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Retired batsman has seen enough of Phillip Hughes to feel comfortable with Australia’s Ashes opening combination

Peter English19-Jun-2009Matthew Hayden has been retired for only six months but in that time has seen enough of Phillip Hughes to feel comfortable with Australia’s opening combination for the Ashes. However, he has warned his former team-mates to prepare for a demanding battle with reverse-swing in a contest that could determine the direction of the urn.While Hayden does not rate England’s current attack as highly as the ’05 version, he has predicted a tough time for Australia’s batsmen and called on the top three of Hughes, Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting to set the platform and protect the middle order. “We saw reverse-swing come into the game last series and I expect to see the same thing this time,” he said. “If we see No. 1 to No. 3 managing themselves nicely, it puts the middle order into a position where they can be a bit more comfortable against the reverse ball, and you do have to have that strength.”Four years ago Hayden was one of the many Australians mesmerised by the late movement from Flintoff, Harmison, Jones and Hoggard and it was only a century at The Oval that saved his career. He stepped down in January after 103 Tests and his spot was taken by Hughes, who scored two hundreds in his first three matches before a strong Ashes warm-up in the County Championship with Middlesex.”He’s got all the evidence and all the skill-sets he needs,” Hayden said. “His humbling personality and how respectful he is are two elements of the baggy-green culture. He’ll be fine.”However, Hayden reminded Hughes and Katich of the dangers of playing in the United Kingdom. “England is a challenging place for an opening combination,” he said. “The engine room of cricket is No. 1 to No. 3 and they have to get off to a good start, but in England it’s the most challenging time to bat.”While both teams fret over the make-up of their teams, Hayden also had a few questions about the side, wondering what would happen with Andrew McDonald and the allrounder’s spot and how Australia would cope without Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. One thing he wasn’t in doubt over was the future of Brett Lee. “I think he is going to come back really strong and answer his critics,” he said.The men’s team isn’t the only national outfit to be in England over the next couple of months, with the women’s side also contesting Test and one-day series and the National Indigenous Development Squad playing 11 games on a tour emulating the 1868 Aboriginal team. Hayden presented that squad with their caps in Brisbane on Friday before offering advice during their final training session before departure.”The natural skills and ability of the boys is second to none,” he said. “I will be absolutely baffled if Australia do not have an indigenous baggy-green player in the years to come.”

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Vitoria Guimaraes defender Abdul Mumin as new manager Patrick Vieira looks to complete the overhaul of his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Eagles have recently been scouting the highly-rated 23-year-old ahead of a potential move.

The report states that: “Several clubs have been sending scouts to watch him in action for Vitória, where he’s been impressing since joining the club last year.

“Crystal Palace are said to be one of those who recently ‘made sure’ to send an official and get more information on the athlete, as they study an ‘eventual’ attempt for the signing.”

However, the south London outfit are expected to face stiff competition for Mumin’s signature, with fellow Premier League sides Leicester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all credited with an interest.

Vieira needs him

The 6 foot 2 beast only arrived at Guimaraes in August 2020 from Danish side Nordsjaelland – who are renowned for producing several top young talents – but he’s already made a big impression.

In his 25 top-flight outings last term, Mumin averaged a whopping 3.8 clearances, the second-highest total amongst his teammates, as well as 0.7 tackles and 0.7 interceptions, as per WhoScored.

During his short career, the Ghanaian has shown glimpses of his top-class potential, and with a market value of just £1.8m, he could be a bargain addition to Vieira’s relatively threadbare squad.

Currently, only veteran centre-back James Tomkins is a natural backup to the first-choice pairing of Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, meaning Palace will need added reinforcements at the heart of defence over the coming transfer windows.

Therefore, director of football Steve Parish must sanction a swoop for the defender, providing Vieira with a plethora of options along his backline.

Mumin may not be a household name or a popular choice amongst the fanbase, but he would certainly be a value for money signing, leaving plenty of room in the capital club’s budget for further acquisitions.

And, in other news…Journalist drops worrying claim over £40m-rated Palace dynamo, fans will be concerned 

A number of Liverpool fans are buzzing with the latest news revolving around Barcelona’s Pedri.

