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Stuart MacGill has warned the Australian selectors that taking away young players as understudies is “fraught with danger”

Cricinfo staff12-Oct-2009Stuart MacGill has warned the Australian selectors that taking away young players as understudies is “fraught with danger”, but he hopes Jon Holland, the Victorian spinner, has been picked on the India one-day tour for the right reasons. Holland, a 22-year-old left-arm orthodox, appeared in only eight 50-over games for Victoria and Australia A before winning his elevation, with Andrew Hilditch and his fellow panellists searching for an answer to Australia’s long-term slow bowling problems.While MacGill, who gained 208 wickets in 44 Tests, said selections like Holland’s did not devalue the national cap, he felt the spinner had to be picked in the unit because he was wanted to play. “There’s nothing wrong with giving him a go,” MacGill told the Sydney Morning Herald. “The only way it’s damaging is if they’re taking him along to get a feel for being around the squad, without having any plans to throw him into a game. That can blow up in your face if there’s an injury or someone is forced out.”Nathan Hauritz is Australia’s No. 1 slow bowler and will be called upon for a lot of action in the seven one-day matches, which start on October 25. Holland has been tipped for big things by Allan Border, but has played only 17 senior games and is ranked behind Bryce McGain at Victoria.”I really hope they have picked Jon Holland because they want him to play and make a proper contribution,” MacGill said. ”Taking players away as understudies is fraught with danger. If they play when it wasn’t part of the plan, that’s when you’re in the s***. That’s when the cap is devalued. But I don’t think that’s the case with Jon.”MacGill knows the damage an early elevation can do after his mid-series retirement in the West Indies in 2008 led to Beau Casson, the left-arm wrist spinner, being called up. “They picked [Beau] for the West Indies tour but didn’t expect him to play,” he said. “They thought I’d be playing for another year so they could ease him in. But then I retired on that tour, he got a Test and …” Soon after his arrival home Casson was not in the New South Wales side and hasn’t been a serious national contender since, with Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Hauritz, McGain and Holland being preferred.MacGill said Holland looks like a “naturally gifted bowler”. “I can’t see why he won’t go well,” he said. “He’s mature and down to earth, which is well and good, but that doesn’t make him the Messiah. Give him time.”

As per the Daily Express, there has been an update on West Ham United manager David Moyes’ bid to bring a new striker to the London Stadium.

The Lowdown: Moyes ‘desperate’ for new forward…

One of the Scotsman’s personal summer transfer missions was, unsurprisingly, the quest to sign a new out-and-out striker to provide backup to Michail Antonio.

The 31-year-old, who is currently on tour with Jamaica during this international break, has suffered with various fitness issues in the past and his injury record comes as a possible cause for concern.

He has been in red-hot form so far this season, bagging six goals and three assists in just 10 top-flight outings whilst winning August’s Premier League Player of the Month award.

One bad knock for Antonio could spell trouble, with Moyes previously admitting to the press he has been ‘desperate’ to sign an alternative natural striking option.

There have been no shortage of links to potential new additions, including the likes of Adam Hlozek and Andrea Belotti most recently, but it now looks as if Moyes has his eyes on another target.

The Latest: West Ham eye Simeone swoop…

According to Daily Express and transfer reporter Ryan Taylor, the Hammers are eyeing a ‘third transfer swoop’ for in-form Serie A goal machine Simeone.

The Hellas Verona star, who is currently on loan from Cagliari, is now apparently ‘top of West Ham’s striker shortlist’ after they had previously attempted to sign him twice over 2021.

They apparently explored Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego, on a couple of occasions this year – once in the January window and again in the summer, when they entered talks over a ‘potential loan plus £14million option to buy’.

However, as explained by this report, there may be a problem in West Ham’s pursuit of the 26-year-old, with Hellas looking set to trigger an option to buy. This may ‘complicate’ a move for West Ham and it currently looks unclear whether they can prise Simeone away from Italy.

The Verdict: Time to move on?

