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Javed Miandad has written a letter to the president, Asif Ali Zardari, in which he has criticised Ijaz Butt as being “too old” to hold a position of such importance

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2010Javed Miandad, a former Pakistan captain, has written a letter to the country’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, in which he has criticised Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan board chairman, for being “too old” to hold a position of such importance. Zardari, who is also the patron of the PCB, had appointed 71-year-old Butt as chairman in 2008 in place of Nasim Ashraf.”The chairman has become too old for the position he is holding as he seldom remembers his own important official commitments and agreements,” Miandad, who is currently a PCB director general, wrote in a letter seen by Cricinfo. “Most of the staff working under the chairman, including many directors, are fed up with his style of working; evidence of which is that many directors have left their jobs during his tenure.”Aamer Sohail, the PCB’s director of academies, Salim Altaf, the chief operating officer, and Abdul Qadir, the chief selector, all resigned in 2009 because of differences with Butt. Miandad also quit in January 2009 before accepting the post of director general and returning, though his relationship with Butt has been frosty since; the pair recently exchanged bitter words publicly over Miandad’s salary. Incidentally, Miandad was also appointed to the board by Zardari, as the former captain acknowledges in the letter.”The chairman is being disapproved by the whole nation,” Miandad wrote. “Pakistan cricket is in real bad shape and the whole nation is looking towards me to be the saviour of their favourite sport. But unfortunately the chairman PCB is not willing to take me along and he has sidelined me for reasons only known to him.”The Pakistan team is currently in Australia where they have had terrible results, losing the Test series 3-0 and the ODIs 5-0.

Stuart Dallas stole the show at Elland Road on Tuesday night as Leeds United picked up a long-awaited victory in the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side narrowly defeated Crystal Palace thanks to a last-minute penalty from Brazilian winger Raphinha but it wasn’t the exciting dynamo who excelled most up in west Yorkshire.

It was the £12.5m-rated Northern Irish utility man – dubbed the Cookstown Cafu – who looked ever so impressive filling in at right-back in the continued absence of vice-captain Luke Ayling, contributing at either end of the pitch and having a major impact under the Argentine.

The £53k-per-week gem has played no fewer than six different roles for the Whites this campaign and this midweek display was another reminder of just how vital he is to have around.

As per SofaScore, Dallas registered a match-high six tackles and also contributed in abundance defensively, with a team-most three interceptions and two blocks, whilst he even won a total of seven duels.

This level of performance meant that Wilfried Zaha and Odsonne Edouard had very little to say on his side and as such, they could not affect the game for Patrick Vieira’s visiting cast.

His influence wasn’t just in their own half, however, as the 30-year-old got up and down the wing to great effect, managing to deliver two accurate crosses, on top of creating one key chance and having 62 touches of the ball – the fourth-most of any Leeds player.

Dallas’ display earned high praise from those that witnessed him in action – for instance, TEAMtalk editor James Marshment claimed he “led the fight from the back” and was “immense”, whilst LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross graded him amongst United’s star performers.

Of course, Raphinha will take plenty of the plaudits but overall, his display was way off his usual standard as he lost possession a whopping 31 times – nearly double any other Leeds player – and made just one cross from eight attempts, per SofaScore.

“Not quite at his sparkling best,” is how Cross described it after full-time.

So forget the 22-year-old, it was Dallas’ night at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Bielsa can unearth Leeds’ next Phillips in 18 y/o “big prospect”, fans must be excited…

Manchester United could secure themselves a bargain deal in the January transfer window after being linked with a move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.

What’s the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo (as relayed by The Express), United have joined the race for the 24-year-old but he’s been offered a new salary of £9.4m to stay at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future.

Manager Xavi Hernandez has reportedly expressed his desire for Dembele to stay put in the negotiations, and although the France international wants to remain at Barca, he has been offered significantly more money by other clubs.

The drawn-out talks have seen Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and the Red Devils circle for the youngster’s signature, with the latest updates claiming he has decided to call an end to his time in Catalonia.

Spanish journalist Jota Jordi has claimed that despite Xavi insisting he will be a key part of his plans, Dembele is set to snub the offer of a new deal, opening the door to an imminent exit.

“Dembélé has told Xavi not to count on him for next year. They are going to try to convince him, I understand. He can negotiate with whoever he wants in 25 days,” Jota told El Chiringuito.

Ralf Rangnick could seal a bargain deal

Dembele rose to prominence at Borussia Dortmund after departing boyhood club Rennes and was regarded as one of the world’s most promising stars when he joined Barca for a fee potentially rising to £135.5m back in August 2017.

Then Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre and former United defender compared him to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

However, injuries have significantly hampered the flying winger’s progress and game time ever since he arrived at the La Liga giants.

