All posts by h716a5.icu

Bruce Martin, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, will miss the rest of the England tour as a result of a calf injury he sustained during the first Test at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2013Bruce Martin, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, will miss the rest of the England tour as a result of a calf injury he sustained during the first Test at Lord’s which means Daniel Vettori could return to the Test side for the first time in 10 months. Neither Martin or wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who New Zealand remain “hopeful” will play the second Test, took the field on the fourth day during England’s second innings, although both batted as the tourists were dismissed for 68 to lose by 170 runs.Vettori will arrive a day ahead of the rest of the ODI squad as a potential replacement for Martin for the second Test at Headingley, which begins on Friday. Vettori has been at the IPL but did not play a single game for Bangalore Royal Challengers and his fitness will be assessed. Jeetan Patel, the offspinner currently playing county cricket for Warwickshire, is another option for New Zealand.The morning after New Zealand were humbled, the coach Mike Hesson was left to assess the injury situation. “Daniel’s come over 24 hours earlier for us to have a chance to have a look at him,” he said. “We won’t be pushing Dan if he’s not ready but if he is we’d certainly love to have him.””He’s done plenty of bowling in the last couple of months in the IPL, albeit in the nets. He’s got through plenty of work. But it’s a matter of whether we think he’s going to be able to get through five days of a test match. We won’t risk Dan for the sake of a test. But in saying that it is an important Test for us.”Vettori’s previous Test appearance came on the tour of the Caribbean last July since when he has suffered a string of injuries – the most serious being an Achilles problem – with his only international outings being at last year’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.No wicketkeeping back-up has been requested for Watling, with Tom Latham an option within the squad. Brendon McCullum took the gloves at Lord’s, although he has not kept wicket in a full Test since 2010 and already has plenty of responsibilities as captain and batsman. Watling was not selected for the ODI leg of the tour, in which Luke Ronchi, the former Australia wicketkeeper, is expected to make his New Zealand debut but Hesson said that Ronchi was unlikely to feature at Headingley.

Rangpur Riders captain Abdur Razzak has said his team’s players have been playing “free of cost” in the Bangladesh Premier League because they haven’t been paid yet

Mohammad Isam31-Jan-2013Rangpur Riders captain Abdur Razzak has said his team’s players have been playing “free of cost” in this season of the Bangladesh Premier League because they haven’t been paid yet. Razzak’s comments come a day after Owais Shah, the Dhaka Gladiators batsman, complained he had not been paid the first installment (25%) of his $75,000 paycheck.The Riders are third in the tournament with three wins, after they went down to Sylhet Royals by five wickets on Thursday.”Our focus is bound to be hampered,” Razzak said. “The foreign players in my team are feeling insecure. Our owner has told us the payments will be cleared before the second round. It would be great if it happens because we are all professional cricketers. We have played free of cost so far, so there have been discussions among the players.”Razzak said he hoped the owners understood that cricket was the only source of income for most of the players, but wasn’t certain he would see all the money. “I am not saying that I will be playing free of cost but if I had to, it wouldn’t be a good situation. What will be my livelihood? I have spent my life in cricket.”Truth be told, I am not confident about payment. If I say I am confident, I might not get paid, and if I say I won’t get paid, they may clear the payment.”Shah had said that he received the remittance slip from the Bangladesh board but the amount had not been credited into his account. ESPNcricinfo was also told that Shah was just one of many players not to have been paid.Tim May, the the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), said that players’ patience with the organisers had worn thin and there was possibility of a boycott if the payments were not made.

Bayern are on the lookout for a new manager after confirming that the ex-Chelsea boss will be leaving in the summer

On Wednesday morning, we got the news we had all been expecting for some time: Thomas Tuchel had been given his marching orders by Bayern Munich. The announcement did come with a twist, though, with the German not set to depart his post until the end of the season.

It's an odd decision, considering that many of Bayern's top players have seemingly lost faith in Tuchel and they have a campaign-defining Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Lazio to come next month. Perhaps finding someone to take the job mid-season seemed impossible, or maybe the club are looking to save some money by avoiding a hefty compensation package.

