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Australia coach Tim Nielsen indicated they are likely to field three fast bowlers and a spinner for the Tests

Cricinfo staff29-Sep-2008
Bryce McGain will want to enhance his chances of making the Test team with a strong showing against the Board President’s XI © AFP
Australia’s two spinners in India, Bryce McGain and Jason Krejza, have just over a week to press their claims for the specialist slow bowler’s position in Australia’s Test line-up. The coach Tim Nielsen said Australia were likely to field three fast bowlers and one spinner for the opening Test, which begins in Bangalore on October 9.Australia’s attack during their previous Test series, against West Indies earlier this year, comprised Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, and Stuart MacGill in the first two Tests. Beau Casson stepped in for the final match following MacGill’s retirement.”I think we did a pretty reasonable job in the West Indies playing on low, flat, pretty slow wickets that spun late in the game, especially the first two Tests, with three quicks and a spinner,” Nielsen said. “So I’d expect that’s what the mix will be, I think that suits the way we play best. We’ll just have to sort out what that mix is and who our spinner is, basically.”There’s still two or three spots people are still trying to force their way into. It depends a little bit on what the Indian team is as well, whether they pick a lot of right-hand batsmen or left-hand batsmen and that might make a little bit of a difference to our spinning options.”The offspinner Krejza made a bright start to the tour, taking three wickets in a practice game against a Rajasthan Cricket Academy side in Jaipur. The legspinner McGain hasn’t had a proper bowl yet because of a shoulder problem sustained during Australia A’s tour of India earlier this month. He will get his opportunity during the tour match against a Board President’s XI in Hyderabad starting on October 2.”He’s [McGain] just finishing off [his rehabilitation], it would have been nice to get him going in the two-day game but the physio just felt if we tried to do everything in the competitive game he might be going a little too hard,” Nielsen said. “We’re trying to keep it controlled, now he should be fit and right to play in the four-day game.”Australia are without the option of Andrew Symonds’ offbreaks on this tour after he was left out of the squad. However, they can utilise the part-timers Michael Clarke, who bowls left-arm orthodox, and Simon Katich, who bowls left-arm wrist-spinners.

Crystal Palace fans should not judge Ainsley Maitland-Niles on West Brom’s relegation, says The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam.

Maitland-Niles is thought to be a target for Palace, with football.london reporting last month that the south London club have asked Arsenal about the player’s availability this summer.

He spent some of last season out on loan at West Brom, joining the Baggies during the winter transfer window, but was unable to help prevent them from getting relegated to the Championship.

Woosnam, however, does not think that should be a stain on the 23-year-old midfielder and has told supporters not to hold it against him.

“With Maitland-Niles, I guess you could get swept up in looking at well, you know, West Brom went down last season, so why are we sort of signing those when they’re not the best young players?” the Crystal Palace journalist said in a chat with FFC.

“But I think he’d be a good option for Palace.”

West Brom as a whole were not good enough last season as they finished in 19th, so it probably would be unwise to make an assessment on Maitland-Niles based on that campaign.

The likes of Leicester City and Southampton have also been credited with an interest in Maitland-Niles, so Palace could face a battle to sign the England international.

Players will lose 20% of their match fee – on a match-by-match basis – if they don’t find a place in the playing XI from the next season

