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India have often been accused of making slow starts to overseas tours, but no one can make that accusation this time – in the first 11 balls in New Zealand, they blasted 25 runs. Unfortunately for India, they got too greedy, as the short boundaries at the

Sidharth Monga in Christchurch25-Feb-2009
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: “It was not a conscious effort to go after the bowlers and hit those big sixes” © Getty Images
India have often been accused of making slow starts to overseas tours, but no one can make that accusation this time – their first 11 balls in New Zealand went for 25 runs. Unfortunately for India, they got too greedy – the short boundaries at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch offered a temptation few of their batsmen could resist.Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted after the game that they over-reached, aiming for around 220 when 190 might have been enough. “I think most of the batsmen batted brilliantly, but the mistake we committed was that we went with the momentum,” Dhoni said. “Maybe one of the batsmen could have realised that we had got off to a flier … throughout the IPL and Twenty20 games we have seen that even if you go after the bowlers for [the whole of] 20 overs, you don’t score more than 220-230. So you have to figure out whether you’re happy with the score of 180 or 190 or whether you look for those extra 25 runs, which you might not actually need, and instead end up getting 160-odd.”In true Twenty20 spirit, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma and Yusuf Pathan went about their task, and in true New Zealand style the home bowlers stuck to their job. So while the hosts had moments where, as Daniel Vettori said, they thought they would end up chasing 300, they were set a below-par target of 163 by the time the lights took full effect.Three incidents in the match summed up the teams’ approach. Sehwag had smashed the first three balls he faced in New Zealand for sixes – he hit four in all during his 10-ball stay – but went for one hit too many. Rohit went for his second six in a row but got a leading edge off Ian Butler. Then, when Yusuf went for fourth successive six off Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram came up with a spectacular, making the entire process of flicking up the ball, crossing the boundary, coming back in and then taking the catch look extraordinarily easy. India were 32 in 3.1 overs, 54 in 5.2, and 82 in 9.4 at those junctures.New Zealand applied the brakes with those wickets as the bowlers earned their rewards for being on target without attempting anything special. Vettori was wily as usual, giving little away, and despite Suresh Raina’s cool-headed innings, there was only one favourite at the break.Dhoni was not pleased with the way the target was assessed tonight but said it wasn’t a premeditated ploy to put New Zealand under pressure right away. “One of the key things was to go into the middle with a blank mind, without a target,” Dhoni said. “We wanted to play according to the merit of the ball, it was not a conscious effort to go after the bowlers and hit those big sixes.”Vettori said he had expected such an approach from India. In perfect weather conditions and a decent batting track, India brought out the pyrotechnics. New Zealand though, stayed cool in the face of the onslaught.The loss of quick middle-order wickets proved to be the difference between the sides, but the entertainment came in abundance. It also showed the importance of quick assessment and thinking on the feet in the slap-bang format. The crowd lapped it up gleefully, and it should only get better from here on.

Arsenal have been handed a major injury boost ahead of this weekend’s bottom-of-the-table clash with Norwich City…

What’s the latest?

According to The Sun, Gunners midfielder Thomas Partey has been pictured in training this week, having failed to feature so far this season after he picked up a serious ankle injury during their pre-season encounter with Chelsea.

It comes just a few days after Goal journalist Charles Watts revealed that the 28-year-old, who is valued at £36m, was likely to be involved this weekend for the very first time this campaign.

He told his YouTube channel:

“People I have spoken to who are close to Thomas Partey, they still think he has got a chance of playing or being involved against Norwich, whether that be on the bench, I probably think it would be.”

A big relief

The Ghanian international has been sidelined for around five weeks and has been a big miss in Mikel Arteta’s engine room, so to have him available this weekend should come as a major boost and relief for the 39-year-old head coach.

His options would’ve been very, very limited heading into what is an absolute must-win fixture.

Granit Xhaka, who tested positive for Covid-19 on international duty, is suspended for three matches after he was sent off against Manchester City, whilst Mo Elneny has been out with a muscular problem.

It means Arteta is currently left with summer signing Albert Sambi Lokonga and the wantaway Ainsley Maitland-Niles for the deeper role, whilst Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe should be available further up the pitch.

Rock-bottom Arsenal are yet to win in the Premier League this season and will be desperate to pick up a result against the side that sits just one place above them in the table on goal difference.

Depending on results, the north London giants could rise as high as 12th with a convincing victory.

Partey led the squad for tackles per game (1.8) last season and also averaged one interception, 1.1 shots and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which suggests he can contribute in the attack, too.

So to have him available on Saturday afternoon will come as huge encouragement.