At only 18-years-old, Pedri has made 91 senior appearances at club level and has only missed three Spain games since making his debut in March earlier this year.

Jurgen Klopp was expected to bring in a midfielder replacement for Gini Wijnaldum in the summer transfer window but failed to do so with Ibrahima Konate the only incoming through the door.

Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are likely to be called upon when needed, but with both players carrying a track record of injuries, that area may prove to be difficult for Klopp this season.

According to Spanish reporter Eduardo Inda, [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Pedro and Klopp is ‘in love’ with the teenager.

The journalist has stated that the 2019/20 Premier League champions are willing to pay around £85.9million for Pedro, smashing the club’s previous transfer record.

Liverpool fans react to Pedri claim

These Reds fans took to Twitter to show their excitement about potentially luring the Spain international away from Barcelona.

“YES PLEASE”

Credit: @soydylo

“I’d cry for him to be in a Liverpool shirt”

Credit: @kloppboy23

“We are serious?’

Credit: @MR_obrajnr

“I’m praying”

Credit: @himma1_s

“Him or Olmo will do, top players with bright futures”

Credit: @MoreLiverpool

“Please sign him”

Credit: @False_CF_

In other news, Liverpool fans relieved that midfielder transfer didn’t happen. Find out more here.

One of the many batting records that belong to the Antigua Recreation Ground is the highest successful run chase of 418, which West Indies completed against Australia in 2003. It’s not much to cling onto, but given their dire position after three days it’

Andrew McGlashan in Antigua17-Feb-2009
Ramnaresh Sarwan: ‘Taking the conditions into consideration, the way I got out was pretty disappointing’ © AFP
One of the many batting records that belong to the Antigua Recreation Ground is the highest successful run-chase of 418, which West Indies completed against Australia in 2003. It’s not much to cling onto, but given their dire position after three days it’s probably all they have got.West Indies were left regretting rash strokeplay, a factor which was far removed from the disciplined performance in Kingston when they ground out a match-winning lead. The top-scorer, Ramnaresh Sarwan, was as guilty as any of them when he hacked to midwicket for 94 which meant his team had little hope of avoiding the follow-on. Devon Smith also fell to a horror swipe which summed up why he averages just 24 and Denesh Ramdin chipped a full toss back to Graeme Swann.”Taking the conditions into consideration, the way I got out was pretty disappointing,” said Sarwan. “Myself and Nashy [Brendan Nash] were going pretty well and at that stage we lost three or four wickets quickly and I felt pretty bad with the shot I got out to as well. I think we tried to be too positive against Swann and that was one of our faults today.”England, though, decided not to put West Indies straight back in, and while Sarwan wasn’t surprised by that move he did revive memories of that 2003 chase. “Some strange things have happened at this ground, in terms of chasing runs,” he said. “We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves in terms of playing for a draw, I just think it is important from here on that we continue to play positive cricket and continue to believe in ourselves.”The only concern is the ridge, with the new ball it does a bit more. It is important for us to be positive. We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where England will be attacking us and we find ourselves under pressure.”England’s follow-on decision was simple after the state of their fast attack became clear. Steve Harmison came to the ground feeling ill and had to leave the field on a couple of occasions, while Andrew Flintoff appeared to be labouring with a slight hip problem.”Harmy woke up ill this morning and vomited a couple of times,” Swann said. “He kept coming out and hitting the pitch, doing his best, which shows the heart of the bloke. He gets some stick from certain quarters but I’m all over him. He’s been fantastic for us because at one point he could barely stand up.”However, even with a full complement of bowlers it is unlikely England would have fielded again. They have recent experience of toiling through a follow-on when South Africa batted for two days at Lord’s to save the game. Although there is a week until the fourth Test in Barbados these conditions are exhausting for the quicks.Now, Harmison and Flintoff have a chance to recharge their batteries before coming hard at West Indies sometime before tea on the fourth day. Andrew Strauss will need all his bowlers, because on their day this West Indies line-up can take some shifting, although any thoughts of another ARG record chase are fairly fanciful.

