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	Steve Harmison: “I can say without a moment’s hesitation that both Fred and I supported Kevin as our captain and our leader” © Getty Images

Steve Harmison has termed as “nonsense” reports that he and other senior England players, including Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss, supported sacked coach Peter Moores ahead of Kevin Pietersen. Harmison wrote in his column for the that the reported leak from team sources resulted in Pietersen’s resignation as England captain and left Moores without a job.”I can say without a moment’s hesitation that both Fred [Flintoff] and I supported Kevin as our captain and our leader, Strauss has already made his backing for Kevin quite clear and any suggestion that we turned against him when Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, rang us for our views over the crisis is rubbish,” said Harmison.”The idea that we told Morris that we supported Peter Moores ahead of Kevin is nonsense. To my mind, the only people who have stabbed Kevin in the back are those who chose to leak the information that he had promised to quit the captaincy for the tour to the West Indies if Peter remained as coach.”According to Harmison, Pietersen decided to relinquish the England captaincy after “all attempts to resolve a growing problem had failed”. It was a decision that could have been avoided, felt Harmison.”We may never discover how that information then reached the public domain, but once that train was running, there was no way of stopping it,” said Harmison. “Yet my belief is that had the row stayed in-house, there might still have been a chance for Morris to get Peter and Kevin together to thrash out the issue, and a hugely upsetting and damaging breakdown might have been avoided.”Maybe if Kevin and Peter had tried one last time to find common ground in private – without the pressure of the story having been made public and everyone and his dog airing their often misinformed opinions – a different outcome might have taken place.”Harmison, who confronted Pietersen after he was dropped for the Mohali Test against India, refused to accept the notion of a dressing-room rift, with players in one camp or another. “That is exactly what I told Hugh Morris when he was canvassing opinion this week,” he said.Harmison played down the rift between Pietersen and Flintoff. “Anyone who truly believes Fred was not behind KP should have been in Mohali,” he said. “Fred tried his nuts off in the first Test in Chennai, then, only a few days later in a match that was almost certain to be a draw, he was still putting the ball down the other end at in the 24th and 25th overs of the second innings. Every time Kevin asked him for another effort he gave everything, and with a supposedly weak ankle.”

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has shared a fresh update on Yan Valery, with reports suggesting that he will join Olympiacos on loan from Southampton before this evening’s transfer deadline.

What’s the word?

Leach suggested via Twitter that Southampton were looking into whether or not a move to the Greek club would be the best thing for the right-back after Olympiacos registered their interest in taking him on loan.

He suggests that while nothing had been agreed last night, there could be plenty of loan exits on transfer deadline day, and it seems likely that Valery could be one of the first out the door.

Should Southampton let Valery leave?

Ralph Hasenhuttl made the interesting decision to send Valery out in January last season which left him extremely low on right-back options, especially when Kyle Walker-Peters was sidelined through injury.

That proved to be a poor decision as the 22-year-old made just two starts for Birmingham City in the Championship, but there are very different circumstances this time round.

The summer arrival of Valentino Livramento means that Hasenhuttl has good competition at right-back, whilst Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek may not be naturals there but can fill in if Southampton are desperate.

Therefore, it seems highly unlikely that Valery will get much game-time this season, so it makes a lot of sense to send him out on loan. That should hopefully increase his value before potentially selling him next summer, as it is difficult to see him overtaking Livramento or Walker-Peters in the pecking order any time soon.

Dan Sheldon, who writes on Southampton for The Athletic, dubbed Valery the “weak link” in Hasenhuttl’s side in the summer of 2020 and it seems as if the Austrian agreed, as the defender made just five appearances for the Saints in all competitions last season.

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Therefore, Saints fans will surely be delighted with Leach’s latest update on Valery, as it gives him arguably one final chance to reignite his Southampton career before likely being sold next summer ahead of his contract expiry in 2023 – unless he can revive his fortunes during a prospective loan spell elsewhere.

