Harbhajan Singh, embroiled in more than one controversy during India’s tour of Australia, has, in separate newspaper interviews, criticised the Australian team for being “arrogant” and has also come out strongly against Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.This trip, he told the , was the most challenging of his career. “It was as if the series was Harbhajan Singh versus Australia.”Harbhajan was charged with – and subsequently cleared – making a racist remark at Andrew Symonds and said he was upset when Hayden and Gilchrist both supported Symonds.He was quoted by the Delhi-based tabloid calling Hayden “a big liar”, though he later denied those comments. The paper also quoted him as saying Gilchrist was “not a saint”.He was, however, all praise for Brett Lee, saying he was different from his team-mates. “Lee never spoke in the same manner as the rest of his team-mates. He never uttered any nonsense to us and kept visiting our dressing-room even after Sydney,” he said.”I had always wanted to do well against Australia. We were all proud of ourselves that we did well in Australia. They are a dominating team but I have had a good record against them. I had to match their aggression and that is what I did.”According to Harbhajan, it wasn’t just the Australian players, but also the public and the press, who were against the Indian team. “I can understand the public wanting to support their team but I made them realise that I also played cricket the tough way. I was not in Australia to make friends. I was there to play for my country and win. And win we did.”
Laura Newton, England’s vice-captain, has announced her retirement. She was quick to rule out applying for the England coaching role, despite her Level 3 coaching qualifications, telling Cricinfo that, understandably, she did not want to be pigeonholed in cricket.She is halfway through her Masters in biomechanics, and has taken an interest in working in that field, but concentrating on gymnastics and athletics, once she graduates in 2008.Newton, who is 29, alluded to the trials of being an amateur player in an era where there are more and more international matches. She said: “The demands of being an England cricketer require a sacrifice I am no longer able to undertake from this point onwards.”Her retirement means that, as well as studying, she can spend more time with her two children, George, 8, and Harry, 5. But in relinquishing her England role, she will also give up her ECB funding, and so she plans to undertake clerical temping while she completes her studies.From England’s perspective, they now have the task of appointing a new vice-captain alongside a new England coach. Arran Brindle, who would be her natural successor, is no longer in the frame, having announced a break from the game. Claire Taylor may make a useful deputy – despite being 31 she has her sights firmly on the 2009 World Cup – but otherwise the role is likely to go to one of the younger players, who could benefit in learning from the current captain, Charlotte Edwards.Newton’s retirement before the age of 30 brings to mind Clare Connor quitting at the same age – Connor’s decision was also one borne of the demands of representing the country. Both were tirelessly dedicated to the cause and, like Connor, Newton gave her all. Her experience will be hard to replace.Newton, who played for England for a decade, started off as a fast-bowling middle-order batsman, but – as a natural sportswoman – she adapted her game to become an offspinning opening batsman. In all of her roles she was an integral part of England’s recent success, including winning the Ashes.
She made her ODI debut against South Africa in 1997 and two years later she made her Test debut in the series against India. Her one-day top score of 79 belies her talent – but then her role was as a flamboyant batsman, with licence to strike. She hit nine half-centuries in total, and while she admits that she would have liked a one-day century “it’s not the be-all and end-all.”She does have a Test century to her name, 103 against New Zealand in 2004. She was also awarded the NatWest Player of the Series in 2003 for her consecutive scores of 68 and 77 not out.In the most recent quadrangular series in India in February she was the pick of England’s bowlers, but again her best-ever return of 2 for 17 in one-dayers and 3 for 10 in Tests is frustratingly short of her potential. Still, statistics aren’t everything, and her enthusiasm, professionalism and tireless hard work – not to mention her expert fielding – contributed exceptionally to the team, and as yet another example to the younger players, alongside Connor, Edwards and Taylor to name a few.Naturally, she will miss her team-mates. “Playing cricket for England has given me wonderful experiences, opportunities and memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I’ll be supporting the team avidly this summer from the sidelines as they take on New Zealand.”Her best memory is taking a match-winning catch in the Stratford Test as England’s women won the Ashes in 2005 for the first time in 42 years. “Lottie [Charlotte Edwards] nearly knocked me and my cap for six!” she remembers.Gill McConway, the executive director for women’s cricket, said: “Laura has been a fantastic ambassador. I hope she returns to cricket some time in the future.”Edwards, Newton’s opening partner for so many matches, said: “Laura will be a huge loss to the team as she offered a huge amount of experience and all-round talent. She sacrificed a great deal to play international cricket.”Now, 73 ODIs later, there are few goals left unfulfilled. “When you get to late-60s caps, you think maybe I’ll go for a hundred,” said Newton, “but I want a life.” And, after a decade working hard for England, nobody can blame her.