Out of Moyes’ striking shortlist, it’s no surprise the Argentine international has made his way to the top given his stellar form so far this campaign.

Bagging nine goals and three assists in just 10 Serie A outings (Transfermarkt), he has even managed to outscore Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic who is one of the most coveted strikers in Europe right now.

Former Real Madrid boss and footballing icon Zinedine Zidane is also an admirer of Simeone, having previously admitted to Italian TV (via Tribal Football) that he ‘really’ likes the forward. The 26-year-old has also racked up a solid career tally of 79 goals across his senior career, pointing to a prolific option.

However, given Hellas’ role and the rumour that they’re looking set to trigger his option to buy, Moyes may now need to ponder alternatives, and we believe Belotti comes as the most fruitful option.

An experienced Italy international and proven scorer at the top level, Torino may also be forced to sell for a cheaper price in January given that his contract expires in 2022.

In other news: ‘Huge’ – Sky Sports pundit raves as West Ham eye ‘massive signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Cricket Australia’s chairman Jack Clarke has conceded that the game could be better served with a less crowded international calendar when the new Future Tours Programme (FTP) is devised

Cricinfo staff06-Nov-2009Cricket Australia’s chairman Jack Clarke has conceded that the game could be better served with a less crowded international calendar when the new Future Tours Programme (FTP) is devised. His comments came as a stiff and sore Peter Siddle arrived home in Melbourne for the first time after more than five months on tour.Siddle has been one of the hardest-working members of Australia’s squad this year, having not been at home since April, when he enjoyed a brief spell following the Test series in South Africa. Since then he has been in England for the World Twenty20, the Ashes, and the one-day series, then went straight to South Africa for the Champions Trophy and from there dashed to India to play for Victoria in the Champions League Twenty20 and stayed on for the ODI series.”It has been a long tour, I guess,” Siddle said in the Age after touching down in Melbourne. “The guys have been away for a long time now and we’ve probably played a bit too much cricket, but we will see how we go and I’m sure the boys will go well in the next three matches and come home with a [series] win.”The biggest thing is probably the mental side of things. Just being away from family and friends, all the normal stuff you do when you’re back home. You’re always changing hotels, different sceneries and living out of a suitcase, those are probably the things that take their toll the most. It’s always going to be a lot of games and a lot of cricket played, that’s what the spectators want to see and that’s our job.”The questions over Australia’s packed schedule have become more intense due to the high injury rate over the past couple of months. Five men have flown home from India mid-series and four first-choice players were unavailable in the first place, but in several cases the injuries appear not to be due to over-use.Tim Paine and Brad Haddin both broke fingers, Callum Ferguson wrenched his knee in the field, while James Hopes and Moises Henriques tweaked hamstrings despite not being part of the long Ashes tour. But Jack Clarke said it was still worth pushing for a less packed FTP when the current programme expires after 2012.”It is not fixed yet as to what’s going to happen, that’s been one of the hold-ups in releasing the FTP, the ICC events,” Clarke told the . “The type of events and the regularity is one of the things.”I suspect the game can’t support an ICC tournament every year, but the ICC’s also got to get money to get countries dividends, and not just the Test-playing countries but the associates and affiliates. So hopefully less will be more, and I’d be surprised if there’s an ICC event every year, going forward in 2013-2020.”When the Australians – those who haven’t departed already – fly home from India after next Wednesday’s final ODI, they will have only a fortnight to prepare for the first of six home Tests of the summer. The coach Tim Nielsen said the crammed schedule had made things hard and a seven-match ODI series was probably too long, but the squad had to keep doing its best under the circumstances.”It does make it difficult but at the same time I think it is the same for pretty well everyone around world cricket at the moment,” Nielsen said in the . “Five [games in India], to me, would be probably about right but … we know the reasons for seven-game series. There’s television involved, all different things.”

