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The BCCI is working with various national boards to create an unofficial window for the IPL in March 2010 that would enable almost all Test-playing countries to release their top players for the Twenty20 tournament

Ajay S Shankar02-Mar-2009Polls force tweaks to 2009 IPL scheduleThe IPL tournament committee has said it will reschedule matches that coincide with the general elections in India which start next month. Kolkata Knight Riders’ home match against Bangalore Royal Challengers on May 13 falls on the same day the city goes to polls. “There’s no other way out. We have to reschedule the matches that are clashing with the Lok Sabha polls,” IPL tournament director Dhiraj Malhotra told . “Not just in Kolkata, there are few more matches that are clashing with the poll dates. I’m now in the process of sorting them out. We will make an announcement in a day or two.” The BCCI is working with various national boards to create an unofficial window for the IPL in March 2010 that would enable almost all Test-playing countries to release their top players for the Twenty20 tournament. The tweak in the IPL calendar — instead of the current April-May schedule – will also ensure that the tournament doesn’t clash with the World Twenty20 in the West Indies from April 23-May 9.Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, told Cricinfo that all the national boards are working together for a clear window next March. “The dates are still not firm, but we are working on this,” he said. Modi said that next year’s IPL is likely to be held almost immediately after India’s tour of South Africa in February, 2010.Apart from India’s tour, almost all the other Test-playing countries are scheduled to be engaged in various series during February-March according to the ICC’s FTP – Pakistan v England, Australia v New Zealand and West Indies v Zimbabwe. But many of these engagements are now expected to wind up by early March to give the IPL an open run.The upcoming IPL season, which kicks off from April 10, has been hit by a scheduling clash that leaves most Australian players available only for the last two weeks of the tournament. England stars like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who are expected to make their IPL debut next month, are also free only for the first three weeks. Among the national boards that are keen to see the IPL take the March slot is the ECB, which can then let its players take part in the tournament for a longer period as the English county season usually starts in mid-April.”I believe we are close to a settlement,” Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, told the . “We are pleased with where things are going and would like to see the IPL have a clear season [free of a clash with international fixtures].” The ECB have already committed to letting their Test players take part in the next IPL for three weeks.

Many Wolves fans have been left begging for Adama Traore to sign a new deal after news emerged with regards to his contract.

As per a report from earlier on in the week by Birmingham Mail, which has since been shared by Talking Wolves on their Twitter page, the Midlands club are planning to revisit his contract situation, as it only has two years left.

However, they will also contemplate selling the Spain international in the January transfer window if a new deal cannot be agreed.

Traore has already shown his qualities on numerous occasions for the Wanderers, and gave Manchester United a torrid time in their 1-0 home loss in the Premier League last time out.

The winger won no fewer than 12 of his duels in the game, more than any player on the pitch, and also ranked highest in terms of successful dribbles (eight) and key passes (four) (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, it is imperative that Bruno Lage’s team tie him down.

Wolves fans on Traore deal

These members of the Molineux faithful begged for Traore to sign a new deal on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to claim that he is ‘irreplaceable’:

“Give him anything just sign it”

Credit: @JoeManns2

“Sign it”

Credit: @AndyPryce12

“I’m sorry but he is irreplaceable. We must keep him at all costs”

Credit: @Connor241298

“He’ll sign if he’s enjoying working with Bruno, get it done @Wolves then we want Renato in Jan”

Credit: @XXXTANNERTACION

“Pls sign”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

“Give him what he wants then.”

Credit: @cal_wolvesfc

In other news, find out who Wanderers have pleaded to sign in January here!