Regardless, the search is now firmly underway to find Tuchel's successor and there is a lot of options out there. Below, GOAL has analysed 10 of the top candidates who could end up in Bavaria this summer.

Getty ImagesXabi Alonso

Liverpool will have greeted the news of Tuchel's imminent departure with trepidation. The Reds are understood to have identified Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso as their No.1 target to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

However, with Bayern now on the lookout for a new head coach too, competition for his services is about to ramp up significantly. It's not hard to see why both clubs are so besotted by Alonso. In a short space of time he has overhauled Leverkusen's playing style, making them one of the most watchable teams in Europe, while also getting extremely impressive results.

For now, the Spaniard's focus will very much be on bringing the Bundesliga title to western Germany, but in the summer he has a seismic decision to make. Both the Bayern and Liverpool jobs are appealing, though he could even disappoint both by opting to stay put for the time being.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesZinedine Zidane

Zidane has been out of the game for some time now, having not returned to management since he left Real Madrid in May 2021. There's been plenty of rumours since, with interest coming from Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the United States, but Zizou has remained on the sidelines.

Could that change this summer now the Bayern job has come up? He would seem to be a pretty good fit at least. Tactically flexible, Zidane's main strength appears to be his squad management. And with Bayern possessing a lot of egos at present, his ability to be a unifying figure who commands respect would be welcomed.

Whether he would be interested in the role is another matter. Zidane holds a burning desire to manage France one day and during a tournament year – after which Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps could feasibly leave – he may prefer to remain a free agent.

GettyHansi Flick

Flick's reputation took a battering during his time in charge of Germany. However, it should not be forgotten what an outstanding job he did at Bayern between 2019 and 2021.

Parachuted in to save Die Roten's season following Niko Kovac's disastrous reign, Flick would go on to lead the club to only their second-ever continental treble. His only full campaign wasn't quite as successful, but he still led Bayern to the Bundesliga title – something Tuchel is currently proving is far from the guarantee it is often portrayed as.

The less said about his time as Germany boss the better, but if the club are looking for a safe pair of hands, Flick could be the ideal, short-term choice to provide a bit of stability.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesJurgen Klopp

If Klopp wishes to sever all ties with his beloved Borussia Dortmund, while also severely p***ing off Liverpool fans, he could give Bayern a call. We're pretty sure he's happy enough sitting back and relaxing, though. At least for the next year anyway.

Round up of the Zimbabwe One-Day Competition matches on October 6

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2012Mashonaland Eagles began their limited-overs competition with a comprehensive win over Southern Rocks at the Harare Sports Club. Their bowlers turned in a collective performance which kept the Rocks to just 151 for 9 in 50 overs. The Rocks, after being asked to bat, slipped to 50 for 6 at one stage but Tendai Chisoro, who finished unbeaten on 73, took the team past three-figures and ultimately past 150. He added 57 with No.8 batsman Trevor Garwe, but it was insufficient. Four Eagles bowlers – Tatenda Manatsa, Nathan Waller, Elton Chigumbura and Ray Price – picked up two wickets each. Regis Chakabva, the wicketkeeper, collected five catches behind the stumps.The Eagles were in early trouble in their chase, losing their first three wickets for just 16. But Sikandar Raza (43) and Forster Mutizwa took their team to 97. Mutizwa stayed through to the end, guiding his team home with a half-century, helping seal victory with more than 13 overs to spare.In Bulawayo, an all-round performance by Mountaineers helped them effect a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Matabeleland Tuskers in the Zimbabwe One-Day Competition. Tino Mawoyo and Kevin Kasuza, the two openers, put on 170 runs as Mountaineers chased down 212 in the 46th over after their bowlers took wickets regularly to restrict Tuskers to 211.Mountaineers, after opting to field, struck in the third over, removing Terry Duffin for 3. Although Tuskers didn’t suffer collapses, they weren’t allowed to build big partnerships. Besides the 94-run stand between Charles Coventry and Craig Ervine, the innings was based on small stands worth between 2 and 32. Prosper Utseya was the Mountaineers’ highest wicket-taker with three wickets, including those of Ervine, who scored 62, and Coventry.Their openers, both of whom got out in the 80s, made sure the contest was virtually over after batting 38.3 overs to be separated, with 42 more runs to win. Two more wickets fell in the 42nd over, but Greg Lamb and Timycen Maruma ensured there weren’t further hiccups.

