Uday Karavadra of Saurashtra will lead the West Zone Cricket Academy(WZCA) in the Zonal Academy tournament to be held in Bangalore fromJune 28 to July 2.WZCA’s head coach and former Indian captain Nari Contractor told PTIin Mumbai on Friday that two other West Zone trainees Nikhil Rathod ofSaurashtra and Yogesh Takwale of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA)have been included in the Combined team, which would be the sixth teamto play in the tournament. Teams from the five zonal academies are theother participating sides in the five day competition.The team: Uday Karavadra (capt) and Padmanabh Jadeja (bothSaurashtra), Vimal Joshi, Rakesh Solanki and Yusuf Pathan (allBaroda), Sahil Kukreja, Paul Valthaty and Vinit Indulkar (all Mumbai),Kiran Adhav from Maharashtra, Swapnil Patel, Siddharth Trivedi, TimilPatel and Hardik Parmar (all Gujarat).The team would be accompanied by Contractor and physio-cum-trainerVaibhav Daga.
According to reliable journalist Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Championship star Djed Spence has taken a fresh twist this week.
The Lowdown: Spurs linked…
The Lilywhites have been linked with a move for Spence since the end of January with multiple bids apparently being lodged in the winter window.
Tottenham’s attempts were knocked back, however, with Antonio Conte’s side now seemingly set for a battle to sign the in-demand right back this summer.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich are among Fabio Paratici’s competitors, but in good news for the club, there has been an update on his price tag and the likelihood of him leaving parent club Middlesbrough.
The Latest: Rosser shares promising update…
According to Rosser, Spence could leave for as little as £12million – £15million.
The Evening Standard reporter also explains that the English starlet ‘will move this summer’ as Riverside officials grow resigned to losing their promising asset.
Tottenham have apparently ‘held talks over a potential deal’, and even though they face stiff competition, it appears Spence is nailed on for a step up to the Premier League.
The Verdict: Make a move?
The 21-year-old has been a star player under Steve Cooper during his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, ranking as one of their top four highest performers in the Championship by average match rating (WhoScored).
Proving a consistent threat, the attacking full-back has completed more successful take-ons than any Forest player in the Championship bar forward Keinan Davis, highlighting his potential to thrive under Conte (WhoScored).
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He’s already been called a ‘massive player’ for Forest by Sky pundit Jobi McAnuff, and at such a young age, he’ll just get better and better.
For a maximum fee of £15m, it would be foolish not to move.
In other news: Paratici sets sights on ‘phenomenal’ £100m who Spurs have been offered before! Find out more here.
“This is a greater victory than the World Twenty20,” was captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s reaction after India won their first tri-series in Australia, succeeding at the formidable task of beating the top-ranked side in their own den twice.Dhoni, who has now led India to victory in two prestigious events in the last seven months, attributed the results to a team effort. “The role of the captain was not the only one. The captain is one guy who gathers the pressure and then channels it to the individual player and then it depends on how that individual reacts,” he said. “We didn’t start that well but we improved as the tournament went on and the credit should go to every player.”India’s batting, which has been their biggest weakness throughout the tournament, came into its own during the finals with Sachin Tendulkar hitting top form. Tendulkar followed up his stellar performance at the SCG on Sunday with a vital 91 in Brisbane. Despite ordinary performances early in the tournament, Dhoni never doubted his senior-most batsman. “Performance is one thing, but performing back-to-back is something else. He is the best.”Dhoni was relieved India had wrapped up the series at the Gabba thereby avoiding the trip to Adelaide. Was he desperate that they complete the job in Brisbane? “Yes, because I have not ridden my motorbike for quite a long time,” Dhoni joked but added that a third game would have been taxing for his players, some of whom have been away from home for about three months.After a resounding victory in the first final, India’s decision to bat first in Brisbane paid off with Tendulkar and Robin Uthappa giving them a solid opening stand of 94. While India have shuffled their batting order during the series, Dhoni said Uthappa’s promotion to the opening slot had given the batting a settled look. “Robin changed his game a little bit and reacted to the situation and curbed his aggressive instincts.”Throughout the tournament, like in the ICC World Twenty20, Dhoni surprised many with his team selections and his on-field strategies. For the crucial final over in the World Twenty20 final, he threw the ball to the inexperienced Joginder Sharma, in the first final here he asked Praveen Kumar, another rookie, to take the new ball. That move paid off; Praveen got crucial top-order scalps and did an encore at the Gabba.The other surprise was to play the legspinner Piyush Chawla, who was overlooked during the league phase, in the finals. “We wanted to play Piyush, and wanted him to use as a surprise. He mixed it up really well was consistent in his line and length.”When the squad was picked Dhoni had strongly recommended the presence of youngsters. While that gamble has now proved successful, he said he never doubted that it was the only way ahead. “Even if we had lost this tournament, we should have stuck with the young boys. This will be the team’s core.”
