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A final decision on the second season of the IPL is likely with the BCCI calling an emergency working committee meeting on Sunday in Mumbai. At an informal meeting held today in the city, Lalit Modi the IPL chairman, briefed various members of the board i

Cricinfo staff21-Mar-2009The BCCI is likely to take a final decision on hosting the IPL during an emergency working committee meeting in Mumbai on Sunday. At an informal meeting held today in the city, Lalit Modi the IPL chairman, briefed various members of the board including former president Sharad Pawar, president Shashank Manohar and the secretary N Srinivasan.”The working committee will be discussing the IPL schedule tomorrow,” Modi said. He pointed out that the situation regarding the second edition would be assessed and a likely decision was expected by noon tomorrow. Modi would then be meeting with the various franchise owners once the BCCI meeting was over.The non-availabilty of central paramilitary forces in certain states for the IPL matches, due to the upcoming general elections in the country, has cast a cloud over staging the second season of the tournament. Some of the options for the IPL, beginning on April 10, are having a packed schedule – with up to three matches in a day – and shorten the tournament, and/or restrict the matches to states that are willing to provide security for them. IPL officials however, refused to comment on whether there would be a truncated version of the tournament.”We are ready for any eventuality, and have 42 different schedules prepared. Everything will be discussed and finalised at the meeting tomorrow,” Modi said.The IPL schedule is likely to be finalised early next week with India’s home minister P Chidambaram travelling to Chennai this weekend, even as the central government waits for written feedback from the states slated to host the IPL matches – only two have responded so far – to take a final call.

According to a report by journalist Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard, as shared on his Twitter, West Ham United manager David Moyes hasn’t ruled out yet another attempt for Man United ace Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham in Lingard chase…

As reported in the summer, Lingard was firmly on manager Moyes’ radar as an attacking target following his very impressive 2020/2021 loan stint at the London Stadium.

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The England international bagged a brilliant nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts over the second half of last campaign (WhoScored) – leading West Ham to aim for his permanent re-signing.

Alas, when Lingard opted against a return to east London, West Ham instead moved to sign Croatian ace Nikola Vlasic from CSKA Moscow on deadline day.

As attention already turns to January, with the Irons thought to be already eyeing Adam Hlozek of Sparta Prague, news has emerged on another attacker in Lingard.

The Latest: Moyes not done with Lingard?

As per Rosser, sharing an article on his Twitter, West Ham may not be done with the 28-year-old just yet despite signing Vlasic.

It is believed that Moyes ‘has considered another move in January’ for the player dependent on his chances at Old Trafford and how Vlasic takes to life in the Premier League.

“As per Paul Hirst, Jesse Lingard has rejected a new deal at Manchester United,” he explained on social media.

“David Moyes has considered another move in January dependent on Lingard’s game time and how Vlasic settles.”

The Verdict: Move on…

While Lingard has been dubbed ‘absolutely phenomenal’ in recent months (Adrian Durham, talkSPORT), we believe West Ham should move on and prioritise signing an out-and-out striker.

Moyes already has three great attacking midfield options in Vlasic, Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma, yet no alternative to Michail Antonio up front.

This is where the Scotsman should be prioritising, not yet another Lingard attempt.

In other news: ‘Absolutely buzzing’, ‘Here we go’…West Ham fans flock to official announcement, find out more here.

Rangers face Motherwell at Ibrox in the Premiership today as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ligue 1 side Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The loss ended a run of six games without defeat in all competitions, with Steven Gerrard’s team having won five of their last six going into the match.

They now come up against a strong Motherwell outfit who have started the season well. Graham Alexander has led his men to three wins, one draw and one defeat in five league matches thus far.

Gerrard lined up with Joe Aribo out on the right wing against Lyon and the change in personnel did not work in his favour. The former Charlton man gave away possession 12 times, lost seven of his 10 ground duels and only completed one key pass all game.

This is why the Rangers head coach must now drop Aribo in order to unleash ex-Leeds forward Kemar Roofe on Motherwell.

The 28-year-old has already scored two goals from two starts in the Premiership this season and netted 14 goals from 18 starts last term. This shows that he is a proven goalscorer at this level and is a player who can be relied upon in front of goal.