Across his four-and-a-half-year spell with the Blaugrana, Dembele has failed to start over 20 La Liga games in a single season, scoring 30 goals and providing 21 assists in his 121 appearances.

But he has continued to show flashes of his truly world-class potential when fit and available for selection, earning praise from former teammate and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

“On the pitch, he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best,” Messi is quoted by Sport as saying in December 2018. “He’s young, and he is adapting.”

Therefore, the £287,000-per-week ace could prove to be a real bargain if interim manager Ralf Rangnick can secure his services in a cut-price deal in January, or on a free next summer.

With Edinson Cavani out of contract in the red half of Manchester at the end of the current campaign, the 20-time English champions will need some attacking reinforcements and Dembele could be the ideal candidate.

And, in other news…Man Utd could find perfect Rangnick heir in 48 y/o who’s in a “Brendan Rodgers-mould”

Ravi Bopara, who plays for the Kings XI Punjab, has delayed his departure to India for the IPL, which begins on March 12, due to security concerns

Cricinfo staff01-Mar-2010England batsman Ravi Bopara, who plays for the Kings XI Punjab, has delayed his departure to India for the IPL, which begins on March 12, due to security concerns. However Lalit Modi, the league’s commissioner, said he had spoken to Bopara and the batsman had told him he was “looking forward to coming to India”.Bopara was concerned about the contents of security advisor Reg Dickason’s report, which had named Al Qaeda group Brigade 313 as a possible threat to the IPL. “Cricket is my living and in many ways my life. But it is not worth dying for,” Bopara told the . “This is a very tricky call. I have been in touch with the franchise and they are pretty positive that things will be okay. But Reg Dickason’s report says something different.”At the moment I’m nowhere with this decision. I’ve had some contact with other players. No one has said they are definitely not going, but no one has said they definitely are either. I have pushed back my flight so I can give myself a bit more time to see what happens and whether the security measures are implemented. The franchise will want an answer in the next few days, but I will not come to a hasty decision just because I have to. I need to weigh everything up and if I could buy myself even more time, I would.”Modi, however, responded on his Twitter account by saying reports about Bopara not coming “are completely false”. Bopara, who was bought for $450,000 at the 2009 auction, is one of eight England cricketers involved in IPL 2010. Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Graham Napier and Michael Lumb are the others.Meanwhile, the Australian players were told at a security briefing in Christchurch on Sunday that the terrorist threat from the 313 Brigade was not credible. However, Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, has said there could still be “mass withdrawals” unless players receive a commitment that the IPL’s security plans will be implemented at all venues.

Wolves have been tipped with a move for Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli in January. The Spurs playmaker has hardly played under new manager Antonio Conte and could be headed for the exit door.

What’s the story?

Having been branded “unbelievable” by Mauricio Pochettino and a “wonderkid” after his breakthrough 2015/16 season, in which he scored ten Premier League goals as a 19-year-old, the Englishman has seen his career go drastically downhill over recent seasons.

Alli reportedly fell out of favour with former manager Jose Mourinho and made just seven league appearances under Nuno Espirito Santo before he was replaced by Antonio Conte last month.

The 25-year-old has been limited to just two minutes in the league under the Italian and could prove surplus to requirements in January.

Speaking on Soccer Saturday, pundit Paul Merson claimed that Wolves need to buy a midfielder with more attacking threat and named Alli as a potential suitor. It has been reported by The Athletic that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is willing to allow the midfielder to leave North London next month.

According to Transfermarkt, Alli is valued at £27m, which would certainly make the transfer a hefty signing if it was to go through.

Forget Moutinho

It certainly seems to be the case that Wolves need more attacking input from the middle of the park. The West Midlands side are the top-flight’s second-lowest scorers with 12 goals in 16 games, with Rúben Neves the only midfielder to score a league goal this term with one.

Lage has tended to operate with a central midfield trio of Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho, however, it could really do with some attacking flair.

The trio certainly isn’t sustainable for the long-term either, with Moutinho now 35-years-old.

Over recent campaigns, Dele Alli has been well below par but there is undoubtedly still talent there given the way in which the Englishman was playing earlier in his career.

Furthermore, it’s no secret that the 25-year-old’s dip has aligned with the departure of former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, under whom Alli was exceptional.

The 37-capped midfielder scored 28 Premier League goals in 70 appearances in his first two seasons at White Hart Lane, a key performer under the Argentine. Those are stats that certainly prove he’s better in an offensive situation than the aforementioned Moutinho as the Portuguese has only found the net three times in over 150 games for the Midlands club.

