When South Africa last toured England, left-hand batsman Jacques Rudolph played all five Tests. Five years later, Rudolph is in the middle of a Kolpak contract with Yorkshire

Cricinfo staff19-Jul-2008
Jacques Rudolph has had a successful stint with Yorkshire © Getty Images
When South Africa last toured England in 2003, left-hand batsman Jacques Rudolph played all five Tests. Five years later, Rudolph is not with the visiting South African side, but in the middle of a Kolpak contract with Yorkshire, which will keep him at the county till 2011.Rudolph signed an initial three-year deal with Yorkshire in January 2007, effectively cutting short his international career with South Africa at the age of 25. Rudolph’s first-class average with Yorkshire is 58.38 – in contrast to his 36.21 in 35 Tests – and he is not unhappy with his decision to leave.”I’ve got no regrets,” Rudolph told the . “There are no hard feelings.” Although he had made his way to the South African squad in the 2001 home series against India, Rudolph made his Test debut over 15 months later in Bangladesh. The proposed third Test in Centurion against India was deemed unofficial after the Mike Denness episode, and later in Sydney, he was controversially omitted in favour of Justin Ontong, a Cape Coloured, after Cricket South Africa president Percy Sonn vetoed his selection on grounds of racial discrimination.Rudolph, though, started his Test career with an unbeaten 222 against Bangladesh in April 2003. However, he wasn’t able to firm a place and was dropped from the XI during the home series against India in December 2006. “At that stage of my career, I felt I needed stability and security,” Rudolph said. “I was in and out of the South Africa side and it was creating a lot of stress for me and my family.” Rudolph played his last Test, against Sri Lanka, in that year.”For that reason, I signed for Yorkshire. It was a great opportunity and I think I’m in a much better position at the moment.”Rudolph didn’t rule out returning to South Africa. “Will I play for South Africa again? There’s a possibility,” he said. “I’ve got three more seasons on my Yorkshire contract after this one and after that, I could qualify for England. I’ll make a decision on that if and when I get there. At the moment, I’m just enjoying my Yorkshire career.” Rudolph could also qualify to play for England under residency rules by 2012.Rudolph was not surprised by the manner in which South Africa’s batsmen saved the Lord’s Test after following on. “You can’t take anything away from South Africa’s batting,” he said. “I still take an interest in this series, of course I do. I’m friendly with some of the younger guys in the team.”Left-arm spinner Paul Harris, in his diary on Cricinfo, had mentioned he would speak to Rudolph about the conditions at Headingley, home to Yorkshire. “A little bit of me wants South Africa to win,” Rudolph said. “I played for them for so many years, and you don’t just change overnight.”Rudolph expects South Africa to come back strongly after the Lord’s performance. “England will take a lot out of the first Test – a lot of people expected South Africa to roll them over. This will be a wake-up call for South Africa and I think they will hit the ground better at Headingley.”They are renowned for their character and their ability to fight back, and they showed that at Lord’s in the second innings.”We haven’t seen the best of the South African attack. Dale Steyn has had an unbelievable couple of years. I think Headingley will suit them better than Lord’s, and Morne Morkel should be able to give them some insight from his time at Yorkshire.”

An update has emerged on DL Pro striker Salomon Rondon, regarding Everton’s potential interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Echo, Everton have been considering a swoop for Rondon this summer to compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The report claims his name has been mentioned in transfer discussions, although the club have no immediate plans to pursue a deal for him.

Tosun 2.0

Everton must avoid repeating their Cenk Tosun howler by swerving this deal for Rondon.

The Turkish international, Tosun, has been on £60k-per-week throughout his time at the club and has done little to repay the owners with his performances on the pitch following a £27m switch.

He has scored nine Premier League goals for Everton since arriving at the club in January 2018 from Besiktas, a tally that rises to ten if you include the solitary strike he managed on loan to Crystal Palace in 2020.

