Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan president, has rejected the resignation of Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, who offered to leave his role following Pakistan’s early elimination from the World Cup.Ashraf had only been at the helm for five months, after taking over from Shaharyar Khan who stood down in October. “President Pervez Musharraf rejected the resignation of Nasim Ashraf today,” said Aamir Bilal, a PCB media advisor, “and directed him to continue his duty to rebuild the Pakistan cricket team on modern and professional lines.”Ashraf thanked the president for showing confidence in him and said: “I will continue to endeavour my best for the development and progress of cricket in Pakistan.” Ashraf also expressed deep gratitude to all cricket lovers, the general public and well-wishers for their continued support over the last week.He added: “I promise a revamp a transparent cricket set-up and will implement short and long term action plans immediately. They will be shared with the public through the media in a press conference to be held at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday afternoon.”However, despite Ashraf’s retention Pakistan cricket remains in a major state of flux. They still need to appoint a new captain and coach to replace Inzamam-ul-Haq and Bob Woolmer, while the selection committee also resigned following the team’s poor showing in the Caribbean.
Adam Gilchrist is confident Stuart Clark can continue to play the role of Glenn McGrath’s replcaement successfully even if the second-Test pitch at Durban does not offer the same assistance as Cape Town. Clark sealed the third-best debut by an Australian bowler with 9 for 89 in the seven-wicket win on Sunday and made sure the side coped without their leading bowler of the past decade, who is looking after his wife during her cancer treatment.”We did make the comment during the game how probably unplayable Glenn McGrath would have been on that wicket, but Stuey certainly took up the reins in grand fashion and we’re all really thrilled for him,” Gilchrist, who took six catches in the match, told . “Stuey beat the bat a lot and bowled a very tight line and length. He seemed to release from high up and was pretty straight, stump to stump almost.”Gilchrist said Clark shared similarities with his New South Wales team-mate but refused to anoint him as “the new McGrath”. “I don’t want to burden him with that, but he certainly filled the void beautifully in this game,” Gilchrist said. “Stuey knows the challenge is there to repeat that on any surface, and I’m sure he’s keen to take that on.”The Cape Town pitch helped the fast bowlers throughout the game and played a part in Clark’s hauls of 5 for 55 and 4 for 34. At the end of the match Clark was surprised by the attention to his Man-of-the-Match performance.”I couldn’t even have dreamt it was going to be like this,” Clark said in . “If I got a wicket I would’ve been happy. To get nine? I don’t know what to say. The phone’s been ringing non-stop. I had to turn it off the other night because it was ringing too much.” The second Test starts at Durban on Friday.
Glenn McGrath leaves for what will almost certainly be his last Ashes tour on Saturday, but his old touch in stirring up his rivals remains as effective as his form. In a training camp with the squad at Brisbane, McGrath said that Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison carried too much of England’s load, before giving some relief to the next generation of England batsmen.”Four years down the track, if I’m still playing I might need to be knocked on the head,” McGrath, 35, told the local Courier-Mail newspaper. “You never know, but I’m going to make the most of this tour because it could, more than likely, be my last Ashes tour.”McGrath, who has 68 wickets in 11 Tests in England at an average of 18.27, told the newspaper that England placed too much importance on their two main bowlers. “If Harmison or Freddie [Flintoff] have a bad series, then they’re really going to struggle, whereas the Australian team, on any given day, any one of the players can perform well.”England completed a stirring series win over South Africa in January, but the performance didn’t impress McGrath. “Harmison didn’t have a good series,” he said. “The fact that Harmison struggled a bit seemed to have an effect on the rest of the team. If we can get on top of him early, we can keep the pressure on.”Michael Kasprowicz, meanwhile, told The Australian that Flintoff was a danger for Australia, and became the second player in two days to compare an opponent to Adam Gilchrist. Simon Katich revealed that Kevin Pietersen, his Hampshire team-mate, hit like Australia’s wicketkeeper, and Kasprowicz said yesterday that Flintoff was in the same mould. “You can get early wickets,” he said, “but Flintoff can come in and score quickly in the same way Gilly does.”