In other news…Bye-bye Obafemi: Semmens should seal Southampton swoop for “shining light” 

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If he is still alive – and this is a very big if – then CotaRamaswami, who was born on this day in 1896, will easily be,at 104, the oldest living Test cricketer

Partab Ramchand29-Oct-2008If he is still alive – and this is a very big if – then CotaRamaswami, who was born on this day in 1896, will easily be,at 104, the oldest living Test cricketer. The doubt remainsbecause he has not been heard of or seen since he walked out ofhis house in Chennai one day in 1985, at the age of 89. A littleover a year before that, I had interviewed him for the sportsmagazine I then represented. He spoke fairly clearly, consideringhis age and except for a hearing aid did not seem to have anyhealth problems. He remembered quite a few things about hisplaying days and could recall a lot about when he was manager ofthe first Indian team to the West Indies in 1953 and when he wasa national selector in the late fifties. On occasions, he falteredwhile trying to remember a person or a particular detail of anevent and had to be prodded. But he was standing tall and erectas I took leave of him and there was certainly no indication ofany kind of problem which would force him to just walk out ofthe house not long after that interview took place.Since that day, some 15 years ago, there has been no word abouthim though his family members tried frantically to find him andsent out police search parties. The unexpected happening wascertainly unfortunate for Ramaswami was quite a character. Talland sturdily built, his appearance was almost magnetic, asbefitting the son of Buchi Babu Naidu, a pioneer of the gamein Madras in the early years of the 20th century. Of coursehis claim to fame on his own was as one of the few double internationals in sport. In the 1920s he had represented Indiain the Davis Cup while studying in England and in 1936 he wasselected to tour England with the Indian cricket team.In his autobiography, `Ramblings of a games addict’ Ramaswamiclaimed modestly that he was convinced he had been chosen `forreasons other than cricket’ as he had become `bulky and slow.’But his performance on the tour suggested otherwise. For not onlydid he score 737 runs (average 30.70) in first class matches healso topped the Test averages, ahead of contemporaries like CKNayudu, Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali. He made his Test debut inthe second Test at Old Trafford at the age of 40 years, 37 years, making him the second oldest Indian cricketer to play in hisfirst Test. But he scored 40 and 60, knocks which helped Indiato draw the Test. This was of course the game in which Merchantand Mushtaq shared their famous first wicket stand of 203 runs.With two more valuable contributions of 29 and 41 not out in thefinal Test at the Oval, Ramaswami finished with 170 runs at theaverage of 56.66. That however remained the extent of his Testcareer but he remained a stalwart for Madras for many more years.In a first class career spanning 25 years, the left handedRamaswami made 2261 runs (28.26) at a time when opportunities werevery limited. A free stroking batsman with a particularlypowerful drive on both sides of the wicket, Ramaswami played forthe Hindus in the Bombay Quadrangular and Pentangular tournaments.In later years, Ramaswami maintained his association with the gameby managing the team to the West Indies in 1953. It proved to beone of the most popular sides to visit the Caribbean. In the late fifties, Ramaswami became a national selector but this tenure wasnot a very happy one and culminated in the fiasco of the 1958-59series against West Indies, when four captains led India in fiveTests and there was much bickering over the team selection and thepoor performance of the home side. He continued to be a popular cricketer in Madras cricket circles till well into his 80s and wasan engaging conversationalist. Since his death has never beenconfirmed, cricket annuals have for the last decade or sogenerally put against his details “missing since 1985, presumed dead.” But just in case he is alive…

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for Philippe Coutinho, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Mundo Deportivo claim that the former Liverpool attacking midfielder is on Spurs’ shortlist, should they sell Harry Kane to Manchester City before this month’s transfer deadline.

It’s thought that the Brazilian playmaker has even been offered to the North London outfit by his agent, Kia Joorabchian.

Coutinho remains under contract at the Nou Camp until 2023 but could be allowed to leave on loan with an option to buy,  a similar deal to the one that saw him move to Bayern Munich in 2019/20.

The 29-year-old cost the La Liga giants around £142m in January 2018 and is now valued at just €30m (£25m) by CIES Football Observatory.

Nuno needs him

Whilst he has struggled with form and injuries over in Spain, Coutinho is still in his peak years and will always be remembered for his glistening stint at Anfield.

Across 201 appearances for Liverpool, the 63-time Brazil international provided 54 goals and 45 assists, which worked out to be a direct contribution every 150 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

An impressive feat.

At his scintillating best, he was a simply world-class maestro and that much is evident by the whopping nine-figure fee he commanded three-and-a-half years ago.