The ICC have approved four venues for the Champions Trophy which will be held in India later this year.Previously they had insisted on the host country using just three venues but accepted the Indian board’s compensation offer of US$200,000 to add a fourth venue. The BCCI had requested the extra venue because of the size of India and the demand of its members to host matches.Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad, the Punjab Cricket Association ground in Mohali and the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur will host for the limited-overs tournament which lasts for a month.West Indies are the current holders, having beaten England in the final at The Oval in 2004.
Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket’s chairman, has said that the dispute with Zimbabwe’s rebel players is officially at an end and that it’s now “business as usual”.In an interview with Zimbabwe’s Independent newspaper, Chingoka said that he believed the board had “done everything in our power to resolve this issue once and for all. ZC employs over 200 people and they are treated just like the other employees. We have a system in place, and that is what we are using as a guideline.”Chingoka stressed that the side would be picked on merit and said that “the players’ return means that we have got a good blend of senior and younger players. It fits well with our target of doing well at the World Cup in 2007.”He also denied reports that Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation were investigating ZC over its new logo, insisting that he only learnt of the story through the media. “We can’t stop such mischievous and malicious rumours,” he said. “ZC is an apolitical organisation. When the agent designed that logo, we explained what the colours and emblem mean. To us that should not even be a subject for discussion.”Cricinfo was told by a senior official inside Zimbabwe Cricket that the matter of the logo was raised at board level.
Moin Khan produced a Test-best 137 at a time when Pakistan needed it, and took his team out of the woods in the first Test against New Zealand. After Moin led his team to 463, New Zealand faced two overs and were 4 for 0 at stumps on the fourth day. Play will start half an hour early, at 10.30am, on the final day, to make up for time lost because of rain.Moin came to the wicket when Inzamam-ul-Haq fell to the new ball. And despite losing Abdul Razzaq soon after, Moin found a staunch, if unlikely, ally in Mohammad Sami to see Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 364.The day had been cut short because of overnight rain and only half an hour’s play was possible before lunch. Fourteen tentative runs were added in that time, after Inzamam survived a first-ball chance when Lou Vincent dropped a catch in the gully region off Chris Cairns’s bowling.Inzamam scored his 34th half-century but then fell to Daryl Tuffey, clearlyNew Zealand’s best bowler. Tuffey, operating with the new ball, beat Inzamamwith successive balls that slipped past the bat, and then got one inside itthat trapped him leg-before. Razzaq had demonstrated some of the touches that made him such a fearless hitter at the death in the recent one-day series against New Zealand, and was on 48 when he nicked a rare leg-side ball from Tuffey and Robbie Hart took the chance low down.Pakistan still required 79 runs to avoid the follow-on, and Moin and Sami had to contend with an improved New Zealand bowling approach. Chris Cairns and IanButler found better rhythm. Butler was especially unlucky in having goodyorker balls take the inside edge, miss the stumps and go for boundaries onseveral occasions. He hit Moin once when he ducked into a shorterone, but in a show of the type of mood he was in, Moin clouted the nextball back down the pitch for four.Moin survived a close call for a run-out when taking on Cairns’s arm fromthe outfield. It took a long look at video evidence before Tony Hill, the third umpire, was able to rule that he had just made his ground.Moin brought up his 50 off 75 balls, and then freed up once the follow-onmark had been passed, using some more innovative shots. He brought up hisfourth Test century by hitting a boundary, a six and another boundary offsuccessive balls from Daniel Vettori. He and Sami shared the only centurypartnership of Pakistan’s innings, adding 152 before Vettori finallyhad Sami caught at the wicket 25 (437 for 7). Soon after Jacob Oram trapped Moinleg-before for 137 and Pakistan were 453 for 8.
Tuffey was outstanding. He secured his sixth five-wicket bag in Tests andwas consistent in his line on or about off stump. He was tireless and hiswork was rewarded. Ian Butler polished off the last two wickets and Pakistanwere all out for 463.There was still some excitement left in the day when New Zealand batted out a small passsage of play. Mark Richardson hit a four off the first ball of the second innings, and then at the end of the over appeared to have a disagreement with Mohammad Sami, who had bowled his most fiery over of the match.