Thousands of people are expected to attend the funeral of David Hookes at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Hookes, Victoria’s coach, died following an assault outside a Melbourne hotel bar last week.The funeral will be attended by members of the current Australian team, while Darren Lehmann, Hookes’s close friend and former team-mate at South Australia, will be one of the eight pall-bearers.Ian Chappell, a former Australian captain, is due to be one of the speakers at the service, while the Adelaide Oval’s groundsman Les Burdett will put up a set of stumps at one end of the pitch and place a bat on the ground next to them.The grandstands at the ground will be opened to the public for the ceremony, as Hookes’s death has led to an outpouring of grief throughout Australia. Following the funeral, a separate memorial service will be held in Melbourne on February 5.A 21-year-old hotel bouncer, Zdravco Micevic, has been charged with manslaughter and remanded on bail to appear in court on April 13.
Chairman of selectors David Graveney today announced the England squad forthe 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. The squad is as follows:
Nasser Hussain (Captain) James Anderson Ian Blackwell Andrew Caddick Paul Collingwood Andy Flintoff Ashley Giles Steve Harmison Mathew Hoggard Ronnie Irani Nick Knight Alec Stewart (W) Marcus Trescothick Michael Vaughan Craig White Coach: Duncan Fletcher Assistant Coach:Tim Boon Physiotherapist: Dean Conway Physiologist: Nigel Stockhill Media Manager: Andrew Walpole Analyst: Malcolm Ashton
Graveney said: “I am satisfied that the players selected in this squadrepresent the best mix of experience and youth that England has available toit. The unavailability of several key players for various reasons overrecent months has given us the opportunity to bring in a number of youngplayers into our plans, several of these players have responded extremelywell to the challenge and we have had no hesitation in including them in thesquad.”So far as Andrew Flintoff is concerned I can tell you that he his makinggood progress in his rehabilitation work with Dave Roberts at Lancashire andhas been bowling at around 90% pace in the nets whilst experiencing muchless pain. The indications from the ECB medical officer are that Andrew willbe fit and able to play a full part in the competition.”Ashley Giles has been given the go-ahead from his specialist to begintraining and bowled six overs in the nets over the weekend without sufferingany pain or reaction. Again, I am satisfied that Ashley will be able to playa full role for England in the World Cup.”We will be looking to have both Andrew and Ashley to travel to Australiaduring the next few weeks to continue their rehabilitation and prove theirfitness.”So far as Craig White’s injury is concerned, his recovery is in its earlystages. Initial medical advice was that this injury would require three to sixweeks to heal. Craig will be receiving intensive treatment with the aim ofhaving him available for the finals of the VB Series should England qualify.We will also be looking to Andrew and Ashley to be fit for selection forthose finals.”Those players presently with the England squad taking part in the VB Seriesbut not included in the World Cup squad will stay with the team for theduration of the series and will be considered as replacements should they berequired in the event of injury.”
Traditionally a low-key affair – a one-day game with no restrictions or limitations – Sri Lanka’s opening match in South Africa against a Nicky Oppenheimer XI at Randjesfontein ended utterly inconclusively because of bad light, but not before Andrew Hall had brightened up an ever darkening afternoon.With Sri Lanka having batted through until a declaration at 296 for six brought about an early tea, the NFO would have had around 42 overs to reply. With a draw possible, the home side might have been expected to bat out time.Not Hall, who went for it as if pursued by wild dogs. He smashed 10 fours and six in a 41-ball innings which produced 61 and took the NFO to 80 for no wicket in 10.4 overs before the umpires took the players off.He was particularly severe on Dilhara Fernando, who went for 26 in two overs, and Chaminda Vaas (41 in five), but it was all to prove in vain as the weather closed in on Nicky Oppenheimer’s charming private ground.Earlier, the Sri Lankan batsmen had enjoyed what amounted to a middle practice against a decent NFO attack. Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu put on 123 for the first wicket with the captain getting 66 and the vice-captain 52 before Mahela Jayawardene helped himself to 70 and Russel Arnold made 53 before retiring.It was very pleasant, but the Sri Lankans will probably have learned little they did not already know. They move on now to Port Elizabeth for a three-day match and a one-day warmup, both against Eastern Province, before the first one-day international in PE on December 15.
While the atmosphere around the club might be a little dour at the moment, this season is still shaping up to be a special one for Arsenal.
As things stand, Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the Champions League and Premier League tables, despite enduring an absurd number of injuries.
Moreover, there is a sense that many of the Gunners’ most important players, such as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, still have more to give.
One player who has been at their best so far this season, though, is Declan Rice, so fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to another international midfielder who has been compared to him.