Azeem Ghumman has been named captain of the Pakistan Under-19 team for a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving the hosts and Bangladesh starting on November 25

Cricinfo staff17-Nov-2009Azeem Ghumman has been named captain of the Pakistan Under-19 team for a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving the hosts and Bangladesh starting on November 25.Squad: Baber Azam, Ahmed Shahzad, Azeem Ghumman (capt), Hammad Azam, Muzamil Nizam, Mehran Ibrahim, Mohammad Owais, Usman Qadir, Raza Hassan, Junaid Ilyas, Abdur Ameer, Kaleem Sana, Fayyaz Butt, Maroof Aziz, Sarmad Bhatti.

Wolves are confident are sealing a permanent move for in-form Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan, according to journalist Danny Rust.

The Lowdown: Hwang linked with Premier League duo

The South Korean has made a flying start to life at Molineux, having moved there on loan from RB Leipzig in the summer.

Hwang has scored four times in his first eight Premier League appearances – only six of those have been starts – and has struck up a good relationship with Raul Jimenez.

According to a recent report, however, Liverpool and Manchester City are eyeing up a move for the striker, highlighting the importance of Wolves securing his services permanently.

The Latest: Journalist gives positive update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Rust has provided a positive update from a Wolves perspective, though, claiming the club believe a deal can be struck:

“It’s important for them to try and get that deal done.

“But, likewise, this is one where you have to question whether Liverpool or Manchester City are going to be able to offer him the game time that he can get at Wolves? Almost certainly not.

“We’ll see what happens, but I’m sure Wolves are still confident they can get a deal done.”

The Verdict: Vital deal to secure

Hwang has taken to English football seamlessly and if Wolves could sign him permanently it could feel like a major piece of business considering the giants of the division are seemingly circling.

At 25, he should be about to enter the peak years of his career and 45 goals in 126 RB Salzburg appearances, not to mention winning 43 caps for South Korea, speaks for itself.

Hwang has been lauded as a ‘top player’ by Bruno Lage, and assuming his current form continues, tying him down permanently is a no-brainer for Wolves.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gushed over an official club post. Read more here.

West Indies had Australia shuddering for half the day but by stumps it was the hosts who were one wicket from cracking in their courageous chase

