A week after being re-elected as chairman of the new board of Zimbabwe Cricket, Peter Chingoka gave an exclusive interview with Lawrence Moyo in the Herald newspaper.Although there were some direct questions put to Chingoka, seeking answers to many of the criticisms and accusations levelled at him, he offered up little in the way of explanation or defence, often answering in very general or non committal terms.He was most open about the advantages of the newly-elected board, referring to the “continuity and stable financial control” the four-year term will give. “With the issue of governance sorted out, focus will now be on the field of play where, in fact, it should always be because the playing of the game is the core business of Zimbabwe Cricket.”But critics of Chingoka, and there are many within Zimbabwe even if not inside ZC any longer, would be depressed by his response to the question whether this would be his last term in office: “My tenure is at the behest of the ZC electorate so it is that electorate which can best answer your question. My being at the helm has not been an issue of longevity but service to the game.” Asked why he remained when he had said he wanted to leave in 2005, he replied: “Since then calls have been made on me to avail myself to the game.”Perhaps his most remarkable answer came when Moyo asked about disgruntled stakeholders who opposed him and who had been removed from positions of authority. “Stakeholders cannot be kept away from the game because the stakeholders, as the name says, are those people with a stake in the game,” he claimed. “If they are away from it, then they cannot be stakeholders.Moyo also asked about accusations levelled against him. “Investigations are carried out by professionals who are not affected by my presence or absence from office,” he replied, neatly sidestepping the fact that nobody has any idea when or if those reports will ever materialise.Chingoka repeatedly referred to the “electorate” and “democracy”, even though his critics maintain he has run roughshod over both during his purge of all opposition. Asked whether the gang of three – himself, Tavengwa Mukuhlani and Cyprian Mandenge – would effectively run the game, he insisted that was not the case. “It is unfair to the other 10 members of the board to infer that they will sit and clap while the three of us run the show. Running cricket involves much more than just what happens in the rope. Let it be noted that, among the 13 of us, none has less passion for the game of cricket than the others, and so we are all, to the number, cricket people.”He also dismissed suggestions the board was in financial trouble. “Like all otherTest-playing nations, we work on a four-year cycle based on income from the ICC World Cup which is our main source of revenue.”And what about reports that cheques had bounced? “The ZC board was disappointed to hear of the bouncing cheques as it does not condone such practice. Management has been reprimanded and remedial work is underway to tighten the financial controls.Moyo also asked whether, given recent poor results, the side would be ready to resume Test cricket in November, as is the intention. “Yes, the results after that have not been good but there is no argument that the talent abounds and thatwhat is needed now is continued exposure.”We are determined to turn around the fortunes of the team. We intend, in the short term, to regain ninth position in the ODI rankings and, medium-long term, to move up the ladder. In preparation for the resumption of Testparticipation, we have a programme that will see us play about 12 longer-version games against the A sides of Test-playing nations. That programme started with us playing a three-day match followed by a four-dayer against Bangladesh A last month. One could see signs of improvement in the second match, resulting in the game ending as a draw.”
Johan van der Wath, the Eagles allrounder, has been called up to South Africa’s VB Series squad, after Jacques Kallis was forced to return home for treatment on his elbow injury.Kallis missed South Africa’s match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, having also withdrawn from the first Test against Australia, at Perth, in December.van der Wath, who bowls at a lively pace and hits the ball in the manner of Justin Kemp, has been performing consistently for the Eagles this season. In last week’s Standard Bank Cup Final he won the Man-of-the-Match award, after taking 3 for 25 and hitting a vital 20, in a low-scoring match.The selectors have been watching his performances and Haroon Lorgat, the convenor, believes he is ready for a chance at the next level. “With great interest we have been watching Johan’s performances and good form for South Africa A and for the Eagles in the domestic competitions. We believe that he has much to offer both now and in the future”.Lorgat added that the decision to send Kallis home was in order to ensure he is back to full fitness for the return series against Australia, which starts at the end of February. Kallis is the third South African to return home from the tour of Australia, following the withdrawal of Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel.