Aside from being a threat with the ball, Gerrard also once said that Roofe is a handful for opponents to deal with when fit due to his exceptional work rate out of possession.

The manager said: “Touch wood he stays fit and if he does then he will be a real handful at this level. He works his socks off, he does everything out of possession that you ask of him, he is clever and bright and he can create and score. He has got the mentality that I really like.”

This shows how the £26k-per-week attacker can be a match-winner for Rangers. He can hassle defenders and force turnovers with his work rate, whilst also providing a regular supply of goals, as shown by his league record for the club. At the end of the day, goals win you games and Roofe has shown that he can score them regularly in the Premiership – making him a potential match-winner for the Gers.

Gerrard must now unleash him against Motherwell and demote Aribo to the bench if he is not going to move him back into central midfield. Hopefully Roofe will be able to showcase his quality and help the Gers to the three points today.

AND in other news, Premier League side are eyeing up swoop for 28y/o Rangers beast

Hong Kong romped to an impressively comprehensive eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in the final of the ACC Under-19 Elite Cup

Cricinfo staff01-May-2009Hong Kong romped to an impressively comprehensive eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in the final of the ACC Under-19 Elite Cup to book a spot at the next U-19 World Cup.It brought Afghanistan cricket back down to earth after all the success for both the senior and U-19 side in recent weeks. They were supported by a vocal crowd, but Hong Kong proved too efficient in all areas of the game as they comfortably chased down 216 with three overs to spare.James Atkinson, the captain, crunched 94 from 114 balls while Nizakat Khan made an unbeaten 46. Shakeel Haq also played his part with 51 to ensure a potentially testing target was passed with ease in a tournament where the scoring has been on the low side. Atkinson led from the front before falling 36 runs from victory and his innings earned the Man-of-the-Match award.Afghanistan had been put on the back foot early as they slumped to 21 for 4 in the seventh over and did exceptionally well to reach 215. Asghar Hotak (70) and Zard Ali (68) held the middle order together to keep them in the contest, but there was to be no fairytale finish this time.

After the disastrous beginning in South Africa which saw Royal Challengers Bangalore lose four of their first five games, coach Ray Jennings said the most important turning point had been the execution of tactics on the field

Nagraj Gollapudi22-May-2009Royal Challengers Bangalore have defied the odds, and conventional wisdom, to make Saturday’s semi-final. Their performance last season, when they finished second from the bottom, seemed to have extended this year as they lost four of their first five games. Then they turned it around and, says coach Ray Jennings, the most important factor in that was the execution of tactics on the field.”We had one or two heated meetings where we discussed execution of the plans and the responsibility,” he told Cricinfo. “The other turning point was Anil Kumble. And finally the team spirit. The team that we have now is experienced. The team was tired of losing and they were tired of coming second all the time. I don’t see the turning points in the results.”I feel we have overachieved with regard to the label given to us last year about being a Test side. Two games ago we were second-last and now we are third. That shows the fighting spirit of the side. We have beaten Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers, the other semi-finalists. We are good enough to beat any side now.”Jennings said it actually took him some time to come to grips with the team before he could start implementing his strategies. But having managed to work in sync and establishing a symbiotic relationship he has managed to push his side into the semi-finals.”The side understands what needs to be done on and off the field. At the same time it has taken me some time to understand what is going on,” he said. “Obviously, Kumble has a played a big part in helping get the mood and the performance on the field at the right level. That, and the hunger and fighting spirit, has come through and brought us to the semi-finals.”Bangalore’s rude jolt in the initial part of the tournament coincided with the departure of Kevin Pietersen, their new captain, to England. The team was left in disarray. Jacques Kallis, who was originally announced to take over from Pietersen, was struggling to find form with both bat and ball. Just then Jennings and the team management took a vital decision which would not only transform the team but also change their fate. Kumble was appointed the new captain. A point Jennings drives home when continuing about the team’s revivial.”As a captain he [Kumble] has been a huge presence,” Jennings said. “He has bowled himself in pressure situations, in tough periods and utilised his skills to the maximum. The way he has read the game has been really good and more importantly he has been a big influence on the Indian players. There were a few differences between Kumble and KP [Kevin Pietersen] in their captaincy styles. KP came in not knowing a lot of players. Also his [below par] performances didn’t help as well and only added issues with regards to the results. Kumble has been very good at execution of the tactics. His attention to detail, his inputs during the selection meetings, and all the experience he has gathered over the years has been really great.”Coaches tend to lead from the value point of view and it is quite difficult if the senior guys and the captain don’t follow those rules. But Kumble has been superb and has been of immense help to me.”

