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Mitchell Johnson’s unbeaten 96 in Johannesburg has seasoned judges predicting he will develop into a fully-fledged allrounder – or better

Cricinfo staff01-Mar-2009
Is it Botham, Flintoff or Kapil? No, it’s Mitchell Johnson © Getty Images
Mitchell Johnson’s unbeaten 96 in Johannesburg has seasoned judges predicting he will develop into a fully-fledged allrounder – or better. Mark Waugh believes Johnson can be like Ian Botham or Kapil Dev while Mark Taylor and Jason Gillespie also expect big things.”He bats a bit further down the order than someone like Andrew Flintoff, but if he manages to average over 30 with the bat and under 30 with the ball, you could argue that is a high-class allrounder,” Gillespie said in the . “That 96 was an outstanding knock and I’m sure there’s more than one three-figure score just around the corner.”Waugh was impressed while commentating on FoxSports. “He has the ability to bat at six and play a role like an Ian Botham or a Kapil Dev,” Waugh said.Johnson, who now averages 31.47 in his 19 Tests, entered at No. 9 with Australia wobbling at 7 for 296, but he put on 117 with Marcus North to steer Australia to safety. He hit an Australian record of 26 runs from a Paul Harris over and was stranded when Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus were dismissed in consecutive balls.Taylor said Johnson’s performance showed the search for a multi-skilled player should end. “Along with someone like Brad Haddin, between the two of them we’re forming that allrounder spot,” Taylor said. “I don’t think there is a great need to chase down an allrounder – we’ve already got one.”

Life at West Bromwich Albion has gotten off to a very good start for Valerien Ismael, with the Frenchman having overseen a relatively successful summer transfer window, as well as seeing his Albion side impress over the opening five fixtures of their Championship campaign.

Regarding the Baggies’ transfer business, the 45-year-old manager managed to address a number of problem areas within his squad, landing the signings of centre-forward Jordan Hugill, central midfielders Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby, centre-back Matt Clarke and versatile left-midfielder Adam Reach.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, Albion have dropped just two points over their opening five games of the season, results which have left the club sitting second in the Championship standings, behind table-toppers Fulham on goal difference alone.

As such, it is perhaps to be expected that a number of the 45-year-old manager’s players have impressed so far this season, however, rather than the headline-grabbing top goalscorer Callum Robinson topping the club’s performance charts – as may have been expected – it is actually one of Ismael’s summer signings who has so far stolen the show for West Brom this season – Alex Mowatt.

Forget Robinson

While Robinson has hardly disappointed for Albion so far this season, having scored three goals and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.42 over his four Championship appearances, it is nevertheless the former Barnsley midfielder who currently tops the Baggies’ player rankings.

Indeed, over his five second-tier appearances so far for West Brom, the £6.3m-rated central midfielder has scored two goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 1.4 key passes per game.

The 26-year-old has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.4 interceptions, 2.8 tackles, 0.8 clearances and winning 6.6 duels per league fixture.

These returns have seen the player Steve Evans dubbed a “special” talent earn a rather remarkable average SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him not only as Ismael’s best performer in the Championship but also as the joint eighth-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, should Mowatt be able to maintain this form over the remainder of the season, not only could the £6.5k-per-week midfielder play a starring role in Albion’s push to secure automatic promotion, he could go on to be viewed as one of the signings of the season.

In other news: West Brom could be heading for transfer disaster which would leave Ismael gutted

Steve Bruce won’t walk away from Newcastle United even if he’s ‘annoyed’ by the club’s lack of transfer activity this summer. 

That’s according to Celtic great Frank McAvennie, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Newcastle made only one first-team signing during the summer transfer window and because £26.46million man Joe Willock was on loan at St James’ Park for the second half of last season, it could be said that they didn’t actually improve their squad.

The Magpies ranked 17th in the Premier League for total expenditure, above only Wolverhampton Wanderers, Watford and Everton (via Transfermarkt).

The club felt compelled to put out a statement addressing any criticisms of their predominant inactivity.

Bruce was asked for his reaction to that statement ahead of his side’s visit to Manchester United on Saturday, and he gave a response that the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope described as ‘prickly’.

Bruce made clear that he ‘wanted to bring in a couple of players, but it wasn’t possible’.

The latest

McAvennie doesn’t think the Newcastle boss will be tempted to tender his resignation despite a lack of backing. In fact, he made Bruce out to be fairly acquiescent.