Gautam Gambhir scored his second century of the series in successive matches to put India in a virtually invincible position in the Wellington Test

The Bulletin by S Rajesh05-Apr-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outGautam Gambhir snuffed out hopes of a New Zealand fightback•AFPRiding on Gautam Gambhir’s golden run of form, India swept into a near-impregnable position in Wellington and virtually ensured that their 41-year wait for a series win in New Zealand will be over in a day or two. There were vital inputs from Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, but Gambhir stole the show for the second match in a row, getting his second successive Test hundred with a fluent and serene display, stretching India’s lead to 531 when play was called off due to bad light 30 minutes early.Gambhir’s effort, and his 170-run second-wicket partnership with Dravid, shut out any little chance that New Zealand had of sneaking back into the match. The home team did have a couple of moments of brilliance in the field – most notably when Brendon McCullum’s alertness ended Dravid’s stay, and when Iain O’Brien got through Laxman with a perfect indipper – but those stray moments did little to take away from India’s overall dominance.Much of that was due to Gambhir, whose most outstanding trait in this series has been the ability to mould his game according to needs of his team. If his marathon vigil in Napier was a lesson in patience and concentration, here, with India already on top, he busily searched for runs from the start of the day, taking advantage of even the slightest errors in length or line. Even when the bowlers were on target, Gambhir created opportunities, moving down the pitch to pace and spin. Fittingly, one such stroke, which sped away through cover off the hapless Tim Southee brought up his sixth Test century, and continued his astonishing second-innings form – in his last seven such innings he averages 106.16.Compared to the first couple of days, the conditions had eased up too, with little swing or seam on offer, making the task even more arduous for Vettori and Co. Gambhir made his intentions clear early in the day with a glorious, wristy straight-drive off Southee, reaching out to a ball just outside off stump and caressing it down the ground, and then crashing a short ball through point to indicate he was relishing the conditions. Most of the New Zealand seamers were guilty of pitching short, and that suited Gambhir as he repeatedly placed the ball square on the off side, and once even chipped Iain O’Brien over third man for his only six. Against Vettori, he used his feet deftly, dancing down the pitch and lofting with the spin.Rahul Dravid’s dismissalWhen Brendon McCullum nimbly moved down the leg side to catch Rahul Dravid’s attempted paddle-sweep, there was some debate about the legality of the catch, since McCullum moved after the ball was bowled but before Dravid played the stroke. According to the relevant rules, it was a fair catch. Law 40 of the Laws of Cricket states: Regarding movement by a wicketkeeper, it states: McCullum, though, moved sideways, not forward. According to the laws, he was well within his rights to claim the catch.Dravid started far more circumspectly, and was runless for his first 19 deliveries of the day. Once he got into his stride, though, he played with the fluency that was reminiscent of Dravid at his best. He had limped to 9 from 63 deliveries at one stage, and then added 48 more from the next 74, showing aggressive intent against both pace and spin. A cut and a pull off O’Brien got him going, and when Vettori came into the attack, Dravid showed his positive mindset by lofting him straight over his head and over mid-on, as he cruised to his fourth half-century of the series.India were coasting along, and New Zealand heads were dropping, when McCullum ended the 170-run stand with a stunning piece of work: Dravid looked to paddle-sweep Vettori, but McCullum read the shot as soon as the ball was bowled, and he swiftly moved down the leg side. Dravid played the stroke well, but the ball lodged in McCullum’s gloves, bringing New Zealand a much-needed breakthrough against the run of play.Tendulkar fell soon after, outfoxed by a well-flighted one from Vettori that gripped and turned, but Laxman turned out to be another ideal partner for Gambhir. Like Dravid, he was slow off the blocks, scoring one run in his first 20 balls, but once he got into his stride he scored faster than Gambhir. The New Zealand fast bowlers tried the short stuff with him as well, but Laxman played the pull shot with such felicity that the plan was a hopeless failure. Against Vettori, who bowled a marathon 29-over spell today, Laxman played a couple of imperious lofted shots, as the lead jumped past 450.Vettori resisted taking the second new ball till the 88th over, but when he did take it, O’Brien justified that move immediately, trapping Gambhir lbw with a full, straight delivery, and then getting through Laxman’s defences with a beauty in his next two. Those two wickets did little more than provide temporary respite, though, for the Indian lead had already topped 500 by then.The only irritant was the weather – the clouds moved in about 30 minutes before stumps, forcing the umpires to offer the light to the batsmen. Play will start 30 minutes early on the fourth to make up for lost time, but with more rain forecast on the fifth day, New Zealand still had a chance of getting away with a draw. That, though, will do little to salvage the series for them.