Mark Shields, the deputy commissioner of Jamaican police, said he had to allow the Pakistan team to leave Jamaica in order to avoid a diplomatic incident in the aftermath of Bob Woolmer’s murder. Speaking to , Shields said the police did not have sufficient evidence to detain any team member and doing so “would have had an extremely adverse effect on the World Cup”.Shields was concerned there would have been an uproar “if I had started holding people against their will”. Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room on March 18.Part of the investigations include analysing the video tapes from the CCTV on the 12th floor of the Pegasus Hotel, where Woolmer had his room. Shields said the footage could provide the police with the breakthrough they needed. “I am very optimistic,” he said. “If the quality is as good as I hope it is they will help us significantly in our investigation of who went on to the 12th floor that Sunday, or Saturday night.”Door keycards of every room in the hotel were also being checked to figure out movements inside the hotel leading up to the time of Woolmer’s death. “It’s a huge task,” Shields said. “But when we do that we get the time of death.” Police are also examining Woolmer’s laptop for clues.Shields said the police were yet to eliminate anyone as a suspect. “Everybody at the moment is a witness, but we do not have more suspicion about one person over another,” he told the paper. “Murder is not solved in 45 minutes like it is on TV. In reality it’s not like that.”According to an report Shields said that although the doors to each room could not be viewed through the cameras, the ends of the corridor were visible. “[It] will give us an indication who was on that floor,” he said.He also dismissed rumours the players had argued with the coach after Pakistan’s defeat against Ireland. “As far as I’m aware at the moment,” he said, “the players and officials were very subdued and there was no heated exchange.”All members of the Pakistan team were questioned and later asked to provide DNA samples. Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the assistant coach, were interviewed a second time before the team was allowed to leave Jamaica on Saturday. An inquest has also been ordered into the murder and Woolmer’s body will remain in Jamaica until the proceedings are over.Dalawar Chaudhry, a Pakistan official who organised the team’s stopover in London, said the players were very low. “I have had a word with all the boys and they have lost someone very near and dear to them,” Chaudhry told AFP. “A father figure has been lost … They haven’t been sleeping well. It’s been a very emotional time.”
ScorecardTest veteran Neil McKenzie and promising youngster Jean-Paul Duminy punished the touring New Zealanders in an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 248 for the Rest of South Africa on the first day of a four-day match at Willowmoore Park on Friday. The Rest reached 355 for 3 at the close, with both batsmen on 127 not out.It was hardly the warm-up New Zealand were seeking ahead of a three-Test series against South Africa which starts at Centurion on April 15. But it was the sort of performance pledged by McKenzie, the Rest captain, ahead of the match when he said his players would be seeking to force the national selectors’ hands and to get the New Zealanders’ tour off to a losing start.McKenzie, 30, has played in 41 Tests but hasn’t been selected for two seasons despite good domestic form in the current season. The left-handed Duminy, a week short of his 22nd birthday, has played in five one-day internationals and is regarded as one of the country’s most promising young batsmen.The Rest took advantage of a slow, flat pitch after McKenzie won the toss and decided to bat. But they had an early setback in the second over when fast bowler Shane Bond bowled Alviro Petersen. Stephen Cook, the son of former Test batsman Jimmy, was run out for 13 when the total was on 42.Justin Ontong and McKenzie put on 65 for the third wicket before Ontong was out for 61 in the first over after lunch. The rest of the day belonged to McKenzie and Duminy, although both gave chances. McKenzie was dropped on 11 and Duminy on 28. Bond struggled after his early wicket,conceding 51 runs in ten overs, including 22 off one over, including three fours and a six by McKenzie. He also bowled five no-balls and five wides.
