All posts by n8rngtd.top

Legendary Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker passed away on Thursday. People immediately started posting tributes and sharing their favorite Uecker stories and it quickly became apparent just how high his approval rating was amongst sports fans.

One of those sports fans who happened to have the honor of working with Uecker for years was Brewers' television play-by-play voice Brian Anderson. He has been calling games on Fox Sports Wisconsin (Now known as FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin) since 2007.

Anderson called into MLB Network after the news came out to discuss his friend and shared some incredibly funny and touching stories about getting to know him and how Uecker actually helped get him his job with Milwaukee. He also explained why Uecker was so good at his job and one of the best to ever do it.

"His gift was that—and I learned this from him—is there was, there was great knowledge first of all," said Anderson. "So he could be the analyst. He could dissect the game, but he also knew when to pull back, when to be funny, when to be serious. And he mostly, you know, 90-percent of his play-by-play was he played it straight with the Brewers all these years. Everybody thinks he's hilarious and he is. He's a comedic genius, but if you just sat down for a three-hour broadcast Ueck played straight. He called the game straight and proper. And there were moments of humor in there for sure, but he definitely had that gift of understanding the moment in front of him. He was fully present. Not just to the game in front of him when he was on the air, but everything around him in life. Fully present.

"That idealogy," Anderson continued. "That philosophy of life translated into a world-class broadcaster because he felt every moment and he called it properly. He had great joy in his voice so he was fun and easy to listen to. He had a real interesting resonance to his voice as well. It got really high-pitched when he got excited. He broke a lot of the broadcasting rules, i would say. You know you wouldn't teach at Syracuse or Northwestern, but he got away with it because he was so brilliant at it and just, there's that it factor when you connect to an audience. And nobody had the it factor like Bob."

Anderson shared a couple more stories during an appearance on in 2024. Surely, he has a million more that we'll probably never hear.

It's been a busy but exciting summer for Manchester United this year.

Erik ten Hag's side weren't overly impressive during the preseason, but the work off of the pitch has been tremendous, with players like Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and soon Manuel Ugarte joining up to help bring Sir Jim Ratcliffe's vision of a rejuvenated United to life.

However, while most teams would now sit back and take pride in the business they have conducted, the Red Devils look intent on adding at least one more star to their squad.

The latest player touted for a move to Old Trafford could bring a mountain of goals with him and even has shades of a certain Dimitar Berbatov to boot.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from The Standard, United are once again interested in signing Brentford ace Ivan Toney.

In fact, the report claims that the Red Devils have already held initial discussions with the Bees over a potential move, and while the West Londoners want a fee of around £50m, the looming deadline could see the Englishman sold for just £40m.

However, the most significant barrier to this deal going through is that, as things stand, the player would prefer a move to Chelsea, who are also keen to secure his services before the clock strikes 11pm tomorrow.

That said, given Toney's incredible goal record and potential bargain price, this is a transfer well worth fighting for, especially as there are some apparent similarities to former United star Berbatov.

Toney's similarities to Berbatov

Now, the first thing to say is that while there are certainly some similarities between Toney and Berbatov, especially if this deal goes through, it would be unfair to expect the Brentford ace to match up with the Bulgarian at Old Trafford, as while he was an unorthodox player, the Bulgarian international left the Theatre of Dreams with two league titles, two League Cups, a Club World Cup and two Community Shields under his arm.

Moreover, he also racked up 56 goals and 26 assists in 149 appearances for the club, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.82 games, and while the Englishman might be able to reach those levels, it's still a lot of pressure.

That said, what are these similarities, then? Well, the first is that if this transfer is completed, then both poachers would have joined the Red Devils slightly later in their careers, as the Blagoevgrad-born ace was 27 in 2008, and the former Newcastle United ace is now 28.

Second, the pair of them would have made their big move to the three-time European Champions from a team in the capital, Tottenham Hotspur, in the case of the 79-capped international, and obviously Brentford for the man of the moment.

The final similarity based on the deal itself is that, like Berbatov, the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, would likely complete his transfer on deadline day.

Now, there are also a couple of stylistic similarities between the two stars as well, with the first being the fact that neither one was or is blessed with pace and that their biggest strength on the pitch is their ability to finish, placing the ball exactly where they want it to go.

The final point of comparison between the pair is that they share a level of self-belief that some may see as arrogance or even cockiness. Berbatov's former teammate at Spurs, Jamie O'Hara, described the striker as a "fantastic player" but "so arrogant."

Likewise, Toney has made no secret of how highly he rates himself in recent seasons, making disparaging comments about Brentford on holiday and openly telling interviewers which teams he'd like to play for more recently.