AND in other news, No Xhaka, Tomiyasu starts: Predicting Arteta’s best Arsenal XI…

Kent coach Graham Ford has withdrawn his name from the shortlist of candidates for the top England role because of the delay in making an appointment

Cricinfo staff28-Mar-2009Kent coach Graham Ford has withdrawn his name from the shortlist of candidates for the top England role because of the delay in making an appointment.”I thought it would be sorted out a lot quicker than it has been,” Ford, who will continue coaching Kent, told the . “I was invited to go on the shortlist and told they wanted to interview me for the job. But I withdrew my name two days ago.Ford was of the opinion that the new England coach should have enough time to settle in before an important summer. “In my view the Ashes series is such an important one that you need a proper run at it. Duncan Fletcher [the former England coach who is now working with the South Africa team] told me that he had a year or more to prepare for the Ashes series in 2005. But there are a number of factors. I like things to be done properly and I am already well into my preparations with Kent for the new season.”It was reported earlier that the ECB’s shortlist was believed to include current England coach Andy Flower, South Africa coach Mickey Arthur, former Indian mentor John Wright and Ford. Arthur, however, said that he would “like to honour his commitment” to South Africa until the 2011 World Cup. Ford’s withdrawal is likely to make Flower, who was appointed temporarily after Peter Moores was sacked in January, the favourite for the job even though England struggled under him on the ongoing tour of West Indies.Flower, however, had the backing of England captain Andrew Strauss. “We’ve worked very well together so it would be fantastic to continue what we’ve started,” Strauss told .”A new coach would probably have his own ideas and it’s a case of compromising and making sure between you, you are going in the right direction. Now is not a time for thinking about that too much, but Andy is a strong candidate and there is a good chance that England will continue as they are but that remains to be seen in the coming weeks.”

Aston Villa face Chelsea twice this month at Stamford Bridge in both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup.

Villa fans attending either clash will have to adhere to numerous protocols, the club revealed on Tuesday. And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters were quick to flock to the update.

Villa revealed that fans travelling to Stamford Bridge will need to provide proof of a vaccine or a negative lateral flow test upon arrival or face being turned away if they don’t comply with the rules.

They will also be required to wear face coverings in all indoor areas of the stadium, however, they aren’t needed when seated or outside of the stadium.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the news on their official Twitter page on Tuesday. This is what these fans had to say, with one labelling it as ‘disgusting’ as the supporters were frustrated at learning of the protocols only after purchasing tickets.

“Absolute joke selling tickets before announcing this. Not even a government guideline until October”

Credit: @vizzy9

“Disgusting”

Credit: @ShawAVFC

“Wouldn’t bother me but it’s a bit controversial them doing this AFTER people have purchased tickets”

Credit: @JBaker_24

“Maybe should have made us all aware of this before selling tickets”

Credit: @avfcbrummie

“Age 11 and up? Wow.”

Credit: @JohnGallett

“Absolute joke! Slippery slope this!”

Credit: @avfc_85

In other news: Lots of AVFC fans react to this reported transfer snub. 

Speaking to Football Insider, BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has been left wowed by a Rangers transfer claim involving Millwall forward Jed Wallace.

The Lowdown: Gers eyeing Wallace…

As per Football League World, Rangers are one of plethora of clubs eyeing a move for the Championship attacker in January with the Ibrox club even facing competition from Celtic.

The 27-year-old is also attracting plenty of attention from south of the border with West Brom, Burnley, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Brentford all interested.

Now, Hutton has reacted, and it’s safe to say he’s impressed.

The Latest: Hutton wowed…

Speaking to FI, the former Scotland international has claimed Wallace is ‘one of the best’ in his division and believes the player could definitely add quality to Rangers.

He also adds that their interest makes ‘really good sense’.

“He’s always been a standout player at Millwall,” Hutton explained.

“He’s been one of the best players in the Championship this season.

“It makes really good sense – especially financially.

“Rangers will want to enhance their squad; they need players that can lighten the load for the current squad.

“The likes of Rangers and Celtic play a lot of games in a season, so they need a healthy squad.

“Bringing in players who can make the eleven even better will only help you.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Millwall boss has also lauded Wallace as a ‘big game player’, something Rangers and Steven Gerrard arguably need to take this side to the next level – the lack of ‘big game’ players perhaps reared its ugly head on Thursday night against Lyon.

Able to play across attacking midfield and as a forward, his brilliant start of three goals and two assists in seven Championship outings perfectly sums up why the Gers now want him, bringing versatility and end product to an already dangerous array of attacking talent at Gerrard’s disposal.