Cricinfo staff21-Oct-2008
The Mumbai Indians, for whom he played as a replacement, will get the first right to pick Dwayne Bravo © DigicelCricket.com
The IPL has taken some significant steps to protect the interests of its eight franchises, including the addition of a performance clause to its player contracts that will see players lose 20% of their match fee – on a match-by-match basis – if they don’t find a place in the playing XI from the next season. However, this clause will be applicable only to new contracts that will be signed from now on.This was one of the key developments at a meeting, involving franchise representatives and IPL officials, which ended in Bangkok on Sunday. The meeting also resolved to hike the players’ purchase cap from US$5 million to $7 million – this cap will not be applicable to the money that will be spent during a one-month trading window starting December 15 for existing players.”This is a very significant development for the franchises,” sources said. “This means that trading can be done for existing players with absolutely no budgetary limits.”The IPL, meanwhile, announced in a press release that it will hold its next players’ auction in Mumbai on February 6. It had earlier been tentatively scheduled for January 29. The IPL also confirmed that the maximum number of foreign players in each squad has been increased from 8 to 10, though those in the playing XI will stay at four.The meeting agreed to scrap the system of flying in players as temporary replacements, an allowance that saw cricketers like Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian allrounder, make a fleeting appearance in the first season early this year. But in a concession to the teams that had picked such players last time, the press release said that “all teams that had temporary replacements will have the first right to pick those players”.”The extra $2 million to purchase players is essentially for the new auction,” sources said. “This will go a long way in levelling the playing field, especially with many of us expecting the English players to be available. The 10-player cap has also brought clarity to the field because there was an original limit of eight and then it was stretched to nine.”According to the sources, franchise can now offload players during the trading window – with the player’s consent – but they will have to bear the difference to the player in case he is sold for less than his current fee. “On the other hand, if a player goes at an increased price, the difference will be shared by the selling franchise and the player,” they said. The details of this arrangement are not known yet.Franchises have also been assured more visibility on the ground, in terms of in-stadia visibility during matches, “while not infringing on the rights of the central sponsors”.The performance clause, incidentally, is also open to existing players but only if they sign new contracts. “It is doubtful how many of the existing players will agree to sign a new contract,” the sources said. “But the idea behind the move is clear. It is a step for the future and will ensure that the money a franchise pays to a player is linked purely to performance, and nothing else.” As per the previous arrangement, a player only needed to be “fit and available for selection” to be entitled to his full fee.The meeting also heard views from various service providers involved with the first season of IPL to “ensure a better experience allround next time”. “But on the whole the Bangkok meeting was held in an excellent, open atmosphere and it has left the franchises satisfied with the clarity achieved,” the sources said. The 2009 IPL season has been tentatively scheduled to start from April 10.

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy insists that the club do not have a specific budget this summer.

The club have been reported as having a meagre pool of cash for new additions at St James’ Park.

The Daily Mail has reported previously that manager Steve Bruce had been told that he only had £10m to spend on strengthening his squad in this transfer window.

But that has now been contradicted by Kennedy, who insists that there is no set budget for the manager to spend, with additions decided upon based on their potential sell-on value, rather than their set price.

That tallies with reports that the club have actually agreed a deal to sign Joe Willock from Arsenal for a fee of around £25m, an outlay far above their reported budget in this window.

Kennedy said: “Newcastle is a funny one in terms of budgets.

“They never have a strict budget, it’s always a case of if they can sign a player that they believe will add value, and that doesn’t just mean add value to the team but also means, for example Willock, signing a 21-year-old who could go from a £20 million player to a £40 million player in a matter of years, which is entirely possible with Joe Willock because he has got a lot of ability.

“That’s the bit Newcastle need to weigh up.”

Willock enjoyed a fabulous half-season with the Magpies after arriving on loan in January, as he scored eight goals in 14 games, including strikes against both Liverpool and Manchester City.

Dinesh Mongia has denied reports that his suspension from the ICL was due to alleged contact with bookies. “It has got nothing to do with match-fixing,” Mongia told the .

Cricinfo staff30-Oct-2008Dinesh Mongia has denied reports that his suspension from the ICL was due to alleged contact with bookies. “It has got nothing to do with match-fixing,” Mongia told the .On Monday Mongia and Chris Cairns, of Chandigarh Lions, were suspended on disciplinary grounds after it was learnt that Cairns, who arrived at the tournament with an ankle injury, had not disclosed his fitness status to the ICL. Mongia was suspended because he knew about Cairns’ injury in advance but did not share the information with tournament officials.”The ICL officials interrogated me over Cairns’s ankle injury,” Mongia said. “They thought I was aware of it and did not inform them. I have given my explanation to them.”Cairns’ lawyer, Andrew Fitch-Holland, also denied his client had been involved in match-fixing and said he was suspended for failing to report an injured ankle. “I’ve seen no statement [on match-fixing] from the ICL to that effect,” Fitch-Holland told the . “And I would be very surprised if you could find anyone at the ICL who would say that.”

