Saeed Ajmal, who was a notable omission from the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award list, has swept the bowling awards at the inaugural PCB annual award function
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2013Saeed Ajmal, who was a notable omission from the ICC Test Cricket of the Year award list, has swept the bowling awards at the inaugural PCB annual awards function. Apart from being named the best bowler in all three categories – Tests, ODIs and T20s – Ajmal also won the PCB special prize for Best Bowler of the Year.”Around the cricketing world, Pakistan over the years has been known for its bowling attack,” Ajmal said. “To be named the best for the year from such a special group, for me this is an out of this world feeling. It took me 16 years to reach at this point in my life.”Bowling in a Test match requires fitness, perseverance and skill. You have to think the batsman out. I am happy that I was rated as the best out of an attack that is considered second to none.”In 2012, Ajmal played six Tests in which he claimed 39 wickets at an average of 20.56, which was the best among the top ten bowlers. His best came in the UAE, where his 24 wickets at 14.70 helped Pakistan demolish England, the then No. 1 side in the world, 3-0. He also bagged 31 wickets in ODIs and 25 in T20s in this period.Nasir Jamshed, who made a comeback to the Pakistan team last year, also won awards in more than one category. He was named Batsman of the Year in both ODIs and T20s, while the prize for the Test Batsman of the Year went to Azhar Ali, who scored 551 runs at an average of 55.10.Mohammad Hafeez, who took over the reins of Pakistan’s T20 team last year, was named the Player of the Year for his successes with both bat and ball. Junaid Khan, the young fast bowler, was named the Emerging Player of the Year.The awards were decided by a jury comprising of Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s chief selector, Iqbal Qasim and veteran journalist Qamar Ahmed.List of winnersPlayer of the Year – Mohammad HafeezTest Bowler of the Year – Saeed AjmalTest Batsman of the Year – Azhar AliODI Bowler of the Year – Saeed AjmalODI Batsman of the Year – Nasir JamshedT20 Bowler of the Year – Saeed AjmalT20 Batsman of the Year – Nasir JamshedSpecial prize for Best Bowler of the Year – Saeed AjmalEmerging Player of the Year – Junaid KhanLifetime Achievement Award – Imtiaz AhmedMost Valuable Domestic Bowler of the Year – Zulfiqar BabarWoman Cricketer of the Year – Sana MirBlind Cricketer of the Year – Muhammad JamilDeaf Cricketer of the Year – Muhammad ShakilUmpire of the Year – Ahsan RazaCurator of the Year – Haji Muhammad Bashir
Leicestershire have signed Robbie Williams from Middlesex on a one-year deal
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2012Leicestershire have signed Robbie Williams from Middlesex on a one-year deal. Williams, a right-arm seamer, had been on trial with the club in the closing weeks of the 2012 season and appeared in the Second XI Championship final defeat by Kent.Williams, a product of Durham MCCU, is relatively inexperienced for a 25-year-old. He has played only nine first-class matches and none since 2009, taking 23 first-class wickets at 32.82, with a best of 5 for 70. On Middlesex debut, Williams opened the bowling with England seamer Steven Finn and picked up 5 for 115 against Essex.Leicestershire chief executive, Mike Siddall, said: “Robbie impressed whilst playing for the second XI. He adds to the selection opportunities within the seam bowlers and we hope that he will make his mark at Grace Road.”