In other news: ‘Worst performance I’ve seen’ – Many Gers fans blast ‘waste of a jersey’ vs Lyon, find out more here.

Ireland can further reinforce their claim to being the leading Associate nation if they secure the ICC World Cup Qualifier trophy in the final against Canada, at Centurion Park, on Sunday

Cricinfo staff18-Apr-2009Ireland can further reinforce their claim to being the leading Associate nation if they secure the ICC World Cup Qualifier trophy in the final against Canada, at Centurion Park, on Sunday.With World Cup qualification safety in the bag after their top-place finish in the Super Eights, Ireland coach Phil Simmons said the team now need one final push to go home with the silverware which has always been the primary goal.”We didn’t come here to qualify – we came here to win a tournament and that’s still on. Sunday is our final and that’s what we’re here for – to win,” he said. “The players are enjoying playing this tournament and winning and I think that’s the whole thing. At the beginning of the tournament that’s what we spoke about – not qualification, but winning the trophy.”Ireland have dominated the Intercontinental Cup, the four-day tournament for Associate teams, in recent years with a hat-trick of titles but have never claimed this title which is something Simmons is keen to put right.”We hadn’t qualified outside of Ireland but we’ve broken one hoodoo so we are on to the next one now,” he said. “Every day is a different day. We just have to come along on Sunday and perform our basics and our duties as best we can. If it’s a case of Canada playing better than us then we are beaten but so far we have done well and we are going to come back and do our best in the final.”It is been a largely impressive tournament from Ireland barring their shock defeat to Afghanistan during the Super Eights. They also came unstuck against Kenya in the final round of matches, but by then they were assured of their World Cup place while Kenya had the motivation of needing to cement their own progression.Ireland’s strong batting line-up has served them well during the three weeks with captain William Porterfield passing 400 runs and Kevin O’Brien averaging 147.50. The bowling has been well led by tall quick Boyd Rankin who has 13 wickets, while left-armer Regan West is their top wicket-taker with 14 scalps.Their opponents, Canada, have managed to overcome the loss of key batsman John Davison with injury but ended the Super Eights stage with two defeats. They also lost their previous outing against Ireland by six wickets but captain, Ashish Bagai, is confident is team have enough fuel left in the tank for one more big performance.”This is what we are here for,” he said. “Gaining qualification for the World Cup was great but that is in the bag now. It’s not every day you get to play in a major final and we want to win it.”It has been a long and tiring few weeks so we have taken the day before the final off both physically and mentally and then we will come back strong on Sunday.”

Celtic had a particularly busy transfer window with no fewer than 12 new faces joining up with the first-team squad at Parkhead.

However, Ange Postecoglou’s recruitment has come with mixed success in what has been a topsy-turvy campaign for the Hoops.

What’s the word?

With the likes of Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard leaving Paradise behind this summer, Celtic looked at significantly bolstering their attack.

Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi have arrived to fill up spots in a more central area while the lively characters of Jota and Liel Abada have been threatening out wide.

However, after failing to score against Livi this weekend, there is a sense Celtic need more depth in their side.

One player the club looked at signing in January was Fulham’s Anthony Knockaert.

That’s according to a fresh report from Football League World who state the Frenchman had attracted the likes of Celtic, QPR and West Brom.

A move didn’t materialise but work is now being done behind the scenes at Craven Cottage in order to find the winger a new club.

Imagine him & Kyogo

Furuhashi has had a wonderful start to his life with the Hoops. Signed before Edouard left, he became the Frenchman’s natural heir as the club’s leading striker.

He scored a hat-trick on his Parkhead debut and has already amassed seven strikes in nine outings before he suffered an injury on international duty with Japan.

After failing to score against Livi, supporters will be lusting after his return, as well as a source of chance creation.

Abada has shown flashes of his excellence in Glasgow, amassing eight goal contributions in 11 outings.

Jota, meanwhile, was the provider of Albion Ajeti’s goal against Betis last Thursday and looks incredibly sharp in the final third.

With James Forrest already out injured, losing another of them further down the line would expose Celtic’s lack of depth again.

Knockaert, therefore, would be a particularly good addition to the squad. Not only would he provide them with more options offensively but a potential partnership with Kyogo is a mouth-watering thought.

The Japan international has caught the eye with his pace and close touch control, something Knockaert also has in abundance.

He’s only scored five times in the last two seasons but on his day, the 29-year-old is a dangerous weapon.

During one of his most prolific campaigns – the 2016/17 season – he scored 15 times in the Championship while producing eight assists.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to hear him described as a player of “high quality” by pundit Ben Parker.