A strokeful and chanceless century by Imran Javed put Karachi Whites in the drivers seat against Faisalabad at stumps on the second day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at the National Stadium Wednesday.The fast-improving 21-year-old Imran finished unbeaten at 112 as the home team recovered from a precarious 135 for five to 311 for six. They lead Faisalabad by 88 runs with two days and four wickets to spare.Imran added 134 runs for the fifth wicket in as many minutes with Shadab Kabir who battled flu to contributed 48 at No 6 before being declared caught behind. Shadab’s walk to the dressing room suggested he might have been a bit unlucky.Faisalabad paceman Moazzam Ali caused the maximum damage when he finished with four wickets for 95 runs from 23 overs, including three wickets in 38 balls in a post-lunch spell. But the hero of the day was Imran Javed who is rapidly blossoming into a fine stroke-maker.The youngster has fully capitalized from his excellent form as he has amassed runs 456 (67*, 78*, 125*, 0, 41, 18, 15, 112*) in the ongoing tournament. He averages 114.Imran’s commitment and concentration can be judged from the fact that he has faced 160 balls during his 205 minutes innings while 82 of his runs have come from 19 boundaries and a six.Experienced Ghulam Ali was the other notable Karachi batsman while scoring a typical attractive 54 that included nine punishing boundaries. Fortunate to have been caught off a no-ball and then dropped when 24, Ghulam Ali added 82 for the second wicket with Saeed bin Nasir (38) who also benefited from a dropped catch by Aqeel Khan off his own bowling.If three Karachi players were down with flu, three Faisalabad boys were injured. But the injury to Aqeel while attempting to catch Saeed proved costly as he failed to take the field after bowling 28 deliveries.
Top of the table Hampshire will select the same side that defeated Derbyshire this week, for the CricInfo Championship second division clash with neighbours Sussex on Wednesday at West End.The Eleven: Giles White, Derek Kenway, Will Kendall, Robin Smith (captain), Neil Johnson, Lawrence Prittipaul, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Adi Aymes (wicket-keeper), Shaun Udal, Alex Morris, Alan Mullally.Sussex also have no injury problems and chose from 12:Richard Montgomerie, Murray Goodwin, Michael Yardy, Bastiaan Zuiderent, Chris Adams (captain), Umer Rashid, Robin Martin-Jenkins, Matthew Prior (wicket-keeper), Mark Davis, Robert Kirtley, Jason Lewry, C Hopkinson.Umpires: Tony Clarkson and Bob White
Aston Villa are reportedly in the hunt to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij this summer with manager Steven Gerrard keen to improve his defensive options.
What’s the story?
According to Football Insider, Villa are keeping tabs on the Dutch defender with Gerrard looking to sign an A-list centre-back this summer.
The report also states that the defender was valued at around £40m in January with the 30-year-old’s current deal at the San Siro expiring in 2023.
The West Midland club’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly interested in bringing de Vrij to England this summer with manager Antonio Conte in charge when Inter won the Serie A title last season, with the Dutchman a key contributor to their success.
In fact, the Italian coach once exclaimed that the defender was “like Bonucci.”
Aston Villa must swoop for de Vrij
Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt despite having just over a year left on his contract, de Vrij certainly won’t come cheap for whoever lands the defender’s signature.
However, it’s no secret that Aston Villa have ambitious plans for the upcoming transfer window, particularly after being able to lure a player of Philippe Coutinho’s pedigree to Villa Park in January, albeit on loan.
The Villans are on course for their first top-half finish in the top-flight for 11 years which will lay decent foundations for Gerrard after the Englishman’s first season in charge of the West Midlands side, having joined from Rangers in November.
Naturally, the next step will be to consolidate that place and push for European qualification. The signing of de Vrij would undoubtedly be a serious statement of intent.
The 30-year-old defender has spent almost eight years in Italy having joined Lazio from Feyenoord in 2014, where he was dubbed a “monster” by teammate Mauricio, before making the move to Inter Milan in 2018 on a free transfer.
Although, this isn’t the first time a Premier League club has been linked with a swoop for the 55-cap Netherlands international.
As well as his impressive international experience, de Vrij boasts impressive experience at club level too, winning the Scudetto last season whilst racking up 46 appearances in European competition as well as 347 in top-flight league football across the Eredivisie and Serie A.
Compared to Aston Villa’s current centre-backs, the 30-year-old is a major step up in quality and calibre.
Although Tyrone Mings has established himself as a regular in England manager Gareth Southgate’s squads, the 29-year-old has only found regular game time in the Premier League whilst being at Villa during the past three seasons.
As for the likes of Ezri Konsa, Calum Chambers and Kourtney Hause, none are current internationals whilst Chambers’ experience of playing in Europe and winning the FA Cup and Community Shield is as experienced as any of Villa’s current defenders get.
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Moreover, according to SofaScore, De Vrij wins the majority of both his aerial and ground duels, has a 92% pass completion rate, only loses the ball 4.8 times per match whilst having 62.5 touches on average per Serie A game, also making at least one tackle and interception per game.
Contrastingly, Aston Villa’s best defender statistically, Tyrone Mings, averages 58.5 touches per league game whilst completing 80% of his passes, losing possession 10.4 times per game on average.
The Englishman does manage to make at least one interception per game but is currently averaging 0.6 tackles.