The Bulletin by Peter English19-Dec-2009West Indies 312 and 9 for 308 (Deonarine 82, Nash 65) need 51 runs to beat Australia 7 for 520 dec & 150 (Bravo 4-42)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outNarsingh Deonarine produced a career-high 82 to allow West Indies to dream of a miracle on the final day•Getty ImagesWest Indies had Australia shuddering for half the day but by stumps it was the hosts who were one wicket from cracking in a courageous chase. Australia grabbed four breakthroughs in the last hour to be on the verge of a 2-0 series win, with Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge needing another 51 to reach their unlikely victory target of 359.The match seemed headed for a quick finish when West Indies were 3 for 68 at lunch – the dangermen Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were gone – but Narsingh Deonarine and Brendan Nash combined in a brave partnership that gave them hope. By the scheduled end Australia needed three wickets and took the extra half hour, succeeding only in dismissing Sulieman Benn and Ravi Rampaul. Roach and Tonge not only held on, but added 29 in 30 balls to take the score to 9 for 308, extending the game into a fifth day.On a swinging afternoon West Indies had started to believe in a drawn series during the second session, when the 128-run stand between Deonarine and Nash was taking them closer to what would be the second-highest successful run-chase at the ground. At tea Australia’s bowling had been ineffective, flat and as sick as Mitchell Johnson. By stumps Johnson, who was suffering stomach problems, had bowled through the pain to gain three wickets and Ricky Ponting could relax over his 35th birthday dinner. There will be no long party for the captain, but with a sunny day predicted for Sunday, most of his fears over the result will have disappeared.Just as Ponting’s men were wondering if they would be giving up two huge chases in a row at the ground – last year South Africa pursued 414 – they broke through twice in two overs. Deonarine and Dwayne Bravo, the last game-changer in the order, departed to return control to Australia and more dismissals came in the final stages.A maiden wicket went to Clint McKay when he bowled Denesh Ramdin, but the final one stayed out of reach. Benn struck two sixes off Johnson in his 33 before Theo Doropoulos, the substitute fielder, made up for his earlier miss at mid-on, and Rampaul went in the same Johnson over. Then the last pair showed similar determination as Deonarine and Nash to hold out.Until his 183rd delivery Nash was an immoveable object, but Doug Bollinger took the new ball and delivered an off-cutter that hit off stump without the batsman playing a shot. It was a sad end for such a gutsy display in which Nash was the side’s brick wall, deflecting the ball and insults from the fielders during his 65. Deonarine more than doubled his previous best score with 82, his first Test half-century, as the aggressor in the stand that lasted more than three hours.The combination was slow at the start, but West Indies didn’t need to rush and preventing any further damage was key. As the partnership went on the Australians increased their appealing, especially when the spinners were on, and Marcus North could have had an lbw if a not-out decision for Deonarine, on 65, had been referred to the third umpire.Further resistance came after tea, with Nash becalmed for 70 minutes on 48, as the Australians worked on suffocating the pair. Neither left-hander made a fatal mistake until Deonarine played back to Shane Watson, who was working from around the wicket, and the ball deflected from pad on the stumps. The Australians roared in relief and were jubilant again a run later when Bravo lashed at Johnson and was caught in the gully by Michael Hussey.Johnson spent time off the field and on taking the wicket bent over in exhaustion as his team-mates patted his back. Nathan Hauritz was also unwell but the burst of wickets after tea ended the queasy feeling for the team.Nash was unflustered throughout, and deserved the applause when he moved from 48 to his half-century with a glide for four off Watson. Even the bowler, the most chirpy of the Australians, clapped his former Queensland team-mate. Watson’s 2 for 24 off 12 was an impressive return blighted only by his antics when he removed Chris Gayle to a catch behind on 21.Travis Dowlin (22) had already departed, finding one of two men in the deep with a hook shot, and when Watson captured Gayle the bowler cheered like a gorilla within a couple of metres of the batsman. Watson was immediately summoned by the umpires, but the Australians weren’t too worried as they thought they had the crucial wicket and the rest would be easy.At the beginning of the day the tourists’ bowling surge continued as Australia were dismissed for 150, their lowest completed innings since 93 in a dead rubber against India in 2004. They lost their final two wickets in the first 27 balls of the morning, adding 13 valuable runs to their overnight advantage of 345.Bravo’s three wickets had kept his side in the game on the third day and he collected 4 for 42, finishing the innings with Hauritz’s edge to slip. West Indies arrived with most predictions of a cleansweep but they have ruffled the hosts since they were battered in Brisbane. They had a chance in the morning but by stumps they needed a miracle.

Manchester United have suffered a potential selection setback ahead of their Premier League clash with Watford this afternoon, with key defender Luke Shaw unlikely to feature from the off.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils will definitely be without French duo Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane after they picked up thigh and hamstring injuries respectively. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could also have to contend with the enforced absences of both Edinson Cavani and Shaw.

Cavani missed the Manchester City match last time out and was not included in the Uruguay squad for the recent international break due to a tendon injury, while the England left-back has not appeared in training footage this week after he suffered a concussion against Pep Guardiola’s charges.

Solskjaer was coy over the pair’s availability in Friday’s press conference, but it’s very unlikely that they will be able to take their places in the starting XI when the Red Devils travel to Vicarage Road.

“There are a couple of doubts with illnesses and small niggles,” the Norwegian revealed. “Paul (Pogba) is out for a while, Rapha (Varane) is out for a while. Apart from that, players will be coming back in the near future, some this weekend, some in the week, but that’s the same for other players.”

Solskjaer will be gutted

The news that Shaw is highly unlikely to play any part for the 20-time English champions against Watford will leave Solskjaer feeling gutted.

Although the England international hasn’t been in top form this season, he has still started every Premier League game for United, highlighting how integral he is to the team.

