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Kevin Pietersen has denied reports that he could quit one-day cricket after this month’s World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2011

Kevin Pietersen has denied reports that he could quit one-day cricket after this month’s World Cup.The said, on Friday, Pietersen wants to retire from one-dayers because he wants to spend more time with his family but Pietersen wrote on Twitter: “Just to set the record straight … I have NO intention of retiring from ODI’s after the World Cup!!”Pietersen, 30, has played 110 one-dayers so far, and has been in poor form in the format over the past two years. He has managed only one half-century in that time, and his average has tumbled from around 50 to 41.37.He has been a vocal critic of England’s hectic schedule. England fly out to Bangladesh on Saturday for the World Cup, just four days after returning from a three-month tour of Australia. “Our schedule is ridiculous going into this World Cup. It has been for England teams for a very long time, and that’s probably why England have not done well in World Cups,” he had said towards the end of the one-day series against Australia, which England lost 6-1.

South Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya15-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The wicket that turned the game•AFPSouth Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish. In conditions less favourable for batting than what the venue has offered in the past, Graeme Smith had put South Africa on course with a positive innings but his wicket in the 33rd over triggered a collapse that was a product of panic, ill-luck and some needling Indian bowling. Munaf Patel’s spell proved decisive as he dislodged Smith and ended the South African innings with two wickets in the 43rd over, when the hosts were just a shot away from victory.The game was still South Africa’s when Munaf began bowling the 43rd over. Four runs were needed with two wickets in hand but what clinched the game for India were two short-of-a-length deliveries that the tailenders, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, who had batted calmly until then, felt were too good to resist. With three needed for victory, Morkel slashed one straight to the substitute fielder Yusuf Pathan at point and, off the last ball of the over, Parnell, keen to finish off the game, cut Munaf to Yuvraj Singh, sparking wild celebrations in the Indian camp while leaving South Africa shell-shocked at their sudden capitulation.The result had seemed unlikely with Smith’s assured presence at the crease. He had been ruthless in his treatment of the bad balls, which the Indians doled out more often than their opponents had earlier in the day, and had eased the pressure despite periodic breakthroughs at the other end. Munaf was punished for consecutive boundaries through mid-off and point, while Zaheer Khan was pulled through midwicket when he pitched short. Initially a little rusty against Harbhajan Singh, Smith stepped out to the offspinner to combat the turn and take the ball off a length. He kept threading the gaps in the outfield to squeeze boundaries off the seamers and went past 6000 runs in ODIs.Smith’s shaky yet productive stand with Colin Ingram, a fluent partnership with JP Duminy and an increasingly threatening association with David Miller had continued the one-way traffic set up by South Africa’s bowlers. But at 152 for 4, in the second over of the batting Powerplay, a reversal began.South Africa’s bowlers had exploited the movement off the pitch in restraining India, and Munaf had managed to prise out the wicket of Hashim Amla with a delivery that nipped back in. In the 33rd over, he managed to dart one back in from outside off towards Smith, who played on. In the next over, after he had been flicked to the fine-leg boundary, Zaheer shortened his length and dismissed Miller with an offcutter that the batsman failed to pull and gloved to short fine leg. And when he returned in the 36th over, Zaheer was fortunate to dismiss Johan Botha, who was given out lbw playing back to a good-length delivery, when it seemed the ball had only made contact with the outer half of the bat, not with the pad.Parnell calmed the nerves of a capacity Wanderers crowd with a square-cut boundary and a promising vigil with Dale Steyn. But Steyn’s attempt to risk a single and retain strike for the 39th over resulted in a run-out when Yuvraj barely managed to break the stumps before the ball slipped out of his hands. From 177 for 8, Parnell and Morkel braved a determined spell from Zaheer, managed a streaky boundary off part-time offspinner Suresh Raina and took South Africa to within four runs of a 2-0 lead. Only to throw it all away in the next over from Munaf.South Africa’s bowlers may have unable to finish the job with the bat but they had impressed with disciplined bowling performance under overcast skies on a slowish track. India approached their innings cautiously and, using the movement, South Africa’s bowlers capitalised on their circumspection. Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the best. His role in ODIs has largely been a containing one but his accuracy amid India’s pressure to accelerate earned him his best match haul of 4 for 22. India, too, faltered in their batting Powerplay, losing four wickets for 14 runs to undermine what Yuvraj and Dhoni had achieved during their fighting recovery stand.The pair had to build from scratch following the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in quick succession. Displaying little signs of getting bogged down, neither batsman felt compelled to take undue risks and instead ensured a steady scoring-rate by working the field. Both used the sweep and the paddle, while Yuvraj often drove straight to pinch twos because long-on that was wider than usual. Bad balls were a rarity but Yuvraj was prompt to punish them when on offer: he slashed Morkel over point and glanced Tsotsobe to the fine-leg boundary to raise his half-century. The stand was worth 83 and with 13 more overs to go, a score of 240 was on. India didn’t get that far, though given the manic developments towards the end, they didn’t need to.

