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A 102-run stand between Aamer Sajjad and captain Faisal Iqbal helped Pakistan A seal a series-winning five-wicket victory over West Indies A in a rain-reduced fixture in Grenada

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2010
Scorecard
A 102-run stand between Aamer Sajjad and captain Faisal Iqbal helped Pakistan A seal a series-winning five-wicket victory over West Indies A in a rain-reduced fixture in Grenada.Overnight rain delayed the start of the game, reducing it to 27 overs per side and chasing 166 Pakistan A’s innings got off to a disastrous start with Ravi Rampaul, Jason Holder and Nikita Miller combining to reduce the tourists to 32 for 4 until the fifth-wicket pair took control.Umair Khan was the first to fall, caught behind off Holder and Sarfraz Ahmed fell soon after. Miller struck twice, trapping Umar Amin, who played four Tests earlier in the year against Australia and England, in front for four before holding on to a return catch off Khurram Manzoor.At that stage West Indies A looked set to level the series but Sajjad and Iqbal counter-attacked to great effect. Both scored at more than a run-a-ball with Iqbal cracking five fours and two sixes in his 58 before edging behind off Rampaul. At the other end Sajjad was immovable and struck three sixes to finish unbeaten on 70 as he saw his side home.It was enough to earn him the Man-of-the-Match award and ensured Iqbal’s decision to field first paid dividends. West Indies A’s batting effort had a chaotic feel to it as three run-outs hampered the top order. Riding high on 82 for 1, Andre Fletcher fell for 43 and was followed by Kieran Powell, run-out by Sajjid soon after for 44. The middle-order failed to get going but some brave swiping from Holder (20 off eight balls) at the end of the innings carried the total to 165. Thanks to Sajjad’s heroics, it wasn’t enough.

Celtic had a rather significant overhaul last summer in terms of the number of players that joined and moved out of the club.

As things stand, it seems as though this hefty amount of business has paid off, with the Hoops currently six points clear at the top of the SPFL table.

Looking ahead to the next transfer window, it seems as though a clue has been dropped over the future of one particular player currently in Ange Postecoglou’s squad that joined last summer.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say about Cameron Carter-Vickers and what the upcoming summer transfer window could hold for him.

He said: “In terms of Carter-Vickers, the player has not made a decision yet. It sounds to me like he would rather be in the Premier League if possible, but he needs to see what opportunities genuinely open up.”

Since arriving at the Parkhead club back in the previous summer transfer window on a loan deal from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, the defender has become an integral part of Celtic’s team.

With 28 league appearances under his belt, the 24-year-old has earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.36/10 from WhoScored, making him the fourth-highest rated player currently in Postecoglou’s squad and the highest-rated centre-back.

Postecoglou will be livid

To highlight how highly-rated he is by the Hoops boss, only Carl Starfelt and Joe Hart have played more minutes in the league than the on-loan Spurs figure.

In terms of his defensive talents, the American has racked up a total of 19 successful tackles, 36 interceptions and a higher average of clearances per game (4.2) than any other Celtic player.

This shows just how pivotal Carter-Vickers has been for the Bhoys at the back and how much he has contributed to the fact that they have the best defensive record in the league with just 19 goals conceded in 33 games.

Taking into account what Jones had to say about the defender’s apparent preference to play in the Premier League, this would surely be a big blow for Celtic and make Postecoglou rather angry given how important the player has been for the team.

Moving forward, once the summer transfer window opens, the Hoops should do everything they can to convince Carter-Vickers to stay where he is and negotiate a deal with Spurs to make it happen.

But for now, Jones’ update is a big blow to Celtic’s hopes of convincing him to stay at the club on a more permanent basis.

