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Jess Kerr, Natalie Dodd win first deals

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2020Rachel Priest has been omitted from New Zealand’s central contract list, while keeper-batter Natalie Dodd and seamer Jess Kerr have been awarded their first deals.Priest, 34, won back her national contract last year after impressing for Western Storm in the Kia Super League and Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash, having been dropped by former head coach Haidee Tiffin after the 2017 World Cup in England, who cited fitness issues for her omission.ALSO READ: Rachel Priest travels and plays cricket everywhere (but it’s not her choice)But after a return of 60 runs in four T20 World Cup innings and no half-centuries since her recall, she has not been offered a contract for the 2020-21 season.Priest’s fellow keeper-batter Bernadine Bezuidenhout has also made way, after being left out of the T20 World Cup squad, with Dodd – who debuted in 2010 and last played international cricket in 2018 – winning her first full deal following a year on a development contract.Kerr, whose younger sister Amelia has been a New Zealand regular for nearly four years, has also been offered a national contract for the first time on the back of her tournament-record 20 wickets in last season’s Super Smash, which helped Wellington Blaze to the title. She was part of the squad for the T20 World Cup, playing in New Zealand’s opening game against Sri Lanka.Bob Carter, New Zealand’s head coach, said that Kerr and Dodd’s contracts were “an acknowledgement of hard work and perseverance”.”I’m happy the majority of our group can remain stable as we look for continual improvement and application from our players,” Carter said. “We have an experienced core of White Ferns and want to ensure our younger, less experienced players have the chance to learn from them over the next 12 months.”New Zealand contract list, 2020-21: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Natalie Dodd, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu.

Siddle played 67 Tests taking 221 wickets at 30.66, his last match coming in the final Test of this year’s Ashes series in England

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2019Peter Siddle has announced his retirement from international cricket after a career that spanned 11 years.Siddle, 35, played 67 Tests taking 221 wickets at 30.66, his last match coming in the final Test of this year’s Ashes series in England. He was brought back into the squad for the current Test against New Zealand and told coach Justin Langer on Boxing Day that he was bringing the curtain down on his Australia career before informing his team-mates of his decision before play on the fourth day.In white-ball cricket he played 20 ODIs, earning a surprise recall earlier this year, and two T20Is.”It’s always hard to know what the right time is, it was sort of the Ashes – that was the main goal – to try and get on that touring party and be a part of that series,” Siddle told Fox Cricket. “Once I’d ticked that off, I’d been chatting with JL and Painey throughout that series, I could have done it there, but the chance of maybe getting one last crack if it came up in Australia, do it at home would have been nice. But I can be content, 67 Tests, to think as a young kid that I wouldn’t get a chance I’m very happy and a bit sad.”As a young kid I wasn’t super talented so I had to work hard for it. Just to wear baggy green, walk out with it, represent Australia. Chatting to three fast bowlers who are playing this Test, I played in all their debuts so to see all them go about it now, that’s part of the reason, they are a lot younger than me and you see how good they are. Every time I stepped out was amazing.”Tim Paine, Australia’s Test captain, said: “Sids has been the heart and soul of the team for a long time. I remember coming up through with him through the academies and even back then he was one of the great team men, something he has continued to this day.”He has a massive heart and is a fantastic bowler. He’ll be very much missed around the group. He’s been unbelievably good for our younger fast bowlers over the last 18 months and been a great support for me during that time, as well.”Siddle started out as a tearaway, turning heads in the 2008 Sheffield Shield final for Victoria, hitting Gautam Gambhir on the helmet and dismissing Sachin Tendulkar on his debut at Mohali later that year, and taking his famous birthday hat-trick at the Gabba against England in 2010. Around this time he was one of then captain Ricky Ponting’s go-to men – they were both vocal supporters of the North Melbourne AFL club, too.Peter Siddle celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