Coutinho did manage to show a glimpse of that form during a loan spell at Bayern, where his 11 goals and nine assists helped secure the treble.

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Spurs truly do lack a player of his calibre – someone that can outwit the opposition with an exciting bit of skill or a defence-splitting pass, on top of delivering killer set-pieces and that knack for finding the net.

It’s believed that Fabio Paratici and co will now target the addition of a creative player after sealing a marquee centre-back in Cristian Romero. Perhaps the former Reds star is the answer.

During his time at the Allianz Arena, Coutinho averaged 2.2 key passes every 90 minutes. Those returns would see him sit top of the charts in North London, alongside Heung-min Son.

Current creative options at Nuno Santo’s disposal include Tanguy Ndombele (0.8 key passes per 90), Dele Alli (1.3) and Giovani Lo Celso (1.4), so you can see why the Portuguese coach may have requested a new playmaker.

Speaking about Coutinho’s ability in the past, Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino had nothing but praise for his fellow countryman.

“He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician,” he claimed (via Goal.com). “He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

Spurs very much should consider a swoop for the creative talent this month. Nuno is in need of someone capable of pulling the strings in attacking midfield and there won’t be a more Premier League proven option than Coutinho out there.

AND in other news, “It’s done”: Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer update, fans surely buzzing…

A round-up of the latest Pro40 matches as a number of games down to the final over

Cricinfo staff10-Aug-2008Division OneIt was a battle of England wicketkeepers at Chester-le-Street with Matt Prior edging the honours against Phil Mustard, because his 79 was a key part in a successful Sussex chase, after Mustard’s 82 boosted Durham to a challenging 221. But it was a close-run thing as Sussex squeezed home off the last ball after Ollie Rayner struggled to get one off the final three deliveries. In the end it required a scrambled single to mid-off to reach their revised 224 off 38 overs. Prior got into gear ahead of the one-day series against South Africa with his 83-ball innings, which put Sussex on track until he was stumped by Mustard. They needed 40 off five overs and Robin Martin-Jenkins helped seal the success.Mark Hardinges, who has been told he can leave Gloucestershire at the end of the season, held his nerve to guide them to a two-wicket win off the penultimate ball against Hampshire at Cheltenham. He struck 27 off 20 balls after the middle order had wasted the good work of the top three. Marcus North hit 56 off 52 balls after an opening stand of 78, but when he fell it left Gloucestershire on 189 for 6. However, the lower order had enough in the tank as Hardinges hit the winning boundary off Billy Taylor. Hampshire’s 236 for 5 was built around 88 off 91 balls from Michael Lumb and a second-wicket stand of 116 with Michael Carberry who made 56. Chris Benham’s powerful 49 boosted the final tally, but it wasn’t quite enough.Somerset secured their second Pro40 win of the season but, they too, left it late before edging home with one ball to spare against Nottinghamshire at Taunton. Regular brisk contributions from the middle order, along with Craig Kieswetter’s 57 off 85 balls, kept the target in sight. Graeme Swann made life tricky with an impressive spell which brought four wickets and it came down to four needed off the final over. Somerset were made to sweat as Mark Ealham went for just two off four balls before Omari Banks hit the winning runs. Nottinghamshire were given a solid platform by Will Jefferson’s 53 before Adam Voges controlled the innings. But a steady stream of wickets meant it needed Paul Franks’ 34 off 16 balls – including 28 off the final over – to reach 240.For a full report on Lancashire against Worcestershire at Old Trafford, and Steven Davies’ century, click here.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Nottinghamshire 4 3 1 0 06 +0.451 760/135.2 717/138.5 Sussex 4 2 0 0 2 6+0.090 470/77.4 465/78.0 Somerset 42 2 0 0 4 -0.181929/159.5 957/159.4 Gloucestershire 4 11 0 2 4 -0.111 330/53.5337/54.0 Worcestershire 3 1 10 1 3 +1.304 373/65.0 272/61.2 Middlesex 2 1 1 00 2 +0.295 403/80.0 362/76.2Durham 3 1 2 0 02 +0.044 693/114.2 710/118.0 Lancashire 3 0 1 0 2 2-4.200 84/25.0 189/25.0 Hampshire 30 2 0 1 1 -0.454436/75.0 469/74.5