Moin Khan has revealed his hopes of returning to the Pakistan side after regaining full fitness. Moin last played a Test in 2004 against Sri Lanka."I am making all these untiring efforts to represent my country again," said Moin after scoring a century for Pakistan International Airlines. "There has been nothing wrong with my performance as a wicketkeeper and a batsman during the current season. I am doing quite well and deserve to play again in the national team."A veteran of 69 Tests, Khan has scored 2741 runs at 28.55 and taken 128 catches besides 20 stumpings. He reckons that the forthcoming series with India will be challenging. "As I think both the teams’ chances would be even during the series and the team which plays better will win." He added that if Pakistan’s batting clicked, it would give them an edge over the Indians.Khan disagreed with the recent statements made by Sarfraz Nawaz, the former Test cricketer, suggesting that India’s spinners would whitewash Pakistan in the Test series. "Only Anil Kumble in the Indian team has more than 300 wickets while the rest of the bowlers are no more than average – like Harbhajan Singh and the other spinners haven’t got more than 100 to 150 wickets to their credit."He remarked that Danish Kaneria and Arshad Khan, who played well in the domestic first-class cricket, could play a vital role in the series. "I know the Indian batsman play the spinners with considerable ease but so could our batsmen."
ScorecardSri Lanka A began their tour of South Africa on a sour note, losing to Pretoria University, the Club Championship winners, by five wickets at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat and made a reasonable start until Avishka Gunawardena was trapped lbw by Tiens Lange for 17 (42 for 1).Jehan Mubarak and Michael Vandort then flayed the attack, adding a second-wicket stand of 192 before Vandort was dismissed for 108. Mubarak then followed him shortly to the pavilion for 104 as Sri Lanka ended on a healthy 276 for 4.Pretoria, not fazed by the daunting task ahead of them, opened with Jacques Rudolph and AB de Villiers, who put on 67 for the opening wicket before Rudolph departed for 24. De Villiers made 67.But the big partnership came between Kruger van Wyk, the captain, and Hein Malan. They added 121 and took Pretoria to a memorable win. Malan was out for 81 and Van Wyk finished unbeaten on 56 as they reached their target with eight balls to spare.Sri Lanka face South Africa A in a day-night match at The Potchefstroom Oval on Friday.
The NSWIS Blues have booked a place in this season’s National Women’s Cricket League finals series after storming to dual wins over the Western Fury in Perth this weekend.After being tested all the way in an eight wicket win with only eight deliveries to spare on Saturday, the Blues revelled in warm conditions on Sunday to claim a 105-run win.Openers Lisa Sthalekar and Lisa Keightley were the stars, combining in partnerships of 142 and 124 at the top of the order that laid the platform for two impressive New South Wales innings.In the aftermath of national captain Belinda Clark’s relocation to Victoria, national squad member Sthalekar’s progression to an opening batting role has become one of the defining features of the Blues’ unbeaten season.”I’ve only recently started opening the batting, so it was nice to have a good innings on Saturday and then to follow it up on the Sunday. That was my goal for the weekend, so I was pretty happy with that. More importantly, Lisa and I are now starting to get some good partnerships going,” said Sthalekar.The 22-year-old also claimed two wickets for the weekend with her medium pace to claim dual Player of the Match awards and assume the leading role in guiding the Blues into the best-of-three finals series that begins on 2 February.”It takes a lot of pressure off us going into the final round (against Victoria) now,” said Sthalekar of the morale-boost that the guaranteed top-two finish offers the team.”Hopefully, we can just enjoy ourselves now and work on the things that we need to improve without that pressure of trying to make the finals.”Though they are now condemned to finish the season winless, the Fury were far from disgraced in either match. Their total of 6/209 in the opening match of the weekend was the sixth highest in NWCL competition this summer, and their bowlers complemented the effort by pushing the Blues to the closest finish among their six completed games.Zoe Goss (59), Heather Taylor (41) and Angele Gray (36) were in fine touch on Saturday, and Julianne Langley (29) led the upper order well as it followed up with more impressive batting on Sunday. Albeit that a total of five run outs – and seven in total for the weekend – ensured that no player was able to reach the thirties in the second of the two matches.Alas, Keightley and Sthalekar’s ability to build two big partnerships also remained one of the big differences between the teams.
Now for tomorrowMiddlesex appeared to have got a strong grip on their NatWest trophyfourth-round match against Somerset at Southgate by scoring 223-4 at the end of a day shortened by rain. Yet they did not score as quickly as they had hoped to do and the weather could still tilt the balance.Umpires Merv Kitchen and Ken Palmer saw more action than the players on a morning of dark cloud and flooded outfield. The skies were still overcastwhen the cricket did start in the afternoon. Conditions, perhaps, made for the bowlers: it seemed to be so when Paul Jarvis sent back Andrew Strauss (30) and Justin Langer. Then just for bad measure opening batsman Mike Roseberry (21) had to retire.At this point the county batsmen were having something of the experience theWest Indians had faced in their second innings at Lord’s as Andrew Caddick, opening the attack with Jarvis, kept them under pressure. Paul Weekes and Mark Ramprakash steadied the innings and it was the latter who went on to end the day on 71 n.o. and came in for the evening with partner Keith Dutch (12 n.o.) Poor light caused play to be stopped. Somerset need to score 224 runs tomorrow – leaving in still anybody’s match.