The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has said it is “unlikely” they will agree to Bangladesh’s proposal to play three ODIs and five Twenty20s in May
Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2012
The tour cannot take place if the SACA withholds permission•Getty Images
The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has said it is “unlikely” they will agree to Bangladesh’s proposal to play three ODIs and five Twenty20s in May. SACA will meet with Cricket South Africa on Tuesday to discuss the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s offer but association chief executive Tony Irish told ESPNcricinfo it is doubtful they will rubber-stamp the fixtures.Should they withhold permission, the tour cannot take place, as Irish explained. “Because this will fall outside the Future Tours Programme, it needs the permission of SACA to take place,” Irish said. “And what I can say at the moment is that it is unlikely we will go through with it.”Irish said the main reason for SACA’s hesitancy is the packed schedule facing the national team. Most South Africa players are currently involved in the IPL or in county cricket, with the notable exceptions being Graeme Smith, who is recovering from ankle injury and Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Mark Boucher, who did not secure IPL deals.Bangladesh’s proposal to play the matches in May will leave South Africa without some of their players who are occupied in either India or England and could result in avoidable fatigue in a busy year. South Africa will play Zimbabwe in five practice Twenty20 matches in June, will then travel to England for over two months from July from where they will head to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. They also visit Australia in October-November and host New Zealand in December.Jacques Faul, CSA acting chief executive, said timing would be the biggest consideration when the relevant stakeholders meet to make a decision. “We always want to play cricket and foster cricket but we’ve got to be careful with how much preparation and how much rest we give our team,” Faul said. “It is quite important how we pace the team.”Irish’s comments indicated that it was in the best interest of the players not to include an extra tour, as it may result in overload. “With the way the international season is scheduled, it is quite difficult to fit other matches in, unless they are on special request from the team,” Irish said. The five matches in Zimbabwe are an example of this, with the fixtures taking place after national coach Gary Kirsten asked for more T20s before the World Twenty20.Zimbabwe have made special arrangements to accommodate South Africa’s request for the practice matches. They moved the dates for maintenance work on the pitches in Harare and Bulawayo from June to July, which also resulted in them having to postpone their scheduled tour against Bangladesh to later in the year.This has left Bangladesh with no international cricket before the World Twenty20 and motivated them to seek fixtures from South Africa. Bangladesh have also mooted the idea of a tri-series between themselves, South Africa and Zimbabwe although that also appears unlikely to happen.
ScorecardEd Cowan scored his third hundred of the Shield season•Getty Images
Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting both scored centuries to put Tasmania in a strong position to push for victory after two days against Western Australia. Should the Tigers beat the Warriors they would almost certainly earn a place in the Sheffield Shield final, and at stumps on day two in Hobart they led by 188 runs, with Western Australia at 1 for 33 in their second innings.The Warriors had already lost Liam Davis, the tournament’s leading run scorer this season, who was bowled by the in-form Jackson Bird for 9. Wes Robinson was at the crease on 9 and Shaun Marsh was on 12 but plenty of work remained for Western Australia, who entered the last round of games leading the Shield table but have now found themselves in danger of missing out on the final.After they were skittled for 142 on the opening day, the Warriors failed to match Tasmania’s impact with the ball as Cowan and Ponting compiled a 205-run partnership. Cowan continued his excellent season with his third hundred of the Shield campaign, while Ponting’s return to state ranks has now brought scores of 75 not out in the Ryobi Cup final, 130 in the Shield last week and 111 in this game.But Ponting’s departure, bowled by Michael Hogan, sparked a collapse of sorts as five wickets fell for 23 runs. Cowan was caught at gully for 143 off the bowling of Jason Behrendorff, who in his fourth first-class appearance was impressive with 4 for 85. But the Tigers pushed on to 363 and it seemed that Western Australia needed something special to avoid defeat.
Scott Styris is set to play for his fourth English first-class county after Sussex’s announcement that he has signed for the whole of their Friends Life t20 campaign this summer
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2012English county cricket’s love affair with Scott Styris shows no sign of abating. He is set to play for his fourth English first-class county after Sussex’s announcement that he has signed for the whole of their Friends Life t20 campaign this summer.Sussex’s cricket manager Mark Robinson said: “Scott has been a real thorn in our side in the last couple of years for Essex and we are really pleased he has decided to join us. We have lacked someone who is able to come in during the middle overs and be able to clear the ropes. Scott, as we’ve seen to our cost, is proven at doing this.”Styris, 36, retired from international cricket soon after the 2011 World Cup, ending a New Zealand career that spanned 188 ODIs and 31 Twenty20 internationals. He also played 29 Tests, the last of them in 2007.He has become a prime example of those seasoned players whose careers have been prolonged by T20, which is no longer regarded as purely a young man’s game. He represented Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2011 and Sussex’s signing confirms that he remains much in demand for England’s T20 tournament, in which he has already represented Durham, Middlesex and Essex.
O São Paulo terá uma sequência importante na volta do Brasileirão após a parada por conta da Copa do Mundo. Dos quatro próximos jogos, o Tricolor terá pela frente o líder Flamengo, clássico contra o Corinthians e confrontos com Grêmio e Cruzeiro, que também estão na parte de cima da tabela.