Ultimately, while the Englishman – who has scored 72 goals in 141 games for the Bees – isn't going to be the next coming of the Bulgarian legend at United, he'd undoubtedly bring plenty of goals with him, and therefore, at the reported price, signing him before the window slams shut feels like a no-brainer.

Man Utd close in on late move to sign their next Roy Keane

The incredible ace could be a game-changer for Ten Hag.

3

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 26, 2024

West Indies go down after a 100-run stand for the first wicket to lose their first game of the World Cup so far

Annesha Ghosh12-Mar-2022India weathered a blistering opening stand between Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews to script a vital 155-run win over West Indies that propelled them to the top of the World Cup table. In the early stages of India’s defence of 317, their highest World Cup total, the result seemed far from obvious, and the centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur somewhat inadequate. Sneh Rana and Meghna Singh, however, decisively turned the tide India’s way at Seddon Park as Dottin’s wicket triggered West Indies’ slump from 100 for no loss to 162 all out.West Indies gave them a good chance of extending their winning streak after galloping to 50 in five overs, 81 in the wicketless powerplay, and 100 in just 12. The dominant hand in their blazing start, and West Indies’ maiden century stand, was Dottin’s, despite her back and legs requiring regular repairwork during her 62-run knock. Dottin carted 11 boundaries in her breathtaking 46-ball innings.India sought respite from the Dottin-Matthews onslaught but received little despite using two quicks and spinners each in the powerplay. It was third-change Rana’s frugal, game-changing opening spell that led to West Indies’ collapse.Dottin top-edged an attempted sweep to Rana’s second ball to Meghna at short fine-leg, and it was Meghna who then took over and dealt West Indies the second blow, Kycia Knight’s pull going to Mandhana at deep square-leg. Meghna followed it up with Stafanie Taylor’s wicket before Rana removed Matthews for 48. In both dismissals, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh pouched the edges with ease.Sneh Rana dismissed both the West Indies openers after a strong start•ICC via Getty

Earlier, India’s batters, led by Mandhana and Harmanpreet, pulled no punches in a game they needed to win to stay safe in the race to the knockouts following the loss to New Zealand at the same venue. They put on their highest total in ODI World Cups – and the overall highest in this edition – after choosing to bat first.Mandhana hit 123 in 119, and Harmanpreet 109 in 107, and they put on 184 for the fourth wicket, India’s best in ODI World Cups, to lift them from 78 for 3.On a used surface, India almost instantly shook off the hesitancy that stifled them in the powerplay against Pakistan and New Zealand, Yastika Bhatia’s fearless stroke play underpinning their approach early on. Bhatia got off the mark with a four off a mistimed cut that flew over the slips, and next over, she cracked three fours off pulls as Chinelle Henry gave away 15 runs to begin her day.India’s rapid start led West Indies to introduce spin in the sixth over. But it was the change at the other end, in the form of medium-pacer Shakera Selman, that brought the breakthrough when, on 31, Bhatia lobbed a dolly back to Selman off a slower delivery. Another soft dismissal followed, this time Mithali Raj, who became the captain with most appearances on the day, falling to Matthews.Mandhana, meanwhile, steadied the ship at one end, though the two early wickets made her cautious. India got to 62 for 2 in the powerplay, the best in that phase before West Indies bettered it in the chase, and No. 4 Deepti Sharma’s back-to-back fours off Selman promised a lot. That, however, was not to be. Coming on in the 13th over, Anisa Mohammed drew an edge off Deepti’s slog-sweep, which Matthews intercepted with a stunning one-handed grab behind the keeper.Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin gave West Indies a brilliant start with a quick 100-run stand•ICC via Getty Images