Arsenal target Rice-esque star
Arsenal went unusually big in the summer, signing eight first-team players, including Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
So, some might argue that the Gunners do not need any more midfield reinforcements.
However, if the last season and a bit has made anything clear, it’s that the North Londoners need to have serious cover all over the pitch.
So, to ensure the likes of Zubimendi and Rice do not get overplayed, it would make sense for the club to target someone of decent quality who could cover for them, especially if Mikel Merino is now more of a forward.
Interestingly, this seems to be an opinion shared by the North Londoners, at least according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Arsenal are one of a few teams interested in Davide Frattesi.
Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on the Italian international.
While the competition is not ideal, the good news is that Inter Milan would reportedly be open to letting the 26-year-old leave if the right offer comes in.
It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Frattesi’s ability, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, especially as he’s been compared to Rice.
How Frattesi compares to Rice
Now, while Frattesi isn’t quite on the same level as Rice in terms of quality, few players are; he still shares several similarities with him.
Firstly, and this is a relatively straightforward one, he is currently plying his trade for one of the top teams in a top-five league at Inter.
Moreover, like the Englishman, he’s also a regular for his national team, having won 33 caps for Italy so far, in which he’s scored eight goals and provided three assists.
That also highlights another shared trait: the ability to contribute with goals and assists from midfield.
For example, in 47 appearances last season, he scored seven goals and provided two assists.
The final obvious similarity is that, like the former West Ham captain, the Rome-born star is someone who can play in central midfield but has also done a job in the ten and deeper for his team.
Add all these traits together, and it’s not hard to see why former Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni dubbed him “one of the best midfielders in Europe.”
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However, with all that said, the most concrete comparison between Frattesi and Rice stems from FBref, which ranked the Englishman as the seventh-most similar midfielder to the Italian in the Champions League last season.
Frattesi & Rice
Statistics per 90
Frattesi
Rice
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.26
0.27
Shots
1.63
1.62
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.36
0.36
Shots Blocked
0.36
0.36
Interceptions
1.27
1.35
Clearances
1.27
1.26
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL
The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is to take a look at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closely.
In this instance, the metrics included non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, shots blocked, interceptions, and clearances, all per 90.
In other words, the Inter ace was able to replicate some of the £105m man’s attacking and defensive qualities.
Ultimately, while it might not be the most exciting of transfers, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Frattesi, as his experience and ability to cover for players like Rice could prove invaluable in the longrun.
Arteta must bin £40m star who was "Pires-like" in his first years at Arsenal
It’s time for Arteta to take the frustrating Arsenal star out of the team.
Sri Lanka beat themselves in their must-win game as India eased into the finals with an emphatic seven-wicket win in Hobart. In what was a pathetic batting display, Sri Lanka skid from a comfortable 1 for 72 to a perilous 7 for 93, blowing their chances on a flat deck. A composed fifty from Chamara Kapugedera avoided a debacle but couldn’t take away the one-sided nature of the contest.Chasing 180 was never going to be too much of a challenge for India, especially when Sachin Tendulkar started to cut loose. Gautam Gambhir added a polished fifty to what’s been a fantastic series, leaving Yuvraj Singh to add the final touches on a comprehensive win which got India a bonus point they no longer need. Sri Lanka travel to Melbourne for their final league match but that will now be only of academic interest.The conditions were overcast, and the bowling accurate but nothing could explain the batsmen pretending to be kamikaze artists. Praveen Kumar, a seamer relying on gentle swing, triggered the collapse before Ishant Sharma, a taller, pacier gunman, pierced the soft underbelly further. Kumar Sangakkara’s poor shot selection opened up the flood gates and the rest seemed more intent to catch the next flight out of Hobart. On a flat pitch, they saw their