The PCB surprisingly has not enforced a ban on coaches and officials associated with the ICL

Cricinfo staff29-Dec-2008
Moin Khan: “”The PCB has said nothing about officials and coaches, only about players, in their ICL policy” © AFP
While most boards have adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards individuals associated with the ICL, the PCB has not enforced a ban on coaches and officials associated with the unrecognised league, though it has passed sanctions on players contracted to the league.The Pakistan board has blocked players such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami, among others, from playing for Pakistan or in domestic fixtures, but the same does not apply to former keeper Moin Khan, who is coaching Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which began on Sunday. Moin is also the coach-manager of the Lahore Badshahs, the ICL team comprising only Pakistani players.Moin, who turned out as coach of PIA as they took on Karachi Whites at the National Stadium in Karachi, said this is his second successive season as their coach while he has been with the ICL.”I was coach of PIA last season as well when the ICL was on,” Moin told Cricinfo. “The PCB has said nothing about officials and coaches, only about players, in their ICL policy. They also are not barred, they are just not allowed to participate in domestic tournaments under the board’s letter sent out to all regions and departments.”Boards around the world have barred players contracted to the ICL from appearing for their national sides and in most countries from their domestic sides as well. These bans are in place essentially because the BCCI – the “home authority” for the ICL – has refused to recognise the league. As a result, other boards have simply fallen in line. In recent weeks, however, and under a new administration, Pakistan has queried the rationale behind the policy; as many as 19 Pakistani players are contracted to the ICL.In some countries, the bans have extended beyond players. The ECB, for example, applies its policy to officials also and it did in the cases of umpires Jeff Evans and Trevor Jesty; they were told after joining the ICL to stop or risk losing their ECB contracts. In Australia, Jason Gillespie was recently denied a stint at Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane because of his ICL links. None of the Indian coaches and officials in the ICL is employed by the BCCI or any of its members.A board official in charge of domestic affairs said there were no plans yet for the board to extend the ban beyond players. “ICL-contracted players are not allowed to participate in domestic tournaments, but there is nothing in our policy regarding officials. And at the moment we are not going to touch on that or change that.”

Kevin Pietersen has said he will spend some time out of the spotlight before responding to the recent events

Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2009
Kevin Pietersen made no comment as he raced through Heathrow airport © Getty Images
Kevin Pietersen has said he will spend some time out of the spotlight before responding to the recent events which led to him quitting as England captain, although his representatives said he remains fully committed to the tour of West Indies.Pietersen arrived back from South Africa on Thursday morning, a few hours before Andrew Strauss was officially unveiled as captain. He had released a statement yesterday, shortly before boarding his flight in Durban, announcing his decision to step down after just five months in charge but will wait before making any further comments.”In light of recent events between the ECB and myself, I’m going to take some time out to reflect on the situation and spend time with family and friends,” he said in a statement. “I will be responding to the current press speculation in due course.”Strauss said he had already spoken to Pietersen a few times since agreeing to take over as captain. “He wished me well. KP has been very supportive so far. Clearly, it is a tough situation for him and I’m sure he has his own side of the story.”

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira is closing in on a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo, according to reports.

What’s the story?

According to Globo Esporte, the 25-year-old is closing in on a move back to his homeland after struggling to make an impact at Old Trafford in recent years.

The report claims that United are open to Pereira’s potential, leading to both parties treating the ongoing negotiations “with great optimism”.

It’s also claimed that Flamengo would like to confirm the creative talents arrival as soon as possible in order to register him in the Copa do Brasil – meaning the move needs to be completed by next Tuesday.

He’s been shocking

After struggling for game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent years, Pereira spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Serie A outfit Lazio.

He made 33 appearances in all competitions for the capital club, but only five of them saw him feature from the off as he failed once again to force his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis.

That was the South American’s third spell away from Old Trafford in the last five years, and it seems the time has come for Pereira to secure a permanent move away from Manchester.

In a recent interview with TNT Sports, he admitted he’s ready for more responsibility at this stage in his career and wants to become an important player.

“I’m ready to play, I’m not a boy anymore. I’m a man ready to take responsibility. I’m sure that with playing time and continuity as a starter in my position, I can show what I’ve done on base, I can score more goals and give assists,” Pereira said.

“A player of my position needs the confidence to play, and the freedom to be bold on the field.”