Rondon was reportedly set to be paid £250k-per-week in China and was on £70k-per-week at Newcastle during his loan spell on Tyneside. This suggests that the forward would command a fairly sizeable pay packet if he were to arrive at Goodison Park this summer, perhaps similar to the amount Tosun has been earning. So, is he worth that?

Once upon a time, yes. Rondon managed 11 goals and seven assists in the 2018/19 campaign for Newcastle and has scored 35 goals in the Premier League in his career.

Lee Clark once said of the striker: “I was fortunate enough to play with Les Ferdinand and Rondon reminds me of him. They’re both swashbuckling centre forwards, who hold the ball up well and provide a focal point for their team-mates.”

Rondon, who has been capped 83 times by his country, will be 32 in September and has not been playing at a high standard since the end of that loan spell with the Toon. He has played in China and Russia in recent seasons, scoring four goals in 13 games for CSKA Moscow last term.

Given his potential wage demands, his age, and his uninspiring form in the Russian league during the 2020/21 campaign, Everton must avoid signing Rondon.

He would likely be another Tosun; paying a large sum of money each month to contribute little on the pitch whilst taking up a seat on the bench that a younger player could have instead.

AND in other news, Greg O’Keeffe drops Everton update that should leave fans buzzing…

West Ham boss David Moyes is eyeing a reunion with one of his former stars, according to emerging reports this week…

What’s the word?

90min claim that the Scotsman is interested in bringing Ross Barkley to the London Stadium, should he not be able to secure a return for loan sensation Jesse Lingard.

The 27-year-old midfielder is one of several players who have been told they can leave Chelsea this window.

Signing the Manchester United ace permanently remains a priority in East London but their chances of securing him are diminishing by the week, so a move for Barkley could come to fruition much sooner than expected.

Must steer clear

However, Moyes risks undoing his good work at the club as Barkley is not fit to fill Lingard’s attacking midfield void.

The 28-year-old provided nine goals and five assists following his arrival in January and his form resulted in him being graded as the Hammers’ second highest-rated player for the whole season.

Meanwhile, Barkley struggled to keep up consistency during a loan spell with Aston Villa, who the Irons were rivalling for a place in Europe at one point.

As per Transfermarkt, the £18m-rated dynamo delivered only one goal and three assists,  with three of those four goal contributions coming before mid-November, meaning he went 18 games with just one goal to his name.

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In fact, The Athletic’s Villa reporter Gregg Evans went as far as deeming him a “liability” on the ‘1874’ podcast.

“He doesn’t do enough for me now. I’ve seen enough of Ross Barkley now to realise that he’s becoming a bit of a liability for Villa. He’s not helping out enough as he should, really. Whether that’s impacting on John McGinn, I don’t know.”

If Moyes were to turn his attentions to the player he gave a professional debut to at Goodison Park, then he risks ruining the project he’s building at the London Stadium.

The 58-year-old has transformed West Ham from relegation candidates, avoiding the drop with one game to spare in 2019/20, to qualifying for the Europa League.

He’s done so through shrewd acquisitions like Lingard, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma and Vladimir Coufal and not by bringing washed-up stars like Barkley to the club.

The 33-time England international has failed to provide a double-figure campaign, in terms of goals and assists combined, since the 2016/17 campaign. At least Lingard had delivered in the few seasons building up to his absence last year.

Moyes must avoid making a move for the £100k-per-week Chelsea flop this summer.

AND in other news, Moyes could sign West Ham’s next Payet in swoop for £13.5m-rated “special talent”…

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a vantagem de jogar pelo empate contra o Botafogo, neste domingo, no Maracanã, o Flamengo tem bons motivos para ficar otimista. O Rubro-Negro ainda está invicto neste Carioca e basta manter o retrospecto para avançar à decisão do campeonato. Além disso, o time da Gávea não perde no estádio desde dezembro de 2015, quando foi derrotado pelo Palmeiras, por 2 a 1.

Apesar da vantagem de jogar pelo empate, o discurso no Flamengo é de ir em busca da vitória.O zagueiro Réver afirma, por exemplo, que prefere ir em busca de um resultado do que jogar pelo empate.