But Siddle needed to add subtlety and consistency to his game. Something he did alongside Craig McDermott around the time he also changed his lifestyle, giving up alcohol and meat, in 2011-12. From then until 2014, he was one of the best and most challenging bowlers to face in world cricket, claiming 110 wickets at 27.77 and a strike rate of 57.80 over a 30-match period. During the 2013-14 dual Ashes series, he was consistently successful against Kevin Pietersen.After that season, Siddle was dropped on account of losing pace, and one of the most unfair periods of time for him was being ignored by selectors during 2015 Ashes until it was too late. But not to be deterred by that or subsequent injuries, Siddle took up a deal with Essex, proving himself as a highly effective seamer with the Dukes ball, and when Australia were desperate for experience after the Newlands scandal, he found his way back.And while he did not play every Test, suffered from dropped catches and was injured in the final match at The Oval, Siddle’s expertise and experience were critical to Australia retaining Ashes in England for first time since 2001. His spell on the final day of the first Test at Edgbaston, piling on pressure from one end while Nathan Lyon cut through England at the other, was described by Langer as “the best wicketless spell I’ve ever seen”.After news of Siddle’s retirement was confirmed, Langer said: “The year after I retired from playing, Matty Hayden and Ricky Ponting were raving about this guy called Peter Siddle. If it came from them, you knew it was right and so it proved throughout his brilliant international career.”He is an unbelievable bloke and an extremely good cricketer. He is the everything of what a team player is. He has given his heart and soul to the Australian team and the game of cricket.”We’ll always be thankful to him for what he’s given to the national team, and for the critical role he played in helping us retain the Ashes in England this year. He’s going out when he’s still playing well which, in a perfect world, is something every athlete wants to do.”As for the future, Siddle has already set that up. Often pigeonholed as a red ball specialist, he is now one of the most skilful and effective BBL pacemen, helping the Strikers to the 2018 title and proving an expert closer this season in a tight victory over the Melbourne Stars. He has also indicated he will keep playing for Victoria and Essex.

Imad Wasim was the other hero, cracking a half-century against Peshawar Zalmi

The Report by Peter Della Penna21-Feb-2020In the hunt for what would have been just the fourth successful 200-plus chase in PSL history, Darren Sammy and Liam Livingstone nearly got Peshawar Zalmi over the line. But excellent death bowling from Umaid Asif in the final over ensured that Karachi Kings held on for a thrilling 10-run win at the National Stadium on Friday afternoon.The Kings’ victory was set up by a brilliant 97-run partnership between Babar Azam and Imad Wasim. They got together after Cameron Delport fell in the ninth over to a sharply turning googly from Mohammad Mohsin and supercharged the Kings innings. It took an excellent piece of hustle from Tom Banton to run Azam out and break the stand in the 18th over. But by then, the home side had 170 on the board and Iftikhar Ahmed blasted a four and two sixes off the only three balls he faced to put an even more emphatic stamp on proceedings.Babar Azam turns into the leg side•Associated Press

Chris Jordan struck a pair of early blows in the chase, getting Banton lbw on review and yorking Haider Ali three balls later. But Kamran Akmal led a revival with 43 off 26 balls before handing the keys over to Livingstone in the 10th over. Zalmi already needed to score two runs a ball at that stage, but Livingstone and Sammy somehow kept up with the rate.Then, needing 16 to win off the final over, with Sammy on strike, Zalmi’s boundaries dried up as Asif kept the batsmen off balance with an array of slower balls and cutters bowled into the pitch.Turning pointAsif produced a phenomenal effort in the final over, culminating in a sensational return catch to dismiss Sammy.After a pair of singles and a two brought the equation down to 12 off 3 balls, he banged one in short and outside off. The batsman skied an attempted pull over short midwicket. Asif stopped in his follow-through, changed direction, circled back 20 yards to his right, then lunged forward to complete a very difficult catch.On strike for the penultimate ball, needing a pair of sixes to win, Livingstone flubbed a knee-high full toss tamely into the covers for a single to effectively seal victory for the Kings.Star of the dayAzam played a special knock to lead the Kings’ recovery after they had been sent in to bat. He was especially fluent through the off side, finding a majority of his seven fours and two sixes there, including perhaps the shot of the day, a blistering six over extra cover off Hasan Ali in the 15th over.When Wasim started to accelerate alongside him, Azam was happy to rotate the strike and would almost certainly have carried on to reach three-figures if not for Banton’s excellence.The big missBy umpire Richard Illingworth. Banton has been a rampaging menace on the T20 circuit over the last year. But Jordan had him foxed with a clever offcutter two balls into the fourth over which the batsman swung over the top of to be trapped deep in his crease and in front of middle stump. Jordan flew into an appeal and was borderline apoplectic when Illingworth turned it down. Wasim wasted little time in calling for a review and DRS showed the delivery taking out middle stump three quarters of the way up, allowing the decision to be corrected.Where the teams standKings moved level with Quetta Gladiators at the top of the table on two points after two games. Zalmi joined Islamabad United on zero points, alongside Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars who are set to play their opening games later on Friday.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan Test captain, has said the team’s 10-wicket win over New Zealand in Hamilton has given his side a lot of confidence