In supplying 2.1 key passes per game, it demonstrates that the £2.7m-rated magician could be a regular feeder of the ball for Kyogo. His 2.7 dribbles a match during the same campaign also paints a particularly vibrant picture.

Just imagine the thought of him down the wing creating opportunities for not only himself but also their Japanese sensation. If Celtic still have Knockaert on their radar then a January swoop simply has to be on the cards.

AND in other news, 100% pass success: 25 y/o now starring after leaving Celtic, he had been a “disgrace”…

Yorkshire’s legspinner Adil Rashid has been called into England’s ICC World Twenty20 squad as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff, after the England management conceded that Flintoff would not be fit

Andrew Miller27-May-2009Yorkshire’s legspinner Adil Rashid has been called into England’s ICC World Twenty20 squad as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff, after the England management conceded that Flintoff would not be fit following his recent bout of knee surgery.Flintoff, 31, sustained a tear to the meniscus in his right knee while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the recent Indian Premier League. Though he was named in England’s squad for the Twenty20 tournament that gets underway against Holland at Lord’s on June 5, the likelihood of him recovering in time was always slim.”Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee,” said England’s chief medical officer, Nick Peirce. “He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practicing this week. After discussions with his surgeon we have decided that he should continue the remainder of his rehabilitation with physio Dave Roberts, who has overseen his previous rehabilitations.”Having missed all of this season’s Tests and ODIs against West Indies, Flintoff will now aim to regain his fitness ahead of the Ashes opener at Cardiff on July 8. The intention is for him to begin his comeback in Lancashire’s County Championship fixture against Hampshire at Liverpool on June 17.The ECB confirmed they had approached the World Twenty20 technical committee for permission to add Rashid to the squad that was originally named on May 1.”We had to name Andrew in the 15 because we hoped he would be fit,” said England’s national selector, Geoff Miller. “But in reality the timescale was always optimistic. We have now obtained permission from ICC to name Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid as a replacement. There is a lot of cricket still to play this year and it is important Andrew is fully fit for it.”Rashid, who made his first appearance in a senior England squad during the winter tours of India and West Indies, has been drafted in as an extra spinner to support Graeme Swann even though he has been omitted from Yorkshire’s first two Twenty20 Cup matches. He was preferred ahead of his seam-bowling team-mate Tim Bresnan, as well as the Nottinghamshire allrounder, Samit Patel, who was controversially overlooked for the original squad because of his failure to meet the team’s fitness standards.”It is an exciting opportunity for Rashid, who was in the original 30 we named in early April,” said Miller. “He has impressed the England management after being a part of the Test tour to India and the subsequent Caribbean tour and deserves his chance.”For Rashid, 21, the call-up is another big step in his rapid rise to prominence in English cricket. In addition to his legspin, he is also a genuine batting prospect with two first-class hundreds to his name. Last week, he told Cricinfo that his primary goal this summer had been to get involved in England’s Ashes set-up, and that his ultimate ambition is to play Test cricket.The shortest format can be a cruel game to bowlers, Rashid conceded. “When you’re coming on for two overs then coming off again, it is difficult to get the pace and rhythm right,” he told Cricinfo. “But Twenty20 does teach you where to bowl, how to bowl and when to bowl, and if a batter gets after you, what to bowl.”You’ve got to be looked after,” said Rashid. “If you get hit for a six and a four, the captain must accept that a legspinner is also a ‘risk’ spinner. He goes for runs but he’s there to take wickets as well. It shouldn’t be a bad thing if he gets hit for a six or a four, he shouldn’t be taken off in the next over.”

Andriy Yarmolenko could remain at West Ham United for the rest of the 2021/22 season, according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee.

What’s the word?

Speaking on this week’s ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, the Irons insider said:

“There have been plans to move him on. They tried to move him on in the summer. The problem is with him is that he is one of the highest earners, if not the highest earner, at the club at the moment.

“So obviously, if you’re not performing in the Premier League, you’re also in your 30s and you’ve got a bit of an injury-prone record, there’s not going to be many particular takers for you.

“So whilst you can try to agree a deal with a club that you might finance half the wages, perhaps to get him off, there’s not going to be that many takers.

“I think with [qualifying for] Europe, they probably made the decision that against European teams with his experience and when a game’s perhaps a little bit slower, and some of the climates, like in eastern Europe, particularly, he might be a bit more used to.

“They made the decision that perhaps this season, he could be a good squad player and then try and deal with his situation at the end of the year, again.”

Time to go

The vastly-experienced 102-cap Ukraine international is a rarely-seen figure around the London Stadium these days and considering he’s amongst the club’s highest earners, reported to be in the region of £115k-per-week, that’s an awful waste of money.

