Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad and David Warner will travel with the team to the first match in Melbourne after the side was dealt two injury blows

Cricinfo staff13-Jan-2009
Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad © Getty Images
Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad and David Warner will travel with the team to the first match in Melbourne after the side was dealt two injury blows. Peter Siddle has been ruled out of the limited-overs series against South Africa with a stress problem in his foot, while Michael Clarke will have his injured right thumb assessed in Melbourne on Wednesday.Warner has been placed on standby for Clarke and even if he does not play he will add to the national squad experience that began with a brilliant 89 at the MCG on Sunday. Harris, who is also part of the Twenty20 group but was not picked for either match, will be hoping for an ODI debut in Friday’s match.Siddle’s injury concern has ruled him out of the South Africa games but he is expected to be fit for the one-day series against New Zealand beginning on February 1. Scans revealed the early stages of mild stress in Siddle’s left foot, although the problem is far less severe than a similar worry that required Brett Lee to have surgery.”Peter Siddle has had previous pain in his left foot which became worse during the Test Series against South Africa,” Alex Kountouris, the team physio said. “After the series was completed, we investigated and scans revealed the early signs of mild stress on a bone in his left foot.”As such, Peter needs a short period of rest before resuming bowling which we anticipate will be in a further two weeks. We have taken a conservative approach to his recovery with the Test Series in South Africa, and the Australian team’s upcoming commitments, in mind.”Siddle is yet to make his one-day international debut but has impressed in his first four Tests with 17 wickets at 31.29. The Queensland fast bowler Harris, 29, is the second leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield this season with 27 victims at 26.59.

Aston Villa would not have paid £50m for James Ward-Prowse before he signed his new Southampton contract, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Manager Dean Smith was keen to bring Ward-Prowse to Villa, with Sky Sports reporting back in July that the Midlands club had made an unsuccessful £25m bid for the player.

Ward-Prowse has since put pen to paper on a new five-year deal, ending Villa’s pursuit for the summer.

However, prior, The Athletic reported that a sale was possible if the Villans offered half of the money they received for Jack Grealish, now of Manchester City.

According to Hatfield, though, Villa were never going to offer that kind of money. He told FFC:

“I don’t think Villa would’ve met the £50m asking price if I’m being brutally honest.

“Dean Smith’s always been after Premier League experience and players he thinks could help Villa. But at that price, it would’ve been very hard to see Villa splashing the cash and doing that one.”

From Southampton’s perspective, they will be relieved that they have managed to keep hold of Ward-Prowse.

The Saints have already lost Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard this summer, sanctioning sales to Villa and Leicester City respectively. To lose Ward-Prowse as well would have been a devastating blow.

Declan Rice continued his phenomenal form as West Ham United’s unbeaten start to the 2021/22 campaign came to a crushing end on Sunday.

David Moyes’ side were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at the London Stadium in a game marred by late controversy as club captain Mark Noble came on as a substitute to miss a penalty, just minutes after last season’s loan star Jesse Lingard bagged an agonising winner.

In amongst the heartbreak, it was the 22-year-old England international who displayed exactly why teams like their opposition are interested in signing him ahead of 2022.

According to The Sun earlier this month, both Manchester giants are set to go head-to-head in a battle to try and secure the Hammers star next summer, though they’ll have to pay in excess of £100m.

In the heart of midfield, Rice was shades of Roy Keane, something on which the Sky Sports pundit even commented himself during the game.

“He’s way ahead of me when I was 22. I think the next step will come to him when he plays a higher level and when I say higher level I mean for Manchester United,” he said.

Indeed, the £63m-rated beast managed to record the best passing accuracy on the pitch, making 97% of his 59 attempts – a feat that not even Paul Pogba nor Bruno Fernandes could match on the afternoon.

He also completed 100% of his long ball attempts, which is even more impressive considering the lack of a target man in this West Ham squad.