“Bruce won’t walk, no chance, he hasn’t got it in him,” the pundit said.

“What makes you think he would walk away now after all the other stuff?

“Him not getting what he wants at Newcastle isn’t a new thing. He’s there until he gets sacked.

“There are few managers who would walk away on principle and Steve Bruce is not one of them.

“He can be annoyed, that’s fine. But he’s not going to do anything about it. He never does.”

The verdict

If there’s anything that could make Bruce contemplate an exit, perhaps it could be the hostility to which he is subject from the Newcastle faithful.

With much of the 2020/21 campaign played behind closed doors, he was largely shielded from any angst, but there were chants of ‘we want Bruce out’ and booes during the draw with Southampton prior to the international break (via The Guardian).

Perhaps he will eventually decide it’s an environment that neither he nor his players can thrive in.

In other news, could Newcastle pull off three deals in January?

Half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar ensured that India made slow but steady progress on the second day and were only one run behind New Zealand when bad light stopped play at Seddon Park

The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran19-Mar-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sachin Tendulkar miscued a pull on 13 but Daniel Flynn could not catch the skier•Getty ImagesThe expected run barrage never came, with Virender Sehwag run out early in the day, but half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid and an unbeaten 70 from Sachin Tendulkar allowed India to establish a measure of control at Seddon Park. New Zealand were disciplined with the ball and sprightly in the field, but despite a lot of moisture in the air after overnight rain, there was no real menace from the bowlers. By the time theplayers went off for bad light, India were just a run behind, though there would have been some disappointment at the fact that well-set batsmen didn’t go on to make bigger scores.There was still Tendulkar though. Having taken 11 balls to get off the mark, he eased himself into rhythm slowly, but there were some sparkling strokes in the final session. There were cover-drives off front and back foot, precise cuts and deft nudges off the pads. His best shot though was a gorgeous on-drive off Chris Martin, a stroke he followed up with an impudent ramp over slips off Iain O’Brien. New Zealand were left to reflect on a missed chance when Tendulkar had made just 13 and miscued a pull off Daniel Vettori just beyond Daniel Flynn at midwicket.That late flourish enlivened proceedings after New Zealand had established something of a tourniquet after tea. With Vettori accurate and Jesse Ryder wheeling away for five maidens with his medium pace, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were becalmed. The scoring rate for the partnership was two an over, and there were some streaky strokes, inside egdes and a Laxman pull that just evaded O’Brien at deep square leg. When the new ball was taken, India were still 41 behind and New Zealand struck immediately, with Martin finding the edge to first slip.Yuvraj Singh survived a few alarms, playing one superb cover-drive off the disappointing Kyle Mills, and with Tendulkar raising the tempo, the new ball didn’t do the damage that New Zealand would have wished for. It had been much the same story in the morning after Sehwag’s departure, though the dismissals of Gambhir and Dravid after lunch did redress the balance somewhat.Play started 15 minutes late because of overnight rain and there was moisture around to interest the seamers. But the breakthrough New Zealand sought arrived courtesy some poor cricket from the Indians. Gambhir played Mills into the covers and set off for two. But with James Franklin making good ground and hitting the stumps direct, Sehwag was well short of his ground. He had made 24 from 21 balls and his body language betrayed his disgust as he walked off.Gambhir took his mind off the fiasco with a neat clip through midwicketoff Mills as New Zealand sought to keep the runs down and build up somepressure. It didn’t happen. Dravid has been a hesitant starter in recenttimes, but a glance for four off Martin and a lovely cut off Mills allowedhim to play himself in.Gambhir was especially strong off his pads, walking down the pitch to workthe ball through midwicket, and he also put the loose balls away withpowerful cuts and late glances. Franklin induced an edge off the firstball he bowled, but didn’t really generate enough pace to be a menace, andthere was little threat too from O’Brien. India didn’t rattle along atSehwag pace, but they weren’t snail-slow either and Vettori was rapidlyrunning out of options by the time he brought himself on with 10 minutesto go for lunch.The two rotated the strike and though there were passages of relativequiet, the loose ball was invariably put away. That was especially trueright after lunch, with Vettori and Martin taken for several boundaries.But Martin struck just when things were looking bleak, coming round thewicket to induce the edge through to Brendon McCullum. Gambhir had made 72from 135 balls.Dravid defended as methodically as ever, but it wasn’t all dour stuff. Hecut the ball beautifully and the run-rate didn’t suffer after Gambhir’sdeparture. Another stroke past point off Mills took him to a half-centuryfrom 108 balls and when he followed it with a lovely cover-drive offO’Brien, things were looking ominous. But O’Brien had the final say,getting one to nip back a shade off the seam and hit the top of off stump.With Tendulkar and Laxman in obdurate mood though, the bowlers couldn’tpress on. But by keeping things quiet, they’ve given themselves a glimmerof a chance, Tendulkar notwithstanding.