Division OneKent v Hampshire at Canterbury Kent have an unchanged squad from the one that played the one-day matches against Wiltshire and Scotland. Hampshire are waiting on the fitness of Nic Pothas, who has a knee injury, and have Tim Burrows, the reserve wicketkeeper in the squad in case Pothas does not pass a late fitness test.Middlesex v Gloucestershire at Lord’s Nantie Hayward and Chad Keegan are both injured for Middlesex, so Melvyn Betts and Chris Peploe replace them. Ed Joyce makes the side despite a finger injury. Gloucestershire’s main injury concern is Carl Greenidge with a shoulder problem, so Mark Hardinges is on standby. James Averis also returns after missing the spin-friendly pitch at Cardiff.Surrey v Glamorgan at The Oval Graham Thorpe misses the match with back spasms, although they are not thought to be serious. He is replaced by Richard Clinton as Surrey aim to bounce back from their innings defeat to Nottinghamshire. Glamorgan are without Simon Jones (back strain) and Alex Wharf (side strain) so include Adam Harrison, the younger brother of David.Division TwoLancashire v Durham at Old Trafford Lancashire have named an unchanged squad after their innings victory against Derbyshire. Andrew Flintoff will continue to play solely as a batsman. Durham have added Mick Lewis and Nicky Peng to the side that beat Somerset, maintaining their 100% start to the Championship.Leicestershire v Yorkshire at Leicester Despite losing to Essex by six wickets, Leicestershire have an unchanged squad to face Yorkshire. However, the opening batsman John Maunders may replace a seam bowler. Yorkshire will again have the services of Michael Vaughan, but this will be his last Championship match before the international season starts.Northamptonshire v Essex at Northampton Northants are without Gerard Brophy, their wicketkeeper, after he picked up a broken thumb against Yorkshire. Riki Wessels – the son of the Northants coach Kepler Wessels – will make his Championship debut. Grant Flower, Tim Phillips and Alex Tudor been added to the Essex squad that beat Leicestershire.Worcestershire v Derbyshire at Worcester Worcestershire’s big guns return to the side after an embarrassing defeat against Loughborough UCCE. Chaminda Vass, Kabir Ali and Matt Mason are back to boost the bowling attack while Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki return to the top-order.
The former Indian allrounder MJ Gopalan has died at the age of 94 in Chennai. Before his death he was the oldest surviving Test cricketer, a mantle which has now passed to Don Cleverley, who played twice for New Zealand – either side of the war – and who was born on December 23, 1909.Gopalan played his only Test against England at Calcutta in 1933-34, taking one wicket and scoring 18 runs. He was more successful in first-class cricket, taking 194 wickets as a fast bowler as well as scoring 2916 runs in 78 matches.Gopalan was a double international, who also represented India at hockey as a centre-half. In 1936 he was faced with a difficult choice when he was picked for both the cricket tour of England and for the hockey team at the Berlin Olympics. He opted for cricket, arguably an unwise move. He was almost assured of a gold medal at Berlin, but instead he was part of an unhappy tour of England. He had only modest success in the limited opportunities he was given on a trip was marred by some eccentric captaincy from the Maharajah of Vizianagram.A tower of strength in Madras cricket for around 25 years with his allround skills, Gopalan bowled the first delivery in the Ranji Trophy, against Mysore at Madras in November 1934. He also captained them for several years.He was a Test selector in the late 1950s and early ’60s. For about 30 years until the match lapsed in the late 1980s, Madras and Ceylon (later Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka) competed in an annual contest for the Gopalan Trophy.Gopalan’s date of birth, as given in Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, was June 6, 1909. But some reports have suggested he was older than that, having been born in 1906 – which would have made him 97 years old at the time of his death.