As Manchester City head into their Champions League clash with Sevilla, the charge brought against them by UEFA will once again become a topic of conversation. As time passes the actions of European football’s governing body make less sense. How fans booing UEFA’s song can open a case against the club is mind boggling.
If each component of the incident is broken down it becomes even more indiscernible. The booing against UEFA is nothing new, however it’s the first time a UEFA official has reported the observation. Before getting into the reasons why the Citizens feel aggrieved, there is a moral issue UEFA seem to be overlooking. This shouldn’t be surprising; they have a rich history of having double standards.
To ban booing against a regime, or anything for that matter, is a simple violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 10, Freedom of Expression. It relates to an individual having the right to hold an opinion and impart it without public authorities interfering.
It seems UEFA don’t think the convention applies to them. They make so many laws for their own world they think they are above the ones that we all live by.
The very act of booing is synonymous with a football crowd. It’s always been the way to express disappointment or disagreement. If UEFA finds it so offensive surely it would have been more noble to punish teams whose fans routinely boo national anthems.
This is where football’s overlords have a real problem. They see themselves as a sovereign state. The Champions League anthem is not something that should be saluted or given extra privileges. It’s just a reworking of an old Handel song by an Englishman to help give a soundtrack to UEFA’s marketing machine.
No organisation should ever be above criticism but UEFA don’t seem open to the idea they have made mistakes. You’d think UEFA would be keeping a low profile at the moment to avoid any sort of negative publicity. Their president is currently disgraced and suspended from duty but instead of using common sense they create more drama with this ridiculous charge.
There are two main reasons the City fans dislike UEFA. The first is the one that divides opinion. They feel aggrieved with the club’s treatment surrounding Financial Fair Play (FFP). There’s a sense that UEFA targeted the Manchester club and had an agenda. The punishment was disproportionate and during the examination period City feel the goalposts were moved. They were convinced FFP had been met but UEFA tweaked the interpretation.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with heavy investment, which is commonplace in all other areas of business and only ever driven by market forces, the ethos of FFP was to keep the big clubs at the top and prevent anyone joining them.
In this sense City were, and are, safe. They managed to join the party before UEFA pulled up the drawbridge to keep the paupers outside their holy castle. The loosening of FFP rules has come about because the clubs chasing the bigger teams have realised they’re falling further behind.
The next area of discontent is universal in its agreement. When CSKA Moscow were found guilty of racist behaviour and violence, UEFA closed the stadium to fans during Manchester City’s Champions League visit.
Why City’s fans were punished and refused entry made no sense. It was also frowned upon that UEFA offered no financial compensation for those that had taken out visas and paid for flights and hotel rooms. On the night around 300 CSKA fans made it into the stadium, no action was taken against the club for this violation.
UEFA have a poor record of dealing with racism and continually send mixed messages. They can make as many video promos featuring footballers as they like but racist chants are still commonplace in Champions League fixtures.
Their ignorance of the matter runs all the way to the top. Before Euro 2012 Michel Platini said players had no right to leave the pitch if they were racially abused, that it was a matter for the referee. It’s another example that shows UEFA don’t know how to treat humans fairly.
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Rather than taking City’s boos on the chin UEFA have now placed the spotlight firmly back on themselves. They have never looked more removed from reality and it’s pathetic. People have had enough of the corruption that has rotted FIFA to its core and the Big Brother attitude of UEFA.
On Tuesday night in Spain every last Manchester City fan will boo louder than ever. Fans of all clubs should join in until it’s a deafening chorus.
After securing a loan deal for West Ham United’s Mauro Zarate on Tuesday, Harry Redknapp’s Queens Park Rangers are lining up a few more deals before the January transfer window slams shut.
Redknapp, who’s normally extremely active this time of year, will be keen to bolster his squad to keep Rangers in the Premier League. The R’s have been heavily linked with the familiar face of Toronto’s Jermain Defoe, Chelsea outcast Mohamed Salah and Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson – among others. The QPR boss has always had an eye for a good deal, and he has had the knack of pulling off some memorable signings in the past.
On the field, it’s been a very indifferent season so far for QPR. Rangers have lost every single Premier League away game they have played in since returning to the top flight – but at home they are a completely different animal.