It would undoubtedly be a risk for Wolves to bring Alli to Molineux, however, action needs to be taken to add creativity and flair to their midfield, and the Englishman could prove to be the ideal solution.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Sa: 25 y/o Wolves “near miss” who made 7 passes failed Lage’s test…

Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list, but they will be relieved that Yuvraj Singh is on track to play the first match

Siddarth Ravindran01-Mar-2010One of the major concerns for Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list, but they will be relieved that Yuvraj Singh, one of their most important players, is likely to be fit in time for the first game against Delhi Daredevils.Yuvraj tore a ligament in his left wrist in late January and missed the second Test against Bangladesh and the entire series against South Africa that ended two days ago. He had been to Australia last week for treatment and is now looking forward to resuming batting. “I will start batting in three days,” he told Cricinfo. “It’s been five weeks (since the injury), so yes, I should be good for the first game.”Punjab were one of the best teams in the inaugural IPL, cruising into the semi-finals, but had a tough time in the second season, affected by the injuries to fast bowlers Sreesanth and Jerome Taylor, and the unavailability of Australian players for much of the competition.Yuvraj has targeted at least a semi-final spot this year, and believes one of the keys to a strong performance will be having the entire squad fit and available for the tournament. “We had a good first year, made the semi-finals easily when we had our full bench of players,” he said. “So if we have our full bench of players not injured, we have a good chance of going through to the semi-finals.”They have several important players struggling for fitness, though. Australian batsman Shaun Marsh, their standout performer in the first IPL season, became the latest worry after he was ruled out of the upcoming one-day internationals against New Zealand due to a back problem.Their most expensive overseas player, fast bowler Brett Lee, is also beset with fitness problems. (However, IPL chairman Lalit Modi said in his Twitter page that Lee is arriving in India tomorrow). Lee is recovering from a painful elbow surgery that ruled him out of the entire Australian home summer campaign, and said a couple of weeks ago that he might never bowl again. He has only played two matches since spearheading New South Wales’ march to the Champions League title last October.”We have a few injuries but we still have a bit of time to get fit for the first game,” Yuvraj said. Besides fitness issues, the lack of quality Indian batting back-up for Yuvraj is another of Punjab’s drawbacks, which makes it vital that allrounder Irfan Pathan recovers from the back injury that has kept him out of the preliminary squad of the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

The return of key allrounder Dwayne Bravo has boosted West Indies ahead of the third one-dayer against Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2010The return of key allrounder Dwayne Bravo has boosted West Indies ahead of the third one-dayer against Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Bravo’s brother, Darren, has also been included in the 14-man squad for the final three one-dayers.The out-of-form Andre Fletcher, who has six ducks in his previous eight innings for West Indies, and allrounder Dwayne Smith have been dropped, while Ramnaresh Sarwan does not feature in the squad, despite playing in the domestic four-day competition after recovering from injury. Fletcher had kept wickets in the second one-dayer and his axing means Denesh Ramdin, the regular wicketkeeper over the past few years, who was benched after a string of poor batting performances, is likely to return to the first XI.Dwayne Bravo has not played for West Indies since the Tests against Australia nearly three months ago, after breaking his right thumb while playing for Australian state side Victoria in the Big Bash tournament in January. Darren Bravo gets a chance to add to the four ODI caps he picked up during the homes series against India after the World Twenty20 last year.West Indies have struggled so far in the matches against Zimbabwe, labouring to victory in the second one-dayer on Saturday after losing the Twenty20 and the first ODI.Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy

Newcastle have been showing signs of improvement since Eddie Howe’s arrival at the club last month and have picked up some points to show for it.

Half of their 10-point haul this term have come in the 43-year-old’s first five matches in charge, after Steve Bruce and Graeme Jones accrued a paltry five points from the first 11 games of the campaign.

The Toon have beaten Burnley and drawn with Brentford and Norwich under Howe, whilst losing to Arsenal and Leicester along the way.

Forget Joelinton

The Athletic recently claimed that Joelinton has been ‘liberated’ under the former Bournemouth coach, with his impressive performances playing off Callum Wilson bringing in praise.

However, another player whose season has been revived from the dead since Howe’s arrival is Jonjo Shelvey.

The former Liverpool midfielder made four Premier League appearances this term prior to the change in management and recorded SofaScore ratings of 6.0, 5.9, 6.6 and 6.7 respectively. He picked up a red card against Tottenham and managed just two key passes in those games.

Former Magpies boss Bruce previously lauded the midfielder’s talents as he said: “Jonjo understands what we are trying to do. As a footballer all the things that come naturally to him are the most difficult.

“What he has done is add to his natural ability. He has added a physicality to it, getting up and down the pitch. At the moment he is the complete midfield player.

“With the top players, that is what they can do. Jonjo more than anyone has gone to town on what he can do physically and we are reaping the benefits.”