-Eu não gosto muito (de jogar pelo empate). Prefiro ter que buscar o resultado. Clássico é muito equilibrado. Se o jogo estiver ruim, a vantagem será fundamental a partir dos 40 minutos do segundo tempo. Temos que buscar a vitória sempre. Equipe que busca em cima de empate acaba se prejudicando – disse o defensor.

O técnico Zé Ricardo garante que o Flamengo não vai mudar sua maneira de jogar por causa da vantagem do empate. Ele nega que o time vá entrar em campo pensando em segurar o jogo.

– É muito difícil de fazer esta avaliação no início do jogo, é mais para uma situação de final de partida. O Flamengo não entra em campo pensando em empatar, pensamos sempre em buscar o resultado positivo, é assim que vai ser – garante o treinador.

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أفادت تقارير صحفية أن خوان ماتا “المنبوذ” في مانشستر يونايتد يدرس الانتقال إلى فريق آخر في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

من المقرر أن يغادر الإسباني البالغ من العمر 34 عامًا أولد ترافورد عندما ينتهي عقده في نهاية هذا الشهر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مانشستر يونايتد يقترب من التوصل لاتفاق لضم لاعب برشلونة

منذ انضمامه إلى الشياطين الحمر في 2014 قدم 285 مباراة وسجل 51 هدفًا، لكنه نادرا ما ظهر في التشكيلة هذا الموسم.

في حين أن ناديه التالي غير معروف حاليًا، فقد ذكرت صحيفة “تايمز” الإنجليزية أنه قد يكون على استعداد للبقاء في إنجلترا.

وأوضحت الصحيفة أن خوان ماتا يرفض استبعاد احتمال انتقاله إلى منافس في الدوري الإنجليزي.

تم ربط ماتا سابقًا بالعودة إلى إسبانيا، حيث ورد أن برشلونة مهتم بالحصول على خدماته، ومع ذلك قد يكافح النادي الكتالوني لحسم تلك الصفقة بسبب عدم قدرتهم على تلبيه راتبه في ظل الأزمة المالية الحالية.

هذا، ويُقال أيضًا أن ريال سوسيداد مهتم بلعب خط الوسط الإسباني ولكن الأمر لا يتجاوز حد التكهنات حتى الآن.

Aston Villa fans have been handed an exciting transfer update about their side’s pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are eyeing up a swoop for the Jamaican winger this summer as they look to bring in some new faces ahead of the start of the Premier League campaign next month.

And now, The Express and Star’s Matt Maher has said: “The clubs are currently in talks over a deal but while Leverkusen accept the 23-year-old is likely to move on this summer, they will not let him go on the cheap.

“Bailey, who scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga last season, has emerged as one of Villa’s top targets as they look to bolster their attacking ranks. Boss Dean Smith also has a serious interest in Burnley’s Dwight McNeil and it is thought Villa are prepared to make one more big-money signing.”

Fans will be buzzing

The £31.5m-rated Bailey enjoyed an outstanding campaign in the Bundesliga last season, bagging an impressive 15 goals and providing another 11 assists to boot too.

Ajax’s former youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of Bailey: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

And, having been involved in signing him in the first place, Leverkusen’s sporting director, Rudi Voller, added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

Villa fans will rightly be buzzing at the news that the club have opened talks over signing Bailey, with the tantalising prospect of seeing him line up alongside the likes of Jack Grealish and Emi Buendia in a fluid front three just behind Ollie Watkins something to get very excited about.

The fact that Villa are being aggressive in the transfer market – having of course looked to sign Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe – is a real indication of just how keen they are in taking that next step in the Premier League.