Aston Villa have been handed a major injury boost over Ollie Watkins ahead of their Premier League clash against Chelsea later today.

What’s the story?

The England international had been out of action for Villa for the opening two Premier League games before coming on as a substitute late on in the draw against Brentford last time out.

Dean Smith’s side travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the reigning Champions League holders on Saturday, and via a tweet from the club’s official social media channels, Smith said: “We should be welcoming Ollie Watkins back. We’ve also got Leon Bailey back to full fitness now. Bertrand Traore has trained the last couple of days as well. John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have recovered from their Covid-19 situations too.”

Villa fans will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, while Danny Ings got his Villa career off to a decent start with a goal on his debut, missing Watkins for those opening couple of games would’ve come as a massive blow to Smith.

The striker led Villa’s charge up the table last term, bagging 16 goals in all competitions (including 14 in the Premier League alone) and netting in home and away fixtures against both Liverpool and Arsenal. Such were his impressive performances in his debut campaign in the top flight that reports even suggested that the Merseyside club were interested in signing him in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has even touted Watkins with winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot award, saying: “I think people might look at that statement and say ‘no chance’, but you look at last season, his first season in the Premier League, Watkins was scoring goals galore, he wasn’t even taking penalties and still got into double figures.

“I think if he is to win the Golden Boot he’d need to be on penalties, so we need to get El Ghazi off of them. But, he’s an outstanding striker, he’s got his England caps and he’s getting better and better with each game he plays in the Premier League.”

Dubbed a “machine” by Chris Deacon, programme editor at Watkins’ previous club Brentford, the £34m-rated star’s return is sure to have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa had a transfer masterclass with this ace…

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will come under increased pressure surrounding his job, should he fail to better their fortunes by the next international break [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Aston Villa make slow start to 2021/22 campaign

The Villans have started off 2021/22 in indifferent fashion, sitting 12th in the Premier League table after amassing four points from four encounters [BBC].

Much expectation has been placed upon the Midlands club this campaign, following an expensive window which brought the arrival of the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey to the club [Transfermarkt].

Now, there could be trouble ahead for Smith following recent reports.

The Latest: ‘Fighting for his job’

According to a Bodymoor Heath source at Football Insider, Smith will be ‘fighting for his job’ should he fail to improve their league position ahead of the next international break.

Tough fixtures lie in wait for the Clarets, with Everton, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on the agenda before their players set off to play for their respective nations.

The Aston Villa hierarchy will not waste any time in searching for a fresh face in the dugout should results not improve.

The Verdict: Lange won’t mess around

Confliction surrounds the notion of Smith coming under increased pressure. On one hand, the former Brentford manager has achieved incredible success at Villa Park.

Achieving promotion to the Premier League through the play-off route in 2019, Smith has since restored the profile of his boyhood club in the top-flight with respective 17th and 11th placed finishes.

Despite this, football is unfortunately an ever-evolving results business. With increased ambition comes increased expectation, and sporting director Johan Lange and owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will expect to see a return on their investments this summer.

Following disappointing results such as a 3-2 defeat away to Watford and a 1-1 draw at home to Brentford, Smith may well be running out of time after the looming troublesome run of fixtures.

In other news, Aston Villa fans react to a mind-blowing statistic. Find out more here.