The expectations of Aston Villa fans may not have been overly high when their club signed Tyrone Mings for a rather sizeable £20m back in the summer of 2019, however, the centre-back has gone on to prove he was well worth Johan Lange’s considerable gamble.

Indeed, having highly impressed over his 15 Championship appearances while on loan at Villa back in 2018/19, helping his side keep six clean sheets, it certainly appeared as if signing the defender was a smart move by the club, albeit with an inflated transfer fee – with the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation at the time of his switch to Villa Park being just £4.5m.

However, Mings has gone from strength to strength since joining Villa on a permanent basis, demonstrating he was well worth the fee the Premier League side paid AFC Bournemouth for his services.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances for the club in their 2019/20 campaign, the £67k-per-week defender played a key role in helping his side avoid relegation, helping his team keep six clean sheets, scoring two goals and registering two assists, in addition to making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 0.5 tackles, 5.7 clearances and winning 3.2 duels per match.

These returns saw the defender average a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as Dean Smith’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

However, it was over the centre-back’s 36 Premier League fixtures last season in which he truly came into his own, scoring two goals, providing two assists and helping his side keep a whopping 14 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 4.7 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per league game.

These metrics saw Mings earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Villa’s joint ninth-best player in the top flight, and earning the defender a call up to Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad.

As such, considering these impressive displays, as well as the fact the England international is now valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, it would indeed appear as if Lange struck gold when signing Mings back in 2019.

In other news: Insider drops claim on “outstanding” £50k-p/w beast, it’ll be music to AVFC fans’ ears

It really didn’t matter that Pakistan chased down their target tonight with all the assurance of a one-legged man roller-skating in quicksand with his hands tied behind his back. It only mattered that they chased them down at all

Osman Samiuddin22-Apr-2009It really didn’t matter that Pakistan chased down their target tonight with all the assurance of a one-legged man roller-skating in quicksand with his hands tied behind his back. It only mattered that they chased them down at all, even if at one stage it seemed Misbah-ul-Haq was bent upon wresting his countryman’s hold on the longest international innings of all time.Pakistan are not used to playing against Australia and they are certainly not used to winning against them; this was only a second win in their last 12 ODIs (over nearly seven years) against them. Though not many in this team are scarred by that kind of record, they batted as if that history was firmly on their mind. If this was a weakened, transitional Australia, it was Australia nonetheless and Pakistan can happily point to an absent middle-order bearded wonder and an equally absent lanky fast bowling genius.But with the added layers of what has happened to Pakistan cricket over the last two months, the broader fate that has befallen them over the last two years, and to a nation seeking cheer as desperately as Susan, it is as welcome as might be a water cooler in the Thar desert. The details don’t matter as much as the bigger picture but they are worth noting, if only to sketch an outline over the rest of the series.Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, had said before the series that spin would be key, but could he have imagined this? The modern Australia have often been limited against spin, struggling against it to score at pace. Johan Botha and several South African spinners played key roles in the two ODI series wins over them this year so Intikhab wasn’t talking cheap. Indeed some might even smirk that if South African spinners are troubling you then you really have troubles.But to crash so haplessly so as to lose eight for 27 at one stage and more significantly, look so utterly bewildered? Shahid Afridi has been one of Pakistan’s better ODI bowlers in a unit that has struggled to show bite, conceding 300-plus five times since last June. He forms Pakistan’s holding pattern generally: bring down the run-rate during the middle overs, maybe pick up one or two momentum-stifling wickets. He is rarely expected to wreck an entire line-up.It’s difficult to see what he did so differently today to what he has been doing. He did get marked drift and appreciable turn, as he does. He was accurate, as he is. He was generous mixing in his wrong ‘uns and the other tidbits, as he always is. The only surprise was that Australia were so poor at playing fare that, among others, Sri Lanka and India have handled with relative comfort.His collaborator Saeed Ajmal, meanwhile, has quietly gone about doing what is expected of many modern offies. He doesn’t give runs up cheaply and it compensates for a lack of guile. His doosra has always spun and he doesn’t mind using it, but Australia read him as well as you might expect them to read an Urdu newspaper. If you didn’t know about their previous with spin, this could be put down as a freakish glitch. It may yet prove as much, at least in this series.For now, though, the need isn’t for such analysis. For tonight and tomorrow, Pakistan can bask a little in the glow of this win. How significant it might prove cannot yet be told, but much caution must be advised for days ahead. All Australian sides, even this one, have fight in their DNA – they will not let this series slip by just as they didn’t this match.And Pakistan are well-rehearsed in letting slip some good cheer from their grasp. The euphoric win against Sri Lanka in the 2006 Champions Trophy after Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif had been sent back, heralded only a shambolic exit soon after. More recently, they slipped against Sri Lanka at home, having trumped Murali and Mendis first up. Nobody will forget either that they were bowled out for 75 in the last game of that series; in fact their last ODI before this one.Maybe the struggle to chase tonight is a good thing after all. It will – or it should – keep real the difficulty of the task ahead.