England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the ODI series in India in January

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2012England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the ODI series in India in January and replaced them with Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler. They have also included batsman Joe Root in the Twenty20 squad for the two matches in December before they return home for Christmas.”Woakes and Buttler replace Anderson and Trott in the India ODI squad as the selectors look to manage workloads,” the ECB said in a statement.Anderson had originally been selected only to play the first three matches of the five-ODI series, but he will now miss the entire contest after playing an important role in England’s 2-1 victory in the Test series in India.Woakes, who is currently playing domestic cricket in New Zealand, has played six ODIs, taking seven wickets at 29.14 and scoring 72 runs. Most of scalps came in one innings when he claimed 6 for 45 against Australia in Brisbane. He spent a lot of time around the squad during 2012 without commanding a regular place.Buttler, the 22-year-old Somerset batsman, only has one ODI cap under his belt. In that match, against Pakistan in Dubai, he collected a second-ball duck.Root was added to the T20 squad that was weakened by the injury to Stuart Broad, who will be replaced as captain as Eoin Morgan. Although Root face 229 balls for his 73 on debut, he also has a more flamboyant side to his game as he showed briefly in the second innings and has demonstrated for Yorkshire in the domestic Friends Life t20.England play Twenty20 internationals on December 20 and 22 before returning home for Christmas and the New Year. They return to India in the first week of January for the ODI series.Twenty20 squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan (capt), Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Joe Root, James Harris.ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler.

S Badrinath, the injured India middle-order batsman, has said he hopes to return to first-class cricket in two weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2011S Badrinath, the injured India middle-order batsman, has said he hopes to return to first-class cricket in two weeks. He has been sidelined since mid-October, after hurting his shoulder during the Challenger Trophy in Nagpur.”I’m making good progress. I have started batting from this week,” he said in Delhi. “I am aiming to play the upcoming Ranji match from December 6 [against Bengal]. I’ll get to know on Monday whether I would be able to take the field.”Badrinath is set to receive the Madhavrao Scindia award for the highest run-getter in last year’s Ranji season, where he amassed 922 runs at 131.71. “It was something I wanted to achieve. Last year I went into the season with an aim to do something phenomenal and make a statement with what I do on the field. So, I am happy I am able to achieve it and I hope it doesn’t go unnoticed.”He has missed the first three rounds of the Ranji Trophy, a tournament where he has been a heavy scorer over the past few seasons. Despite the early season set back, he has set his sights high this year as well. “I think I will come back and do whatever I can in the rest of the games. My aim is to make an impact. I have not got a triple century yet in a first-class game and that is what I want to do.”Badrinath, 31, last played for India during the tour of the West Indies earlier this year, and though there are several younger candidates for a spot in the middle-order, he remained optimistic of making a comeback. “I have been in the national team for a while, but didn’t get a chance to play [much]. In the back of my mind, I know I haven’t really lost. Maybe the [national] spots would open up soon and I feel I am the best guy to do the job.”

Geoffrey Boycott thinks it is time for Steven Finn to be given a run in the England team and has tipped him to replace Tim Bresnan in the side