Rice was one of Moyes’ most influential players, registering a squad-high 68 touches, in which he only lost possession three times, and that was amongst the lowest on the pitch as he proved to be a very hard man to dispossess – almost as if he ran the show, despite the defeat.

Keane wasn’t the only one to shower the Englishman in praise either as the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser graded his performance a 9/10 and wrote: ‘Another stellar showing following his goalscoring European debut in the week.’

Rice, who earns around £60k-per-week currently, also showed his defensive capabilities by putting in two interceptions and one tackle, though it wasn’t enough to thwart the finishing qualities of Ronaldo and his teammate from last season.

All in all, though, Rice was perhaps the one shining light from a bitter day at the London Stadium.

AND in other news, Signed for £15m, now worth 140% more: Moyes struck gold over “unplayable” West Ham gem…

South Australia 411 & 7 for 334 (Klinger 137, Borgas 60) beat Queensland 352 & 392 (Watson 81, Hartley 75*, Love 50, Christian 4-89) by 3 wickets
Scorecard

Michael Klinger struck his third hundred of the season as South Australia won their first Sheffield Shield game of the summer by chasing 334 on the final day at the Gabba. Klinger, the leading run-scorer in the competition with 775 at 96.87, steered the Redbacks as they recorded a three-wicket victory that lifted them to fourth.Everything was going well for the visitors when Klinger, an off-season recruit from Victoria, was there but when he left at 6 for 280 it set up a tight finish. Aaron O’Brien (26 not out) and Daniel Christian (30) made sure of the success as South Australia reached 7 for 334 with 2.1 overs remaining.Queensland suffered again from dropped catches after giving Callum Ferguson three lives during his first-innings 132. O’Brien was spilled by Shane Watson on 4, Klinger got a reprieve on 109, Cameron Borgas was missed on 12 and Martin Love grassed the opener Daniel Harris on 0 off Chris Swan. Love made up for the mistake in the same over when he caught Younis Khan without scoring.Harris and Klinger put on 97 and then Klinger combined with Borgas in a 136-run partnership that set the platform for the chase. They needed 124 in the final session, but had to overcome some nervous moments when they lost 4 for 45, including Klinger. Swan was the leading Queensland bowler with 3 for 56 and the Bulls stay in second on 18 points, four behind Victoria.

Wolves haven’t been incredibly active in the ongoing transfer window with a deal to sign Hwang Hee-chan believed to be their final attacking acquisition of the window.

Yet, a phenomenal opportunity may have just presented itself to Bruno Lage and Fosun.

What’s the word?

Wolves have been interested in signing Kang-in Lee for a number of months now but had never made a formal approach to bring him to Molineux.

Fresh reports last week dictated that Lage’s men, Southampton and Newcastle could make a late dart to sign him before the deadline closes on Tuesday night.

Kang-in Lee had a mighty release clause of £71m with Valencia but their pursuit of the South Korean might be about to get a whole lot easier.

That’s because the 20-year-old had his contract with the Spanish club terminated on Sunday which means he’s now available on a free transfer.

Sign him

The Old Gold’s finances this summer have been restricted and they’re also lacking senior bodies in the first-team.

Therefore, signing Kang before the window slams shut would tick every box possible.

He’d be cost-effective and has plenty of experience under his belt for his tender age. Though, most importantly, he’s a fabulous player.

The South Korean scored three goals in four outings at the recent Olympics and although he only found the net once in club football last term, he still produced four assists.

A tricky footballer, Kang also amassed 1.6 dribbles per match last season, a tally only Nelson Semedo, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore bettered in 2020/21.

Reaction to his exit from Valencia also tells the story of his immense qualities. La Liga expert Paco Polit reacted with the following tweet: “Kang In Lee came when he was 10. He leaves when he is 20. The biggest prospect I’ve ever seen in VCF Academy, alongside Isco and he’s gone for free.”