Crystal Palace have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah after fellow Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion joined the race for his signature.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old hitman throughout the summer, but Graham Potters charges have now reportedly placed him at the top of their wishlist.

According to The Sun, Brighton plan to snatch Nketiah away from Arsenal in order to provide the attacking prowess that was so desperately missing from their side last season.

The report claims that the Seagulls are hoping to land the former England Under-21 international in a £20 million over the coming weeks, meaning Palace may be priced out of a move, with the club’s hierarchy reluctant to get into an auction for the striker.

Patrick Vieira will be gutted

Despite being limited to just four Premier League starts throughout 2020/21, Nketiah still managed to impress Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta with his performances.

“I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. The way he played last night against those players, in those difficult conditions, for me is extraordinary at his age,” claimed Arteta after he caught the eye against Manchester City.

“He has an immense personality to play, confidence, he’s powerful and is developing in every area, I think. I have a lot of faith in him.”

In 65 appearances for his boyhood club, Nketiah has bagged 13 goals, providing a single assist for his teammates, a respectable tally considering a large number of his outings have come via cameos off the bench.

However, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette above him in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, the youngster is expected to see pastures new this summer.

Palace are currently overhauling their first-team squad following the arrival of Vieira, and have already brought in several young, exciting acquisitions.

However, it now appears unlikely that Nketiah will be the next promising addition to the south London outfit’s ranks, leaving the French tactician feeling gutted.

The Eagles look set to miss out on Blackburn Rovers hitman Adam Armstrong following Southampton’s successful bid, meaning Vieira may be forced to move onto his third-choice striker in his quest to add more goals to this Palace side.

And, in other news…Palace suffer major blow in pursuit of “explosive” £15m gem, fans will be gutted 

Manchester City kick off their Premier League title defence with a trip to North London on Sunday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to earn their first-ever win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Citizens began their season with a 1-0 defeat against Leicester City in the Community Shield last weekend, but Guardiola can welcome back the likes of Ederson, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling following their international commitments this summer.

However, all eyes will be on Spurs striker Harry Kane, with the England captain reportedly set to feature despite being heavily linked with the Citizens throughout the summer.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up in North London, with Grealish making his first start as a City player…

After returning from Copa America duty with Brazil, Ederson seems likely to replace Zack Steffen in between the sticks.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

In defence, John Stones and Ruben Dias resume their centre-back partnership, whilst Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo both deserve starts at full-back following their impressive performances in the 2020/21 campaign.

After a disappointing end to last season, Rodri is left on the bench with the more experienced Fernandinho earning a start, and he is joined in midfield by Ilkay Gundogan and Grealish, who could take up the Kevin De Bruyne role in the Belgian’s absence.

Following a superb Euros with England, Raheem Sterling gets the nod on the left-wing, with the Englishman dubbed “world-class” by Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand after his excellent performances for Gareth Southgate’s side as they reached the Final.

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Riyad Mahrez starts on the right-hand side after an excellent pre-season, supporting Ferran Torres up front, with the Spaniard arguably City’s best striking option at the club following Sergio Aguero’s summer departure.

In total, there could be as many as five changes for the trip to the capital.

And, in other news… Guardiola delivers worrying injury update, Man City fans will be fuming

Matthew Hayden, Australia’s out-of-form opener, wants to continue to test the temperament of Zaheer Khan in the third Test starting Wednesday despite his own struggles against the India fast bowler

