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Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has told the ICC Code of Conduct Commission that Mohammad Amir’s infamous no-ball during the Lord’s Test had surprised him “greatly” because it was very different from his normal delivery stride

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2010Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has told the ICC Code of Conduct Commission that Mohammad Amir’s infamous no-ball during the Lord’s Test had surprised him “greatly” because it was very different from his normal delivery stride. He said he’d taken up the issue with the bowler, only for the then captain, Salman Butt, to intervene before Amir could reply.Waqar’s statements, published in , formed part of his testimony to the commission investigating the spot-fixing case, which will hear testimony from the three players suspended by the ICC – Amir, Butt and Mohammad Asif – from January 6-11 in Doha. All three have denied their involvement in any spot-fixing.Waqar said he’d been “greatly” surprised by Amir’s no-ball during the Lord’s Test. “This was because Amir’s front foot stepped over the line by a great distance whereas usually, if anything, Amir tends to bowl from well behind the front-foot line.”I was so surprised by the delivery that when we went back into the dressing room at the end of that morning session I said to Amir in Punjabi, ‘What the hell was that?’. But before Amir had the chance to answer my question, Salman interrupted from across the dressing room, saying: ‘I told him to do it because the batsman was coming on the front foot. I told him to come forward and bowl him a bouncer’.”Following the exposé in the , Scotland Yard raided the Pakistan team’s hotel in London and questioned the trio as well as a fourth player Wahab Riaz, who was not suspended.The team’s security manager, Khawaja Najam, told the commission of vast sums of money being confiscated from the room of one of the players. “During the Scotland Yard search of the players’ rooms at the team hotel, two police officers found cash in a bag and a small suitcase which they seized. Most of the cash was in the suitcase,” quoted Najam as saying. “I asked the police officers to put on record the amount of money they had confiscated and they did so immediately.”I have retained that note and attached a copy of it which reads as follows: Room No. 714 – 24,300 UAE Dirhams, 29,787 pound sterling, 12,617 US dollars, 10 Australian dollars, 26,015 Pakistani rupees, 350 Canadian dollars and 440 South African rand.”While we were there, the police officers asked Salman why he had so much cash in his room and Salman stated: ‘It’s for my two sisters, they are getting married, it’s for their dowry’.”From Amir’s room, Najam said, the police found “a Tag Heuer mobile phone and possibly other mobile phones, 5,000 pounds in cash, a few hundred US dollars and a white envelope with 2,500 pounds.”Speaking to two weeks ago, Butt explained in detail the money found in his room. Part of the money [11,000 pounds], he said, came from his daily tour allowance; another 4,500 pounds was from his extra entertainment allowance as team captain, while 2,500 pounds was for the opening of an ice-cream parlour in south London. The rest of the money, he said, was advanced payment for bat stickers which he was under contract for.

By taking the Newcastle United job, Eddie Howe was not only returning to management after more than a year out, the 44-year-old was also reuniting with some of the stars who helped his Bournemouth side achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson were all pivotal under him as the Cherries rose through the ranks of English football and can now enjoy the benefits of being coached by him once again.

Ritchie has been a regular for the Magpies and is now in his sixth season at Newcastle, whilst Wilson is the club’s top scorer this term, having netted six goals before being ruled out for a number of weeks with a calf injury.

However, Fraser who has struggled to make an impact since swapping the south coast for the northeast, scoring just once for the Toon since his move in summer 2020.

On the chalkboard

The Scotland international has managed nine league starts this term, but his only goal involvement was an assist in the 3-3 draw against Brentford in November.

The winger was certainly more prolific in his time at Bournemouth, netting 16 goals and contributing 29 assists in 120 league appearances during the Cherries’ five-year stint in the top flight.

Although those numbers aren’t eye-watering, Howe could help the 27-year-old to fully kickstart his Newcastle career and end the season as a key contributor to the Magpies’ top-flight survival bid.

Fraser needs encouragement that he can succeed at this level, and he already has in previous years, with 2018/19 the Scot’s most fruitful campaign to date, scoring seven goals and registering a whopping 14 assists in the Premier League.