chances of entering the final up in smoke.The script could have easily changed, especially when Sanath Jayasuriya and Sangakkara were out in the middle. The duo had shrugged off the early dismissal of Dilruwan Perera, castled by a peach of a straightener from Ishant, by cashing in on a slightly wayward new-ball spell. Sangakkara, like he’s done all series, laced cover-drives with ease while Jayasuriya, who’s endured a struggle in Australia, crunched jabs through point to offer glimpses of his destructive best. The pitch appeared to have eased out; India, who picked five bowlers, seemed to have botched a great chance.Everything changed when Kumar was introduced. Playing only his third ODI, he showed why he’s so highly rated in the domestic circuit. Sangakkara paid the price for taking Kumar too lightly: he walked down the track and poked recklessly, only to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni pull off a fine catch diving to his left. Sangakkara telegraphed his intentions too early and couldn’t make allowance for Kumar’s subtle movement away from him.Kumar was ecstatic after his first international wicket but he was to nab two more in quick time. Mahela Jayawardene was undone by a sharp catch by Rohit Sharma at point – reacting quickly to a fierce cut he pulled off a superb low catch – before Chamara Silva wafted at one that shaped away to watch Dhoni pull off another fine take. It was Dhoni’s 100th catch in ODIs. So smooth was the trajectory on that ball that it might have inscribed a perfect parabola, snicking the outside edge on its way through.Jayasuriya, watching all the mayhem from the other end, thought it was best to break the shackles. Faced with a short ball from Irfan Pathan he attempted a high-risk pull, kicking the ground as the ball ballooned into Dhoni’s gloves. Ishant returned to remove Tillakaratne Dilshan, with a peach that swung into his pads, before tempting Chaminda Vaas with an indiscreet pull. On a good batting pitch, with the bowlers doing nothing extraordinary, Sri Lanka were teetering on the brink.Kapugedera, though, was like a sane voice in a mad melee. Along with Lasith Malinga, he endured 12.2 overs without a boundary before he began to gradually open out. He showed he had all the shots – a smooth cover drive, a crackling straight drive, and an innovative pick-up shot in front of square.It was his highest ODI score but only delayed the inevitable. The sun was out by the time India’s openers walked in and the match was headed in only one direction. Shrugging off his failures in the CB Series so far, Tendulkar set the Bellerive alight with a dominant half-century. Cutting loose against an uninspired bowling attack, he provided Australia with an ominous signal ahead of the final.Reading Muttiah Muralitharan’s doosras from the hand, he waltzed down the track to loft over the covers. Ishara Amarasinghe’s dibbly-dobblies were never going to be a threat in these conditions and he was greeted with three successive fours in his first over: flicked delectably over square, cut savagely through point and spanked in the same direction.Gambhir enhanced his ever-burgeoning reputation with an assured knock. He read Malinga’s slower ones and didn’t spare his quicker ones too, especially when they were wide and within his striking zone. He handled Murali with ease, picking him off for singles, and ensured he was out there when the winning runs were struck. Sri Lanka won’t want to remember much from the CB Series but the sight of Gambhir cutting them to ribbons may be a tough one to erase.
A huge century from Michael Di Venuto pushed Tasmania closer to a home final as they reached 8 for 364 at stumps against New South Wales. Mark Cameron removed Di Venuto for 181 with the last ball of the day but the Blues faced an uphill battle to secure their place in the Pura Cup decider.Cameron chipped away at Di Venuto’s partners, finishing with 4 for 114, but Tasmania dominated the day and only a New South Wales win will rob them of hosting rights. The 270-ball innings was Di Venuto’s third hundred in 2006-07 – only Chris Rogers, David Hussey and Phil Jaques have also managed that feat this year.He raced to 74 from 79 deliveries at lunch before easing his pace and he reached triple-figures from 136 balls. Di Venuto had good support from Travis Birt (53) and later from Damien Wright, who contributed an unbeaten 36 in the pair’s 86-run eighth-wicket stand.Stuart MacGill troubled the middle order with 3 for 56 and will be keen to finish off the tail early on day two. The Blues could still make the final even if they lose, but they would be out should either Victoria or Western Australia win.New South Wales suffered a setback before play when Simon Katich was ruled out with a thumb injury. Ben Rohrer, the batsman, was handed his first-class debut while Dominic Thornely was given the captaincy in Katich’s absence.