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Mohanad Jeahze to Parkhead in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scottish Sun, who claim that Ange Postecoglou is on the lookout for a new left-back this summer, in order to provide Scotland international Greg Taylor with competition for his starting spot next season.

The report then goes on to state that the 56-year-old Bhoys boss has identified Hammarby’s Mohanad Jeahze as his primary target in the position, with the Allsvenskan defender’s side believed to be willing to part with the 25-year-old for a figure in the region of £2m.

He’s perfect for Angeball

Considering just how impressive Jeahze has been for Hammarby following his 2020 switch from Mjallby, it is not difficult to see why Postecoglou would be interested in the signing of the left-back this summer.

Indeed, over his 27 Allsvenskan appearances last season, the £900k-rated full-back was a bundle of creativity on the left flank, scoring one goal, registering seven assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.4 key passes, taking 0.5 shots and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

The Iraq international also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 1.5 clearances and winning 3.7 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per fixture.

These metrics saw the 25-year-old average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.24, not only ranking him as Hammarby’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 15th-best player in the division as a whole.

In total, the left-back has notched a total of two goals and 12 assists over his 55 appearances in all competitions for the Swedish side – incredibly impressive returns for a defender.

As such, with Jeahze evidently being a talent who is incredibly creative, boasts an impressive reading of the game and is extremely capable with the ball at his feet, it is not difficult to understand why Postecoglou would be keen to bring the defender to Celtic Park ahead of the Hoops’ 2022/23 campaign – as the Hammarby star appears to be a perfect fit for Angeball.

And, if the Iraqi is indeed available for as little as £2m this summer, the 25-year-old sensation could very easily go on to join the Greek-Australian’s ever-increasing list of impressive budget buys.

AND in other news: Celtic must secure “mouth-watering” deal for “outstanding” £6.5m gem, Ange loves him

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side look set to miss out on the signing of Alex Murphy this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Miles Starforth, with the Shields Gazette journalist revealing on Twitter that the Galway United defender is now close to agreeing a switch to Newcastle United in the summer transfer window.

In his tweet, Starforth said: “As reported elsewhere, Newcastle hope to sign 17-year-old Galway defender Alex Murphy, who has been playing first-team football this season. Understand that the deal’s not done yet, though. He’d join the club’s U23 squad.”

A further report by RTE also claimed that the Republic of Ireland under-19 international had rejected the opportunity to join Celtic, Brighton & Hove Albion and Torino in favour of a move to St James’ Park.

Bad news for Celtic

Considering the sheer amount of potential Murphy seems to possess, and with Celtic reported to have been in negotiations with the centre-back’s representatives regarding a move to Parkhead this summer, the suggestion that the 17-year-old is now set for a move south of the border is certainly bad news for the Bhoys.

Indeed, after making his first-team debut at the age of just 16 last June, Murphy has quickly established himself as a regular in John Caulfield’s side, with the 57-year-old said to have extremely high hopes for the teenage sensation.

Speaking shortly after Murphy penned professional terms with Galway, Caulfield said: “He’s one of our own, and we’re delighted to have him sign a professional contract, his first professional contract in what we hope will be a great career.

“We have high hopes for him, and we can see his talent. The most important thing now for Alex is to work hard and continue his progress. It’s a great day for the club – and our academy.”

With Celtic having signed both Liam Scales and Johnny Kenny from Irish clubs in the last 12 months, the Hoops hierarchy may well have felt that they held the upper hand in the race for the young defender, as Scales’ 13 first-team appearances this season shows a clear pathway to senior football at Parkhead.

However, with Murphy likely being offered a much more enticing salary in a move to Newcastle, Celtic now look as if they have missed out on the signing of the “elegant ” and “ball-playing centre-back”, in the words of Galway academy coach Martin Devlin. That will come as a huge blow to the Bhoys, as the 17-year-old looks to be a player heading for great things in the game.