Back then, the winger was also making an impression on the international stage, as then-Scotland manager Alex McLeish said he was like “a house on fire” and can be “very dangerous.”

Howe needs more firepower from the flanks, with Allan Saint-Maximin levels above the club’s other wingers. The Frenchman has scored five goals and registered three assists in 21 Premier League appearances thus far and is an example to his team-mates in the same position.

The only other winger to score for the Magpies this season is Jacob Murphy, who has one goal, so there is certainly a pathway for Fraser to start regularly.

The £63k-per-week Scotsman needs to step up, particularly given Newcastle’s predicament. There should be optimism that, playing under Howe once again, Fraser can rediscover some form similar to that of his peak at Bournemouth.

Should the 27-year-old get back to those heights, Newcastle could have some serious firepower from the flanks in him and Saint-Maximin.

AND in other news, “I believe”: Luke Edwards delivers big Newcastle update which will leave Howe buzzing…

A day before Bangladesh kicked off their much-anticipated World Cup campaign, they were visited in the nets by two World Cup heroes

Sidharth Monga in Mirpur18-Feb-2011A day before Bangladesh kicked off their much-anticipated World Cup campaign, they were visited in the nets by two World Cup heroes, central characters from their two biggest wins in the global tournament. Aminul Islam was the captain when they shocked the world with a win over Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 1999, and Mashrafe Mortaza Man of the Match when they stunned India eight years later at Port-of-Spain.Aminul, now a development officer with the Asian Cricket Council, looks just the same as he did all those years ago. Mashrafe, although hurting from a World Cup snub on fitness grounds, is the same childishly enthusiastic fellow from four years ago despite all those injuries, six surgeries on one knee, and the heartbreak and frustration that comes with it.Talking to them, in a simplistic sort of way, charters Bangladesh’s growth and history as a cricketing nation. Aminul remembers his side’s win over Pakistan resulted in his first first-class flight. If Aminul’s generation lit a flame in Bangladesh’s heart, Mashrafe and friends had to keep it from dying after lukewarm years in between.”It was the first World Cup for Bangladesh,” Aminul says of 1999. “Our target was beat Scotland, and play better against other teams. In that regard, the start was very good.”I remember a couple of journalists came to interview me before the match day. I said we will try to play better cricket, but never thought we were going to win. On that particular day we played great cricket, and were better in every department compared to Pakistan.”Coming slowly as it did, the win tested Bangladesh’s nerves. After having Pakistan at 42 for 5 and 102 for 7, they have to wait anxiously, and persevere. The height of that examination was when the last wicket, a run-out, was referred to the third umpire. The supporters in the stands couldn’t take it any more, and charged onto the field.”If he [Saqlain Mushtaq, the last man] wouldn’t have been given out, I don’t know what would have happened. It would have taken a few hours to take the crowd out of the ground,” Aminul says.After the game, Aminul went to the Pakistan dressing room, and realised it was a mistake. “They [Pakistan] were never expecting to lose against Bangladesh, since they had won all the matches in the league stages,” he says. “But I remember one thing, after winning I went to their dressing room, and I did not receive a very good welcome because they thought this was a disaster for them. Losing against a team like Bangladesh, they never took it well.”For Bangladesh, though, the win paved the way for their Test status, and also development of cricket in the country. In fact after the match, when the prime minister called to congratulate Aminul, he asked not for rewards but for more cricket grounds. Now they have a truly world-class international venue in Mirpur, plus four other international grounds. Aminul, however, wants more.”It is wonderful that we have five international stadiums,” Aminul says. “But I would have been happier if we had more cricket fields all around the country, for 150 million people and thousands and thousands of schools to play. We need better playing grounds for them, not stadiums.”He might not have had the benefits of the best playgrounds when he was growing up, but Mashrafe turned out to be one fine cricketer for Bangladesh. Man of the Match in both Bangladesh’s wins over India, Mashrafe now has to sit out of the match the whole country is talking about. Still he can’t keep himself from coming to the nets and training with the team. He wears his Abahani shirt to training, always.”I am disappointed that I will not play a part tomorrow,” he says. “The worst part is that I am fully fit now and even then I am out. But at the same time the boys who are playing are all very capable players. But I am practising hard so that I can be available if the team needs me.”I am not hoping that any of our fast bowlers gets injured, but I am just staying ready if I am needed.”The man who used to jump off bridges onto moving vehicles, and was a sort of amateur stuntman with bikes, might have the same restless energy to him, but there is a wise head too. Talking about tomorrow’s games, he says, “The main difference between the two teams is that for India if just two or three players perform, they can win against us. But for us to beat India we would need contributions from all our boys. You have to remember [Syed] Rasel, Shakib [Al Hasan], [Mohammad] Rafique all played very well in that match [that they won in 2007]. Tamim [Iqbal] performed beyond himself. Everybody chipped in and we would need a similar performance on Saturday. We cannot afford to bank on just Tamim and Shakib.”If 1999 earned Bangladesh Test status and recognition, the class of 2007 earned them respect. “All teams used to ignore us earlier. They would think, ‘Bangladesh is coming; we will win easily.’ It used to hurt a lot. Nowadays, they cannot afford to do this.” Not in this World Cup for sure.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is facing several selection dilemmas as his side return to Premier League action on Tuesday evening.