Redknapp’s side have accumulated all of their 19 points at Loftus Road this term. Just two home defeats all season, four draws and five wins, have kept QPR out of the relegation zone going into the new year – although Redknapp is savvy enough to know that his side can’t just rely on their home form.
Striker Charlie Austin has been in outstanding form this season – the 25-year-old has netted 12 Premier League goals in 18 games. The signing of Zarate will no doubt help Austin, and the R’s fans will be hoping they can form a deadly partnership. As for the Defoe deal, that one looks less and less likely as the days pass by – Toronto are looking to recoup most of the £6m they paid for Defoe, making it a difficult deal for QPR to secure.
The 67-year-old has admitted he needs to strengthen, but he’s also gone on record to say that he doesn’t expect any permanent signings – only loan deals. The QPR boss told the Mirror: “We’re not looking to spend. If there’s a loan or two out there we would be interested, that’s where we are at.”
Redknapp added: “We spent some money in the summer, so we’re not that far short. Hopefully we can find another striker to add to the ones we’ve got already, so that’s an area we are looking at. In January it’s always difficult to find players. There will be someone out there that can come and help us.”
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QPR are set for a crucial second half of the campaign. Owner Tony Fernandez has pumped an awful lot of money in at Loftus Road over the years, and he will be expecting his club to stay up. If Harry can get his side to pick up on the road, there is no reason why QPR won’t be in the Premier League next season.
Sunderland manager Alex Neil will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since taking charge of the club as his side face off against Charlton today.
The Black Cats ended a run of six games without a win in League One last weekend as they beat Wigan 3-0 away from home – Neil’s first three points at the helm. Ross Stewart scored twice after an early goal from centre-back Bailey Wright set Sunderland on their way.
How many changes will the 40-year-old make to the team today? Here is our predicted XI…
We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side from last week, with Leon Dajaku, Jack Clarke and Dan Neil all coming in.
Starting off at the base of midfield, we are predicting that the latter will return to the team to replace veteran battler Corry Evans. The Northern Ireland international won one duel and had a passing success rate of just 47% in 90 minutes against Wigan, which highlights how poorly he performed in the middle of the park.
This is why the youngster should be brought back into the team instead. Neil’s energy and enthusiasm could be needed to maintain high levels throughout the match, as Evans showed against the Latics that he can struggle to make much of an impact.
On the left wing, Clarke could come in to replace Elliot Embleton. The on-loan Spurs forward could offer more of a direct threat down the flanks, and the Black Cats could use his pace on the counterattack to create opportunities going forward.
This is not a slight on Embleton or his performance against Wigan, but more so a chance for Clarke to get some minutes under his belt. His manager can duly see what he can do with 60-70 minutes to work with, whilst the ex-Blackpool loanee will be available as an impact substitute.
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Finally, Lynden Gooch could be axed from the team after his poor showing last time out. As per SofaScore, he lost nine of his 13 individual duels, whilst failing to provide a single key pass and completing a measly 50% of his attempted passes.
This shows that he struggled badly on and off the ball as he was dominated physically and offered no quality in the final third. Therefore, Neil must axe the £5k-per-week dud and hand Dajaku an opportunity to start on the right.
AND in other news, Neil can save Speakman millions with “promising” Sunderland dynamo who’s “really bright”…
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has stated that Arsene Wenger will turn the club’s fortunes around, and that if he was to be sacked it would be a big mistake.
The Gunners have had an inconsistent 2011-12, and are at risk of missing out on the top four due to the competitive nature of the Premier League this season.
Despite questions being raised over Wenger’s continued stewardship in the media, Petit has urged the club to trust in their current manager.
“I think that will be probably the biggest mistake at Arsenal,” the 41-year-old is reported to have said in The Daily Mail.
“If Arsene has to leave the club they need to find a big manager to settle down and that would be very difficult for the next manager.
“I think Arsene’s still the solution. They need to change a few things in the transfer market, change a few things in their politics to bring a competitive team.
“I think it’s mentally that the team is very weak. I think Arsene Wenger and Arsenal did build many successes. Arsenal won many trophies.
“They had experienced players with big characters and all of a sudden Arsene Wenger decided to change completely the team, decided to put confidence in young players and we have to admire that because I think with the new regulations I think financially Arsenal’s politics in the transfer market have been right so far in terms of not making big speculation on players.
“I was a big admirer of Arsenal’s politics for five years. They were probably the best team after Barcelona in terms of football. But unfortunately for them last season was the final cut, especially the Carling Cup final against Birmingham.
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“They need more experienced players, more big characters in the team because the quality is there and they need some players to be the mentors in the team,” the Frenchman concluded.