On the last day – a gloomy one – of a tough season, New Zealand had a few bright spots to hang on to. Of course, the series had been lost the day they were bowled out for 197 at the Basin Reserve

Sidharth Monga in Wellington07-Apr-2009On the last day – a gloomy one – of a tough season, New Zealand had a few bright spots to hang on to. Of course, the series had been lost the day they were bowled out for 197 at the Basin Reserve. For the last three days, it has been all about whether they could salvage a draw, with or without the help of a circumspect India and unpredictable weather.That they managed to take the game to a point where rain could be of any consequence was the only positive they carried out of this Test. It would have been easy for Ross Taylor to throw it away, with the series already gone. But he went on to score a century, and thwart India’s push for a 2-0 win.”India obviously outplayed us in all departments, apart from our first couple of morning sessions where we had them at 200 for 6,” captain Daniel Vettori said. “From then on in, it’s been India’s game. There have been a couple of pleasing aspects, the fight that Ross Taylor and James Franklin showed to give us even a chance of saving the game.”Jesse Ryder, the revelation of the season, will perhaps the brightest star for New Zealand. Bigger challenges follow for him, with the IPL next week, and the Twenty20 World Cup to follow. He will be going out of his comfort zone, to team up with strangers. One man who won’t be doing that is Chris Martin, who rivalled Ryder in terms of popularity with the New Zealand crowds.Martin’s has been a successful comeback from injury, his unrelenting spirit with the ball representing New Zealand’s spirit, and his batting providing the comic relief. He might not be going anywhere touring in the next few months, but at 34, with 160 wickets, Martin could have thoughts of walking into the sunset.”If we can avoid him signing any county contracts, we will keep pushing him,” Vettori said. “But he is 34…and I can see that he is excited about Test cricket again, and his performance in this series has been fantastic. Hopefully he is a guy who can continue like a Glenn McGrath till 37 or 38. He deserves 200 Test wickets.”Vettori however, didn’t hide the shortcomings of the team, and the application of the talent. “There is a number of things we have to improve,” Vettori said. “We have to improve our consistency as a side. We do things well for a period of time, but the longevity of what we do is the thing that is causing me the most stress. You see it all the time that we can be a good team, but we are not delivering it often enough. We have just got to keep finding a way to do that, there is talent in the team, but we are not justifying the talent we have there with the level of our results.”One of the aspects Vettori will be dissatisfied with will be his own bowling, or the lack of results thereof. Especially in the second innings of the Napier Test, when New Zealand needed the spinners to stand up. Vettori ended with seven wickets from the series, at an average of 52.28. “I didn’t take as many wickets as I would have liked,” he said. “As a spin bowler, or as any bowler, all you can try to do is create chances, and if you create chances you are happy with it. Still there are expectations about a result, and the results as a bowler haven’t been as good as I would have liked.”With the few positives cherished, and the improvement areas identified, New Zealand want to get into somewhere in the middle of the Test rankings, as opposed to the bottom – No. 8 – they are placed at right now. “I know we aspire to be the best in the world, and you have to do that,” Vettori said. “We like to see some improvement, obviously getting off the foot of the table. If we can get to fourth or fifth in the next 24 months, that will be very pleasing.”

Gavin Hamilton’s England career was a brief and inglorious affair as he bagged a pair on his only Test against South Africa, at Johannesburg, in 1999

Cricinfo staff01-Jun-2009Gavin Hamilton’s England career was a brief and inglorious affair as he bagged a pair on his only Test against South Africa, at Johannesburg, in 1999. However, he has long since put that part of his life behind him is now gearing up for another chance to get one over the Auld Enemy as Scotland prepare for the ICC World Twenty20.Hamilton will lead Scotland in their warm-up game against England, at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, knowing that a strong performance can help raise the profile of the game. “It is as big as it gets,” he said. “Any Scotland-England game, no matter what sport it is, is always a huge event.”The Scotland boys are all really excited about it and it’s a great incentive because we don’t get many opportunities so, when it comes along, the performance levels are raised and the work ethic always goes up.”It is a national thing and Scotland is a very proud country no matter what they’re getting involved in. Scotland performing and doing well against England can only be good for the sport.”It has been a difficult time for Scotland recently after they failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, finishing outside the top four at the Qualifiers in South Africa, and on the eve of this tournament there is further unrest in the camp after John Blain walked out.Coupled with those problems is a lack of experience of Twenty20 cricket – they took part in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup but one game was washed out – and they have had to quickly hone their skills in the days leading up to this event.”We always lack continuity as a side for obvious reasons, such as people working, which means we have probably learned more over the last two or three days than we have over a couple of years,” he said. “For us, it is literally getting some good fixtures against some good players at some good venues and exposing the non full-time players to these kind of games, which is absolutely crucial.”Three Scotland players – Ryan Watson, Dewald Nel, Gordon Goudie – have full-time contracts, but Hamilton works for Caledonian Breweries meaning he has to squeeze his cricket training in during evenings and weekends.”At the moment, guys are going to work Monday to Friday, playing club cricket against 70-mile-per-hour bowlers on a Saturday, then turning up on a Sunday and playing against the world’s best,” he said. “It is not ideal preparation and people tend to lose sight of what guys are up against when they’re in the Scotland side. The more games we play the better we are going to be.”