After sharing the spoils with league leaders Manchester City before beating them in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, the Merseyside outfit now host Manchester United at Anfield.

Sat just one point behind Pep Guardiola’s side, the Reds will need to keep the pressure mounting by delivering a performance of note against the fifth-placed Red Devils, who could also do with three points to bolster their top-four ambitions.

Salah’s shocking form

One of the predicaments facing the German head coach is what to do with Mohamed Salah, who has struggled for form in recent matches.

Indeed, the Egyptian winger has provided only one direct goal contribution in his last six appearances since his return from international duty, where he missed a penalty was knocked out of 2022 World Cup qualification by Sadio Mane’s Senegal.

It’s evident that his confidence has taken a serious knock, as a result, and it would be foolish to persist with him for the time being – even in the win over City at the weekend, he was disappointing.

As per SofaScore, he was graded as Liverpools’s joint lowest-rated player (6.3), having fired two of his three shots off target, made only 71% of his passes and spurned possession 13 times from only 38 touches. He also won just 23% of his battles up against the Citizens’ backline.

Salah, who has not scored for the Merseysiders in open play since February, is lucky to be in the side, according to former striker John Aldridge.

“If you’re going by form, Mo wouldn’t get in the team,” he told Sky Sports. “As good as he is, as great as he is, as much as we love him, on present form he’s struggling.”

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Jota’s the man

Instead, Klopp ought to turn to the in-form Diogo Jota, who was named on the bench for Sunday’s clash and should be fresher than most after only featuring for the final five minutes plus stoppage time.

The £54m-rated forward is enjoying quite the season at Anfield, having found the net 21 times and provided four assists, via Transfermarkt. He has scored in each of Liverpool’s last three top-flight outings, including a strike in the 2-2 draw with City last time out.

Also capable of playing anywhere along the frontline, there won’t be a better candidate to fill the void that is currently left behind by an out-of-sorts Salah.

Once described as a “pressing monster” by assistant boss Pep Lijnders, Jota has been in much greater form than the 29-year-old since the international break.

Not only has he scored three goals, compared to Salah’s zero, but he also edges the charts for shots with the latter managing just the one effort against the league leaders.

Only a few weeks ago, Klopp waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old Portuguese, claiming that he was “growing into the top world-class striker role,” before later adding:

“It was always clear that Diogo is not a pure winger, Diogo is a striker who can play on the wing and defend the wing. Both wings, thank god.”

On the above evidence, the Liverpool boss should make the bold and brutal call to axe Salah in favour of Jota’s return to the starting XI, with Luis Diaz and Mane also available, there are plenty of different attacking options he can turn to for the wing positions.