A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned the news that Alisson and Fabinho could miss two important upcoming games for the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will look to continue their good start to the season on Saturday evening when they make the trip to Brentford in the Premier League.

Two players who are almost certain to start are Alisson and Fabinho, with the pair becoming two of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players.

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It looks as though Liverpool could have to make do without them for the games against Watford and Atletico Madrid next month, however, according to This is Anfield on Twitter, due to international duty.

Roberto Firmino has not been called up, though, so he will at least be available.

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Liverpool fans react to key Brazil update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the news, ruing the Reds being without such a key pair.

“Adrian vs Atletico. It’s in God’s hands now”

Credit: @Lfcmino7

“We’re absolutely dusted. Season over right there”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“IF KELLEHER GETS INJURED IT’LL BE ADRIAN AGAINST ATLETICO ALL OVER AGAIN”

Credit: @Kloppppp

“Get stuffed”

Credit: @erhanlfc

“Don’t need any help feeling more depressed”

Credit: @JotaBelieveIt

“Scaryyyyyyy”

Credit: @izy_dara2

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy at a Reds injury update. Read more here.

Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day for the Super Eights match between New Zealand and Pakistan

Andrew McGlashan at The Oval13-Jun-2009Comeback of the day
The rebel returns. Abdul Razzaq has left the ICL behind and is back on the international stage for the first time in more than two years. He couldn’t have wished for a better re-start to his career. With his fourth ball he claimed the key wicket of Brendon McCullum caught at point and raised his arms in celebration. Then in his third over he trapped Martin Guptill leg before and completed the most of rare of Twenty20 breeds – a maiden. The clash created by the ICL appeared to have ended a few international careers early, but let’s hope now that more players return. How New Zealand would love to have Shane Bond back.Catch of the day
There have been some extraordinary catches and pieces of fielding in this tournament, but not many of them from Pakistan. Now, thanks to Shahid Afridi, they have their own moment for the tournament highlights reel. Scott Styris made decent contact as he tried to pull Umar Gul over mid-on and although not out of the middle it looked likely to land safe. Afridi didn’t think so. He turned and ran towards long-on, but managed to keep his eye on the ball and an idea of where the boundary was. As the ball dropped he reached out, held on, then managed to put the brakes on in time. The crowd, led by the passionate Pakistan support, cheered as one and Afridi soaked up the moment.Bowler of the day
There are good Twenty20 bowlers, then there is Umar Gul. They don’t come much better. He was a star during the 2007 event in South Africa and here claimed the first five-wicket haul in Twenty20 internationals despite not being used until the sixth option by Younis Khan (and also occupies position three on the list of best figures for good measure). He can produce pin-point yorkers at will, finds reverse swing from a ball less than 20 overs old and has complete trust in his variations. The complete Twenty20 operator.Angry captain of the day
Daniel Vettori returned from injury for this game, but he may wonder why he bothered as his team had a shocker. By the time Vettori came to the crease New Zealand were 88 for 7 and there was little he could do, but it was important to use up the 20 overs. They couldn’t even manage that and when Vettori was run-out with nine balls unused the anger was clear on his face as he trudged off.Debut of the day
It’s been chop and change at the top of Pakistan’s order and in this match they tried out another combination with 19-year-old Shahzaib Hasan making his debut. He has very limited experience, but then that can often be the case when Pakistan youngsters are plucked out for international honours. But with just four Twenty20 matches under his belt he played with no fear as the small target was hunted down. There was a hint of top edge to get off the mark, but he drove Vettori handsomely for six and later upper-cut Ian Butler for his most impressive boundary.

Rangers travel to the Czech Republic on Thursday as they come up against Sparta Prague in the Europa League group stages.

Steven Gerrard’s side are currently on zero points in their group after they lost 2-0 to Lyon at Ibrox in their opening match.