With India 100 for 3, 20 overs in, it was down to Mandhana and Harmanpreet to lift them to the 250-run mark, which they hadn’t reached in this World Cup before this game. On 34 off 51 balls, Mandhana struck her first four – a languid flick through the midwicket area – and upped the tempo thereafter. She got to her second fifty in the tournament with another flick, on the 60th ball of her innings, and her next 50 runs came off just 43 balls.With 200 up in the 36th over, Mandhana cracked a 78-metre six off Aaliyah Alleyne as fielding errors came thick and fast. After reaching the 90s with a four, Mandhana got a big slice of luck when, on 94, Alleyne dropped her at deep midwicket. Shamilia Connell tested her with a short ball and even pinged her pad, but Mandhana survived, and a four, courtesy a short-arm pull off Matthews, took her to her second ODI World Cup century, and second against West Indies. Three of her 13 fours on the day came off back-to-back deliveries as Matthews found herself at the receiving end in the 42nd over. India had crossed 250 by then and as Harmanpreet looked to up the ante at her end, Mandhana pulled one straight to deep midwicket to be dismissed.Harmanpreet, too, paced her innings well. A drop by Anisa at short third handed her a reprieve when on 20. She remained boundary-less in her first 20 balls but struck 12, two of them sixes, off her next 87. It was her strike rotation, though, that accounted for the bulk – 57 – of her 109 runs. Harmanpreet, unsurprisingly, relied heavily on the sweep but it was a full-blooded lofted shot that brought up her second straight fifty.She batted close to three hours and faced issues with her wrist as she neared the three-digit milestone. But neither pain nor West Indies could keep her from bringing up her first century in the format since her epochal 171 not out in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup. A single down the bowler’s right steered her to the mark, and a 15-run over from Anisa soon after lifted India past 300.India’s 317 for 8 eventually proved too much for West Indies as they were rolled over inside 41 overs. On a day of record-breaking feats, Jhulan Goswami added the finishing touch with the wicket of Anisa, and she rose to the top of the wicket-takers’ tally in women’s ODI World Cups. Fittingly, it was Rana who closed out the game, catching Connell off her own bowling.

Batting higher, Brad Hodge could have easily scored 500 runs this season, but his captain will gladly take the 50 he scored under pressure from No. 7

Sidharth Monga22-May-2013There is something reliable about stocky men with low back lifts. When the pitch is slow or when the reverse swing is considerable, these are the batsmen you want to be finishing your innings with. They are the least likely to play stupid shots under pressure, a Twenty20 trademark. When they break into rock-the-baby celebrations, they easily defend it as not mocking the bowler they have just hit for a match-winning six, a bowler who has won many a heart with his celebrations and uninhibited play. “I was pointing out I have got children too.”Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid can tell reliable men when he sees them. Throughout IPL 2013 he has used Brad Hodge, the 38-year-old Australian, low in the order, where he doesn’t get many chances. Or so it seems. “He doesn’t get many opportunities to bat,” says Dravid. “If he bats 3 and 4, there is no doubt he can score 500 runs as well. But there is nobody who can finish the game better than Brad Hodge, especially against quality pace.”The strategy has been put to severe test this season, and almost seemed to backfire on the big night. Dravid’s young batsmen all seemed to fall to the pressure and the charm of Sammy even when chasing just 133. The eliminator was turning into a match to be decided by slogs and hoicks. Sammy’s catch on the midwicket boundary to dismiss Shane Watson – full stretch in the air to pluck it overhead – was sensational, but after that it was just straight length bowling that took Rajasthan Royals from 50 for 1 to 57 for 5. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s stroke-play hadn’t been much better.The game was crying out for someone to pull it out of mediocrity, and out came Hodge. The asking rate – already nudging eight – was getting out of hand on a sticky surface, and Sanju Samson was to score just 10 off 21 at the other end. It was now time for a calculated assault on a tricky pitch by the last batsman who could win the game. Just the time for a stocky man with a short back lift.There were no risks taken. Hodge picked his bowlers – the hitherto successful Sunrisers legspinners – and chose to time his shots instead of slogging. There was a lesson there for the younger batsmen who had fallen before him. He read a Karan Sharma googly and sent it over long-on. Then he flicked him over square leg. Then he finally got the short ball. This wasn’t a bad over, but it went for 18. The asking rate was back to seven an over now.Hodge went after Amit Mishra too, but now the Sunrisers raised their game. Back came Dale Steyn and trapped Samson with reverse swing. Then James Faulkner played out dots. Even our stocky man with short back lift felt pressure now. He went slogging after Thisara Perera to kill the game in the 19th over. Failed to connect any. He was happy to accept he felt pressure. No false bravado.”I was probably trying to get the Chris Gayle distance instead of the Brad Hodge distance,” Hodge joked. “That’s what can happen. When you are under pressure and looking to try to take the pressure off by going for the big maximum, and you try too hard.”In the next over, though, the cool Hodge was back, and he broke the heart of the other hero on the night. Sammy had been everywhere. Scoring runs, taking catches, doing commentary, taking wickets, Sammy had all but owned the night. Then he bowled a short ball, which Hodge pulled for a six that went the Brad Hodge distance and not the Chris Gayle distance. The game was all but over, and Hodge nailed it with another six over long-off and stole what has been Sammy’s celebration this year.For a few minutes after the defeat, Sammy sat sullen in the dugout, but he will agree he lost to the better player on the day. And he has got children too.