Former India medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad has been named the captain of a 15-man South Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy starting on January 2, 2003.Among the other notable inclusions in the squad for the 13-day tournament are the precocious 17-year-old Hyderabadi batsman Ambati Rayudu and Karnataka wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu.The squad:BKV Prasad (captain), HK Badani, Vijay Bharadwaj, AT Rayudu, S Sharath, Y Venugopal Rao, D Vinay Kumar, N Arjun Yadav, VST Naidu (wicketkeeper), L Balaji, S Oasis, D Ganesh, Sandip Dahad, S Sriram, Barrington RowlandStand Byes:KS Fiaz Ahmed, Chandershekar Reddy, SK Nair, T Suman, KKD Karthik (wicketkeeper), S Jakati
Mark Chilton and Glen Chapple joined forces to save Lancashire from the threat of following-on in what is developing into a fascinating Division One fixture against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Opener Chilton battled his way to an unbeaten 102 – his only previous Championship century was also off the Northants attack, at Old Trafford in 1999 – and his patient knock guided the visitors to 251-8 at the close.They still trail the hosts by 147, but the situation would have been very much worse but for the efforts of Chilton and Chapple, who came together at 191-7 and posted 59 crucial runs in 17 overs together.Chapple departed for 31 just before the close, becoming Tony Penberthy’s 200th first-class wicket, but Chilton was undefeated after a five-and-a-quarter hour stay featuring ten fours.Chapple had made his mark with the ball earlier in the day, snapping up Northants’ last four wickets as they subsided from 365-6 to 398 all out and missed out on a fifth batting point.But apart from Chilton, none of the Lancashire batsmen stayed for long with off-spinner Jason Brown dismissing Andrew Flintoff (17) and Neil Fairbrother (23) in a telling post-lunch spell.John Blain forced Tim Roberts to play on for three, making it a disappointing Championship debut for the Northants-born batsman, and when Warren Hegg and Chris Schofield followed after tea it needed something special from Chilton and Chapple to keep Lancashire in the game.Fortunately for John Crawley’s men, they proved equal to the task.
Aston Villa have seen many players make the move to Villa Park since the Midlands club were promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the 2018/19 season.
However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not every deal that takes place ends up being a successful one.
One prime example of this happening at Villa over the past few years is with defender Bjorn Engels, who joined the Villans back in July 2019 from Stade Reims in a deal worth a reported fee of £9m.
His debut season at the Midlands club saw the Belgian play in 17 league games and earn himself an underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.61 from WhoScored.
In terms of his defensive output when he was able to get on the pitch, the centre-back only made a combined total of 21 tackles and interceptions, which is lower than the likes of Conor Hourihane and Anwar El Ghazi managed to rack up, as well as making two errors that led to an opponent’s shot at goal, making him a bit of a liability for his side.
The 2020/21 campaign, however, saw the 27-year-old fail to make even one league described as being “condemned to the bench.”
Villa then decided to cut their ties with the defender during the previous summer transfer window by selling him to Royal Antwerp in June, bringing an end to his 100 weeks as a Villan.
Given his severe lack of game time, particularly during his second season with the club, it’s safe to say that this was not a very successful transfer deal for anyone involved in it, especially Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris who will have lost a combined total of £12.8m from Engels’ transfer fee and weekly wages of £38k-per-week.
Since returning to play in his home country, the defender seems to have found his feet again after a year of no senior action at Villa Park by earning himself an overall performance rating of 7.13 from the 16 league appearances he’s made for Antwerp according to WhoScored, which currently puts him as their highest-rated player.
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A classic case of how the Premier League isn’t for everyone.
In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard must now unleash Villa maestro who “can do anything”