Last season, Yarmolenko started just once in the Premier League, whilst his 130 minutes across the top-flight, Carabao Cup and Europa League have flattered to deceive this campaign.

For example, during their 2-1 league defeat to Manchester United a few weeks ago, it was evident that manager David Moyes was far from pleased with what he saw from his substitute, having turned to him to spark a reaction.

Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne said during the game: “I’m not sure David Moyes was entirely happy with the efforts of Andriy Yarmolenko there. Still, the dialogue is ongoing between the West Ham manager and the Ukrainian forward, who he has just brought on. He certainly wants to see more from him.”

The 31-year-old cost around £17.5m in summer 2018 but he’s been restricted to just 60 senior appearances for the club, largely due to a combination of injuries and his inconsistencies on the pitch.

Yarmolenko has been tipped to leave the east London outfit during the winter transfer window but Ex’s latest behind-the-scenes claim seems to pour cold water on such chances.

That aforementioned outing at Old Trafford saw much of the Hammers faithful slam the versatile frontman – some described him as a “waste of space and money”, whilst others urged the club to offload him, as relayed by West Ham Zone.

They will not be best pleased with this fresh verdict as it seems as if Moyes and co have decided that he has a part to play this campaign, especially with the club competing in Europe.

Yarmolenko is out of contract at the end of the season, so the Irons may well struggle to offload him much before then too.

AND in other news, Forget Kral: Moyes could find West Ham’s perfect Noble heir in £13m-rated “technician”…

Zaheer Khan took 4 for 19 and admitted his relief in playing in the 2009 World Twenty20 after missing out in 2007

George Binoy at Trent Bridge10-Jun-2009A bruised heel prompted Zaheer Khan to be rested from India’s victorious World Twenty20 campaign two years ago in South Africa. In this year’s tournament, however, he was simply relieved that lightning hadn’t struck twice, saying his recovery from the shoulder injury he sustained during the IPL had been a “narrow escape”.On Wednesday night at Trent Bridge, Zaheer was in full flight. His opponents may only have been Ireland but he ran in off a full run-up, bowled at a brisk pace and moved the ball both ways. His opening spell squashed any hopes Ireland harboured of upsetting the world champions. Zaheer cut Ireland opener Jeremy Bray in half with an inswinger to the left-hander before shattering the stumps with a yorker next ball. He then had William Porterfield and Andre Botha edging length deliveries to Yusuf Pathan at slip before returning in the penultimate over to induce an edge from Andrew White.”It is good to be a part of the World Cup,” Zaheer said after his performance. “It was unfortunate that I opted out of the last [Twenty20] World Cup. But that was the right decision at that moment and I am happy to be a part of the team this time.”He nearly wasn’t. Zaheer fell hard on his shoulder while fielding during the Mumbai Indians’ match against Royal Challengers in May and missed the rest of the Twenty20 tournament. He sat out the World Twenty20 warm-up matches against New Zealand and Pakistan, and eased back into action in India’s first group match against Bangladesh, taking 1 for 26 in three overs. He was seen nursing his shoulder with ice packs during practice sessions too.”It was a narrow escape for me. It could have been worse,” Zaheer said. “I was lucky to get away with just four weeks [of being out of the game]. When I fell [during the IPL], I was a bit scared until the scan results were out as to whether the injury was serious or not. Once the scan results were out I was pretty confident. The good thing is that there is nothing major, no [damage] to the shoulder which is a good thing.”Zaheer has worked hard to make a comeback, focusing on workouts to strengthen his shoulder and despite saying he “felt 100%” during the mid-innings break, he knew that some more work needed to be done. He finished the night with 4 for 19, a spell that won him the Player-of-the-Match award. “This was the second game for me and it was important that I pick up some wickets. I have definitely gained a lot of confidence from this performance.”Whether the IPL has been a boon or bane for teams heading into the World Twenty20 has been a frequently asked question. Most of the players who participated in the tournament in South Africa rave about its benefits. There are those who disagree. Within the Indian team itself there are examples of the beneficial and detrimental effects of the IPL. The injury to Virender Sehwag has deprived the team of its regular opener, and another nearly cost them their best bowler. However, the tournament also helped India find a replacement for the void created by Sehwag’s absence. “It has definitely helped players,” Zaheer said. “You see someone like Rohit Sharma, the kind of form he is in. It is good that we have been playing the Twenty20 format for the last five weeks. It has definitely helped us.”Zaheer will face a sterner test when India take on West Indies at Lord’s in their first Super Eight game. He has his sights set on knocking over their most dangerous player, Chris Gayle.