Kevin Phillips has offered his thoughts on the prospect of Rangers signing Jed Wallace on a free transfer.

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League striker has said that the Millwall winger would shine if he signed for the Scottish champions next summer.

Rangers are among a number of clubs reportedly looking at the midfielder as a potential free agent signing at the end of the campaign, with his deal at The Den set to expire, and Phillips believes it would be a ‘no-brainer’ for the Light Blues.

He told Football Insider: “Wallace has been a top player for Millwall over the past few years. He has proved to be a good signing for them.

“I think he would shine if he went up there. He has all of the attributes to move up to Scotland, settle in quickly and do really well.

“We know he possesses a lot of quality so if he goes up to Rangers, which I can see happening, Steven Gerrard will be getting a player who can slot into that squad quickly.

“On a free it really would be a no-brainer.”

Wilson masterstroke

Rangers chief Ross Wilson could pull off a masterstroke by landing Wallace on a free transfer next summer. He could be getting a top-quality player for Steven Gerrard without paying a penny in transfer fees, which could be a terrific move both in terms of the on-pitch impact as well as the financial side of it.

Wallace has been a sublime player for Millwall in the Championship in recent seasons and is showing that he has the quality to thrive in the second tier of English football. Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, he has scored 24 goals and provided 21 assists in the division, proving that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis from out wide.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett once lauded the 27-year-old as an integral part of his side, saying: “It seems Jed Wallace is instrumental in everything we achieve at the moment. His recent stats are unbelievable.

“But he would be the first to admit that 10 other players are providing the structure from which he can score and assist.”

He has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.31 in the Championship this season, with three goals and three assists in eight appearances to date. Meanwhile, Kemar Roofe (two) is the only Rangers player with more than one league goal and James Tavernier (three) is the only Gers man with more than one assist.

This suggests that Rangers could improve their squad by bringing in Wallace on a free transfer, if he is able to adapt to Scottish football, as he has the quality to score and assist goals regularly. Therefore, Wilson could strike gold by signing him for nothing, adding a brilliant attacking gem to Gerrard’s side without paying a penny in transfer fees.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterstroke: Rangers flop has seen value plummet 66% since Ibrox exit…

The Australians’ low-key arrival into Birmingham on Thursday belied the enormity of the summer that lies in wait