AC Milan striker Tammy Abraham was in complete awe of Rafael Leao after the Portuguese put on a splendid display in the Champions League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Abraham heaped praise on Leao
• Duo helped their team beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2
• Winger scored Milan's second goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tammy Abraham was full of praise for his AC Milan team-mate Rafael Leao following his exploits in the team's nervy 3-2 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Leao came on as a substitute and scored the goal that put the Rossoneri ahead in the game.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Leao had a sensational 45 minutes against Slovan Bratislava, coming on at half-time for Noah Okafor and scoring the goal that gave them a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute. Shortly after Leao's goal, Abraham made it 3-1 to give AC Milan some breathing space in their eventual 3-2 win.

  It was a performance that will surely boost the Portuguese winger's confidence, given that he has found himself falling in the pecking order lately under coach Paulo Fonseca. Abraham, though, believes that Leao has no idea how impactful and effective he can be for Milan.

• WHAT TAMMY ABRAHAM SAID

  Abraham spoke to Sky Sport following the game and heaped praise on Leao. “Leao is a very important player for us," Abraham claimed (h/t Calciomercato). "I don’t think he knows how good he is. He can win games on his own, on his day he is unstoppable. We have to fill him with confidence and bring him on our path.”

• DAZN
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RAFAEL LEAO?

  Over the past few months, Leao's future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, with reports emerging of the rift between the player and Fonseca widening. Therefore, the club is contemplating Leao's future at the club amid strong interest from Barcelona.

  Leao will hope to build on his performance in the Champions League in Milan's upcoming game, in which they welcome Empoli at the San Siro on Saturday, November 30.

David Ornstein's dulcet tones so often send supporters into rapture, and the Manchester United fanbase have recently been excited by The Athletic's chief correspondent's all-important transfer update: INEOS have submitted a double bid Bayern Munich's way.

Indeed, United are pushing to sign centre-back Matthijs De Ligt and wide defender Noussair Mazraoui, reinforcing Erik ten Hag's backline after already signing dynamic forward Joshua Zirkzee, who won the 2023/24 Serie A Young Player of the Year, for £36.5m from Bologna.

Leny Yoro has also been signed in a staggering move, rising to £59m, from LOSC Lille, an 18-year-old centre-half projected to become one of the world's best, though he has been stricken with a three-month layoff after injuring his ankle in the Red Devils' pre-season clash against Arsenal at the end of July.

Old Trafford's rear might be getting all the attention right now, but few would argue against the pressing need to strengthen the midfield, and once defensive issues have been dealt with, the transfer cannon is set to shift to the engine room.

Man United transfer news

According to journalist Duncan Castles, speaking on his Football Transfers podcast, Man United are poised to move for Burnley midfielder Sander Berge in a shock transfer, should they fail to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte.

The 26-year-old, who joined Burnley for £12m last summer, impressed throughout the concluded campaign but failed to stop his team from falling back into the Championship, with Castles suggesting he is a player who the club are "discussing as an option".

While fans might initially turn their nose at the unexpected transfer news, he might just come to surprise a few.

Why Sander Berge could succeed at Man United

Berge completed 37 appearances in the Premier League last season and was awarded Burnley's Player of the Year after charging the engine with gusto, guile and a strong approach.

Now though, he deservedly seeks a move away, hailed as "the main man" by The Athletic's Andy Jones and charging the fluent brand of football that Burnley attempted to produce in the top flight.

Standing at 6 foot 3, he's rock-solid and commanding, with a sharp technicality and a wealth of experience in testing conditions – now, he's ready to step up to the task at The Theatre of Dreams.

He might be considered as the perfect alternative to the tough-tackling Ugarte, but he harbours qualities more similar to that of Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, with Catalan outlet El Nacional claiming last week that United had tabled a bid for the Spanish maestro.

How Berge compares to Martin Zubimendi

Berge has proved himself with the likes of Sheffield United and the Clarets and now appears ready to move to a top outfit, especially given that he is set to depart his beleaguered side.

As per FBref, Berge ranked among the top 15% of centre-midfielders in the Premier League last season for pass completion and the top 7% for aerial battles won per 90, speaking of his steely presence in the middle of the field and indeed his ball-playing skills.

Burnley sought to inculcate a ball-playing sheen to their football under Vincent Kompany last season, ranking 12th in the division for total passes (16,447) after their promotion.

Having suffered relegation, going out with a whimper, they were never able to perform at the level they desired but Berge showcased his skills and may well prove to flourish at a team such as United, especially as he fits the pass-efficient template that is coveted.