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan Test captain, has said the team’s 10-wicket win over New Zealand in Hamilton has given his side a lot of confidence and that they will be looking for another win in the second Test at Wellington, rather than seeking to protect their 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.”Cricket is so fast nowadays that you rarely see a drawn Test match, unless the wicket is really flat,” Misbah told . “Our best policy for the upcoming match at Wellington will be to go for a win, rather than just consolidate our one-nil lead. I want my team to perform well, play good cricket and look to wrap up the series two-nil.”Misbah expects the Wellington pitch to be a sporting one that will lend itself to a result. With New Zealand obviously intent on evening the series, he says Pakistan will have to be careful not to let their advantage slip. “Our opponents, no doubt, will push us hard, as they will be going into the second Test on the back of a heavy defeat. They will be looking to level the series. We need to be wary of the fact that New Zealand will come hard at us. We will need to work even harder and ensure that we are even more focused in Wellington.”At the same time, Misbah also believes his side has room to improve. In the first Test, three batsmen made half-centuries, including Misbah, but were unable to convert them into big scores. “If you look at our batting in the first Test, a lot of us got starts and nobody went on to score a hundred,” Misbah said. “What I would like to see is for our batsmen, myself included, to ensure that we make full use of our good starts, and ensure that we bat for long periods. If a similar situation to Hamilton presents itself, we should ensure that we earn a bigger lead than 92. I really want our batsmen to make sure that the good starts are not wasted.”Pakistan have cycled through four Test captains over the last 12 months, including Misbah, who was surprisingly recalled to lead the side for the South Africa series in the UAE, but he appears to have brought a level of stability to the team in the midst of the spot-fixing crisis. “Credit to all of the team for the fantastic way in which they have responded to me. I am hardly having to say anything to the side and everybody knows their role in the team. I’m seeing a great degree of professionalism and responsibility from all of the players, which is fantastic, and makes my job a lot easier. I’m seeing the right response from the players at the right time.”Misbah is particularly pleased with how the younger members of the squad have responded to the challenge of coming together and performing. “It is very important for senior and experienced players like myself to set a good example for the youngsters. However, it makes my life so much easier and it’s very satisfying when I am given such a responsible and committed group. It is also heartening to listen to inputs from the younger boys in the squad in group discussions, and they deserve credit for the responsibility and application they are showing.”He also expressed his support for the Umpire Decision Referral System (UDRS), saying it should be used all over the world rather than being selectively implemented, as it is now. “I think the UDRS should be made compulsory in all international cricket, as I feel it’s of help to the umpires as well as to the cricketers.”The second Test match against New Zealand starts in Wellington on Saturday. The Test will be followed by six ODIs.

Pakistan bowling allrounder Yasir Arafat has been signed up by South African franchise Dolphins for the Pro20 competition as their overseas player

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2011Pakistan bowling allrounder Yasir Arafat has been signed up by South African franchise Dolphins for the Pro20 competition as their overseas player. Arafat has been an experienced campaigner in Pakistan’s domestic circuit and has also been part of the national side in three Tests, 11 ODIs and seven Twenty20 internationals.”We are excited to have Yasir join our ranks and look forward to the value that he will add. Yasir will be playing his first match for the Dolphins today [February 4} in their Standard Bank Pro20 in East London”, Jesse Challan, the CEO of the Kwazulu Natal Cricket Union, said in a release.