Marvan Atapattu is aiming to build a new career as international coach if Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) lifts its sanctions on the country’s ICL players on the lines of the BCCI’s amnesty offer. SLC has said it is yet to discuss the ICL issue, but is keen to we

Ajay S Shankar01-May-2009Marvan Atapattu is aiming to build a new career as international coach if Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) lifts its sanctions on the country’s ICL players on the lines of the BCCI’s amnesty offer. SLC has said it is yet to discuss the ICL issue, but is keen to welcome the cricketers back into the system.Atapattu plays for Delhi Giants in the ICL and recently completed a stint as batting coach of Canada, subsequently helping them qualify for the 2011 World Cup. The former Sri Lanka captain, who expects SLC to take a decision on its ICL players that benefits cricket, said it should now look at appointing a Sri Lankan as national coach.Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, indicated the board would take a decision on the ICL issue soon. “We feel that these cricketers should be taken back into the system because they have a wealth of experience and knowledge,” Ranatunga told Cricinfo. “They would be very useful to the country in a coaching capacity or even as administrators. We are taking the issue very seriously and will discuss the matter soon before formulating a policy.”Atapattu, who retired from international cricket two years ago, admitted that his playing days are nearly over and any such official move would give him more options to enhance his coaching credentials. “I am 39 years old and not really keen to play competitive cricket, though I’m fit enough,” he said. “My priorities are a bit different now; my first priority is my family. I don’t think I will play full-time cricket again. But I am looking at a coaching option seriously.”That decision, if Atapattu has his way, will be with the SLC, which appointed Trevor Bayliss as national coach in 2007. “I firmly believe that we should have our own coaches simply because they know the players, the culture and how players come up to play in the national team,” he said. “We can get expertise from outside as and when we want. But we have the quality in Sri Lanka to help and guide our own cricketers.”However, Atapattu will take a final decision on his future after consulting the ICL. “I wouldn’t like to jump the gun because I haven’t heard anything on this officially,” he said. “I am still a contracted player with ICL, and I would like to hear from them too before I take any step.”Atapattu was among the five Sri Lankan cricketers associated with the ICL who were controversially allowed to play last year in a domestic competition by the previous SLC administration, under Arjuna Ranatunga. This decision, which went against a BCCI-backed worldwide ban on ICL cricketers, was subsequently overturned after Ranatunga was ousted as SLC chairman.On Wednesday, the BCCI allowed Indian ICL cricketers to return to the official fold after cutting all ties with the unofficial league before May 31, when stringent ICC laws on unofficial cricket come into force. Atapattu welcomed the move but admitted that India’s young ICL cricketers now face a touch choice. “Young cricketers always see themselves on the path to playing for their country. But for the older guys who will be playing short-term, it will not make much of a difference,” he said.But the ICL situation should have been sorted out long ago, he said. “It should never have led to this situation, to start with. It was basically an ego clash between individuals that led to all this. If everybody had worked together for a common cause, which is developing cricket, we wouldn’t have been running into such conflicts. But what has happened has happened; hopefully, they will now help youngsters who want exposure and want to perform on the big stage. Hopefully, things will become better for them now.”