In other news: Signed for 7 figures, left for peanuts: Celtic had a mare on “unplayable” £15k-p/w dud…

Boyd Rankin, the Ireland fast bowler, is confident he is on track to take his place at the World Cup as he recovers from a stress fracture of his foot

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2010Boyd Rankin, the Ireland fast bowler, is confident he is on track to take his place at the World Cup as he recovers from a stress fracture of his foot.Rankin missed Ireland’s recent trip to India, but is aiming to resume bowling in early December and work his way back to top gear early in the New Year. He is key to Ireland’s hopes of making an impact at the 2011 World Cup to match their exploits in the Caribbean where they reached the Super Eight stage with victory over Pakistan and later beat Bangladesh.”I started running in the last couple of days and should be bowling again next week when I go to Loughborough and it will be two weeks there, a week at Warwickshire and another week at Loughborough before Christmas to make sure I am as best prepared as I can be,” Rankin told the . “But this time we are taking it more slowly to make sure there are no more problems.”Rankin was Ireland’s leading wicket-taker at the previous World Cup and adds a cutting edge to their attack that most Associate nations struggle to replicate. He also plays for Warwickshire in English domestic cricket and took 22 wickets at 27 last season before being hit by injury.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning to sell left-back Sergio Reguilon this summer.

The Lowdown: Conte’s second-choice

The 25-year-old has struggled to cement a place in Antonio Conte’s wing-back system, but with Ryan Sessegnon sustaining a hamstring injury against Everton last month, the door opened for the Spaniard’s return to the starting XI.

However, Reguilon was dropped from the side that played out a goalless draw at the Brentford Community Stadium as Sessegnon returned to fitness, which has fuelled speculation that the former’s future at Spurs might be up in the air.

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Now, it’s believed that a Spanish club have registered their interest in the six-time international ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and Conte is ready to cut him loose.

The Latest: Interest from the homeland

According to Football Insider, a direct club source has stated that the north London giants will ‘listen to offers’ for the £25.2m-rated ace at the end of the season, and would be happy to sell him ‘at the right price’.

The report goes on to say that the fee needed to complete a deal would be ‘far less’ than the initial £43m buy-back option that’s available to Real Madrid, so the Lilywhites will not bank a significant profit.

The Verdict: Right time to go

Having only made 22 Premier League starts this campaign, not to mention the fact that he has dropped down the pecking order since Conte has taken charge, it would be no surprise to see Reguilon look elsewhere in a bid to find more game time.

The full-back has shown glimpses of quality throughout his time in England, scoring two goals and providing nine assists in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, but has never quite managed to hit the heights that the hierarchy would have no doubt been hoping for.

Once dubbed as being a “phenomenal” player by Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold, Reguilon clearly has the potential to have an established successful career, but as long as the Italian manager is at the helm, it’s highly likely that it won’t be in the capital.