Division TwoA thunderous late assault from Mark Wallace carried Glamorgan to a four-wicket victory with one ball remaining against Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay on an afternoon of thrilling high scoring. The final over started with 17 needed and Wallace swung a four followed by two sixes from the first three balls. It isn’t often that an effort of 114 off 119 balls will go unrewarded, but that’s the position Jacques du Toit found himself in after the home side chased down a huge 292. Batsmen took advantage of some inviting short boundaries throughout and Wallace hit 48 off 17 balls, after coming in with 64 needed off five overs, to haul Glamorgan across the line following Ben Wright’s 45 off 29 deliveries. Michael Powell held the chase together with 81, but when he went it seemed so had Glamorgan’s hopes. Wallace had other ideas. du Toit’s efforts, though, were impressive as he smashed 14 fours and five sixes in his maiden one-day century. The innings was sealed by a stand of 97 with Dillon du Preez, who clubbed five sixes in a 23-ball 49 to follow his century against Yorkshire last week, but it would prove in vain.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Essex 5 4 0 1 09 +1.367 858/142.5 798/172.0 Kent 2 2 0 0 0 4+1.152 418/70.2 337/70.2 Warwickshire 32 1 0 0 4 +0.533753/120.0 689/120.0 Glamorgan 3 21 0 0 4 +0.190 639/110.1619/110.2 Yorkshire 3 2 10 0 4 -0.259 690/120.0 679/113.0 Derbyshire 3 1 2 00 2 -0.084 720/115.4 757/120.0Surrey 4 1 3 0 02 -0.785 635/135.0 741/135.0 Leicestershire 4 0 3 1 0 1-0.526 1043/160.0 1126/159.5 Northamptonshire 30 3 0 0 0 -1.482548/117.0 558/90.3

Some Liverpool supporters have been left frustrated by James Pearce’s update on Harvey Elliott, with many thinking it means a new signing won’t come in.

Elliott enjoyed a superb season in the Championship last season, shining on loan at Blackburn Rovers.

The 18-year-old chipped in with seven goals and 11 assists for Tony Mowbray’s side, thriving in the second tier thanks to his technical quality and unpredictability on the ball.

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Jurgen Klopp has the option of loaning out Elliott once more this summer, in order for him to gain more experience, but it looks as though that won’t happen.

According to The Athletic‘s Pearce [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], the young forward looks certain to take Xherdan Shaqiri’s place in the squad, with the Swiss playmaker expected to move on.

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Liverpool fans react to Pearce’s update on Elliott

Despite Elliott’s obvious talent, these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the news, with some claiming it means a more experienced replacement won’t come in.

“This boy needs minutes and experience in PL. Just filling the bench with teenagers will obstruct their development”

Credit: @SchwarzHertz

“Don’t tell me that Elliott is an alternative to Shaqiri and we won’t sign anyone”

Credit: @SamNikeng

“City signing Grealish, Utd signing Sancho but big bad Liverpool with 18 year old Elliott nice innit”

Credit: @amal_lukose

“Need a striker and midfielder badly”

Credit: @John92121476

“So basically he’ll also get no game time just like Shaqiri”

Credit: @Suven2695

“We’ve got no money”

Credit: @RebelYelliex

“In others words Klopp has no money to spend”

Credit: @Corballyred

“We’re absolutely washed next season”

Credit: @RIPJakeFutbol

“We’re done out here”

Credit: @beamerrrrrr

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left in hysterics at one player’s social media post. Find out who it is here.

Many Aston Villa fans have been reacting excitedly on Twitter following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s comments on potential interest in Southampton forward Danny Ings.

Known to be attracting attention from Aston Villa and Tottenham this summer, the England international has been attracting increasing speculation surrounding his future following his decision to turn down a new four-year contract at St Mary’s earlier this month [Sky Sports].

Breaking his silence on the matter, Southampton coach Hasenhuttl added fuel to the fire, claiming that “it’s not a perfect situation” for Ings or the club that he snubbed the Saints’ contract offer [BBC].

The 28-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2020/21 campaign, with 13 goals and four assists in 33 appearances [Transfermarkt] following on from a 25-goal season before that, illustrating that he can be a consistently reliable scorer.

