England coach Peter Moores insists there will be no hurried return to international cricket for Matthew Hoggard to prevent him from joining England’s list of long-term injury victims. A back spasm during the build-up to the first Test in India’s tour of England ruled Hoggard out of that match, and the next Test as well.”We need to get him back fully fit and get that back sorted because if it goes again it could be a long job,” Moores told Sky Sports. “He’s not ready yet. He came down to Loughborough and was assessed and managed to bowl a bit but his back is a bit stiff.”We might get him to bowl at Trent Bridge so the medics can keep an eye on him and build up his work-rate. What has been quite difficult for Matthew is the weather we’ve had … he’s not had much chance to bowl full stop.”Moores was speaking two days day after rain saved India’s blushes in the first Test, and said he expected India to put in better performances in the remainder of the series as they would have acclimatised.”I think they look a good team,” he said. “Their bowlers will have settled a bit as well because I think they found the slope at Lord’s quite challenging at first.”
Netta Rheinberg, the writer and administrator, has died aged 94. She played a distinctive role in advancing women’s cricket for more than 50 years, first as a player, but then – perhaps more crucially – behind the scenes.Her sole Test for England came in the 1948-49 tour, where she was player/manager, but she made a pair at Adelaide. Off the field she worked tirelessly for the cause, in the days when women’s cricket was an amateur sport, and was secretary of the Women’s Cricket Association in 1945, and for a decade from 1948.She wrote a regular column on women’s cricket for The Cricketer magazine, and also wrote a book on the history of the game, Fair Play: The Story of Women’s Cricket, with Rachael Heyhoe-Flint. Her dedication to the game was recognised and honoured in 2001 when she became one of the first ten women to be made honorary members of the MCC.
“It is unfortunate that, once more, the best players will not be representing the West Indies team.”So said Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB), who was reacting to the selection of a second-string Windies team for the July 9-August 14 tour of Sri Lanka, following the breakdown of talks between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the WI Players Association (WIPA).Eight players of the A team, who lost their second four-day match by an innings and 16 runs yesterday, are already in Sri Lanka and will be joined by another six, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the captain.Ramkessoon suggested the current situation, brought on by the sponsorship impasse between the board and the players’ association, was a disappointing one. “We are currently a second-rate team and only three players from the original lot are on this team,” he stated. “A full-strength first team would have been under pressure against this strong Sri Lankan team, so it will not be an easy task. How this team performs, we’ll have to wait and see. It will provide opportunities for other players to show their skills to the selectors that they should be considered for the first team.”Ramkessoon did admit, though, that in the mental department, the players will be less than ready for a tough tour. “You must go on tour proprerly focused, with your strategy planned to play against the opposition. With all that has gone on, I just don’t think these guys will be properly prepared psychologically to handle the rigours of this tourney.”And Queen’s Park Cricket Club administrator and former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies opening batsman Bryan Davis said the board was left with no choice. “I could see why they had to pick a team, ” he said. “The whole situation is sad but I think the team that has been selected will do as best as they could.”Of course, the team will miss somebody like [Brian] Lara and to a lesser extent [Ramnaresh] Sarwan, but you don’t see that much of a difference … I don’t see any big thing … those were most of the same guys who handled themseves well in the Guyana Test match.”Davis believes WIPA’s tactics may have backfired. “I can’t see, with the militancy of WIPA, how a resolution could have come about. The cricket is most important while you are discussing things with the board, the cricket could have gone ahead but apparentrly they did not want it that way.”But Trini Posse member and avid West Indies fan Nigel Camacho and arguably Windies cricket’s number one supporter, Peter Matthews, were both disappointed with the final team selection and the current state of West Indies cricket. “I can’t believe they couldn’t solve this issue given so much time,” a “very disappointed” Camacho related, saying the negotations had been going on prior to the VB tri-nation series last December and blaming both the board and WIPA for the non-resolution of the impasse.Camacho also said the late decision by the A team players to succumb to the pressure and sign the board’s match/tour contracts was also responsible for the final outcome for the Sri Lanka tour. “I feel that the lack of solidarity among the players led to the downfall of the stance of the original players,” he explained. “Poor guys. They must have been confused because they were on the verge of trying to secure a spot on the senior squad, so it is unfair to them.”Camacho also believed the team would be outclassed in Sri Lanka. “It’s useless. I don’t think they will be able to compete. Pschycologically, this is not the way to prepare for this series and, besides, the last time they were there Brian Lara scored over 600 runs and we still lost. The composition of this young side … I don’t think they are capable of giving the Sri Lankans much of a push.”And a disappointed Matthews said the board doesn’t care about the fans of West Indies cricket. “I booked to go on tour. I’m a Trinidadian and pasionate about Brian Lara and as of right now I don’t think I’m going again. The bad thing is, there is not much as fans that we can do about Lara being left out. It just seems that when our stars reach the top, the board finds a way to shoot them down.”Matthews continued: “I think that both sides are dragging their feet. I think the fans deserve the biggest break. We have been paying through our nose and skin and nobody is thinking about the fans. I think the Board is taking the players and fans for fools…but I’m partially to blame because, technically, I continue to attend the matches …but all I want is to see the best team play .”Matthews concluded: “I came through the era of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and company, and all that is going on in West Indies cricket now, I must say, meh heart hurting meh!”