The left-hander re-aggravated his quad injury on the opening day against Tasmania

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2019Kurtis Patterson’s hopes of forcing his way into the selectors’ thoughts for the opening Test of the summer have taken another blow after he re-injured his left quad on the first day against Tasmania.Patterson missed the opening round of Sheffield Shield matches after picking up the original injury playing grade cricket although his absence from the game against Queensland was viewed as precautionary.He replaced Nick Larkin in the New South Wales side to face Tasmania but limped off before lunch after chasing a ball towards the boundary. He was receiving treatment with the hope he would be able to bat later in the match.Patterson made a century in his second Test, against Sri Lanka in Canberra, last February but missed the cut for the Ashes after struggling on the Australia A tour.Of contenders for a middle-order position against Pakistan in Brisbane next month, Mitchell Marsh has already been ruled out after the self-inflicted broken hand from punching the dressing room wall at the WACA.Meanwhile, Aaron Finch has been left out of Victoria’s match against Western Australia a week before the T20I series against Sri Lanka starts following the back spasms he suffered against South Australia.Finch injured his back while running between the wickets during his half-century on the second day at the Junction Oval and did not field for the remainder of the match. He travelled to Perth but was left out of the XI as a precaution although is expected to play the Marsh Cup game against WA at the WACA on Wednesday ahead of leading Australia in six T20Is in the space of 12 days against Sri Lanka and Pakistan from October 27.Matt Short replaced Finch in the middle order. Peter Siddle returned for his first game since injuring his hip flexor in the final Ashes Test.

India may have sealed the series 3-0, but stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir is keen to win the last two inconsequential matches against New Zealand, which will maintain India’s spotless home season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2010India may have sealed the series 3-0, but stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir is keen to win the last two inconsequential matches against New Zealand to maintain India’s unbeaten home season.”Our target is to win all five games,” Gambhir said ahead of Tuesday’s match in Bangalore. “The team that plays better cricket for 100 overs will win. We are looking forward to performing well and hopefully we will keep the momentum going. We need to maintain the same intensity with which we played the first three matches.”Gambhir, along with Virat Kohli, has led India’s charge with the bat in the series but he was full of praise for his bowlers, who have kept the pressure on New Zealand’s batsmen. “The bowlers have done well in all the matches, even in conditions that varied,” he said. “Whether the flat tracks in Jaipur or the seaming wicket in Vadodara, they have done well for us. Bowlers deserve the maximum credit for us winning the series.”The series may be in the bag but Gambhir said he was not too keen on tinkering with the line-up just to give the reserves a game. “It is an international game and we need to field the best team,” he said. “It is not like that we have won the series and we will be taking things lightly. In the due course, if youngsters get an opportunity, I think they need to grab it. Right now, we would like to field the best available team for the match.”India’s dominant performances with the bat have denied the middle-order the chance to make an impression. Gambhir appeared mindful of this and hinted at promoting players in the batting order.”They have done it in the past and I think they should get enough opportunity to express themselves in international cricket,” Gambhir said. “For example, Ravindra Jadeja or Yusuf Pathan have not got enough opportunities with the bat. Pathan has only batted in the last 10 overs…I may just ensure that Yusuf gets to bat with the top-order so that he can play enough deliveries and use his destructive batsmanship to good effect. If the situation arises, we might promote him to number five.”Gambhir reiterated that his run of success in his first assignment as India captain was down to the level of experience of the players he had at his disposal. “I have got such quality in the side that I don’t need to do much. Bowlers like Zaheer, Ashish and Munaf have played enough international matches and Yuvraj has been of great help to me in the middle. If I need to take any suggestions, I know that there is someone to whom I can turn.”It’s not the captain alone who wins you a game,but the team effort is the main reason. I have enjoyed captaincy. It is a responsibility and to live to the best of my ability and hopefully I can continue in the next two games.”