In light of these comments from Hasenhuttl, many Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the state of play surrounding Ings.

Aston Villa fans react:

Reacting to popular news outlet Aston Villa News on Twitter, here is what some Villa supporters said when asked whether the club should sign the Southampton striker:

“An amazing player but we’d have to find a way of playing both him and Watkins”

Credit: @fobl11″He is quality, however Watkins is our striker and Smith isn’t changing the system, no chance.”Credit: @PJ_Harley”Of course, he’s a great forward”Credit: @Kizzalinka”100%”Credit: @silkievillain”Yes!”Credit: @frenchie1985″Knows where back of the net is…..”Credit: @HammondgrowlIn other news, many Aston Villa fans are keen on this hot prodigy.

حرص إيهاب جلال المدير الفني الجديد لمنتخب مصر الأول، على التواصل مع لاعبي فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، لتحفيزهم قبل مباراة نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة الوداد البيضاوي المغربي في “فاينال” البطولة القارية، والمقرر له في الـ30 من مايو الجاري على ملعب مركب محمد الخامس.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر لماراتي غينيا وإثيوبيا.. 44 لاعبًا منهم الشحات وعبد القادر

وعلم “بطولات” أن إيهاب جلال أجرى اتصالات بعدد من لاعبي الأهلي، وذلك لتحفيزهم والشد من أزرهم قبل نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أفريقيا أمام الوداد.

وتواصل إيهاب جلال مع محمد الشناوي وعمرو السولية وحمدي فتحي ومحمد مجدي أفشة وطالبهم بالتركيز في الفترة المقبلة.

واختتم إيهاب جلال حديثه مع لاعبي الأهلي متمنيًا لهم التوفيق في مواجهة الوداد، قبل إنضمامهم لمعسكر المنتخب الوطني.

يذكر، أن لاعبي الأهلي سينضمون لمعسكر منتخب مصر عقب مباراة الوداد، لخوض مواجهتي الجولة الأولى والثانية من تصفيات أمم إفريقيا أمام غينيا وإثيوبيا.

When John Stones came to Everton as a teenager, he was a rare breed, especially for an English centre-half.

Previously, you had to look far and wide for a player with his attributes in England. Stones could play the ball out from the back and dribble forward like a number 10.

He was calm, composed and looked like he’d be at the heart of Everton and England’s defence for years to come.

Stones consequently moved to Manchester City in a deal worth £47.5m, but has since struggled to consistently nail down a place in their starting XI.

He still earned a place among Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2018 World Cup – a tournament he scored twice at – but his club form began to deteriorate.

City might have sold him and a return to Everton nearly materialised. Yet, the ball-playing defender grabbed the bull by the horns and fought for his place.

The result of which was one of his most mature campaign to date in 2020/21. He played more often Aymeric Laporte and wasn’t forgotten about despite the £65m addition of Ruben Dias.

Stones won the league title and has impressed again at Euro 2020. Though, if the Toffees now have zero chance of bringing him back to Merseyside, they could find a like-minded player in Ben White.

Cut from a similar cloth, Rafa Benitez has been touted with making a £55m switch for the Brighton defender.

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Just 23 years of age, he has only one year of Premier League experience under his belt but looks wise beyond his ears.

His short passing success rate is impressive, completing 90.2% last season compared to Stones’ tally of 95.8%.

White’s dribbling is also an eye-catching characteristic. Throughout 2020/21, the newly capped England defender completed 0.68 successful dribbles per 90 minutes. By comparison, Stones managed 0.42 per 90.

Speaking about the Everton target during 2019, Noel Whelan compared the two, saying: “He is going to be an England international and is heading for a top club, a Champions League club. There’s no doubt he’s good enough.

“Right now, he’s on a par with John Stones, if not better than him. Ben White is much younger, has room for improvement and has a massive career ahead of him.”

Whelan isn’t wrong about his assessments. Arsenal are also in the race to sign the centre-back and even if he favours a move to north London, he mustn’t forget what Everton did for Stones before he joined Manchester City.

This would be a massive outlay for someone with little experience at the top level but he’d surely improve Benitez’s defence.

AND in other news, Brands must seal Everton swoop for “unstoppable” £40m star, Rafa thinks he’s “great”…