Indeed, FBref record Zubimendi as one of the Norwegian's most comparable players, and when comparing the respective 2023/24 league campaigns, it begins to become discernible that Burnley's man could be a shrewd signing for United.

The £48k-per-week talent has been hailed for his "world-class" quality by former loan teammate Kieran Tierney, but statistical analysis shows that United could benefit from opting for the astute road and signing Berge, who has been described as an "unbelieveable" player by former teammate John Egan.

Especially given that the 25-year-old is valued at €60m (£51m), and after Sociedad agreed a deal with Arsenal for the transfer of Mikel Merino, it's decidedly unlikely that their metronome in the middle will be allowed to wander off for pastures new too.

Berge's deep-lying ability, mixing his crisp passing with concrete defending, could even be perfect for the development of Kobbie Mainoo, who is the cream of United's academy crop right now and will hope to raise his ceiling after an impressive breakthrough campaign.

A gifted and intelligent player, Mainoo, 19, exudes a composure and combativeness in Ten Hag's midfield that will see him grow into a force to be reckoned with over the next decade, but he needs an anchor he can rely on beside him.

Casemiro was shambolic across stretches of the 2023/24 season, with Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp even commenting that he "looks like he's in Soccer Aid" during one struggling showing.

Mainoo needs stability, and a partner who can enrich Man United's verve. Berge, who is desperate for a shot at a higher level, could be the perfect man for the job.

Constant contact: Man Utd chase "insane" £42m star to solve Yoro problem

The incredible international would be an excellent signing.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 2, 2024

A few thoughts and observations on Pakistan’s much elongated Hour of Need

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Hello Confectionery Stallers. I have been tied up for the last few weeks attempting to entertain the masses at the Edinburgh Fringe festival (if you will excuse a numerically inappropriate use of the word “masses”), and latterly with unexpected family commitments, and to be honest I could not have chosen a better time in which to be almost fully distracted from cricket.Cricket has itself been fully distracted from cricket, buffeted about in an inevitable typhoon of outrage and sanctimony, as the latest unfolding gambling farrago batters the sport like a cheap sausage, all amidst the queasily sinking suspicion that this particular has not quite finished ramming into what may be a distressingly large iceberg.Here are the official Confectionery Stall thoughts on the most cricketingly depressing story of recent years.1. It was slightly odd to see ECB chairman Giles Clarke being so affronted by Mohammad Amir that he simply could not bring himself to look at the bowler when presenting him with the Man Of The Series Award after the Lord’s Test-match-cum-debacle. Whilst all cricket fans are, without doubt, disgusted by the alleged spot-fixing, and saddened that it should have involved the most exciting young player in the game, it should be remembered that Clarke himself has not proved immune to the allure of taking easy money from dubious sources.Just two years ago Clarke and the ECB prostituted the England cricket team to Texan billionaire and current resident of the Federal Detention Centre, Houston, USA, Allen Stanford, who pitched up at Lord’s in a fake helicopter with 20 fake million dollars in mostly fake dollars bills.Merely hearing the words “Texan tycoon” and “cricket” in the same sentence should have set alarm bells twanging. The helicopter and Perspex-coated wodge of cash should have made them go off like a hungry-monkey enclosure at a slightly delayed feeding time. But the ECB willingly bent over and pimped out the national cricket team to such an extent that they might as well have made them all go out to bat up in fishnet stockings and push-up bras, whilst a threatening-looking gangster stood by the scorebox taking 90% of their runs away and counting them for himself.Months later, after one toe-curlingly awkward and flirtatious cricket match, Stanford was accused by no less an authority than the United States Securities and Exchange Commission of one of the biggest frauds in human history, and the ECB emerged from the whole humiliating episode with egg not just on its face but stuck in its hair, caked all over its once-woolly jumper, and dribbling apologetically down its cash-stained trousers, a walking omelette of a sporting organisation.For Clarke, the man who sold his nation’s cricket team to be a tycoon’s plaything, to refuse to shake hands with someone accused of accepting cash from someone dodgy for doing something he patently should not be doing, perhaps shows the lack of self-awareness required to be a successful businessman and sports administrator.Clarke is not alone. One cursory glance at the ICC international schedule reveals that organisation’s pathological inability to say “No, thanks” to money, its steadfast refusal to protect the soul of cricket from commercial interference.None of this is intended to justify the alleged actions of the accused players, but to highlight the fact that few at the highest level in cricket have shown much ability, willingness or effort to spurn the attractions of money and place the integrity and welfare of the game ahead of financial acquisitiveness.2. Nevertheless Clarke deserves credit for calling for a proper, communal effort to aid Pakistani cricket in its seemingly endless Hour Of Need, an hour which has now stretched some way beyond the standard 60 minutes, and which, for various reasons, shows no signs of being interested in taking a breather and being at least temporarily replaced with an Hour Of Stability, or a Few Minutes Of Hope, or even a Quick Tea-And-Biscuit Break of Normality.As they have proved again this summer, Pakistan’s cricket team is generally the most fascinating, irritating, compelling and frustrating in world cricket. Their bowlers, in particular Amir and Mohammad Asif, have regularly made budget porcelain mugs of both England and Australia’s batting line-ups, whilst their batsmen have made a strong, prolonged and resolutely determined statistical case for being the most inept to have visited England in more than 50 years.Cricket needs Pakistan, and whilst it is true that Pakistan cricket has not traditionally been the most reliable friend to itself, the world of cricket must set aside its various vested interests and strive to ensure that Pakistan cricket remains alive in the international arena.3. Human history shows that, in general:

• many humans throughout history have found easy money far more attractive than hard money (for examples, see, for example, the recent history and current state of the global economy, the MPs’ expenses scandal in Britain, the existence of the Cayman Islands, the IPL);
• financial inequality leads to wrongdoing (it must be much easier to spurn the offer of a few thousand pounds if you are already earning a few hundred thousand);
• where gambling is legal, legal gambling thrives; where gambling is illegal, illegal gambling thrives; where illegal gambling thrives, people become aggressively naughty; people like gambling (witness the popularity of religion – what greater punt can there be in life than betting for or against an afterlife?);
• teenagers thrust rapidly into the public spotlight frequently balls things up; and
• when a British tabloid newspaper starts taking the moral high ground, you know things have gone very, very badly wrong.

4. The ICC has, evidently, not adequately decapitated the particularly snakey Medusa of cricket corruption. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, has, however, stated unequivocally: “We will not tolerate corruption in this great game.”It is reassuring to know that there is at least one thing in the universe that the ICC will not tolerate. Amongst the things it will tolerate are:

• the potentially terminal decline of cricket in some once-great Test playing nations;
• the premature elevation to Test status of nations due to political and commercial vested interests;
• large amounts of money from TV companies in return for artificially and soullessly elongating one-day tournaments;
• shamelessly pricing local cricket fans out of attending said tournaments, leading to embarrassingly sparse attendance at showpiece events;
• international schedules, pitches and regulations designed to break bowlers;
• infantilically draconian restrictions on what paying spectators are allowed to wear or consume inside cricket grounds;
• being held to ransom by various other organisations with three- or four-letter acronyms;
• needlessly snoozy over-rates;
• umpires leading players off for bad light whenever they get a bit peckish;
• idiotic implementation of an untested and patently-unready TV umpiring system;
• Daryl Harper being allowed control of said system;
• sundry other bloopers.

Still, it is nice to know that the ICC will draw the line somewhere. And that line is at corruption (of the on-the-field variety, at least).5. Amir, if found guilty, deserves another chance. Who knows what pressures he was under and from whom? If he was being urged by some or all of his captain, team-mates, his agent, gambling gangsters, the Pope, and/or the FBI to bowl no-balls and he caved in to those demands, with minimal impact on the game, whilst simultaneously obliterating England’s batting in one of the finest displays of bowling seen at Lord’s in years, is that surprising? His brilliance with the ball and determination with the bat were not indicative of a man unconcerned by the performance of his team.If and when the full story emerges, it may be that Amir is seen to be a naive pawn in a game beyond his control. It may emerge that he was a fully willing participant. Either way he deserves both an appropriate period of punishment and a second opportunity. And it will help, if and when he is afforded that second chance, if the PCB does more to prevent the tentacles of temptation winding their way into the dressing room. Its tactic of sticking its fingers in its ears and singing 1980s rock ballads at the top of its voice does not seem to have worked.6. Spot-fixing is a curious beast. The fraud of the kind and scale that seems to have taken place at Lord’s has far less influence on the game than, for example, the widening gulf in finance and facilities between different Test-playing nations, batsmen not walking, incompetent umpiring, or poor pitches. As Amir’s performances have shown, it is possible to be fully committed to helping your team win and to break cardinal rules of sporting fairness and honesty at the same time.If spot-fixing ever migrates into stand-up comedy, I and my fellow comedians will be permanently under the spotlight. Was that joke about the International Monetary Fund simply not funny or did I deliberately flunk the punchline? It would be almost impossible to tell. I have had gigs during my career in which audiences seemed to think I had purposefully tanked every single joke in my set.7. Until scientists stop piddling around trying to find out why dogs bark at cats, and what happens if you feed nothing but pastrami and gherkin bagels to a laboratory orangutan, and instead focus on developing a cure for people with an unquenchable urge to bet on when no-balls are bowled in cricket matches, these controversies will continue to occur.Meanwhile, in the cricket, England are playing well in a series of training matches.