Alex Brown28-May-2009The Australians’ low-key arrival into Birmingham on Thursday belied the enormity of the summer that lies in wait. It also contrasted sharply with the team’s entry four years ago, when an expectant England and a ravenous media created an intimidatory atmosphere that started the moment the players cleared customs and lasted until they boarded their return flight – urn-less – several months later.A turgid series against West Indies and a spate of dispiriting controversies involving the national team has spoiled England’s cricketing appetite of late, although the intensity of the nation will inevitably lift when the World Twenty20 and, more notably, the Ashes approach. But for the veterans of Australia’s last Ashes campaign in England, the subdued nature of Thursday’s team arrival was both surprising and bemusing. And for Justin Langer, currently based in Taunton with Somerset, the lack of fanfare that accompanied Ricky Ponting’s men this time around was particularly jarring.”I suppose my recollection of last time is especially vivid, because I arrived on the day of the London bombings,” Langer told Cricinfo. “I got into Heathrow at 7am, and within a few hours the bombs had gone off. It was an eerie feeling. The entire city felt like a ghost town. But well before that, the guys who arrived for the one-dayers (which preceded the Tests), said it was fever pitch from the moment they stepped off the plane. I’m not quite sure what the reasons are, but this time it seems much more low-key.”Australia’s few survivors from the 2005 Ashes series might have expected hordes of baying England supporters on Thursday, but were instead greeted at Birmingham airport by a modest gathering of journalists and well-wishers. With Manchester United’s Champions League final defeat still commanding blanket coverage in these parts, a Twenty20 squad arrival – even that of Australia – was unlikely to bounce Ronaldo off Fleet Street’s back pages.Still, before decamping to their team hotel, Michael Hussey spoke on behalf of the tourists and provided an intriguing insight into a new-look and evolving side; one that appears to possess little of the hubris and headline-grabbing aggression that defined the Shane Warne-inspired team of four years ago. Shots across bows were replaced by gracious compliments of England’s recent rebuilding efforts under the stewardship of the Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss. Hardly the phony wars of yore.”England have added a lot of depth to their squad over the last couple of years and have got guys playing confident cricket,” Hussey told reporters. “I think it will be a very close series and very challenging for both teams.”There have been a lot of new players coming into the England set-up who have been doing quite well and showing they are good enough to play at international level. That bodes well for England. We have been very impressed. We know they have got a good team, particularly in English conditions. A lot of their guys have improved so I think we are in for a huge challenge this summer.”Hussey looms as a pivotal figure in the forthcoming Ashes series. A veteran of the county circuit, Hussey’s experience in English conditions is immense, and though he is yet to play an Ashes Test away from home, he will be relied upon heavily to play the middle-order anchor role for which he has long been groomed. Potentially compromising those plans, however, has been Hussey’s extended form trough; one selectors have attributed partly to burn-out and sought to remedy by resting him from the recent one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE.Hussey was hopeful the break, plus Australia’s recent infusion of youth, would serve them well over the coming months. “(Australia has) a lot of confidence out of winning the Test series in South Africa,” he said. “We have a mixture of young fresh faces like Phil Hughes, who is so exciting, with a lot of talent, and has done well in his initial time as this level.”We have some good experienced players as well. Hopefully that blend will help us but I think what really matters isn’t whether you are young or old but doing the business out in the middle. That’s all that counts.”

Southampton fans are far from happy after Tony Adams revealed Ralph Hasenhuttl previously approached him in regards to joining the Saints’ backroom staff.

The south-coast outfit have had a very poor start to the season. Other than an 8-0 victory over Newport County in the League Cup, they are yet to win a single game during the 90 minutes.

With just four goals in six Premier League fixtures, they are struggling to cause enough attacking threat, although they have conceded just seven times which indicates their defence is perhaps more solid than fans expected (Sky Sports).

Arsenal legend Adams is of course known as one of the Premier League’s best ever centre-backs (90min.com), so perhaps he could have buffed the team’s backline up even more with his insight.

As per the former player himself, Hasenhuttl wanted him to become part of the backroom staff at St. Mary’s Stadium (via The Evening Standard).

This news has not pleased the Southampton supporters though, some of whom believe he would not have brought very much to the role at all.

The comments were shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and they attracted plenty of attention from the fans. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the comments from Adams below

“Shame, Ralph certainly needs some help.”

Credit: @HackedOffStuart

“Dodged a bullet there…..”

Credit: @bogeylogey

“And I thought bringing on Long today was the low point of Ralph’s coaching career”

Credit: @tom7lawrence

“Dear God, imagine if Tony Adams had ended up in our dug out with Ralph”

Credit: @FullAhBeans

“Tony Adams dropping the bomb of Ralph offering him a job”

Credit: @Funkyhound

“If Ralph offered Adams any job at Southampton, he should walk”

Credit: @Cabbage_Face

In other news, Southampton fans loves this impressive clip.