Frank Mooney, who played 14 Tests for New Zealand between 1949 and 1953-54 and went on to become a national selector, has died in Wellington at the age of 82.On the field Mooney was taciturn, almost never smiling and rarely speaking; but away from the middle he was the life and soul of the party, and his endless socialising and tireless dancing earned him the nickname “Starlight”.A neat, undemonstrative wicketkeeper, he made his debut for Wellington in 1941-42, and in 1943-44 played for a New Zealand XI against the NZ Services side. But his batting was limited, and he was generally considered to be second or third choice for the national side.His selection as first-choice wicketkeeper for the 1949 tour of England was, therefore, a surprise – dockside workers in Dunedin went on strike, preferring the claims of Otago’s George Mills – but he enjoyed a successful trip, playing in all three Tests and scoring a hundred against MCC at Lord’s.He played against England at home in 1951, West Indies in 1951-52 and South Africa in 1952-53, and did well enough to keep rivals out of the reckoning.In 1953-54 he toured South Africa, and despite being hampered by a finger injury sustained while exercising on the voyage from New Zealand, he played in all five Tests. He retired at the end of the 1954-55 domestic season.
Theo Walcott is a major doubt for England’s decisive Euro 2012 Group D game against Ukraine on Tuesday after he picked up a knock in training.
The Arsenal man impressed when he came off the bench against Sweden on Friday by scoring one and setting up another, which give the Three Lions a 3-2 victory.
England boss Roy Hodgson has revealed that Walcott could well miss the game against Oleg Blokhin’s men after pulling up in training.
“Unfortunately he had a slight setback in training,” Hodgson said.
“He felt the hamstring that kept him out for so long at the end of the season and which we were slightly concerned about when he came to us,” The Telegraph quote Hodgson as saying.
“We have been lucky nothing has occurred with that but in a little training session today we had to take the precaution of taking him from the field because he felt some tightness there.
“Whether he is a real contender for a starting position will depend upon what the medical people can tell me and how much guarantee they can give me that if I do start him he won’t be leaving the field after five minutes, forcing us to have 13 men rather than the 14 I would rather count on,” he confessed.
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Yesterday it was announced that Aston Villa have agreed a £9.5m fee with Wigan Athletic for Charles N’Zogbia and the 25-year-old is set travel down to Villa Park to discuss personal terms today.
The French international who was last capped in 2010, will be a straight forward replacement on the left wing for the recently departed Stuart Downing and will become McLeish’s second summer signing after capturing N’Zogbia’s former Newcastle teammate Shay Given from Man City last week.
McLeish has long been an admirer of N’Zogbia and actually came within a whisker of signing him last summer for his former club Birmingham City but the deal collapsed at the 11th hour as they couldn’t agree personal terms. So although a fee has now been agreed it is still not 100% that he will be joining the club. However if as expected he does agree terms this week, McLeish will be hoping that he will be a suitable replacement for Downing and Young who had started to build up a potent attacking force alongside Darren Bent last season.
Villa have so far raised over £40 million from player sales this summer and N’Zogbia will be a major part of a new look Aston Villa side with the Alan Hutton and Scott Parker two other possible arrivals at Villa Park. Although he has experienced controversy in the past especially at Newcastle, I can see McLeish being disciplined with the winger and he will make sure the Villa fans only see N’Zogbia’s good side.
Interestingly he is actually classed as a home-grown player after being affiliated with an English club since the age of 18 when he brought over by Newcastle from Le Havre and will count as one of the eight players home-grown players needed in Villa’s 25-man-squad. This make it even more of a transfer bargain as everyone has seen that English players are moving at overinflated transfer fees partly due to this rule.
With Downing and Young sold, Villa were looking for a player that can create threats to the opposition and would also be responsible for set-pieces. In N’Zogbia they have this player as he is known for his match-winning ability, his excellent all round play and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League. He can also operate on either flank or as an attacking midfielder so it is understandable why Villa have snapped him up.
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It will be a new challenge for N’Zogbia who was influential in keeping the Latics in the Premier League last season and his two goals against West Ham in the penultimate game of the season all but secured their survival. Dave Whelan recently said of his prized asset: “I have always said for £10 million he is an absolute snip, if Stewart Downing can change hands for £20 million I don’t know what Charles is worth.”