With the Gers attempting to win their first match in the group, Gerrard could make some changes to his XI to freshen the side up and give his team the best chance of winning.

One player who he must unleash on Sparta Prague is summer signing Fashion Sakala, who was on the bench against Dundee FC at the weekend.

Gerrard must select Sakala from the start and change the formation from the win over Dundee. Ianis Hagi started behind Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, but bringing Sakala in could allow Rangers to go with a 4-3-3 and play him and Roofe either side of Morelos in an attacking trident.

Hagi struggled against Dundee, with a 6.6 SofaScore rating, and Sakala coming in for him could be a shrewd call from the manager. Sakala has the potential to be a game-changer for the Gers, whilst his versatility also means that he can be used in a variety of ways.

Gers chief Ross Wilson hailed the beast as a determined player, citing his pace and power as two of his biggest strengths. He said:

“Fashion has had an excellent season in Belgium and we believe he will develop further still working with all of our staff at the training ground. Fashion is a determined, humble and positive guy and we are sure he will fit the group here.

“We wanted to add more pace and power to the group across January and the summer and I am pleased that we have done that, firstly with Scott Wright and now with Fashion Sakala. I know Steven and the coaches are excited to work with Fashion and I am sure that he will further enhance his growing reputation here with Rangers.“

He scored 16 goals for Oostende in Belgium last term and has scored once in two Scottish Premiership starts for Rangers. This shows that he has the quality to score goals on a regular basis, which means that he has the ability to be a game-changer for the Gers.

If he starts against Sparta, he could make a telling contribution in front of goal to win Rangers the game or earn them a point. That is why Gerrard must unleash him from the start against the Czech side, to give him the opportunity to prove his worth.

AND in other news, Wilson must secure Rangers January deal for “natural goalscorer”, fans would love it…

A Newcastle United scout was in attendance for FC Porto’s game this weekend, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Newcastle only made one first-team signing during the summer transfer window, with Joe Willock’s loan move from Arsenal made permanent for a fee of £26.46million.

But they may feel the need to improve their squad at the mid-point of the campaign, with their poor start raising the prospect of a relegation battle.

Newcastle are winless after seven matches and find themselves 19th in the table.

If Porto players are indeed under consideration, then they’ll have the benefit of seeing how they measure up against Premier League opposition.

Liverpool are in Porto’s Champions League group and after the Reds ran out 5-1 victors in Portugal last week – they’ll meet again in November.

The latest

A Newcastle official apparently took in the Primeira Liga action at the Estadio do Dragao on Sunday. Porto went up against Pacos Ferreira, the team Spurs knocked out of the Europa Conference League.

It’s not clear how many players were being studied.

What we do know is that Porto fell behind early on to a Nuno Santos goal, but were level before the break after Luis Diaz’s sixth goal of the season.

Left-back Wendell then scored what proved to be the winner seven minutes into the second half.

The verdict

It’s tempting to speculate. Who exactly were Newcastle watching? Well, we heard during the transfer window that Steve Bruce was keen to add a centre-back and a defensive midfielder.

Sergio Conceicao selected two veterans at the heart of his defence – 38-year-old Pepe and 34-year-old Ivan Marcano.

The star of the show most weeks for Porto at the moment however is Diaz, who was strongly linked with a Premier League move to Everton this summer, perhaps the Magpies are planning a January hijacking?

In other news, Lee Ryder has offered encouragement to those calling for Bruce’s head.

Veteran Australian opener Justin Langer, 38, is reported to be in talks to return to Somerset in 2010

Cricinfo staff09-Jun-2009Veteran Australian opener Justin Langer, 38, is reported to be in talks to return to Somerset in 2010.Langer’s current contract expires at the end of the summer, but he told the Somerset County Gazette that he was keen to return. “I’m in discussions with the club,” he said. “I just have to work out my family situation.”There are bigger issues for me than to just play cricket. I have to make sure my family can settle into school and stuff but I am very keen to come back next year. The club isn’t in too much of a hurry over a decision and I have to weigh everything up first.”I enjoy helping the side improve as much as getting runs myself. I enjoy putting a bit of steel into them and the club and hopefully that can continue.”Langer has proved an inspirational figure since he joined the county in 2006, and as captain has led them to on-the-field success as well as helping to bring on a number of youngsters.