It’s clearly evident that the signing of de Vrij would seriously improve Gerrard’s squad, the main issue will be convincing the Dutchman to swap the San Siro for Villa Park.
In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard must now unleash Villa maestro who “can do anything”
After ringing the changes for the second Test in Wellington and winning the game to square the series, England are a reinvigorated outfit and bubbling with confidence. With James Anderson (match figures of 7-130) and Stuart Broad both demonstrating the benefits of youth in Wellington, it is New Zealand who are on the back foot approaching the decider in Napier. However, unlike the Basin Reserve’s fast-and-springy pitch, Napier’s McLean Park is expected to be flat and lifeless and New Zealand will miss the relative experience of Kyle Mills, ruled out with a knee injury. Will his replacement, the Under-19 fast bowler Tim Southee, inspire New Zealand as much as Broad and Anderson roused England last week? Stephen Fleming, playing in his 111th and final Test, will dearly hope so.
Form guide – England
Last five matches: LDDLWPlayer to watch: Kevin Pietersen’s form dip has quickly become a troublesome trough. Not since his 101 against India last summer has he hit so much as a fifty. He continues to in good form but judging by the exasperated grin which spread across his face after being run out in Wellington, he is all too aware of his plight. Napier’s lifeless track and an inexperienced New Zealand attack might be the trigger he needs.
Form guide – New Zealand
Last five matches: LWWWLPlayer to watch: Stephen Fleming has, by his own admission and strictly statistically speaking, underperformed with the bat in a career that has spanned 14 years. Approaching his 111th and final Test, he still needs 113 runs to secure his long-sought goal of averaging 40 and, timing the ball as well as he ever has, don’t discount one last hurrah.
Team news
Mills has failed to recover from his injured knee, prompting a call-up for Southee, the 19-year-old swing bowler. Mills’s absence might be a blessing in disguise; Southee was named Player of the Tournament in last month’s Under-19 World Cup for his 17 wickets at 6.64 and John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, has already highlighted his ability to swing. England, on the other hand, are expected to remained unchanged following their 126-run win in Wellington.New Zealand Jamie How, Matthew Bell, Stephen Fleming, Mathew Sinclair, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Jeetan Patel, Tim Southee, Chris Martin.England (probable) Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wk), Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, James Anderson.UmpiresDaryl Harper and Rudi Koertzen
Pitch & conditions
The last time these sides met in Napier was for that thrilling tied ODI when New Zealand couldn’t overhaul England’s 340, and the Test pitch is widely expected to play much the same. Phil Stoyanoff, the head curator, confirmed it will offer plenty of pace and bounce to allow batsmen to play their shots, but the margin of error for bowlers is likely to be miniscule. A pitch for both batting sides to fill their boots.Weather: A few showers and light east to south-east winds (The New Zealand Metservice)
Stats & trivia
Four out of the five Tests staged in Napier have ended in a draw. Sri Lanka claimed the one win, beating New Zealand in 1995
New Zealand haven’t beaten England at home since 1984. England’s last series win in New Zealand was under Mike Atherton in 1996-97
Quotes
“I’m trying to be deadpan about my retirement. The emotions will creep in from the people around me, but I’m trying to be very statistically motivated in the goals that I’ve set. I’m not always that good at following them, but I’ve tried to really get into them. One of them was 7000 runs, another was ten hundreds. It’s a focus to get away from the emotions of Test cricket.” “He’s a class bowler and the selectors have been watching him for some time. They believe he’s ready for the job.” “The hardest part of watching was when the team were gathering on the outfield for their huddle. I could not help wondering what was being said and it felt a little strange that I was not out there.”
Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s assistant coach, appeared before a three-member performance evaluation committee constituted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to explain his team’s disastrous performance in the World Cup.Mushtaq, who is due to leave for England in a few days, was the first member to appear before the committee, which will also question Inzamam-ul-Haq and a few other members of the squad. Mushtaq was questioned on several matters pertaining to the team’s disappointing show in the hour-long session with former Test cricketers Ijaz Butt, Saleem Altaf and Salahuddin Ahmed.”There is no excuse for the poor performance which has really disappointed the nation and I can only apologise to public for that,” Mushtaq said while speaking to Karachi-based daily .He shrugged aside claims that the team’s preparation for the mega event was not up to the mark and played an imperative part in Pakistan not progressing to the Super Eights. He added that the team failed to deliver on the field in successive losses to West Indies and Ireland.Talking about the Bob Woolmer murder, Mushtaq criticised the lack of security measures taken for his team in the Caribbean.”The security arrangements for the foreign teams in Pakistan are a lot better than what I saw in the West Indies,” he said.He also denied rumours that Shahid Afridi was questioned for longer by the Jamaican police over the death.The performance evaluation committee, constituted last week, is expected to submit its final report on Pakistan’s campaign within a month.