AND in other news: Celtic handed another boost as early Rangers team news emerges, Ange surely buzzing

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist and ‘transfer insider’ Dean Jones has made a claim on Wednesday night, sharing a worry for West Ham United involving star man Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: Rice concerns at Rush Green…

Recent reports indicate that West Ham and manager David Moyes could be concerned about Rice.

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Indeed, as explained by The Telegraph, the England international star is attracting major interest from top clubs in the Premier League – including the likes of Man United, Man City and London rivals Chelsea.

A lot could depend on where the Hammers finish at the end of 2021/2022, and if they can’t seal a place in Europe next year, Rice may well grow more and more open to leaving.

There have already been murmurs of the 23-year-old being ‘ready to leave this year’ with Old Trafford being his preferred destination, at least according to 90min reporter Scott Saunders.

The Latest: Jones makes worrying Rice claim…

Speaking to GMS, reporter Jones has now backed that Rice could be edging closer to a Rush Green departure, stating the midfielder is ‘more open than ever’ to leaving.

He explained: “I think that any buying club might be helped by the fact that Declan Rice, from what I’m hearing, does seem more open than ever about the idea of leaving West Ham. That could be interesting.”

The Verdict: Big blow?

The player’s stance on leaving comes as a blow given in-house tension could disrupt the harmony of Moyes’ squad.

However, one glimmer of hope is the one-year extension option currently in Rice’s deal, so if the Three Lions ace does attempt to leave, GSB are in a strong position to command huge transfer fees.

That being said, his influence would be sorely missed, with the West Ham mainstay averaging more interceptions per 90 than anyone in Moyes’ squad and their second-highest Premier League match rating per 90 (WhoScored).

In other news: Sky Sports: West Ham eyeing £21.6m-rated star for Moyes, he’s set to move! Find out more here.

Everton have reportedly agreed a deal with Manchester United to take Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek on loan for the rest of the season.

What’s the story?

According to The Guardian, the Toffees have an agreement in place with United to take the 24-year-old on loan and pay his full salary with the deal likely to be the first under the management of Frank Lampard.

The former Chelsea boss is set to return to management after a year out of work by taking the Everton vacancy after Rafa Benitez was sacked just under two weeks ago.

The Merseyside club’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace were also in the hunt but, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, van de Beek has chosen to join Everton for the rest of the season.

Ornstein tweeted: “Donny van de Beek has this morning decided to join Everton on loan from Manchester United for rest of season.”

Fans will be elated

Everton are desperate for a midfielder with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph all sidelined until March, making a swoop for the Dutchman essential.

Moreover, with the Toffees stuck in 16th place, fans will be desperate to see quality added to the squad in order for their side to squash any relegation fears as soon as possible.

The 24-year-old’s difficult situation at Manchester United has been well documented over the past months, however, the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as the club’s interim manager has worsened the midfielder’s predicament, having played just seven minutes of Premier League football under the German.

The midfielder has also lost his place in the Dutch national team.

Since joining from Dutch giants Ajax in summer 2020, van de Beek has made 50 appearances for United and has struggled to pin down a regular starting place.

Despite limited football, there is no doubt about the ability van de Beek possesses having been a kingpin for Ajax’s first team after come through the youth ranks in Amsterdam.

The Dutchman made 175 appearances for the Eredivisie outfit, scoring 41 goals and registering 34 assists.

If he can replicate that sort of form in Merseyside, fans will no doubt be elated with the acquisition.

Meanwhile, Patrick Boyland has dropped an Everton transfer update…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into tonight’s Old Firm clash knowing that a win against their Glasgow rivals will take them to the top of the Premiership table for the first time this season.

However, with the 56-year-old still having a number of players unavailable due to injury, international duty and suspension, the Greek-Australian coach will once again face a number of tough decisions when putting together his starting XI this evening.

So, how many changes will Postecoglou make to the side that started the 1-0 win over Dundee United last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Rangers, along with the latest team and injury news…

With the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Tom Rogic, David Turnbull and Yosuke Ideguchi being unavailable for the Old Firm clash, while Nir Bitton is suspended following his sending off against the Tangerines, we predict that Postecoglou will make three changes to the side that lined up in the 1-0 win at Parkhead last weekend.

The first of these alterations comes in the back four, with Josip Juranovic taking the place of 23-year-old Liam Scales at left-back – as, despite Greg Taylor being a natural choice in the position, the Croatia international who Marko Sapit dubbed an “intelligent” player has easily outperformed the 24-year-old so far this season.

