of the witnesses would be facing the court through video conferencing from overseas with the time difference being sometimes as long as 11 hours for witnesses from New Zealand.The prosecution team is lead by Queen’s Counsellor Sasha Wass along with her colleague Esther Schwatzer-Weismann. Cairns’ defence team comprises Orlando Pownell and Simon Ray while Fitch-Holland is being represented by Jonathan Ladlow and Jonathan Polnay.
It’s safe to say that loyalty in football is at it’s lowest ebb in the modern day with the division between players and fans continuing to widen at an alarming rate. One major problem is that footballers are opting to live away from the city in which their club is situated residing in secluded mansions in gated communities. Whilst it’s not the most pressing issue in football at the current time it certainly is something that needs to be addressed with footballers now taking on the persona of colourless drones only interested in topping up their vast fortune every week. I remember when Michael Owen signed for Newcastle but refused to move away from Cheshire instead choosing to take a helicopter trip to training every day. How is a player supposed to get a feeling for the club they are playing for or get an idea of it’s history without sampling the town’s atmosphere and mixing it up with the fans? Sadly the connection that once existed between fans and players 20 years ago has long since broken. Thankfully one club is trying to bridge that connection by asking it’s playing staff to move closer to the football club. Aston Villa have introduced ‘the 30-mile rule’ which means all players who have signed a new or extended contract must live within 30-miles of the clubs Bodymoor Health training ground.
I for one think Villa should be widely applauded for taking this step and making it a requirement for their players to move to an area that is full to the brim of fans sporting the famous claret and blue. Last season players like Stephen Ireland and Stephen Warnock were both based in the north-west whilst Robert Pires use to endure a chauffeur driven trip from London every day. Whilst the Frenchman has departed Villa Park both Ireland and Warnock have agreed to move with the constant travelling and lack of community spirit blamed for the bad feeling that existed in the club last season. The motivation for Villa to implement such an ambitious scheme is based upon community building. They want to encourage their players to become part of the local populace, mingle with supporters and generally instigate a broader affiliation not just with the club but the city and beyond. In my opinion there are very few footballers out there who hold a appreciable affinity with a club and it’s fans and go out of their way to embrace the culture and traditions that exist in the city. The financial aspects of the game have certainly caused this partition between the two collective groups with players now able to afford luxury mansions and expensive cars from a very young age whilst fans are struggling to make ends meat in a steadily worsening economy. Whatever happened to young apprentices being sent to live with a local family whilst learning his trade? It offered them an additional education besides the one they were receiving on the training field. Thats something I really miss.
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Fortunately Villa seem to have identified that footballers these days are regarded as a separate entity from society and could be declared as being detached from the social circle. One club that has never had difficulty in getting it’s players to mix with it’s fans is Newcastle United. Being a Magpies fan you may think i’m being rather biased but I assure you it’s a common occurrence to see players roaming the city streets and having a brief tête-à-tête with fans. A few years ago I was dining in Nando’s when Charles N’Zogbia and Tim Krul were given the table next to ours. Almost immediately my friend was interrogating the Frenchman over rumours of a move to Fulham which he took in very good spirits and after a few minutes of chatting, interceded with a few laughs, we departed awestruck by the fact these players actually agreed to spark up a conversation with us. A few months later we saw N’Zogbia in Tesco and again he was happy to engage in cordial chat whilst we waited at the checkout. He was really nice guy and a shadow of the stroppy teenager he resembles on the field and in the press. Even Alan Smith and Sol Campbell were happy enough to exchange a few words with fan after fan whilst they sat drinking their coffee outside a cafe in Jesmond. You might think it’s nothing but it allows fans to see that these players are, like them, just human beings and it goes along way to building a rapport that is scarce in todays game.
I’m glad to see Villa are trying to build bridges between their players and fans and making the latter buy into the city and the club. Just a small chat or a photo with a fan can help players build that connection withclub, the city and the people that turn up week in week out and scream their throats raw in support. Interacting with the fans gives players a gauge on how fond the former is of them. Establishing that relationship can be an important factor in players developing ties with supporters and club which could lead an increased feeling of loyalty. Could Villa’s scheme of requiring their players to develop greater links in the community make it harder for them to disappoint fans and lead to them becoming devoted to honouring their contract and giving fans the success they deserve? I’m starting to sound like a stark raving football romanticist. There is no guarantee’s that Villa’s idea will bear fruit and cause a players level of loyalty to shoot through the roof. It’s a wonderful albeit convoluted concept and I hope it works and leads to more clubs adopting the same rule. Whilst the consequences could be dire i’d rather focus on the positives rather than the negatives right now. God knows football certainly needs a whole lot of them these days.
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“Unbelievable quality and talent” were the wisely selected words that Mikel Arteta used to describe compatriot and potential new teammate Santi Cazorla. Reports have been surfacing this week that Arsene Wenger is close to completing a deal for the Spanish International that would take the total of new Gunners acquisitions to a promising trio of talent. However, with a reported £20 million being requested by Cazorla’s current club Malaga, what makes the 27-year old so expensive and can he really assist in filling the void that may be left by Robin Van Persie’s imminent departure?
A popular face in his native country, Cazorla has already made 45 appearances for his national team; a feat that deserves unrelinquishing praise, especially given that the Spanish can arguably claim to have the most talented array of midfielders to have ever represented a national squad.
Having spent most of his career with Villarreal, the Llanera born playmaker was sold to Malaga last summer for around £16.5 million, after the ‘Yellow Submarines’ experienced major financial troubles. Cazorla impressed in his debut season with ‘Los Boquerones’, assisting the club to their first ever Champions League qualification and finishing second in the club’s goal scoring charts, with 9 from midfield.
The impressive superlatives used by Mikel Arteta to describe his compatriot may be valid. He is known as an exciting player, who has the rapidity and aptitude to alter the rhythm of a game. These attributes may allow him to slot in perfectly with Arsenal’s exciting brand of football.
If he were to make the move to the Emirates, Cazorla would be able to fill any position across the middle of the park. He is ambidextrous to the point of perfection with both feet, allowing him to flow with ease down either flank. His intelligence and speed could also allow him to play off a lone striker. However, when or daresay if Robin Van Persie departs the Emirates, it is likely that Cazorla would play on the wing, leaving new blood Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud to the impossible task of filling the void that will be left by their want away Dutchman.
A big money signing like Cazorla will be just what the Gunners supporters’ need. With their talisman searching for the exit, a new star needs to be crowned in North London and Cazorla and his eye-catching abilities could prove the remedy. Not only would the Spaniard inject energy and skill into the team, his international caps could prove vital to the younger members of Wenger’s squad. His small stature is more than made up for by his confidence and experience and with an unwavering eye for goal Cazorla could be the signing that many of the Emirates faithful hoped Andrey Arshavin would be.
About to enter the prime of his career, ‘Santi’ could have timed this move to perfection. Spanish flair is of small majority in the Premier League, with David Silva and Fernando Torres the only ‘Rojas’ to dip their talented toes into the English game. Not only could Cazorla become a favourite at Arsenal, he could also become a major player in the best league in the world.
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