Not only has the youngster been compared to Isco but he’s been mentioned in the same breath as Manchester City legend David Silva too.

The following review from Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo is also eye-catching: “He is willing to learn every day, regardless of whether he is in first or second-team training. He is a player with outstanding talent.”

On that evidence, Wolves should look at signing him. It feels like an absolute no-brainer on a free transfer.

AND in other news, Wolves may sign “special” £36m Mendes client in late summer swoop, he’s Pedro Neto 2.0…

Dominic McKay’s departure from Celtic could be a ‘catalyst’ for ‘significant boardroom change’, Alison McConnell reports. 

The lowdown

McKay had been Chief Executive for less than three months when his exit was announced on Friday.

He officially left his post for ‘personal reasons’, but it’s been suggested that he made an ‘inauspicious impression’ in the early weeks of his role.

Club officials apparently came to view him as an ‘imperfect fit’ and decided that a parting of ways would be ‘best for all parties’.

McKay oversaw the addition of 12 new players during the summer transfer window, with Celtic spending a total of £20.05million.

They still managed to turn a healthy profit, having sold Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer to Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Brentford respectively.

The latest

The expectation is that McKay’s exit will ‘spark [a] boardroom revolution’ at the club, according to a tweet shared by McConnell.

Now that the transfer window is shut, further hierarchical changes are thought to be ‘inevitable’.

The verdict

The worry for Celtic fans will be that all this change off the field will inevitably affect results on it.

Ange Postecoglou has made a promising start at Parkhead, but there are few clubs who thrive without stability – just look at Newcastle’s performances in the Premier League after their takeover fell through.

Clearly, it’s crucial that Celtic recruit a replacement who not only has the aptitude, but also the temperament for the role, working well with Postecoglou while not upsetting the apple cart in the boardroom.

In other news, Celtic have been linked with this Championship ace. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Você lembra qual foi a última vez em que o Fluminense saiu de campo sem sofrer gols? Neste Brasileirão, nenhuma. Desde o dia 22 de abril, há quase dois meses, quando venceu o Vasco na semifinal do Carioca, a equipe de Abel não sabe o que é passar 90 minutos com a defesa intacta. Nesta noite, às 21h45, o Tricolor pode encerrar a sequência negativa de 13 jogos diante do lanterna Avaí, pior ataque da competição. O site do LANCE! transmite a partida em tempo real.

​Jogando fora de casa, a fragilidade da defesa é ainda mais evidente. A última partida sem sofrer gols como visitante foi no dia 12 de março, contra o Boavista, em Bacaxá, pela Taça Rio. Porém, a Ressacada não tem intimidado os adversários: o Avaí só fez dois gols em casa neste Brasileirão – e apenas um fora. Ou seja, marcaram apenas em três das oito partidas até agora.

Para Henrique, capitão e titular absoluto, os desfalques e mudanças na escalação influenciam no mau momento da defesa. Metade do time que chegou a ficar sete jogos sem sofrer gols na Taça Guanabara não segue entre os titulares.

– Muda o campeonato, muda o time, é difícil. Ficamos um tempo sem tomar gol no começo do ano e perdemos aquela base pelas lesões que estamos enfrentando. Os jovens estão bem, estamos tentando acertar e no caminho certo – defende o zagueiro, que cita a defesa como um conjunto.

– O sistema ofensivo são os onze, e o sistema defensivo são os onze também. Logo as coisas vão se acertar.
​

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Manchester United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 18-year-old throughout the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his engine room options.

And now, the well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Camavinga’s situation, claiming a move away from his boyhood club could still occur before the transfer window closes.

He tweeted: “There are chances for Eduardo Camavinga to leave Rennes in the final 8 days of the transfers market. He’ll not sign a new long-term deal with Rennes, so they’re open to sell Camavinga for €35m fee. #transfers It depends on the offers in the next few days. Open race.”