The former Wolves gem, in this form, can absolutely terrify Ralf Rangnick’s United outfit – they’d probably welcome the sight of an out-of-form Salah right now, so Klopp must turn to Jota this evening.

AND in other news, Klopp eyeing Liverpool swoop for “world-class” 110-goal magician, Anfield would be buzzing…

Ian Bell made some easy runs against Haryana but appreciated the time in the middle and facing some quality spin at last

George Dobell in Ahmedabad08-Nov-2012When Ian Bell is an old man, reflecting on his career, it is unlikely he will recall his runs in this match against Haryana with particular pleasure. On a flat pitch and against a limited attack, England’s batsmen were rarely troubled. This was a case not so much stealing candy from a baby, as allowing the baby to pop the candy in your pocket to save you the bother. Batting is rarely more straightforward.England amassed 408 for the loss of just three wickets on the first day of the game, with all of their batsmen enjoying valuable time at the crease. While Kevin Pietersen will dominate the headlines after an imperious innings of 110, Alastair Cook, Nick Compton and Bell also recorded half-centuries, while Jonathan Trott fell only four short. None of them will have enjoyed many softer innings at first-class level.But even if this was not the most meaningful encounter, Bell, at least, faced a couple of challenges. Not only was he required to face the bulk of the bowling from Amit Mishra, the one quality spinner to have confronted England on the tour to date, but Bell was obliged to start his innings against him. Mishra did not come on until the 51st over and then claimed two wickets in his first six overs, dismissing both Compton and Trott leg before. But Bell dealt with him comfortably. Although his innings started with a mis-hit lofted shot over mid-on, Bell was soon skipping down the pitch to lift Mishra for two sixes and barely played a false stroke. He resumes on day two unbeaten on 57.”That was exactly what I needed going into the Test,” Bell said afterwards. “He’s a quality spinner. He’s played a lot of Test cricket. I know he didn’t bowl for quite a period of time, but it was nice for me to start against quality spin. That is pretty much what is going to happen in the Tests.”I feel confident coming down the wicket. It was a super wicket – it skidded on quite nicely – and I just want to be busy. We’ve talked a lot about using our feet – forwards and backwards – and it’s getting as much good footwork going as possible.”India’s tactic – and it does appear to be a deliberate tactic – of presenting England with little meaningful warm-up cricket may yet backfire. While it is true that England will go into the Test series having enjoyed little opportunity to bat against good quality spin bowling – or quality bowling of any type, really – they will have benefitted from time at the crease and with the confidence of runs under their belt. Sometimes clever tactics can prove too clever by half.Certainly that was the view taken by Bell. “We’ve faced a lot of seam on this trip so far,” he said. “But we can’t control that. We play what we come up against. Mishra bowled a few overs in the end which was great for me and KP to spend a bit of time against him. And there’s the new ball in the morning which is good for me and Samit Patel. The second new ball is going to be crucial over here as well as playing spin, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us in the morning.”England are also trying to see the bright side in the unavailability of three first choice bowlers for this game. While it seems most unlikely that Steven Finn, who has a thigh injury, will be fit to play in the first Test, England are hopeful that Graeme Swann, who has returned home due to family illness, and Stuart Broad, who has a heel injury, will both be available. Neither will, perhaps, have enjoyed the warm-up they may have desired, but Bell expressed a belief that the experience given to England’s second-string bowlers may prove valuable later in the series. England also rested James Anderson from this game.”If one of our main bowlers get injured in the first Test, we need backup,” Bell said. “These guys have overs under their belt which can only be a good thing for us. When we were in Australia, the reserve guys got an opportunity when we played Australia A in Tasmania and that helped us win the Ashes.”Pietersen is not injured. While the scoreboard may show that he retired hurt, it was only with a view to providing his colleagues with an opportunity to bat. It speaks volumes, however, that even after a commanding century, Pietersen was either not willing or not trusted to speak to the media. The last time he did so freely – the infamous “it’s not easy being me” press conference following the Headingley Test in August – precipitated chaos in English cricket and it seems there is some caution being extended to ensure there is no repeat.In his absence, it was left to Bell to describe Pietersen’s feeling upon completing a century. “Kevin is a guy who likes to get bat on ball so I think he’ll be happy to go into the Test with that innings under his belt,” Bell said. “Everything has gone pretty well. He’s trained well. He’s hit the ball well. I’m sure he’ll be a lot happier having scored a hundred, but he’ll be even happier if he scores a hundred in the next Test.”We don’t want to put too much pressure on him to be the main reason why we win a series. It would be great if he could come out and play some innings like he has in recent times, but as a batting unit if we all have a good series we give our bowlers the opportunity to take wickets. We know if he gets in, we know he can change a Test so we want him in the best nick he can be.”