Cricinfo staff26-Oct-2008
Matthew Hayden: “Zaheer has been put under pressure a lot by myself and [Adam Gilchrist] in all the tournaments we’ve played in one-dayers. I’ve also tried to emulate that when we’ve played Tests © Getty Images
Matthew Hayden, Australia’s out-of-form opener, wants to continue to test the temperament of Zaheer Khan in the third Test starting Wednesday despite his own struggles against the India fast bowler. Hayden said there was “method behind my madness” in the second innings in Mohali, where he blasted to 29 from 20 balls, as a way of getting on top of Zaheer, who has dismissed him three times in the series.The Australians feel the aggressive approach, which included Hayden charging the first ball of the innings from Zaheer, has worked already. Zaheer was fined 80% of his match fee for his subsequent wild celebration and dance around Hayden when the batsman was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh in the second innings.”His temperament, as we saw, it was revealed the other day by his send-off,” Hayden said. “He loses consistency and control when he does do that. It’s something that even if I don’t do [play aggressively at the start] for the rest of the series, it’s something that is in the back of his mind. And I can use that to my advantage.”Hayden has been able to out-muscle Zaheer in limited-overs tournaments, particularly the 2003 World Cup final, but he has failed to assert himself on this trip. Zaheer removed Hayden for 0, 13 and 0 in his first three innings of the tour before the brief explosion last week.”Zaheer Khan has been put under pressure a lot by myself and [Adam Gilchrist] in all the tournaments we’ve played in one-dayers,” Hayden said. “I’ve also tried to emulate that when we’ve played Tests. I just feel like he’s vulnerable when he’s like that.”Hayden is a target for the Indians and his lean spell is one of the key reasons Australia will start from a 1-0 deficit in Delhi. He will continue to employ “positive intent” with his batting, mainly because India’s influence on the second Test, which the home side won by 320 runs, weakened slightly in the second innings before they recovered and Australia collapsed to 58 for 5.”We saw straight away when that happened, there were blokes going in every direction in the outfield,” he said. “I guess the challenge then put on me is how do I handle it? If I get through that stage, I have to handle the next phase, then mark that as an opportunity to work and manipulate the ball around.”Hayden has devised a strategy for exiting his bad patch and coping with the changing nature of an innings in India. He stayed at the team hotel in Delhi instead of travelling during the three-day break and focussed on his determination to “bat long”.”There are three unique stages of the game here that I have had a bit more of a think about,” he said. “If you watch the way Virender Sehwag goes about his cricket, or any of them go about their cricket, the new ball is there to be hit. With the flatter ball, from 15 overs to 50 overs, there is a lot of use of pace, a lot of nudging into gaps, and not so many big scoring areas down the ground and in front of the wicket.”Then it is the softer ball and spinning ball, which is the stage I really want to get involved in. I know it’s a stage where I have got a great strength, being able to manipulate the spin and manipulate the ball even though it is soft.”Hayden will not restructure his overall outlook, but he has thought about the changes necessary to cope with balls moving back into him. Zaheer and Ishant Sharma have troubled all of Australia’s batsmen with their significant reverse-swing and the home side’s supremacy is due to the performance of the attack.
“[In India] use your hands and eyes to hit the ball” © Getty Images
“Technically there are some things that you need to do differently,” he said. “The traditional batsmen like myself and Ricky [Ponting], who take our heads and feet to the line of the ball, are vulnerable if you actually get a ball swinging or seaming back into the stumps.”The ball is not going over the stumps here. The reason why we do that in Australia is to cover the bounce. If you stay inside the line of the ball with your feet going down the wicket, you just get nicked off for fun. Here you just hedge your bets a bit with the way your feet are going to go, then use your hands and eyes to hit the ball. That’s the subtle difference of playing cricket on wickets that don’t bounce.”What is most important for Australia is the senior men contribute as a unit. Hayden and Brett Lee have been unable to do that in the series while Ponting also had a quiet game in Mohali. “When you look at it, myself and Binga do need to play good cricket,” he said. “We’re a vital part of that leadership group.”

Writing on Twitter, journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Vlahovic race…

The Serbian star has been on Tottenham’s list of attacking targets for quite some time, with numerous reliable sources backing their interest.

The Times first said that talks have already been held over possibly signing Vlahovic this summer while a report from The Daily Telegraph states that he is a ‘priority’ for Spurs.

Fantacalcio also believe that the player himself ‘really likes’ the idea of joining Tottenham.

Taylor, taking to social media, has brought an update on Spurs’ pursuit.

The Latest: Spurs talks ‘intensify’ for Vlahovic…

As per the reporter, writing on his Twitter, talks to sign Vlahovic have just turned up a notch.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-gossip/” title=”Tottenham latest gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He claims that Spurs are in ‘direct contact’ with the player’s agent Darko Ristic over a move but have yet to negotiate with La Viola.

“Tottenham intensify talks for Dusan Vlahović after collapse of Lautaro Martinez transfer,” the reporter explained.