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2012Geoffrey Boycott believes it is time for Steven Finn to be given a run in the England team even though that could mean fellow Yorkshireman, Tim Bresnan, missing out on playing on his home ground in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley.England’s bowling attack flopped in their innings-and-12-run defeat to South Africa at The Oval, as the visitors piled up 637 for 2, and Boycott told ESPNcricinfo he feels changes need to be made.After making his debut in 2010 against Bangladesh, Finn played 11 consecutive Tests before being dropped for Bresnan in Melbourne. Boycott believes it is now time to reverse that selection and for Finn to be given another run of games.”Finn will be in the squad for Headingley and he deserves to have a run in the side,” Boycott said. “He’s been carrying the drinks for far too long. He’s been playing well for his county and we need to find out if he can play well at Test level.”Finn has been in contention for selection in every Test since being left out for the fourth Ashes Test but has only played three more times – once in series home and away against Sri Lanka, and against West Indies at Edgbaston when James Anderson and Stuart Broad were rested.Finn has been in fine form for Middlesex this season, taking 22 first-class wickets at 20.04 and was also a key part of England’s ODI attack that beat Australia 4-0; Finn claimed eight wickets at 19.37.Bresnan’s place in the side has been much debated with his batting ability seen as the justification for his selection. He averages 39.00 from his 15 Tests and scored a best of 91 against India last year. With the ball he has claimed 56 wickets at 28.12 and took eight wickets at Trent Bridge against West Indies in May. Despite his record, and the fact that until The Oval defeat, England had won all but one of the Tests Bresnan had played in, Boycott feels Finn deserves a run in the side.”You have to find out if he can play well at Test level and you don’t get that by dropping somebody after one or two Tests,” Boycott said. “Eoin Morgan got a good chance and now Finn has to have a proper chance.”Through the same reasoning, Boycott feels Ravi Bopara is the man to occupy England’s other debated position – the No. 6 slot. Bopara was in line for a recall against Sri Lanka in April and West Indies in May but injuries on both occasions meant he was left out. He finally returned to the Test XI at The Oval but made 0 and 22, being dismissed with poor strokes in both innings.”Bopara is the right man to play,” Boycott said. “Whether he’s good enough is a different matter, but he has to have a proper go.”

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor is expecting a green top for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier, starting on January 26

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2012Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, is expecting a grassy pitch for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier, starting on January 26. The pitch at McLean Park is one of the country’s finest for batting, but New Zealand may prefer playing to their strengths – pace – following their success in the Hobart Test against Australia where they played four fast bowlers.”I think there’s going to be a lot more grass left on this pitch than there has been in the past,” Taylor told . “We saw how we played in Hobart in seaming conditions. It’s not easy with the bat but it’s a nice test of our mindset.”We’ll have to wait and see. Napier’s weather is pretty good, but I’m sure whatever surface we get will be a little bit different, or a lot different, from the last one.”The previous Test at the venue, in December 2009, ended in a draw, with both New Zealand and Pakistan scoring over 450 in the second and third innings respectively.New Zealand played a one-off Test during their tour of Zimbabwe in November 2011 and managed a tense victory on the final day as the hosts fell 34 short in their chase of 366.New Zealand surprised Australia in seaming conditions in Hobart, thanks to their four-pronged seam attack comprising Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, Chris Martin and Tim Southee. Taylor, however, wasn’t sure yet if they would serve up seaming pitches against South Africa later in the summer.”We’re not thinking too far ahead. They [South Africa] are pretty good on any conditions really,” Taylor said.Taylor expressed concern over his own batting form ahead of the one-off Test. He managed one half-century in four innings in Australia and began the HRV Cup, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 tournament, with 95 for Central Districts. He hasn’t scored a half-century in six innings since.”We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up, but I thought that where my game is at the moment I wouldn’t mind spending a bit of time on my feet,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to get a gauge [on my form]. Twenty20 is all about momentum – not only how you’re playing, but how the team’s playing. With Central Districts, we didn’t play too well and I had an average campaign. There’s still a long season ahead and I still feel okay.”With the Twenty20 season on in New Zealand, Taylor volunteered to captain a New Zealand XI in the three-day match against the touring Zimbabweans, starting on Saturday, to get himself Test ready.”People say it’s easy to change up from Twenty20 to Test cricket. But I disagree. It is a lot harder than you think. It’s more a mindset change than technique.”For me, personally, you get into bad habits playing Twenty20. Little things creep into your game. That’s the good thing with a warm-up game and the nets with the red ball. You get a chance to iron out those flaws.”