Os jogadores são-paulinos estão cientes da importância dessa sequência. O volante Hudson, por exemplo, disse ter “noção da responsabilidade” das partidas. Já o lateral-esquerdo Reinaldo quer o Tricolor “roubando pontos fora de casa” no retorno do Brasileirão.
– São jogos muito importantes, é importante somar pontos, porque são adversários diretos. Fazendo uma boa sequência contra esses times, mesmo jogando fora de casa, vamos nos manter na parte de cima. Temos a noção da responsabilidade desses jogos – afirmou Hudson.
– Com certeza (será decisiva), foi um começo de Brasileiro muito bom. Espero que a gente mantenha a intensidade para sair com resultado positivo. É uma sequência difícil, mas vai ser difícil para quem enfrentar o São Paulo. Estamos focados e tenho certeza de que vamos conseguir manter essa meta de roubar pontos fora de casa e fazer os três pontos em casa – disse Reinaldo.
O São Paulo é o terceiro colocado do Brasileirão, com 23 pontos, quatro a menos que o Flamengo. O Grêmio tem 20 e aparece em quinto lugar, enquanto o Cruzeiro soma 18 pontos e está em oitavo. Já o Corinthians tem 16 e ocupa a décima colocação.
Na sequência dos próximos quatro jogos, o São Paulo visita o Flamengo, recebe o Corinthians e depois visita o Grêmio e o Cruzeiro. Depois disso, o Tricolor tem partida pela Sul-Americana: em casa, contra o Colón.
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Eoin Morgan will captain England for the first time in career when he faces his former countrymen, Ireland, in a one-off ODI in Dublin next week
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2011Eoin Morgan will captain England for the first time in career when he faces his former countrymen, Ireland, in a one-off ODI in Dublin next week.Morgan, who did not play in England’s sensational World Cup defeat against Ireland in Bangalore due to injury, will lead a new-look 13-man squad including several up-and-coming members of the England Lions, after the selectors decided to rest a number of its senior players ahead of the five-match ODI series against India later this month,Leicestershire’s James Taylor, Yorkshire’s Jonathan Bairstow and Durham’s Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick all recently featured in the England Lions’ ODI series win over Sri Lanka A. None of them has yet been selected in a senior international, but with Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Stuart Broad among the key absentees, a draft of debutants can be expected in the fixture.”The squad we’re looking to take to Ireland involves a number of exciting young England players as we rest several players currently involved in the npower Test series against India,” said the national selector, Geoff Miller.”By resting several players that have played international cricket since the start of the summer the opportunity has arisen for a number of talented up and coming players to continue their development on the international stage. We know from previous encounters that Ireland are a tough ODI outfit and we’ll be fielding a very strong England side that will need to play well.”We’re also presented with the opportunity to provide Eoin Morgan with further leadership experience and I know he is very much looking forward to assuming the captaincy and developing his leadership credentials while in charge of a young England squad.”One senior player who will making the trip is Jonathan Trott, who has recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained during the second Test at Trent Bridge, and is expected to be fit to play. His replacement in the third and fourth Tests, Ravi Bopara, also makes the trip, as do Steven Finn and Graham Onions, the two unused fast bowlers from the Oval Test squad.Last week it was confirmed that Andy Flower, the team director, would also be missing the trip to Ireland. He will link up with the squad ahead of the Twenty20 international against India on August 31. In his absence, England’s assistant coach Richard Halsall will take charge.Morgan, who is England’s official Twenty20 vice-captain, becomes the fourth England captain of the 2011 summer, following on from the Test skipper Andrew Strauss, the regular ODI captain Cook, and Stuart Broad, the Twenty20 captain.It promises to be a tough baptism against an Ireland side who came uncomfortably close to winning their last bilateral fixture against England, at Belfast in 2009. That match, which took place in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes victory at The Oval, finished with England sneaking over the line by three runs, only after Morgan, fielding as a substitute at long-on, parried a Trent Johnston six back into play with one ball of the match remaining.Squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Graham Onions, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes
Chris Tremlett is a man whose sheer physical presence at Cardiff on Monday translated into the most telling spell of his career to date
Andrew Miller at Lord's01-Jun-2011
Chris Tremlett routed Sri Lanka on the final day in Cardiff•Getty Images