Fans will be very excited with how things are shaping up at Villa Park this summer.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece drops Villa claim on Anwar El Ghazi…

If we really want to increase the number of players available for the national team and get guys into training, we need to do something about the drug problem in this country.We’ve heard more talk this week about the number of players not turning out for the national squad and as someone who has been around cricket my whole life I can tell you the biggest problem is marijuana. If we could stop people smoking weed we would have triple the amount of players available.It’s a serious social issue and it’s something we really need to address. If you can’t give up marijuana to play for your country and reach the pinnacle of your sport then you have a serious, serious problem.I know for a fact that there are a lot of players who won’t give up weed to play for their country. It’s crazy. Kids as young as 13 and 14 are getting hooked on it.If we invested money into educating people and stopping the country’s marijuana problem it would do more for sport than anything. We’ve had this problem for years and we have turned a blind eye to it but we can’t turn a blind eye any more because it’s right there in front of us every day.Every football match you go to, every cricket game you go to, you have the scent of marijuana.You can’t hide from it because it’s everywhere you go.The Bermuda Sun

Sheffield United have been dealt a major blow in their bid to keep George Baldock at Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Olympiakos and Burnley have joined Celtic in the race for the right-back in the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that the Scottish side are keen to take the 28-year-old on a temporary basis, however, Slavisa Jokanovic would not be open to anything other than sanctioning the permanent sale of the defender this summer, with it being reported that the Blades’ are demanding a fee of around £8m in order to part with Baldock.

However, the report finishes by stating that, following the latest interest in his services, the future of the right-back appears rather uncertain heading into the final weeks of the summer market.

Jokanovic will be fuming

With it looking as if Celtic’s pursuit of Baldock had hit something of a dead-end, and subsequently Sheffield United’s chances of retaining the services of the defender for their 2021/22 Championship campaign increasing, the new interest from Olympiakos and Burnley is sure to have left the 52-year-old manager fuming.

Despite a disappointing season last time out, Baldock nevertheless proved the previous year that he is an extremely important player within the United team.

Indeed, over his 38 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £4.5m-rated right-back made an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.8 clearances and won 4.9 duels per game.

He also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering three assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.6 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the man Garth Crooks dubbed a “superb” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Baldes’ joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of English football that season.

As such, it would very much seem as if the £26k-per-week Baldock remaining at Bramall Lane beyond the transfer deadline at the end of the month would indeed significantly improve the club’s chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, while his sale could well see the wheels fall off United’s promotion push before it has even really begun.

In other news: Sheff Utd dealt potential blow over “unreal” 7.5k-p/w ace, Jokanovic will be gutted

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are attempting to bring Takehiro Tomiyasu into the club as a right-back.

The club has been heavily linked with a potential swoop to sign the Bologna defender, who can play as both a central defender and a right-back.

He has competed at the Olympics with Japan, perhaps delaying any deal to take him to north London, but Bridge believes that the club are interested in a deal to sign him and strengthen their full-back ranks as a result.

Tomiyasu, 22, has been with Bologna since 2019 and has made a total of 63 appearances for the club, with the majority coming at right-back.

Spurs currently have both Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier as their options in the position, with the latter having been linked with an exit from north London. Tomiyasu could well be seen as his potential replacement in this window.

Bridge said: “I inquired about whether that guy is included in the centre-halves, they said no, they look at him as more of a right-back, which was interesting.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos terá reforços em seu elenco, mas não se trata de contratações. Na quarta-feira, o clube inaugura a nova academia do CT Rei Pelé, que terá mais de 40 novos equipamentos, além de uma decoração com imagens de ídolos.

Os principais equipamentos para exercícios sãoFlex Strider, Sparc Cybex e esteiras com telas com entrada USB e acesso à internet.

O Peixe contou com a ajuda da Life Fitness, fornecedora de equipamentos de academia e da Brahma, patrocinadora que bancou a obra e compra de aparelhos.

Segundo dirigentes santistas e membros do departamento médico do Peixe, os equipamentos são de última geração, o que tornará a instalação uma das mais modernas entre clubes brasileiros.

Até então, o Alvinegro não contava sequer com GPS para 11 atletas, para medir distância percorrida durante treinos e partidas, além de outras informações necessárias para fisiologistas e analistas de desempenho.

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