However, his aforementioned statistics suggest that the ex-Sunderland manager was unable to extract the best out of him.

Since Howe officially became Newcastle’s boss, Shelvey has recorded SofaScore ratings of 7.3, 7.4, 6.8, 7.6 and 7.1, with the only score below 7.1 coming in the draw with Norwich as the Magpies had to deal with only having 10 men for the majority of the game.

In those five matches, the 29-year-old produced an impressive nine key passes and 33 long passes. This shows that he has been able to utilise his technical ability to switch the play and create chances for his teammates, adding an extra weapon to Newcastle’s attacking arsenal.

The £70k-per-week gem has been revived under Howe, as his form since the 44-year-old’s arrival has been a far cry from how he started the campaign under Bruce. His before-and-after statistics are night and day in comparison and it seems as though he has been freed up to run games for the Magpies, bringing out the best in him.

AND in other news,  Forget Willock: NUFC must splash £25m on “unbelievable” 6ft1 “phenom” with 40 dribbles…

As per Calciomercato, an update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye summer move…

Over the summer, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici had his eye on the Uruguay international as an option who could fill many gaping holes in the Lilywhites first team.

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Indeed, Sky Sports even lifted the lid on an approach for Nandez at the time with new boss Antonio Conte seemingly reigniting the club’s interest as the winter window looms next month.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from his current club and it appears Tottenham are still firmly in the hunt as an update emerges from Italy.

The Latest: Spurs in Nandez race…

According to CM, Tottenham and Leeds are interested from the Premier League as both clubs keep tabs – with the outlet explaining that Nandez may have already played his last match in a recent 4-0 defeat to Udinese.

As well as this, while his release clause is estimated at around €36 million (£30.6m), it is a figure which ‘could be revised downwards’ if Nandez’ club decide to do business – meaning a possible discount on the cards.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The South American ace could well be perfect for Conte’s system given he can play wing-back, right-midfield and even as a defensive midfielder (Sky Sports) – so we believe this could be an astute bit of business for Spurs.

He isn’t without his plaudits, either, with Serie A expert Mina Rzouki explaining how he has been a standout for his side.

The ESPN and CNN pundit called Nandez ‘unstoppable’, ‘amazing’ and ‘underrated’ in a glowing Twitter endorsement, perhaps highlighting how well he has played over 2021 and why Spurs are keen.

As Cagliari could be willing to sell for less than his release clause, a move for Nandez may well be a no brainer for the right price.

In other news: Paratici backed by Levy as he tries to seal Spurs agreement for ‘sensational’ ace, find out more here.

A combined team effort set up victory with three balls to spare as South Africa brushed past Sri Lanka in their first warm-up match

Cricinfo staff28-Apr-2010
Scorecard
A combined team effort set up victory with three balls to spare as South Africa brushed past Sri Lanka in their first warm-up match ahead of the World Twenty20. A late fightback from Sanath Jayasuriya and Chamara Kapugedera allowed Sri Lanka to post a modest 137 for 8 and the match was finely balanced when AB de Villiers was dismissed in the 14th over with 63 still needed, but a 61-run partnership between Mark Boucher and Johan Botha took South Africa home in the final over.Kumar Sangakkara opted to bat first after winning the toss but was quickly left ruing the decision as Tillakaratne Dilshan fell first ball to the impressive Rory Kleinveldt. Charl Langeveldt then struck twice in his second over to remove Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene as Sri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3.Dinesh Chandimal lasted just two balls before he hit Morne Morkel to Herschelle Gibbs, and when Angelo Mathews was dismissed by Roelof van der Merwe Sri Lanka were in deep trouble at 42 for 5 in the ninth over. But Jayasuriya drew on his vast experience in a relatively sedate 33 from 41 balls as he dominated a half-century stand with Kapugedera to claw his side back into the game.Once he was dismissed, caught behind off Kleinveldt, Kapugedera came to the fore, slamming three fours and five sixes to finish unbeaten on 61. The wickets were shared around by the South African bowlers, with Kleinveldt, Langeveldt and Morkel taking two each, while Rusty Theron and van der Merwe weighed in with one apiece.Nuwan Kulasekara removed Graeme Smith in his first over for single figures as Sri Lanka started their defence strongly, but Loots Bosman kept the score ticking over with a rapid 20. After his dismissal, Gibbs and de Villiers struggled to reach the boundary, and when they were removed in consecutive overs Sri Lanka were right back in the match.But Botha and Boucher set about their task with gusto, scoring at more than 11 runs an over to take South Africa to the brink. Botha was bowled by Thissara Perera off the first ball of the final over, but Boucher sealed the confidence-boosting result with a boundary two balls later.