At 6’6″, Stuart Broad cannot have been dismissed as a “midget” on too many occasions in his international career, but he could well be made to look like the runt of the litter if, as expected, England field the tallest pace trio in Test history at Lord’s this week. The lanky Steven Finn is standing by to replace the injured James Anderson, but towering above all of his colleagues will be the bona fide beefcake, Chris Tremlett, a man whose sheer physical presence at Cardiff on Monday translated into the most telling spell of his career to date.There’s only a matter of inches separating the heights of England’s three tallest seamers, but with legs like tree-trunks and shoulders that can appear to be the width of the pitch as he bears down on his opponents, Tremlett’s physique has more in common with brick privies than the beanpoles that his team-mates can occasionally resemble. At the age of 29, and four Tests into his second coming as an international cricketer, he has at last found the self-confidence to match his natural aptitude for fast bowling.”Naturally I’m a pretty wide-built guy and I’m a pretty intimidating character to face,” Tremlett told reporters at Lord’s, two days after his spell of 4 for 40 in ten overs had secured a stunning England victory by an innings and 14 runs in the first Test. “I guess I’ve always been a believer in letting the ball do the talking, but in the last couple of years, I’ve become more confident and more aggressive on the field. Being six foot whatever you always have a slight advantage bowling at any batsman.”It took a well-documented shift from the home comforts of Hampshire (where his father Tim is director of cricket) to Surrey for Tremlett to prove he was ready to resume his Test career. However, the impact he has made in his second coming has been staggering. From his five-wicket haul on the first day of the Perth Test to his Ashes-clinching dismissal of Michael Beer at Sydney, he has been in the thick of the action for England, and was at it again in Cardiff this week, when he scalped both Sri Lanka’s openers in the space of eight deliveries to make possible their sensational collapse to 82 all out.Such imposing performances had been anticipated when Tremlett made his Test debut against India four years ago. However, despite some encouraging performances – particularly at Trent Bridge where he claimed six wickets in the match including 3 for 12 to delay India’s victory charge on the fifth morning – there was a certain something lacking from his armoury. “I did try to be aggressive but I guess it was forced a bit, to be honest,” he recalled. “I tried to be someone I wasn’t … it was difficult to be nasty.”He’s finding it rather easier now. As many of the great West Indian fast bowlers would testify, verbal aggression is not a requisite to Test success – witness the silent menace of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose, to name but three. However, in the opinion of his former captain at Hampshire, Shane Warne, Tremlett’s body language betrayed him as a soft touch, a charge the man himself did not dispute.”I won’t disagree with Warney,” he said. “I was a bit timid at times, but the older I’ve got, with more confidence and age, being more aggressive comes more naturally to me, and I guess my competitiveness has gone up, certainly since moving to Surrey. I perhaps held back a bit at Hampshire. These days, I don’t think about it too much – it just happens.”Nevertheless, it was Warne who came up with the one piece of advice that Tremlett has carried into the rest of his career. “If it wasn’t going well for me, for example, bowling no-balls, he said ‘just find a way’. That’s really stuck with me in my career. Don’t look for excuses, keep going and somehow find a way to get the job done.”He did that and more in Cardiff, in a bowling performance that scattered Sri Lanka’s batting in less than 25 overs all told, and left their coach, Stuart Law, ruefully contemplating the challenge of “getting forward to half-volleys that hit you in the chest.” “In the first innings I tried to get it up a little bit but my execution wasn’t quite as good,” said Tremlett. “In the second innings I did get it right, and my rhythm felt a lot better.”Had it not been for Anderson’s side strain, Tremlett might not have been unleashed with the new ball for that decisive spell, but having used the conditions to perfection, it might be a while before England strip him of the honour. “I maybe offer a bit more with the extra bounce you get with a new ball, so I do enjoy bowling with it,” he said. “But I still feel I can play whatever role, new ball or change. I’m pretty flexible on that.”The wicket at Cardiff was particularly slow, so it will be interesting to see what it’s like at Lord’s and whether we’ll go for our shorter bowlers. But myself, Finny and Broad always have that natural advantage over those guys that are 6ft. The short ball is a great weapon – and playing against this team, they are not used to it at times. It could be a plan we’ll go with, but we’ll assess that on the day. It’s something to think of.”The overall impression is of a cricketer who has found his niche. Jonathan Trott, England’s new-crowned player of the year, admitted it took him until his century in the Boxing Day Test to truly feel as though he belonged in the side, and while Tremlett was careful not to tempt fate given his history of injuries, he too admitted he feels at ease in the set-up, and confident of his worth.”The England management know what they’re going to get – whereas maybe a couple of years ago, when I was bit more inconsistent, they didn’t know which Chris Tremlett was going to turn up on the day,” he said. “I guess anything can happen with injuries as a bowler, so I’m not taking anything for granted, and I have had an injury history which will always stick with me in some regards, but it’s great to have had an injury-free year and hopefully that will continue.”
Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has suggested that there is set to be more talk over the signing of West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone over the coming weeks, before an offer is officially made.
The Lowdown: Johnstone wants to join Spurs
The 29-year-old’s current contract at the Hawthorns is set to expire at the end of the season, and Baggies manager Steve Bruce has admitted that it’s likely the club will allow him to leave when his deal ends, sparking interest from plenty of potential Premier League suitors, one of those being the Lilywhites.
Football Insider revealed just last month that the shot-stopper is claimed to have told friends that he wants to seal a switch to north London this summer, and with Spurs reportedly having no plans to convert Pierluigi Gollini’s loan deal into a permanent one, Wenham is expecting talks between the player and club to majorly increase ahead of the end of May.
When asked for an update on Johnstone’s transfer situation, Wenham told Football Insider: “Tottenham can’t officially approach him until 30 May.
“I think in the days before then and certainly the days after we will hear a lot more talk and have a much clearer picture of what is going on.
“We know Tottenham are very interested, he ticks a lot of boxes and it lines up with Gollini going back to Atalanta at the end of the season.
“I have always said I would rate the signing as he is a Premier League quality keeper coming in on a free.”
The Verdict: Competition for Lloris
The three-cap international has enjoyed a hugely successful spell with the Midlands outfit since arriving in a £6.5m move from Manchester United four years ago, where he’s made 167 club appearances and kept a total of 45 clean sheets during that time, as per Transfermarkt.
Last campaign, Johnstone, who has been hailed a “fantastic” player by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips, picked up both the Albion’s Players’ Player of the Season and Supporters’ Player of the Season awards, showing just how much of a positive influence he can have on a team.
If Antonio Conte does manage to bring his 6 foot 2 transfer target to the capital in the coming months, he would be able to provide great competition for current Spurs number one Hugo Lloris and more than has the potential to take over the jersey from him once the time comes for the Tottenham captain to hang up his boots.
In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has told Spurs to completely forget about trying to sign one of their ‘unbelievable’ transfer targets.
Sunderland could have striker Nathan Broadhead available for tomorrow’s crunch League One play-off semi-final second leg away at Sheffield Wednesday.
What’s the latest?
The Black Cats ran out 1-0 victors against Darren Moore’s men on Friday evening, although they will feel as though their aggregate lead should be more going into their trip to Hillsborough after a dominant display.
Following the match, Sunderland boss Alex Neil claimed, as quoted by the Sunderland Echo: “He [Broadhead] will have a chance for Monday. Unfortunately, tonight was too soon.
“We will assess him over the next few days and make a call.
“Tonight he wasn’t ready. It’s tough as he is a good player but we have other good players.”
Supporters will be hopeful
Although Broadhead’s availability isn’t 100% confirmed, the Sunderland faithful will be hopeful that the 24-year-old will at least make the squad that travels to south Yorkshire tomorrow.
The Everton-loanee has had an excellent campaign for the Wearside outfit, scoring 13 goals in 25 appearances although injuries have prevented the Welshman from making a serious impact at the Stadium of Light.
With this season being their fourth consecutive campaign in the third tier, Neil’s side arguably have their best chance of finally escaping League One since suffering back-to-back relegations in 2017 and 2018.
The Black Cats did manage to reach the play-off final in their first season in League One back in 2019, although victorious Charlton Athletic were deserved winners on the day.
Despite having the lead on aggregate, their advantage is small and will certainly be tested by a Sheffield Wednesday side who boast the best home form in League One this term.
Moreover, Sunderland lost 3-0 on their previous visit to Hillsborough earlier this season, although that was under their previous manager Lee Johnson.
Therefore, having extra firepower available in Broadhead will be a major boost for Neil’s side’s chances of making it to Wembley where they will face either Wycombe Wanderers or MK Dons for a place in the Championship on 21 May.
AND in other news: Neil can blow SAFC supporters away with £3.4k-p/w gem who was made “in a laboratory”