In other news, Conte has been hit by yet another brutal piece of injury news…

A round-up of the second day of the tenth round in Division One of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2010Seamers Fakhar Hussain and Nasrullah Khan bowled Islamabad to a commanding position against Sialkot at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Fakhar finished with figures of 6 for 46, and Nasrullah took four wickets as Sialkot were skittled out for 131 in response to the hosts’ 319. Nasrullah did all the early damage, as Sialkot collapsd to 25 for 5. Majid Jahangir provided the only resistance with his unbeaten 56. Sialkot’s best partnership was for the last wicket; 33 runs between Jahangir and Prince Abbas. Following on, Sialkot were in trouble at the end of the day at 51 for 4, still trailing Islamabad by 137 runs with Rauf Akbar picking up three of the four wickets to fall.A century by Imran Farhat kept Habib Bank Ltd in their match against National Bank of Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, but NBP will still fancy themselves to chase the 153 they were set to win. If it were not for Farhat’s 101 and his 102-run ninth-wicket partnership with legspinner Danish Kaneria, who made 48, HBL wouldn’t have even made it into the third day. Their next highest scorer was wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat with 15 and only three other batsmen reached double figures.When Farhat came to the wicket, HBL were 47 for 5, still 27 runs behind NBP. Running out of partners, Farhat had to score quickly, and he hit 17 fours to reach 101 off 108 balls before he was dismissed. NBP’s openers had to play out seven overs at the end of the day and came out unscathed, at 8 for 0.Multan were headed for their tenth straight defeat by the end of the second day of their match against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium in Karachi. At stumps on the second day, they were leading Karachi by five runs with just two wickets in hand. Karachi didn’t add too many to their overnight total of 194 for 5. Asad Baig went on to get a century, but seamer Abdur Rauf cleaned up the tail to finish with 4 for 94 as Karachi were bowled out for 265. Multan, who were bowled out for 65 in their first innings, were more solid in their second, reaching 164 for 3 with Ghulam Fareed (95) and Imranullah Aslam (54) adding 97 for the fourth wicket. However, they suffered a collapse after that, losing five wickets for 41 runs to end the day on 205 for 8. Seamer Tabish Khan, who took five wickets in Multan’s first innings, got four more in the second.Rawalpindi need another 121 to beat Faisalabad at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, after Sadaf Hussain picked up his second five-wicket haul of the game. Sadaf blew through Faisalabad’s top order like a tornado, reducing them to 17 for 4, but even though no other batsmen made more than 14, Adbul Rauf found enough support to make 72, taking his side to 132 and giving them something to defend. Sadaf finished with figures of 6 for 40 in the innings, and 11 for 104 in the match, his second career 10-wicket haul.Rawalpindi had eked out a seven-run first-innings lead after their last wicket pair of Haseeb Azam, who made 60, and Mohammad Ayaz, who remained not out on 10, added a potentially match-turning 60 runs. Ahmed Hayat picked up the last two wickets to fall, to end up with 5 for 50. They were 5 for 1 in their second innings, having lost Naved Malik for one to Ahmed. A win could mean Rawalpindi move up to second in the points table.Water and Power Development Authority took control of their game against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground after extending their lead to 224 with seven second-innings wicket in hand. Kashif Raza and Sarfraz Ahmed combined to take nine wickets and skittle SNGPL for 141, with only Ali Raza standing firm in making 54 not out as eight batsmen were dismissed for single-digit scores. Nawaz Sardar led the way with an unbeaten 59 in WAPDA’s second innings, as they reached 138 for 3 at the close of play.A fine allround bowling display gave Pakistan International Airlines a 49-run first innings lead over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Five bowlers shared the 10 wickets to fall, with Aizaz Cheema’s 3 for 57 the best figures of the bunch, while three other bowlers took two wickets each. Five of the batsmen got starts as well, but none of them were able to convert them to big scores. Shahid Yousuf was the top scorer with 49 and Sohail Tanveer and Kamran Naeem made 44 and 43 respectively, adding 76 for the seventh wicket to rescue ZTBL from a precarious 118 for 6 and limit PIA’s lead.

Celtic’s title party has been put on hold after they failed to beat their rivals at Parkhead in the Premiership on Sunday.

The Hoops took the lead through Jota’s strike but failed to kick on as they missed a number of excellent chances to improve their advantage.

This allowed the opposition to get back into the game and eventually find an equaliser through Fashion Sakala in the second half.

One player who struggled throughout the match was central midfielder Reo Hatate as his poor run of form for the Hoops continued.

He let Postecoglou down in the last Old Firm outing at the start of April and also put in a disappointing display against Ross County last week as he lost 100% of his duels and failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles – as per SofaScore.

Hatate’s performance today did little to help his case to continue starting matches as he was nowhere near good enough against Rangers. Fan media outlet Celtic1967 dubbed him “sluggish” and that is exactly what he was on and off the ball.

Out of possession, he was a lightweight. Via SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels as he came out second-best in all six of his battles. He did make two interceptions, three if you include him stopping an inflatable from disrupting the play, but was also dribbled past three times as the Light Blues midfielders got the better of him too often.

On the ball, the £14.5k-per-week gem only completed 13 passes in 61 minutes on the pitch. He did create one chance for his teammates, though, and was successful in one of his two crosses, although he did not manage a single shot or completed dribble before he was substituted.

Following this display, and his previous performances against Rangers and Ross County, Postecogou must brutally axe the Japan international from the starting line-up.

Celtic play Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday and Hatate must be dropped to the bench for that outing as he has not been good enough, consistently, in the last few weeks. The Hoops cannot afford to keep playing a player who is a liability in matches on a regular basis.

With just two games left in the season, the midfielder should be rested/axed from the start for the remainder of the campaign and have the bit between his teeth to improve over the summer and come back fit and firing for 2022/23.