Arran Brindle struck an unbeaten 40 to help England Women win the third ODI against India Women

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2012
ScorecardTammy Beaumont made 44, her highest ODI score, as England chased 174 to win•Getty ImagesArran Brindle struck an unbeaten 40 to help England Women win the third ODI against India Women and maintain their hopes of victory in the five-match series. Danielle Wyatt struck the winning runs with 16 balls remaining as England succeeded where they had failed 24 hours earlier, cutting India’s lead to 2-1 ahead of the fourth ODI in Truro on Sunday.England went into the series on a seven-match winning streak in one-day cricket but failed to defend 229 in a tight finish at Lord’s and then came up short attempting to chase down 130 on a slow Taunton pitch. After reaching 100 for 2 in the 27th over of the third ODI, England made hard work of reaching their target of 174. Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 44 but the hosts lost four wickets for 28 in a late stumble, as Brindle battled stoically to get them over the line.After another poor start that saw India slip to 47 for 4, captain Mithali Raj hit her second unbeaten ninety of the series to rescue the innings. She was the only India batsman to pass 24, combining with Reema Malhotra for a 71-run partnership, then adding adding 55 with wicketkeeper Sulakshana Naik in 8.2 overs at the end. However, despite economical and penetrative spells from Gouher Sultana, Nagarajan Niranjana and Archana Das, it wasn’t quite enough.

Only Mark Ramprakash displayed the required application to fashion an innings worthy of note as Surrey limped into a 110-run lead at the mid-point of their Second Division match with Gloucestershire

20-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Only former England batsman Mark Ramprakash displayed the required application to fashion an innings worthy of note as Surrey limped into a 110-run lead at the mid-point of their Second Division match with Gloucestershire.Having finally dismissed the visitors for 261 on a sporting Oval pitch, to concede a first-innings lead of 35, Surrey reached 145 for 5 before rain led to a premature close. Ramprakash remained on 61 from 92 balls but his team-mates had failed to match his graft to leave the hosts in trouble.On an overcast afternoon in SE11 that favoured seam bowling, the hosts lost two wickets even before clearing the first innings deficit. But Ramprakash showed the mettle to dig in by adding 49 in tandem with Zander de Bruyn (13) then 42 with Steven Davies (14).The home reply started miserably when Jason Roy, off balance and playing around his front pad, went lbw to Ian Saxelby and 13 runs later Rory Hamilton-Brown aimed an expansive back-foot force against the same bowler only to drag the ball onto his stumps. De Bruyn padded up to Will Gidman’s last ball before tea to go leg-before and Davies was unlucky to see his backfoot defensive push bounce back up from the crease and onto the top of leg stump.In fading light Ramprakash posted the 147th first-class 50 of his career with a leg glance for four against Saxelby, but lost Tom Maynard for a 10-ball duck – bowled when looking to drive on the walk against the same bowler. Four balls later the umpires took the sides off for bad light and rain soon followed.Resuming on their overnight score of 171 for 4 at the start of the second day, Gloucestershire lost their last six wickets for 60 in posting a modest first-innings lead of 35. Their lead might have been even smaller had Surrey taken early chances, but Alex Gidman, on 32, then Payne, with five, were both dropped at second slip by Maynard and De Bruyn respectively.Neither batsman took full advantage, however, and both were soon undone by Tim Linley the pick of the Surrey attack with 3 for 66. Gidman fenced a legcutter to the keeper then Payne was squared up by an away swinger and shovelled a low catch to short extra cover.Just before lunch, left-hander Will Gidman edged a push drive against De Bruyn to see Davies pull off a stunning catch diving in front of first slip to make it 239 for 7 at the interval for a slender advantage of 13. Surrey needed a further 10 overs after the break to polish the job off. Ed Young was run out from mid-on by Yasir Arafat having been sent back to the non-striker’s end, then Saxelby went for a third-ball duck giving Davies his fourth catch of the innings.England one-day prospect Jade Dernbach finished off the innings by bowling last man Jonathan Lewis for 17 to return figures of 2 for 35 and see Surrey batting again by 2.30pm on day two.