This England team may have lacked experience, but their indomitable will carried them to a resounding 212-run victory in the third and final Test, a win that is destined to be remembered as one of their finest in the subcontinent.Afterwards, Andrew Flintoff, who showed the way with an immense personal contribution to the series – 254 runs at 52.8 and 11 wickets at 30.54 – puts things into perspective when he said that “it ranks right up there” with the Ashes triumph over Australia in September. “Last summer was huge,” he said. “But to come out here with the problems we had leading up to the series, and to lose Steve Harmison here…”The young lads making their debuts and those that have played a handful of matches, with us being one behind, we required one last push. The manner in which we played here was fantastic, and I think this is the first time England have won a Test match in India for more than 20 years.”India needed 295 runs with nine wickets in hand when play resumed on the final day, and Flintoff said that he had been quietly confident of success. “I thought we were in a great position. Having batted yesterday and scratched around for more than three hours, I knew it wasn’t easy batting out there. India needed the best part of 300 runs, and with the ball spinning and bouncing and the surface wearing, I though the percentages were in our favour.”Having said that, not even he could have been prepared for the abysmal surrender post-lunch. “I must admit I thought we would be scrapping it out at the end of the day, we would be fighting it out at the end,” he said. “We knew that Rahul [Dravid] doesn’t give his wicket away, and while Rahul and Sachin [Tendulkar] were together, anything was possible. But once we got two wickets in two overs after lunch, and especially with the way Shaun Udal was bowling with the ball bouncing and turning, we knew we were on top.”
According to Flintoff, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s suicidal charge at Udal was just as pivotal, a signal to the dressing-room that the champagne and beer could be put on ice. “It was always going to be difficult once Dhoni was dismissed because they had only the bowlers to come. We were also lucky to have got [Anil] Kumble early because he has been a thorn in our side. He is a tricky batsman to bowl to.”The emphatic victory was nothing less than England deserved, and Flintoff said as much. India’s nine-wicket win in Mohali had flattered them, and according to Flintoff, “We spoke about it, we saw what went on in Mohali and realised that we were not that far away. We were so close, and it was just a matter of scoring a few more runs. The bowlers were magnificent, and Straussy was fantastic. We needed one of our top-order batsmen to go on and make a big score, and we knew that if we had a good first-innings score here, we had a great chance.”Flintoff was reluctant to criticise Dravid’s decision to field, but admitted that he was as puzzled as anyone when asked to bat. “I would have batted first if we won the toss, but I have no local knowledge,” he said diplomatically. “For me to say I will bowl on winning the toss, the grass will have to be knee-deep. I was pleased to bat first, that was our game-plan.”With two 50s in the match, Flintoff did as much as anyone to set up the win, and four years on from his nightmare with the bat on the last tour, he was a content man. “The one thing I wanted to do in India was score runs,” he said. “The last time I came here, I made 27 runs [actually 26] in three Tests, so there were question marks over my head as regards playing in the subcontinent and playing spin.”I worked very hard with Neil Fairbrother back in England, and with Duncan Fletcher and Matthew Maynard after coming here. I have been refining my game against spin. It’s disappointing that I didn’t go on to make a hundred, it would have been nice to go on, but I have improved as a batter and the bowling is taking care of itself. Maybe the added responsibility has helped as well.”
Flintoff was originally supposed to skip the Mumbai Test so that he could be with his wife, Rachel, when their second child was born, but Michael Vaughan’s knee injury scuppered those plans. “To stay back and lead the side was what I wanted to do, and it’s what Rachel wanted me to do as well,” he said. “Of course winning makes it worth it because you may not get the chance to captain the country again.”While many questions focused on his role in the victory, Flintoff was anxious not to deflect attention away from the team that had done him proud. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” he said. “With guys going back and stuff, Alastair Cook made his debut, Monty Panesar and Owais Shah made their debuts, and though Shaun Udal is 37, he has only played a handful of Tests.”It shows that English cricket is strong and that young players are coming through and there is a lot of talent. Every lad that came in fitted into the side, contributed on and off the field. The character of the side has been fantastic, and the lads can be very proud of what they have done in the last three weeks.”Flintoff was insistent, however, that he was merely keeping the captain’s chair warm for Vaughan. “As soon as he is fit, he is the captain. I have had a taste of it and I have enjoyed it, but I have enjoyed playing under Vaughany. This is very much his side, and not just me but everyone in the team is looking forward to him coming back.”If there was a sour note, it was provided by a crowd that jeered Tendulkar on Sunday, and then heckled Dravid at the presentation ceremony. “It was a strange one from the crowd,” said Flintoff, not bothering to hide his disappointment. “Of course, there were a lot of English folk too in the crowd. But there were sections that were on our backs, calling us names and stuff, and you don’t want to see that. Rahul is a fantastic player and a fantastic captain, and he doesn’t deserve to be booed. Hopefully, we won’t see it happen to us.”If he keeps playing like this, that’s highly unlikely.