He contributed with ten goals and seven assists for the Latics last season which is not too different to Downing’s total of seven goals and nine assists and this shows what a good deal Villa are getting with a reported £10.5 million difference in transfer fees.
With only 12 months left on his contract Wigan are getting a decent price for the winger but in terms of Downing’s move, it is still relatively cheap. He will only improve at a bigger club and in the right environment so N’Zogbia could be worth a lot more in the future. Downing’s £20m price tag was over-inflated by the fact he still had four years left on his contract at Villa Park but Villa fans must feel they are the end of a very good deal.
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Villa fans would have been saddened to see their player of the year Downing leave after his impressive form last season but I feel they are getting a more than adequate replacement in N’Zogbia. He has a similar goal scoring record, has the ability to change a game and is signing at a very reasonable price. The rebuilding has begun and securing N’Zogbia’s signature would be a great way to kick-start it.
Do you agree? Do you think N’Zogbia is the right man to replace Downing? Follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney
Steven Pienaar has said speculation surrounding his future will not affect his current form.
The South Africa international has been strongly linked with a move away for weeks, with Tottenham looking the most likely destination for the 28-year-old.
The Toffees are still trying to persuade Pienaar to sign a new contract but time is running out.
Everton have already hinted they would rather sell him in January rather than lose him for nothing when his contract expires.
When asked whether he would still be on Merseyside come the end of the season Pienaar told Sky Sports: "No comment."
The winger did go on to say that he knew nothing of the apparent link with Tottenham, claiming it was all media speculation at this point in time.
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"I was also told this by one of my team-mates, so I don't know what is going on.
"The media in England is quite big and everyone can say what they want. I am just happy at Everton and I want to focus on my game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The 2011/ 2012 season was dubbed by many to have been the most entertaining we have seen for years. Arsenal Football Club have had a particularly turbulent year, concluding in their wait for a trophy still ticking over. The season began with one of the worst starts to a league season the red half of north London has ever experienced, and from there on in life as an Arsenal fan would be tested to the limit. They have seen the lows, with a 4-0 defeat in Milan followed by a FA Cup exit at Sunderland. But there have been highs for The Gunners this year too, most notably a 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge, and beating the old enemy 5-2 to help overturn a ten point deficit. But what exactly can Arsenal fans learn from this season? We look at ten concluding points to Arsenal’s season.
Click on Oxlade Chamberlain to unveil the top 10
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Barcelona feel they will finally land Cesc Fabregas with a renewed bid of £35m. Arsenal conceded that they are unlikely to stand in the Spaniard’s way providing that the Catalans meet their asking price and although there have been rumours in the press this morning that Cesc may look to go on strike in order to force a deal through; it seems unlikely that an amicable agreement won’t be reached.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Tottenham set for talks with Luka Modric; Liverpool willing to sacrifice kids to land Charlie Adam, while Sunderland trigger Wickham auction after having £13m bid accepted.
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Barcelona scent victory with renewed £35m Fábregas bid – Guardian
De Gea to seal £18.3m deal – Daily Telegraph
Chelsea still rebuilding as Abramovich considers Emenalo for director role – Daily Mail
Arsene’s letter to unhappy fan – Sun
Modric to hold talks with Tottenham – Guardian
Liverpool willing to sacrifice kids to land Adam – Mirror
City told not to rock the Boat – Sun
Sunderland trigger Wickham auction after agreeing £13m deal – Daily Mail
Spurs offer quartet to Bolton in bid to land Cahill – Daily Mail
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McLeish to offer Birmingham keeper swap deal – Mirror
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Harry Redknapp sees no reason why his Tottenham side cannot win this season's Premier League title, particularly after they hit back from two goals down to beat Arsenal 3-2 in the north London derby.
Spurs were outclassed in the first half and were fortunate to only be 2-0 down at the interval, Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh netting for the Gunners.
However, Redknapp's team were transformed after the interval and hit back to claim the three points thanks to Gareth Bale's goal, a Rafael van der Vaart penalty and Younes Kaboul's late winner.
The weekend results have left Spurs six points adrift of stuttering leaders Chelsea, leading Redknapp to say:"It's wide open this league this year, wide open.
"Chelsea aren't as good as they were, Man United aren't as good as they were three or four years ago. They're still excellent teams but they're not the force they were. They were almost invincible, the pair of them.
"I think Tottenham are now getting closer and the championship is wide open. I said that to the players on Friday morning. 'Why can't you win the championship? Who says you can't?'.
"It's wide open for somebody who can put a run together. It's there for someone to have real go at it this year. Why should we all be fearful and keep saying, 'We can't win it'?
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"I wouldn't be saying it if we had a bad group of players. I'm a realist, I'm not dreaming. It's difficult to do but it's not impossible.
"This is the best chance anyone's going to get this year. There's very little to choose between the top five or six teams at the moment."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email