His underlying numbers indicated how effective the 26-year-old has been this term despite his slip in performance levels. As per WhoScored, Shaw has averaged 1.8 crosses per league game – the highest tally amongst his teammates – and 2.1 key passes, the second-highest total when compared to his colleagues. Indeed, Old Trafford legend Rio Ferdinand has spoken highly of the left-back’s “exquisite” ball distribution in recent months.

Therefore, United’s attack could well be blunted if the marauding left-back is forced to watch on from the sidelines, providing a major blow to the Red Devils’ chances of securing a much-needed victory in Hertfordshire this afternoon.

In other news… Forget Telles: Ole could unearth MUFC gem in rarely-seen 18 y/o with a “great future”

In the most unbelievable turnaround Ricky Ponting’s men up-ended Pakistan on a swinging day to wrap up the series at the SCG

Peter English at the SCG06-Jan-2010All the Australian team talk was right and the doubters were wrong. In the most unbelievable turnaround Ricky Ponting’s men up-ended Pakistan on a swinging day to wrap up the series at the SCG and earn smug smiles and wild celebrations.Under Ponting the Australians have secured a handful of unthinkable wins, but Ponting rated this at the top, given the self-inflicted circumstances and the huge amount they were behind. There were many reasons why they shouldn’t have won by 36 runs: Ponting shouldn’t have won the toss and batted; Pakistan shouldn’t have given up a 206-run first-innings advantage; Kamran Akmal shouldn’t have dropped Michael Hussey three times; and Australia shouldn’t have been able to escape from eight-down on the final morning with a lead of 80. They don’t matter now.Ponting believes in his team at every position and on days like today everyone can see why. “What we have read over the last couple of days and what we have seen on the news has probably just steeled us all a little bit,” Ponting said. “It’s just made us want to fight the game out as much as we can and prove that we are never out of the contest.”They did this sort of thing in Adelaide in 2006-07, when the second Ashes Test was drifting to a draw before Shane Warne intervened. A year later it was Michael Clarke’s three wickets in the last over that did for India at the SCG, and on the same ground 12 months ago Mitchell Johnson bowled the injured Graeme Smith just before time ran out. In those games Australia were in charge, racing to seal the victory they deserved.This time they stole it from Pakistan by completing an outrageous comeback on a ground the local players now believe they can do anything on. “I think this is the most satisfying one [of the SCG wins] because I don’t think anyone in the world apart from all the blokes inside our dressing room thought we could win,” Ponting said.Australia’s current unit is not jammed full of world-beating talent, but it is crammed with desire, and will suffer for their captain. Nathan Hauritz picked up a bleeding finger and a bruised chest from his caught-and-bowled off Mohammad Yousuf’s stinging straight drive, the key wicket of the final innings, and walked off with his second five-for in two Tests.Peter Siddle carries a sore shoulder from his career-best 38, an innings as important to the victory as Michael Hussey’s 134, which pulled Australia from depression. Shane Watson’s smooth 97 was also invaluable and Mitchell Johnson slid through on his captain’s backing with two wickets in his opening over before tea. That reduced Pakistan to 3 for 51 in their previously comfortable chase of 176, but they were quickly being tortured. Ecstasy was soon the only emotion for the locals who were jigging, jumping and dancing on and off the field.Results like these can change the course of history. In 1992 in Colombo, Australia were faced with a similar situation, surging back from a 291-run first-innings deficit to dismiss Sri Lanka for 164, 17 short of victory. Warne was the hero in the final stages of that game and was soon drenched in match-winning aura as the team shot to the top of the world. In this one Hauritz got in the road of Pakistan to leave with 5 for 53, the best return of his 12 Tests.Ponting was heavily criticised from the first day for his decision to bat on a juicy surface that set up Australia’s fall for 127. By the end his logic was satisfyingly sound. “I backed us at the start of the game to make more runs in the first innings than what I thought Pakistan could make in the last innings,” he said. “As it turns out we got 120-odd and bowled them out for 139 in the last innings of the game.”At one stage during his post-mortem a relaxed Ponting teasingly asked all those in the press conference who had doubted his decision to raise their hands. All the Australian journalists’ arms went up. “I feel better now,” he said. He smiled, knowing that when it comes to Australia’s Test team he knows best. “It comes down to results and we’ve got a great result here,” he said. “So I look like a genius where I didn’t a couple of days ago.”