Sri Lanka rested four of their stars but Kumar Sangakkara’s century was enough to kick off their tour with a comprehensive win over Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2010
Scorecard
Kumar Sangakkara began his tour on a high with 110 against Queensland•Getty ImagesSri Lanka rested four of their stars but Kumar Sangakkara’s century was enough to kick off their tour with a comprehensive win over Queensland. The visitors left out Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan, but still managed to register an imposing 7 for 301 after winning the toss at the Gabba.Sangakkara racked up a brisk 110 and had strong support from Chamara Silva (75) in a 100-run partnership, after he also combined with Chamara Kapugedera for an 87-run stand. He brought up his hundred with a six off the legspinner Cameron Boyce, before he eventually fell to Ben Laughlin, caught at midwicket off a full toss.It was an impressive effort given that Sangakkara shook off a hamstring strain to take part in the match, the first of three warm-ups before Sri Lanka begin their limited-overs series against Australia. The bowlers also enjoyed the outing and Dammika Prasad began the defence by running through the local top order.Prasad finished with 3 for 43, including two wickets in the 14th over, and from there Queensland were never in the contest. Craig Philipson held off the Sri Lankans with a run-a-ball 69 but Dilhara Fernando troubled the lower order with 4 for 41 and finished off the Bulls in the 37th over.

Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has expressed his frustration over the latest injury to fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza that has put him in doubt for the World Cup that will be held in the subcontinent next year

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2010Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has expressed his frustration over the latest injury to fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza that has put him in doubt for the World Cup that will be held in the subcontinent next year. Mortaza injured his right knee while batting for his club Abahani in a Dhaka Premier Division League match earlier this week.”A fit and firing Mash [Mashrafe Mortaza] was obviously our first preference for the World Cup and this is a huge disappointment for Mash and the team as well,” Siddons told the Bangladesh newspaper from Australia.The final report of an MRI scan performed on Tuesday confirmed that there had been a near complete tear of the reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament graft on his right knee. Mortaza had surgery on his right knee in August 2009 after he injured it during the first Test against West Indies at St. Vincent in July that year.An ankle problem ruled Mortaza out for most of the recent home one-day series against New Zealand which Bangladesh won 4-0. He came back for the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe but said after the first two games that he needed more match practice to get his rhythm back. While Siddons was confident that the bowling attack would be able to cope should Mortaza not be fit in time for the World Cup, he said that Mortaza’s experience would be missed.”The inclusion of Rubel (Hossain) or Nazmul (Hossain) would change the dynamics of the opening attack but I believe that though it would be different it would not be weakened significantly,” he said. “The loss of Mash will be seen in his leadership and experience. We cannot cover this aspect of his loss.”This injury is the latest in the long line of injuries for Mortaza. He has undergone six knee reconstructions in the space of eight years, and is currently undergoing a non-surgical treatment for his knee, involving physical therapy and use of a knee brace.