It seems unlikely that Leeds United are already done with their summer business, as Daniel Farke and Co worryingly wait it out until next month's deadline when it comes to a number of stars leaving.

Of course, incomings into the building won't be wrapped up by any stretch of the imagination just yet either, as the Whites aim to strengthen all over the pitch, with central midfield one priority as was revealed by the Leeds boss recently.

Leeds could now press on and sign this desired target in the centre of the park, therefore, with Farke potentially raiding the German leagues again for a top talent if a move gets off the ground.

Leeds bidding for Bundesliga midfielder

According to German outlet BILD, Leeds are very keen on bringing in FC Koln ace Dejan Ljubičić to the building this summer, with Ilia Gruev just one success story in the Whites camp who was purchased from the Bundesliga, away from the new target.

Leeds have already faced a stumbling block in their early pursuit of the 27-year-old, however, as a £3.3m bid has been reportedly rejected – with Ljubičić's valuation nearer to the £4m mark, according to Football Transfers.

Leeds won't just give in here though, knowing that the new Championship season is gradually coming more and more into view now, and the fact the likes of Oliver Skipp and more potentially coming in to strengthen the central midfield spots are dead deals.

Therefore, Farke and Co could bid more for the Austrian star shortly, with the very real possibility that the current Koln number seven could be Leeds' next Kalvin Phillips, if everything goes smoothly.

How Ljubičić could be Leeds' next Phillips

Leeds have sorely lacked a similarly aggressive and tenacious spirit to the one that Phillips used to give them week in, week out since their homegrown product left for Manchester City in 2022, a bumper move that now he must really regret putting pen to paper on.

There was some speculative talk in the air that the former Whites great was planning a dramatic return to Elland Road this summer, but Leeds falling short of their promotion goal stopped that dream move from ever coming to fruition, with Ljubičić now their desired choice to sign centrally.

Although Ljubičić struggled last season for Koln as his side were relegated, the table above indicates he has shone brightly in the past for his German employers in the top division to warrant Leeds being intrigued, with five goals and one assist managed during the 2022/23 campaign by the Austrian.

Yet, even when everything was stacked against Koln, Ljubičić would battle away to try and make a difference last season, with three duels won on average per game last campaign, as the now German second-tier outfit succumbed to their relegation fate.

Phillips had to play in a similar manner for Leeds towards the back end of his glittering time with the Whites, winning 4.9 duels on average per game during his final swansong campaign, as the West Yorkshire side constantly stared dropping down to the Championship square in the face that same season.

Yet, the 28-year-old also showed he had an eye for goal too, like Ljubičić has shown away from the English game, with 14 goals and 13 assists mustered up from his extensive Whites back catalogue of 234 games.

The £14k-per-week talent joining this off-season would surely see Leeds improve in their midfield spots, therefore, alongside the recent addition of Joe Rothwell on loan from AFC Bournemouth.

He will have to really excel moving to the Championship side to be as engrained into the Elland Road masses' hearts as Phillips is, but he will be adored away from any outlandish comparisons if he can help Farke's men return to the Premier League on his arrival.

Farke can forget about Szmodics after Leeds star's 9/10 Hannover display

Daniel Farke could now be prepared to give this Leeds United gem more chances in the spotlight next season.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 25, 2024