“Spurs in direct contact with his agent Darko Ristić but no negotiations with Fiorentina as of yet.”

The Verdict: Number one priority?

Lauded as a ‘really crazy’ player by former Partizan Belgrade teammate Valeri Bojinov for his self-comparisons with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Planet Football), we believe the 21-year-old rising star could be what Spurs need to partner Harry Kane.

The 6 foot 3 beast bagged 21 goals and two assists for Fiorentina over 2020/2021 in Serie A alone and could well be worth the extra financial effort to bring him to north London.

Reportedly valued at around £51.4 million, Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will have to take an economic risk if they wish to prise him away from the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

Fiorentina are currently trying to tie Vlahovic down with a new deal but there is a belief he is now ‘heading towards the exit door’.

Spurs should waste no time in taking full advantage and snapping up one of the world’s most promising forwards.

In other news: Agreement reached: Tottenham confirm another N17 exit in social media announcement, find out more here.

Brad Haddin has struggled behind the stumps in Australia’s recent Tests, but he still has the support of Ian Healy and Adam Gilchris

Cricinfo staff21-Nov-2008
Ian Healy: “It has been a tough six or eight months he [Brad Haddin] has had to start with. But I think this time will be very valuable to him in two or three years’ time” © Getty Images
Brad Haddin has had a tough time behind the stumps in his first few months in Test cricket, but he still has the support of Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist, his two predecessors as Australia’s wicketkeeper. Haddin, who debuted against West Indies in May and showed his determination by playing with a broken finger, struggled with both bat and gloves in Australia’s 2-0 series defeat in India and conceded 39 byes in the first Test in Bangalore.In the current Test against New Zealand in Brisbane, Haddin has again been under the spotlight. He was lured into an expansive drive during Jesse Ryder’s first over in the first innings at a time when Michael Clarke needed some support. Ryder was once again the benefactor when Haddin spilled a thick outside edge off Brett Lee as he dived to his left to pull off a one-handed catch, which was heading to Matthew Hayden at first slip.”If he had taken it, it would have been a great decision. But that is the way it is in Test cricket,” Healy told the . “He bit off a bit more than he could chew with that decision to chase it.”Healy was confident of a turnaround from Haddin. “I was actually really impressed with his footwork in this match, which I kind of expected, because the Gabba is a nice, high-bouncing, consistent cricket wicket,” he said. “[Haddin] is only one Test away from really finding his feet. His movement and rhythm is coming along. He just made a bad decision on that catch.”Gilchrist also backed Haddin’s ability. “He’s a very efficient gloveman, it’s just all of a sudden you’re in the spotlight and your mind can start to play a few tricks,” Gilchrist told the . “I think Hadds deserves his spot in the team and hang with him, he’s good enough.”However, Healy felt Haddin hadn’t progressed since he replaced Gilchrist in the Test side on the tour of the West Indies earlier this year. “[His wicketkeeping] hasn’t improved since he got into the Australian team. I would actually say it has declined,” he said. “We are all about trying to get [his standards] back to where they were when he was playing with New South Wales.”While suggesting that Haddin’s two Test tours – in the Caribbean and India – were perhaps the toughest for a keeper, Healy said it was the pressure of Test cricket that Haddin needed to cope with. “It’s the funny thing with pressure and the new environment he is in. He is worrying about all the things that aren’t going to help him and not clearing his mind to concentrate on his technique, which is coming along. You can never try too hard. But when it looks like you are trying too hard that’s a sign that you haven’t learned to relax yet.”I do think you have to realise he has been on two of the toughest world tours you can have as a wicketkeeper. You are standing too close for comfort to fast bowlers who aren’t bouncing the ball, but are swinging it late. It is incredibly tough to adjust to, and he has been doing that with a badly busted finger.”Healy said Haddin could emerge from his tough spell as a stronger player and still had the ability to match his superstar predecessor. “He can be compared to Gilly,” Healy said. “In fact, he is as close as anyone around the world is to Gilly – we are lucky to have him. In my mind he stacks up with gloves and bat with me or Gilly, but he has certainly not shown that yet.”It has been a tough six or eight months he has had to start with. But I think this time will be very valuable to him in two or three years’ time.”