Solskjaer will love him

The talented teenager has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young players since making his first-team debut back in 2019, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 86 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

Famed for his tackling skills, his ability to drive upfield with the ball and his tactical discipline, Camavinga would be a valuable addition to any top-level squad and Solskjaer would surely love to bring one of the sports most exciting prospects to Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at United still up in the air, the chance to bring in a ready-made replacement for just £30m is surely something the club’s hierarchy must be considering.

Although Camavinga is a different player with a different set of attributes to his compatriot, his ability and potential mean he could be the ideal heir to the World Cup-winning dynamo, should he seek pastures new next summer.

Therefore, Solskjaer and United supporters alike will love this news and will surely be hoping that football director John Murtough can pull off a third masterclass of the current window to bring the youngster to the red half of Manchester.

The 20-time English champions are attempting to win their first top-flight title since 2013 this season, and the arrival of Camavinga would be a substantial boost to their chances of doing just that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than De Gea: £40.5m-rated MUFC dud who lost 60% duels cost Ole vs Saints 

A Harare court has ordered Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to submit documents concerning its payroll, sponsorship deals and ICC grants, according to a report from the Associated Press

Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2008
The latest development in the Taibu case is likely to stump Zimbabwe Cricket officials © Cricinfo Ltd
A Harare court has ordered Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to submit documents concerning its payroll, sponsorship deals and ICC grants following claims of financial mismanagement by the former Zimbabwe captain, Tatenda Taibu.Taibu appeared in court on Thursday facing charges of assault on ZC’s general finance manager, Esther Lupepe, in October. He has claimed his innocence throughout and has countered that the accusation is part of a wider plot by ZC to silence him from going public on his concerns over their handling of funds and the poor incomes afforded to players. The court has now adjourned until February 6.Taibu’s alleged row with Lupepe in September is believed to have resulted from ZC declining to pay expenses claimed by him relating to his taking his family to Pakistan with the squad earlier this year. He maintains ZC agreed to underwrite those costs but later refused to honour that commitment.Taibu has had a fractious relationship with senior board officials ever since he walked out in 2005 following what he said were threats made against his family. He subsequently returned, but following the accusations by Lupepe he was only persuaded at the last minute to join the national squad when it headed to Canada.He is not the first to raise concern over financial irregularities by ZC. An independent forensic audit carried out by KPMG showed up misuse of funds by board officials, but the ICC, at an executive meeting earlier this year, decided not to take any major action against Zimbabwe, which ultimately led to a fallout between Ray Mali, the president, and chief executive Malcolm Speed – Speed, who opposed the inaction, was later sent on gardening leave.

Everton were reportedly competing with clubs in the UEFA Champions League to sign David Luiz on a free transfer.

The Lowdown: Luiz joins Flamengo

Flamengo confirmed last week that Luiz has signed for them as a free agent after his deal at Arsenal ran out in the summer.

The central defender played in 73 games in total over all competitions across two consecutive seasons for the Gunners, scoring four goals and making one assist (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Everton interest

As per Globo Esporte, the Goodison Park faithful were among a whole host of teams interested in signing Luiz for free in the summer window.

West Ham United, Lazio, Marseille, Al-Rayyan, Benfica, Lille and Real Madrid were also all reportedly interested in his signature, with the latter three currently involved in the group stages of the Champions League.

Seemingly then, Rafael Benitez is wanting to add one more centre-back to his ranks, perhaps something to watch out for in the January transfer window.

The Verdict: Relief

Even though Luiz has had a luxurious career, including winning both the Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea, and would have been available for free, he is 34 years of age now, and so the Brazilian is certainly past his best.

The Merseyside club are also pretty well-equipped in the centre-back department at the moment, and so a move to bring Luiz in would not really have made much sense.

If Benitez is desperate to add a new face there, a young player who could perhaps partner Ben Godfrey for years to come would be a better investment.

In other news, find out what Rafa Benitez comments have Toffees buzzing here!