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Pallekele

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele27-Sep-2012Catch of the day
New Zealand’s hopes were still alive after four balls in their Super Over, with eight runs required to win. A four would have kept them in the hunt, and a six would have turned it slightly in their favour. Martin Guptill got low and attempted a hoick off a full Lasith Malinga delivery, and though he got plenty on it, the ball ballooned high off the top half of the bat. It hung in the air for what seemed an eternity, but Tillakaratne Dilshan got under it at long off stretched his arms out and snatched the ball from beyond the boundary, where it would have landed, sealing the match for the hosts.Fumble of the day
After Lahriu Thirimanne’s boundary, Sri Lanka needed one to win off the last delivery. Having bowled almost two overs of nothing but pinpoint yorkers, Tim Southee surprised the batsman with a short ball, and it deflected off Thirimanne’s torso towards point. James Franklin swooped in, took aim and sent a bounce throw to Ross Taylor at the non-striker’s end, but Taylor fumbled the throw, and judging by Taylor’s headshaking and Thirimanne’s jubilance, Sri Lanka appeared to have got home. Not so. The decision was sent to the third umpire, who ruled after an eternity that although the ball had fallen out of Taylor’s hands, it had dislodged a bail on the way to the ground and Thirimanne was short.Pep talk of the day
Mahela Jayawardene has championed Akila Dananjaya’s inclusion in the World Twenty20 squad and had picked him for his Sri Lanka Premier League side as well, guiding the 18-year-old as he moves from tier-three school cricket to international cricket in under three months. Before Dananjaya’s first ball at the top level, Jayawardene made a trip to the bowling crease and spoke to the youngster at length, discussing field positions and seemingly offering encouragement. Three balls into his career, Dananjaya had Guptill caught at long off. Jayawardene, predictably, was the first person over to congratulate the beaming debutant.Blow of the day
Dananjaya’s debut wasn’t totally painless, and not just because Brendon McCullum tonked him for two sixes either. Rob Nicol drove the first ball of Dananjaya’s third over back at the bowler, and though Dananjaya got his fingers up, partly in an attempt to complete a caught-and-bowled but mostly to protect himself, the shot was too powerful and Dananjaya wore it in the face. He went down immediately, the physio came out, and after several hair-raising close-up replays, Dananjaya emerged from the huddle of concerned onlookers with cotton up his left nostril, and apparently, fine to continue bowling.Collision of the day
You would put your money on Nathan McCullum in a fistfight with almost anybody, but Tillakaratne Dilshan took him out in the second over, when the two collided near the bowler’s end. McCullum was moving in to collect the return throw from mid-on, but had moved into Dilshan’s way as he completed his quick single. The batsman ploughed on through, adding insult to injury, after he had carted McCullum for 16 in the previous over.Shot of the day
Jayawardene was typically serene as he unleashed carnage on the New Zealand bowlers, but his best shot was not the cover drive off Kyle Mills or the sweep off Daniel Vettori, but the six over midwicket played off the front foot to a length ball. In the hands of any other batsman, it might have been a filthy heave across the line, but when Jayawardene advanced and let the stroke fly, it seemed as graceful and correct as anything played with the full face of the bat.

Four-match tour to Australia won’t go ahead due to NZ not being able to secure MIQ space

Alex Malcolm19-Jan-2022New Zealand’s upcoming limited-overs tour Australia has been postponed due to uncertainty over when the squad could return home due to the managed isolation and quarantine rules.The tour was scheduled to begin in Perth although that would have had to change due to Western Australia’s hard border. That trip included three ODIs, which were due to be part of Ross Taylor’s international farewell, and a one-off T20I in Canberra. New Zealand’s ODI series in Australia in early 2020 was abandoned when the pandemic first arrived and a series last season postponed.Travel into New Zealand is still capped due to Covid-19 and all travellers, including citizens, have to do 10 days of MIQ on arrival. Due to those rules, New Zealand were planning to send a squad to Australia without their Test players who would be preparing to face South Africa.New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia drew up a proposal for the tour to be lengthened to allow the team to return to do their MIQ at a manageable time but New Zealand’s government confirmed on Wednesday it had no capacity to meet the request. It’s understood they were also denied an exemption to undertake home quarantine.NZC chief executive David White said the tour was initially scheduled after the New Zealand government signalled its intention to relax MIQ restrictions relating to the Trans-Tasman border.”As we now know, the advent of Omicron prompted a change of strategy from the government, resulting in a hard 10-day mandatory isolation period being imposed on all incoming travellers,” White said.”NZC and CA had explored a proposal to expand the tour and to push out the date on which the squad might return to New Zealand, in the hope that might be more achievable for the government. But we received advice this morning that they could not provide certainty over this, either.”NZC and CA are set to begin discussions on when the tour can be rescheduled.”We are extremely disappointed that we won’t be able to play the scheduled matches against New Zealand as planned, however we will continue to work with New Zealand Cricket to reschedule the series.” CA CEO Nick Hockley said.”We thank NZC, who made every effort to make the series happen, however because they were unable to get certainty over return quarantine arrangements, it is simply just not possible at this time.Australia are still scheduled to head to New Zealand for three T20Is from March 17 to 20 although under the current regulations that would appear unlikely to take place. The upcoming tours to New Zealand that had MIQ already booked – South Africa, India’s Women, Netherlands and the Women’s World Cup – remain on track.