AND in other news, Ange must axe “catastrophic” & “unbelievable” disaster duo, they’re rinsing Celtic…

Kane Williamson, the young New Zealand batsman, has said that the public criticism that New Zealand have faced for their recent lean run will help them come out stronger in the end

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2011Kane Williamson, the young New Zealand batsman, has said that the public criticism that New Zealand have faced for their recent lean run will help them come out stronger in the end. New Zealand have lost 14 of their previous 16 one-dayers, and their last series 2-3 to Pakistan at home. “[It] does add a little bit of pressure, and it’s probably a real character builder,” Williamson told . “I’m sure we will come out the back of it and be stronger for it.”Williamson was on his way to India to join his side for the World Cup, after having been advised to stay back for a couple of days for a chest infection. “It all happened pretty suddenly, I thought I was fine. I felt ok, had a bit of a cough and went to the doctors as a last minute thing because I was told to. He recommended I stay home.”Despite his potential, Williamson has still not been able to cement a position in the middle order, and said that he would come to know about his role when he reached India. “I haven’t had a lot of contact with the side just yet, they’re just settling in, I look forward to hearing my role when I get there.”He was confident that New Zealand had worked out the strengths and weaknesses of their opposition going in to the World Cup. “Every time you go into a series or a match, there’s key figures that you look to target or break down, that’s certainly been done prior to now.”Williamson has made 253 runs from 11 one-dayers at an average of 25.30, including a maiden century against Bangladesh.

Former Celtic striker Charlie Nicholas has pleaded with the club to tie manager Ange Postecoglou down to a new deal, claiming the club must already be plotting or even in behind-scenes ‘negotiations’.

The Lowdown: Ange excels in first year

The Australian replaced Neil Lennon in the Parkhead hot seat last year, looking to improve fortunes on the pitch after a disappointing period.

Postecoglou has done just that, inspiring Celtic to within touching distance of regaining the Scottish Premiership title, needing just one more point to achieve that goal.

Not only that but the Hoops have already sealed Scottish League Cup glory, too, further outlining the job he is doing.

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The Latest: Nicholas wants new deal sorted

Postecoglou only signed a one-year deal at Parkhead, however, and speaking to The Scottish Daily Express, Nicholas, 60, claimed the club must surely already be engaged in or plotting behind-scenes talks:

“Forget about all the transfers because Celtic’s No. 1 priority in the coming weeks should be rewarding Ange Postecoglou with a new contract. I would be absolutely amazed if talks haven’t already started.

“Celtic would be absolutely crazy if they haven’t opened negotiations or even scheduled them for the coming weeks. Ange deserves to be rewarded for what he has done.

“Let’s get him tied up because he is at the heart of everything good that Celtic are doing and have done. They kept topping up Brendan Rodgers’ deal and look at the compensation they got for him when Leicester City came in.

“I don’t think Ange will be pushing for a new deal but it would be a reward for the remarkable job he has done at Celtic…so far. His reputation is growing and there is no doubt other big clubs will be looking at him.

“So Dermot (Desmond) show a bit of loyalty and reward Ange, please. He should be the top priority at the club.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Celtic

It would be devastating to see Postecoglou suddenly leave at the end of the season, having not agreed terms on a contract and found a new club instead.

That seems unlikely, in truth, with the Celtic boss seemingly happy at the club, but supporters won’t rest easy until he has extended his stint with the Hoops.

Postecoglou has made an enormous difference since replacing Lennon, becoming an undoubted fan favourite already, and the club could enjoy a rich period of success under him.

In other news, an exciting Celtic financial update has emerged. Read more here.

Liverpool are believed to be edging closer to the signing of Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay, according to a report from 90min. 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

A graduate of the youth academy at Pittodrie, the 18-year-old starlet has enjoyed a breakthrough couple of seasons north of the border.

Following a fleeting Scottish Premiership debut in March 2021 against Dundee United, Ramsay has now made 39 appearances for the Aberdeen first-team, racking up nine assists during that time – it is perhaps no surprise to see the team so renowned for using their full-backs as playmakers now on the hunt.

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Albeit only a sample size on which to base an opinion and despite his fledgeling years, a big move may already beckon for the Scottish youth international…

The latest: Liverpool in pole position

As per 90min, Liverpool are said to be ‘confident of winning the race’ to sign Ramsay this summer.