The second change comes in the middle of the park, with the suspended Nir Bitton dropping out of the XI, and being replaced by the £6.75m-rated Callum McGregor – who Postecoglou recently revealed is in contention for a surprise return to first-team action following his speedy recovery from a facial injury.

The third and final change comes in the front three, with the 27-year-old Giorgos Giakoumakis having to make do with a spot on the bench after his stinker against Dundee United – with Liel Abada taking his spot leading the Bhoys attack, James Forrest switching over to the right flank and the “unbelievable” Jota making a return to the starting XI on the left.

In other news: Ange must brutally axe £8.2k-p/w “phenomenon” tonight, he could cost Celtic the title

ScorecardPersistent rain rescued County Championship title challengersNottinghamshire from the possibility of a second straight defeat as their clashwith Essex was abandoned as a draw.Even with the fast-drying Trent Bridge outfield, the weather never allowed theNotts groundstaff to remove the covers and the two captains agreed to a drawshortly before 4pm. The result would have been frustrating for visitors Essex, who were in a decentposition overnight to push for their first win since their opening game of theseason after finishing day three on 152 for 2, a lead of 264.Instead they picked up nine points to move to sixth in Division One, whileNotts claimed seven – enough to move them back to the top of the table, level on103 points with Yorkshire having played two games less.Notts skipper Chris Read said: “It wasn’t a great game as far as we wereconcerned, and we felt we were outplayed in most departments. But a key indicator of a strong team is how they bounce back, and we go to Tunbridge Wells to play Kent on Friday knowing that a good performance willleave us top ahead of the break for the Twenty 20.”It’s important that we finish the ‘first half’ of the Championship season ona high, and being able to turn to Twenty20 knowing we were top of the tablewould be a fantastic boost.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Avaí se prepara para a próxima temporada, mas não é somente com a procura por reforços. Aproveitando o fim dos trabalhos em campo, o clube iniciou o processo de restauração no gramado da Ressacada.

De acordo com informações do Leão, os funcionários estão realizando raspagem, descompactação e areação no campo. A expectativa é de que o gramado já esteja pronto para receber a partida contra o Joinville, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Catarinense, que acontece no dia 21 de janeiro.

Em relação ao elenco para 2018, o Avaí manteve boa parte da equipe que foi rebaixada e ainda aguarda a resposta do técnico Claudinei Oliveira para saber se o técnico aceitará a proposta de renovação.

O time se reapresenta no dia 4 de janeiro para o início da pré-temporada, que será realizada na cidade de Águas Mornas, localizada a cerca de 40 km da capital catarinense.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalEx-Fluminense é promovido para os profissionais do Volta RedondaFutebol Nacional13/12/2017AvaíMeta de João Paulo é garantir renovação: ‘Estou muito feliz no Avaí’Avaí12/12/2017VaivémBoas opções? Os jogadores que seu time pode pegar por empréstimoVaivém12/12/2017

Everton will invite Niko Kovac and Rudi Garcia to make ‘presentations’ to their decision-makers, according to The Mirror’s David Maddock. 

The duo will be given the chance to pitch to Farhad Moshiri and Alisher Usmanov as the search for Rafael Benitez’s permanent successor continues.

Moshiri and Usmanov held talks with Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira in Monaco last weekend, and his appointment looked ‘imminent’ before concerned board members talked them out of what they considered a ‘knee-jerk’ decision.

The lowdown on Kovac and Garcia

Kovac would probably be best known as a former manager of Bayern Munich. He earned that job after taking fellow Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt from relegation territory to the top half, and won a league-and-cup double with the Bavarians in his first season before he was sacked the following year.

He most recently worked at AS Monaco in France, where he would have faced Garcia’s Lyon.

Garcia left the Stade Gerland at the end of the 2020/21 season, having won 56.4% of his games in charge.

For context, the last permanent Everton manager to better his record of 1.88 points per game was Howard Kendall.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed the news about Kovac and Garcia, and here’s what supporters made of it.

These Everton fans love Kovac/Garcia news

“This is great to see”

Credit: @P_Fortenberry_

“Now we’re talking”

Credit: @BenAston13

“Please God, just shortlist it to these 2”

Credit: @matti_bigley

“That’s better”

Credit: @onceablue76

“Thank God. Two actual proper candidates”

Credit: @kieran_balmer

“MANIFESTING”

Credit: @fourboars

In other news, fans were left fuming over this injury news.