As for his United future, the midfielder added: “In Manchester or elsewhere, the time has come to play, to have at least an hour per game on the field, to have the confidence to play. I want to be happy, to feel important.”

Therefore, a move away from the Red Devils may be the best option for the £7.2m-rated flop this summer.

With a shocking return of just four goals and five assists in 75 appearances for United, Periera has clearly shown he’s not good for United and Solskjaer must axe him, adding a significant boost to his transfer kitty in the process.

And, in other news…Report drops exciting Man Utd update which will have fans buzzing 

West Ham are planning to make a new offer for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur.

The Lowdown: Caleta-Car profiled

Caleta-Car is 24 years of age and has been with the French club since 2018. The Croatia international, who stands at 6 foot 3, has made 91 appearances for Marseille in all competitions, scoring on three occasions.

He’s never been valued higher than his current £22.5m Transfermarkt valuation and is represented by the same agency as Jack Grealish and Mason Mount.

Konur claims that the Hammers have had a £12m bid rejected for the centre-back, but it doesn’t seem as if they have given up hope of securing his services this summer.

The Latest: New bid

According to Konur, the Irons are planning to hold further talks with Marseille over a deal for the centre-back.

He took to Twitter on Saturday morning to share the news, with Caleta-Car possibly becoming the club’s first big-money signing of the summer.

The journalist outlined: “West Ham are planning to raise their offer and hold talks with Marseille again.”

The Verdict: Need to get a move on

The Hammers could be way off with their opening £12m offer for Caleta-Car, especially when you take into his consideration his Transfermarkt valuation.

Time is ticking, and with the new season just days away, West Ham now need to start getting deals over the line.

Securing a new centre-back for David Moyes, potentially Caleta-Car, may turn out to be a solid start and could then allow the club to focus on a new centre-forward, with Michail Antonio currently the only recognised striker at the London Stadium.

In other news: Many West Ham fans flock to official club announcement, find out more

Former Manchester City star Michael Ball insists the club’s fans will have no complaints over their huge spending this summer, as a deal for Harry Kane continues to be mooted.

Pep Guardiola’s side have broken the British transfer record to secure Jack Grealish’s signature for a fee of £100m, triggering the release clause that was present in his contract.

City are also reported to be huge admirers of Kane at Tottenham Hotspur, and were reported to be preparing a bid worth in excess of £120m.

The Athletic, though, has reported that there is no direct dialogue between the two clubs over a deal, and there is now a suggestion that Kane could well stay at the club for another season.

He was absent from the squad entirely as Spurs played City on Sunday, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Son Heung-Min.

Ball insists that the club are trying to refresh their squad ahead of an assault on the Champions League, with City losing to Chelsea in last season’s final.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I don’t think City fans will complain. Yes they’ve always had the comments of ‘well, we haven’t broken the British record’ and we’re still doing what we’re doing but unfortunately, they haven’t done what they want to do, which is to win that Champions League.

“If you give any football club, them type of players, none of the fans will complain whatsoever. As long as the season ticket prices don’t double or triple, the fans will be happy to see players like that come to your football club.”

Keith Parsons, the Somerset batsman, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Parsons, 35, has been at Taunton since 1992 but has not represented the team this season

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2008
Keith Parsons finishes with more than 5000 first-class runs and 106 wickets © Cricinfo Ltd
Keith Parsons, the Somerset batsman, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Parsons, 35, has been at Taunton since 1992 but has not represented the team this season.”There comes a time when your body tells you it’s time to pack in professional sport,” Parsons told the club’s website. “I worked as hard as I have ever done on my fitness last winter but little niggles keep occurring.”I’m told that Sir Ian Botham and myself are the only two players to have scored over 5,000 runs and taken more than 100 wickets for Somerset in both four-day and one-day cricket, which makes me very proud.”Brian Rose, the club’s director of cricket, paid tribute to Parsons, who finishes with 5324 first-class runs at 28.62. “It’s always sad when a player retires, particularly when he has been a great servant to a club, as Keith has been to Somerset,” Rose said. “He was a local product and made the people of Taunton very proud of him. We wish him nothing but the best for the future.”