After serving his one-match suspension against West Brom last week, Matty Cash should come straight back into the starting line-up for Aston Villa’s trip to Everton on Saturday night.

The right-back was sent off for two bookable offences in the defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League, and Dean Smith made no secret of just how disappointed he was with the summer signing.

Speaking in his post-match press conference that night, the Villa boss said: “He will be down, especially with the earful he got off me in the dressing room after.

“He will learn. He is a young lad in his first Premier League season and I think he will be a super player. But he was reckless and stupid. We won’t have many better chances of going and beating a team like Manchester City.”
Ahmed Elmohamady came in for Cash in the 2-2 draw against the Baggies last time out in the Premier League, and while he didn’t exactly make any meaningful errors or mistakes, the latter simply has to come back in tonught.

The right-back’s pace and energy on the flank has arguably rendered him Villa’s unsung hero this season, and with an Everton side full of movement and power up top in the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, having someone like Cash to deal with that threat could be crucial.

It’s no surprise that former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has dubbed him “sensational”, while adding: “Cash has come in and he has been flawless. He has taken to the club like a duck to water. You have to give credit to the player and the recruitment department. They have obviously done their homework. He has been one of their shining lights this season.”

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When Villa take on the Toffees tonight, the £65,000-a-week defender simply has to be one of the first names on the team sheet, and he could well be a game-changer for Smith as they look to pick up some much-needed momentum after their recent stutters.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this star who “doesn’t stop running”…

Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder has told The Transfer Tavern that Jadon Sancho’s future will be inextricably linked with Borussia Dortmund’s bid to qualify for the Champions League amid interest from Manchester United.

United reportedly made a bid for the England international last summer but no move materialised.

United have again been linked this week with the £90m-rated winger amid the news that Ed Woodward is stepping back from his role as executive vice-chairman.

That could open the door for a new pursuit this summer amid Dortmund’s struggles in the Bundesliga.

They are currently fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and 19 behind leaders Bayern Munich.

It means they face a fight to qualify for the Champions League and Pinder thinks that both Sancho and striker Erling Haaland could leave the club if they don’t make it.

This season, Sancho has scored six goals and laid on 11 assists in his 22 games.

And Pinder, editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, told TT:  “I think it’s that thing of whether Borussia Dortmund qualify for the Champions League. If they do, then he could stay but if they fail to qualify for the Champions League then Haaland could leave, Sancho could leave, we’re just touching upon his stats for this season.

“While they haven’t been what they were previously, still six goals and 11 assists in 21 games, he’s missed five games through injury, and when he hasn’t been playing for Borussia Dortmund it’s been noticeable.

“They’re a much poorer side without him.”

Some Liverpool fans have been calling for the Reds to sign Ozan Kabak on a permanent deal following an impressive spell on loan at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has had a torrid time of things at centre-back this season, with injuries in that area playing a major part in his team’s struggles during 2020/21. Virgil van Dijk has been out since October and Joe Gomez isn’t too far behind, while Joel Matip is also sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

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These issues meant that Klopp was forced into signing a new centre-back in the January transfer window, with Kabak arriving from Schalke 04 and Ben Davies also coming in from Preston.

The Turkish defender only joined on loan, but there was an option to buy him for £18m this summer, which journalist Fabrizio Romano claims is still the case [via Anfield Watch on Twitter].

Liverpool fans call for the Reds to sign Kabak permanently

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to get behind the idea of Kabak becoming a permanent Reds player moving forward, based on impressive performances such as the one against RB Leipzig last month.

“Have to pay it. You can’t lose money on a young player who’s that good already. Worst case you flip him for like £25million”

Credit: @rayan_heravi

“Make it happen. Time to move on for Matip I think. Too injury prone, think both him and us need a fresh start”

Credit: @my_sum

“Buy him and sell Matip”

Credit: @nathan_brauner1

“Please buy him”

Credit: @hezlfc

“LFC please I beg you. Sign him up. He has been fantastic. Save us the time for another trial and error”

Credit: @FcJurgen

“We better sign him”

Credit: @ynwaMattH

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a Bundesliga star and some supporters are excited. Read more here.