It’s claimed that the Reds will beat interest from Leeds United, West Ham United, Burnley and Crystal Palace in order to land the teenager who was described as being among the ‘elite’ bracket of young talents in Europe by Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack.

Furthermore, the report states that ‘sources close to the Reds now believe a deal is close’ as Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Julian Ward look to kickstart their summer transfer window early.

The verdict: Smart move

Although it’s currently nigh on impossible to envisage a world in which Ramsay can usurp Trent Alexander-Arnold, the ability to rest and rotate the three-cap Scottish Under 21 ace’s compatriot Andy Robertson with Kostas Tsimikas has proven invaluable this term.

Following a successful loan spell at Fulham it’s expected Neco Williams could look to move onto pastures new and as such Klopp will want an immediate replacement.

So far this season Ramsay – who boasts very strong crossing, key passes and set-piece ability (WhoScored) – has scored once and provided nine assists in 33 appearances, highlighting similarities with Alexander-Arnold that make it clear to see why Liverpool and Klopp would be keen on bringing the youngster to Anfield.

In other news, Liverpool have been boosted by a fresh transfer update. Read more here.

MS Dhoni gave the first clear indication of the Indian team’s decision on the Kohli-Raina conundrum when he said the in-form Kohli is likely to play at No. 4 in the opening match against Bangladesh

Siddarth Ravindran at the MA Chidambaram Stadium16-Feb-2011The most heated debate in recent weeks about the composition of the Indian team for the World Cup has been who among Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina will make the final XI. MS Dhoni gave the first clear indication of the Indian team’s decision when he said, after the warm-up match against New Zealand, that the in-form Kohli is likely to play at No. 4 in the opening match against Bangladesh.”Right now it is a matter of deciding slots; it’s the No. 4 slot where Virat Kohli needs to bat with Gautam [Gambhir] at No. 3, because to perform to his potential Virat needs to bat up the order,” Dhoni said in Chennai. “Raina has done well for us batting at No. 5 and No. 6, still there’s a bit of a chance that Virat may get an edge over Raina seeing the current form that he [Kohli] is in.”A starting spot in the World Cup will be a reward for Kohli, who has soared to second spot in the ICC one-day batsmen rankings on the back of several outstanding series. His journey to becoming a first-choice player began with the chances he got in the absence of some of the senior players from one-dayers over the past year. He backed up a match-winning hundred against Australia, in October, with plenty of runs in the home series against New Zealand, before looking the most assured of the India batsmen against the pace of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in the South Africa one-day series. He was also fluent in both of India’s warm-up matches, making 21 against Australia and a brisk half-century against New Zealand.Raina has been a regular with the Indian side for a couple of years now, but his patchy recent form seems set to cost him his place at the start of cricket’s marquee tournament. He has only one half-century in his previous 21 innings, and even the 25-ball half-century he hammered against New Zealand on Wednesday hasn’t, apparently, been enough to convince the team management.Another middle-order batsman whose recent form hasn’t been great is Yuvraj Singh, who didn’t bat in the warm-up against New Zealand. With India playing only four specialist bowlers, and Virender Sehwag’s shoulder problem still preventing him from sending down his offspinners, Yuvraj’s regular contributions with the ball will be important to the balance of the side. “Once Yuvraj gets going in a series, he makes it a point that India wins that series; that’s definitely a big positive,” Dhoni said. “Also being a proper left-arm spinner, he has been contributing in all the games right from South Africa, taking the ball away from the batsmen. It’s another big asset that he has got which gives him an edge over the others.”Yuvraj’s batting form is shaping up as a big factor in deciding which of Kohli and Raina will play. He will start out the World Cup at No. 5, but could move up a slot if he hits form. If that happens, Kohli looks likely to have to vacate not just the No. 4 spot but a place in the team itself as the management rates Raina as a better player in the lower order, in the subcontinent. “Once Yuvraj gets going and he scores one or two fifties, that will be the time when we will be in a dilemma,” Dhoni said, “because that No. 4 slot is very important for us, and if Virat is to bat at No. 5, 6 or 7 then his performance will get affected, because he’s the kind of player who likes to spend a bit of time initially and then look to go after the bowlers.”