Michael Comber and Adam Wheater, both aged 20, were the Essex heroes as thehome side beat Northamptonshire by five wickets in their Clydesdale Bank 40clash at Southend

08-Aug-2010
ScorecardMichael Comber and Adam Wheater, both aged 20, were the Essex heroes as thehome side beat Northamptonshire by five wickets in their Clydesdale Bank 40clash at Southend.They came together with Essex struggling on 100 for 5 in the 22nd over inreply to a total of 215 for 6. But both displayed a cool head on young shoulders to see their side home with nine balls to spare.Comber, making his debut in the competition, made 52 while Wheater finished on55. Both completed their half-centuries from 47 balls, Comber reaching his with anon-driven six against paceman David Willey. He also dealt out similar punishment to off-spinner James Middlebrook and also struck two fours.Wheater’s innings included five fours as he and Comber excelled in theirrunning between the wickets. Their performance came after Essex had got off to a terrible start, losing Mark Pettini and Grant Flower without a run on the board. Lee Daggett was the man who plunged them into early trouble, having Pettini caught behind with his second ball and trapping Flower lbw with his next delivery.Ravi Bopara and Matt Walker repaired the damage with a partnership of 87 thatwas broken when Middlebrook, playing against his former county, accepted asimple return catch. Walker made 39 before Bopara and James Foster were both dismissed immediately after the total passed 100.Bopara fell lbw to Middlebrook for 42, having hit the previous ball for six,while Foster became a victim of spinner Tom Brett. But their removal from the scene only paved the way for Comber and Wheater to come together and steal the glory.Earlier, Northants made steady but unspectacular progress. Opener Mal Loyeneeded 77 balls to make 55 before he was dismissed by Bopara. The main impetus was provided by Stephen Peters, another former Essex player, and David Sales.Sales made 36 from 34 deliveries before he was superbly caught low down at deepsquare leg by Flower, while Peters was within four of his half-century when hewas caught at deep long off by Bryce McGain. His 53-ball effort contained justthree boundaries. During it Peters was hit on the arm and was unable to take any further part inthe match as he handed over the captaincy to Sales.

Ally McCoist expected better from Rangers right-back James Tavernier against Motherwell on Saturday. 

The lowdown

Rangers survived an early red card for centre-back Leon Balogun in their 3-1 win at Fir Park, closing the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to three points ahead of Celtic’s trip to Ross County on Sunday afternoon.

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It was Tavernier who effectively sealed the victory when he converted a penalty on 62 minutes to establish a two-goal cushion.

Even as Giovanni van Bronckhorst rang the changes ahead of Thursday’s trip to RB Leipzig for the Europa League semi-final first leg, the skipper played the full 90 minutes for the 32nd time in 34 SPFL matches this season.

The latest

Speaking live on Sky Sports during the match, the Gers’ all-time leading goalscorer McCoist expressed his frustration at a Tavernier cross that was easily dealt with by Motherwell.

“It’s a really poor delivery from someone whose delivery is usually really good,” he said, as quoted by Ibrox News.

The verdict

Even though he scored, it’s fair to say that Tavernier could have played better.

The £6.3million-rated star is perhaps his side’s foremost creator, with a team-high 14 assists under his belt this season.

But even though he swung in seven crosses, he failed to create a chance on Saturday. Indeed, only two of his deliveries found a team-mate (via SofaScore).

Overall, 17 of his 51 passes (equating to 33%) and seven of his eight long balls, went astray.

He lost possession more than any other player on the pitch (29 times, two more than next-worst Borna Barisic).

The £24,000-per-week man may hope to be more effective when Rangers travel to Germany for perhaps the biggest game of their season so far.

In other news, the stats showed that this trio struggled most vs Motherwell.

Scott Styris will return to Northern Districts for the 2010-11 domestic season after playing for Auckland Aces for the past five seasons.

Cricinfo staff23-Jul-2010New Zealand allrounder Scott Styris will return to Northern Districts for the 2010-11 domestic season after playing for Auckland Aces for the past five seasons. Northern Districts are the defending Plunket Shield (domestic four-day cricket) and domestic one-day champions from 2009-10.”Scott is a hugely experienced player and proved how significant his performances are at an international and domestic level, when setting up wins for the Blackcaps (New Zealand) and Aces last year,” Northern Districts chief executive, David Cooper, said. “He has continued to show that skill in the UK this winter. This ability to perform under pressure and being a Blackcap adds another string to our bow as we aim for more trophies this coming season.”Styris is currently in Sri Lanka with the New Zealand squad.