Journalist Steve Madeley has praised Adam Reach’s impact at West Brom, following the Baggies’ dramatic late win over QPR on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Baggies back to winning ways

Valerien Ismael’s side hosted a dangerous QPR outfit at the Hawthorns, eventually picking up a hard-earned three points.

A Karlan Grant double, one of which came in the dying minutes, cancelled out Andre Gray’s early strike, as West Brom went top of the Championship.

The Latest: Madeley praises Brunt

One individual who played the entire 90 minutes was Reach, who had arguably his best game for the Baggies since signing from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, playing two key passes.

Someone who was impressed with what he saw from the 28-year-old was The Athletic‘s Madeley, who took to Twitter on Saturday morning to speak positively about him:

“I think Reach has done well overall. Poor at Preston but he wasn’t alone in that, but decent against Derby and again yesterday. Yes, Townsend probably regains the spot when the centre-backs are fit but Reach has done a handy job.”

The Verdict: More still needed

Reach hasn’t exactly been an earth-shattering signing for West Brom so far, but his performance on Friday was an encouraging one.

He showed for Wednesday that he is capable of scoring stunning goals, and was called a ‘top player’ by Tony Pulis, but he needs to perform consistently to be a regular starter for the Baggies.

In other news, a pundit believes West Brom have one key ‘problem’ at the moment. Find out what it is here.

Shane Warne has expressed his interest in coaching Indian spinners if the BCCI offered him the job

Cricinfo staff21-May-2009Shane Warne has expressed his interest in coaching Indian spinners if the BCCI offered him the job.”If there is any offer or something like that I will seriously consider,” Warne told Indian news channel CNN-IBN. “I love Indian culture. It took a long time to embrace the culture and get to appreciate India and probably took me a couple of tours to understand.”Warne wasn’t at his best in India during his Test career, averaging 47.17 in 14 Tests compared to his career figures of 25.41 in 145 matches, but was in great form in last year’s IPL leading the unfancied Rajasthan Royals to victory. Wednesday’s defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders ended Rajasthan’s hopes of making the semi-finals this season.”As far as BCCI is concerned I love working with the spin bowlers over there,” he said. “I worked with Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja (both part of the Rajasthan squad) and he had a great last year and he has done well this year also.”After his retirement from international cricket in early 2007, Warne has worked with Cricket Australia as a spin coach.

Fortunes are beginning to change for Everton, as after such a vibrant start under Rafa Benitez, are now back at square one.

They have tasted back-to-back defeats, with a midweek penalty shoot-out loss to Championship side QPR in the Carabao Cup the nadir of the Spaniard’s reign so far.

For the most part, Benitez has done a good job since returning to Merseyside. He may have entered the club amid controversy over his appointment but Everton’s downfall over the last seven days is not entirely his fault.

That’s because the Toffees have been without a number of their key players. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out with a quadriceps problem while Richarlison is also absent after a knee injury sustained against Burnley.

Seamus Coleman is set to miss another two weeks but there has been some positive news regarding Jordan Pickford.

It was thought that the goalkeeper would spend the next fortnight on the sidelines alongside his clubmates, but Benitez has revealed that the England international is ahead of schedule in his progress.

The 61-year-old said: “Pickford is okay, he has been training. Lucas [Digne] has been training. The others (Richarlison, DCL, Coleman) is the same situation.”

Although they’ll still be without some important outfield players, the return of Pickford will be a huge boost to their chances of beating Norwich this weekend.

The 27-year-old is undoubtedly an error-prone goalkeeper but he has improved significantly in recent months, starring at the European Championship.

The ‘keeper’s form helped England reach the final as he narrowly broke a record stretching back to the successful 1966 World Cup. Everton’s number 1 surpassed Gordon Banks’ landmark of 720 minutes without conceding a goal for the Three Lions.

He has only kept one shutout since returning to Goodison Park but they evidently missed him against Aston Villa last week when Asmir Begovic let in three goals. His penalty-saving abilities would also have been beneficial when they lost to QPR in the Carabao Cup a few nights ago.

Pickford hasn’t always been the most reliable figure but he is a key cog at Everton and a senior figure in the dressing room. Benitez must be delighted to have him back in contention to face Norwich.

AND in other news, Everton can finally axe £5.2m-rated “horror show” by signing “uncoachable” 28 y/o ace…