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that Real Madrid reportedly aren’t planning on signing Paul Pogba in the near future.

The Lowdown: Pogba linked with Madrid move

The 28-year-old is currently injured but he was enjoying a strong start to the season before his setback, registering seven Premier League assists in as many starts.

Pogba has been linked with a move to Madrid in the past, with question marks continually surrounding his future.

The France international’s current United deal expires at the end of this season, at which point he would be able to leave on a free transfer, which would be a big blow considering that he is valued at £54m by Transfermarkt.

[freshpress-poll id=“378953″]

The Latest: La Liga giants no longer keen

According to Marca, however, the La Liga side have no intention of signing Pogba, who has made 219 appearances for United.

Paris Saint-Germain and his former club Juventus are mentioned as being interested in a separate report from Fichajes, though, so the Red Devils may still have a tough task keeping hold of him.

The Verdict: What next for Pogba?

Pogba an incredibly gifted footballer who has produced sporadic moments of brilliance for United – indeed, team-mate Bruno Fernandes has hailed him as ‘amazing’ – but his time at the club has still been underwhelming overall.

He has failed to reach his potential after returning to Old Trafford five years ago as arguably one of the world’s best midfielders, with truly great performances few and far between.

If United could receive a huge fee for Pogba in January, it could be ideal – if not, retaining his services instead of losing him for free arguably makes the most sense.

Pogba is still capable of producing match-winning moments, so keeping hold of him wouldn’t necessary be a bad thing, as his statistics show that he can make a difference in the final third for the Red Devils. Indeed, news of Real Madrid’s non-interest in the 28-year-old could even be a big boost.

In other news, United have been dealt a potential transfer blow. Read more here.

The New Zealand batsman will not be considered for selection for the home series against Bangladesh as he continues to struggle with a lower stomach muscle injury

Cricinfo staff22-Jan-2010Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, will not be considered for selection for the home series against Bangladesh as he continues to struggle with a lower stomach muscle injury. Ryder had a recurrence of the injury while training, and there are serious doubts over his availability for New Zealand’s home series against Australia as well as the ICC World Twenty20 in May.”Unfortunately Jesse is not fit at the moment,” the national selector Mark Greatbatch said. “He has had a bit of a relapse with his injury. He has still got quite a bit of work to do to get back and play club cricket and for Wellington.”Ryder recently took a significant step in his recovery from an injury that has troubled him since the Indian Premier League in March 2009, appearing for Wellington A in a practice game against the England Under-19 team. He has been sidelined since suffering an abductor strain that he aggravated during the Champions Trophy in South Africa.New Zealand team physiotherapist Kate Stalker met Ryder in Christchurch, along with other New Zealand Cricket medical staff. “He has some abdominal pain again. He hasn’t reinjured it to the same extent he had in the past, but he’s certainly tweaked it,” she told the . “Biomechanical faults take a long time to sort out. It’s not an overnight fix.”Stalker’s comments indicate that Ryder could easily be out of action for the next few months, but as she put it, there was a much bigger picture looming ahead in 13 months. “Is it more important to have him playing against Bangladesh or playing in the World Cup? … my goal is the World Cup,” she said.”Anything else we can have players ready for, like the world Twenty20, that’s fantastic, but our focus is the World Cup and I want the New Zealand selectors to be able to choose from every player we have to make that squad. It’s really important for its longevity that we sort this out now”.New Zealand host Bangladesh for a Twenty20, three ODIs and a one-off Test in Hamilton during February.