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Jamie Shackleton is the Leeds United youngster who has the best chance of earning regular minutes this season, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Shackleton impresses for Leeds

The 22-year-old has already made five Premier League appearances this season, including a start at home to Watford last weekend, as the Whites finally got their first win of the campaign in the competition.

With Luke Ayling out injured for the foreseeable future, it could be that Shackleton continues to fill in at right-back, hopefully making up for the loss of a key player.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay expects more minutes

That’s certainly the opinion of Hay, who took to The Athletic to claim that Shackleton is the standout youngster, in terms of getting minutes as the season progresses:

“Looking at Jamie Shackleton in the past two games, perhaps the door might open for him at right-back now, especially with Luke Ayling undergoing surgery on his knee.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-19/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Ideal Ayling replacement

Shackleton is capable of playing at both right-back and in midfield, but it looks as though he will get playing time in the former for now.

Ayling is expected to be out for around six weeks, so this is a wonderful opportunity for the Englishman to stake a claim and cement his place.

The signs are promising with Shackleton, with Leeds Live‘s Beren Cross handing Shackleton a seven-out-of-10 rating against Watford and Darren Bent calling him ‘superb’ last year.

In other news, Hay has also provided an update on Leeds’ potential January business. Read more here.

After wrapping up the Test series 2-0, England now switch their focus to the one-day contests against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan at Headingley20-May-2009Match factsThursday May 21
Start time 10.45 (9.45GMT)Big PictureEngland wrapped up the Test series and regained the Wisden Trophy with impressive efficiency in their final five-day action before the Ashes. However, before thoughts can seriously turn to Australia, there is a busy period of limited-overs action, beginning with this three-match series against West Indies.After the win at Chester-le-Street, Andrew Strauss said that it was important England focussed on their one-day cricket and not think too far ahead. They came back to steal the series in the Caribbean 3-2 with Andrew Flintoff taking a hat-trick in the final match, but yet again Flintoff is injured and on the sidelines. So too is Kevin Pietersen, who has been withdrawn with an Achilles injury, leaving the door open for a possible debut for Eoin MorganWest Indies are always a dangerous one-day team with a batting line-up packed with explosive hitters, none more so than their captain, Chris Gayle, who found top gear in the second innings at Durham with 54 off 43 balls. He might not have much time for Test cricket, but the one-day variety is much more up his street. Dwayne Bravo’s return to the squad adds depth with bat and ball, so although England have been comfortably superior in recent weeks that might change in the coming days.Form guideEngland WWLLW
West Indies LLWWLWatch out for…Ravi Bopara has solved England’s Test No. 3 position for the foreseeable future and now he needs to cement his position at the top of the one-day order. He was promoted to open in India and retained the role in West Indies with a modicum of success, but England are still searching for the ideal combination. His approach is refreshingly simple – “you just attack more balls in one-day cricket” – and with his confidence riding high this is Bopara’s chance to make another position his own.How West Indies could have done with Dwayne Bravo during the Test series, but he was controversially omitted after medical advice said his ankle hadn’t recovered sufficiently. He has spent the last six weeks batting, bowling and diving around at the IPL and his return brings so much to the tourists’ side. He can bat anyway, but favours the ‘finishers’ role, is a brilliant death bowler and is one of best fielders in the world.Team newsAlastair Cook and Graham Onions are the two players who drop out from the Test side and their places are likely to be taken by Owais Shah and Dimitri Mascarenhas. Shah has a point to prove after losing his Test place and failing to break into the Delhi Daredevils side during the IPL and could be joined in the middle-order by Morgan, who has played 23 ODIs for Ireland, or Ian Bell. Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara have recovered from the knocks that kept them off the field on the final day of the Test match.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ravi Bopara, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 James AndersonWest Indies are likely to draft in a number of allrounders with Bravo’s return topping the bill. Kieron Pollard, who played against England in the Caribbean, could join him in the middle order while Darren Sammy is a valuable player in one-day cricket with his tight wicket-to-wicket bowling. Lendl Simmons will resume opening alongside Chris Gayle.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Sulieman Benn, 10 Fidel EdwardsPitch and conditionsThe ground still resembles a building site with two cranes in position behind the stands, but the pitch and relayed outfield look in good condition. The forecast is for showers and it hasn’t warmed up much yet for the West Indians.Stats and TriviaEngland and West Indies have met each other four times in one-day internationals at Headingley, with England leading the head-to-head 3-1. West Indies’ only victory came in 1988 when Gordon Greenidge made 78 and Malcolm Marshall took 3 for 28.The last meeting on this ground was in 2004 when England came out on top by seven wickets with Steve Harmison claiming the Man-of-the-Match award for his 3 for 31.Quotes”The one-day series coming up and the Twenty20 are two very important series for us as a developing side. Hopefully we can win there and build up more momentum.”
“We have the guys to do the job. We are representing West Indies so have to give our best.”

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland has now revealed that the Goodison Park faithful are very close on getting two funding streams for the new ground.

While this is good news in terms of the stadium’s development, a lot of the Merseyside club’s supporters were left raging at the timing of it, as one supporter said: “Oh what a surprise a bad defeat and a stadium announcement.”

After two losses at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend in the Premier League and Queens Park Rangers in the Carabao Cup in midweek, it’s fair to say fans are in no mood for this.

Nonetheless, Rafa Benitez needs to get some good results soon in order to brighten the mood among the Toffees, especially in the build-up to moving grounds.

Everton fans on stadium news

These Blues fumed as the news on the stadium was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the timing of it was ’embarrassing’:

“The predictability. It’s embarrassing.”

Credit: @robbietaylor_86

“Oh what a surprise a bad defeat an a stadium announcement, could not write it”

Credit: @BarryWilliams93

“Two days too late Paddy, surely they should have timed this just after QPR put in the winning penalty?”

Credit: @melbourne1973

“Wow positive stadium news after a poor team performance – seems to be a pattern here”

Credit: @TonyJo1878

“Announcement on stadium after a few awful results. Doesn’t surprise me one bit. Need to focus on our atrocious squad than anything else right now”

Credit: @siewakes20

“Like clockwork”

Credit: @_DL96

In other news, find out what setback an injury expert has said Everton may now face here!

An update has emerged on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, regarding Manchester City’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Star, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has identified Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham as a target for next summer’s transfer window, but he’ll face competition from Liverpool for the England star’s signature.

The report claims that City see Bellingham as a replacement for Fernandinho, with any deal for the midfielder expected to cost in the region of £80m.

Imagine him and Rodri

Man City must ensure that they can beat Liverpool to Bellingham’s signature next summer as they could secure their midfield partnership for years to come by getting him in. They could bring the 18-year-old in and have him form a relationship with Spanish international Rodri, forming a solid base for the rest of the side to build on.

In the 2020/21 campaign, City’s most used XI came in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan the preferred pairing in the two holding midfield roles. The latter of the two, however, turns 31 in October and may not be an option for Guardiola in the long term, which is why the signing of Bellingham could be crucial for the club.

The Dortmund midfielder is a promising young talent and could have the potential to be a key player for City for many years should they bring him to The Etihad. England boss Gareth Southgate previously hailed him as a ‘hugely exciting player’, having already handed him eight caps at the international level. He said:

“Jude is phenomenal. Just in training in the last couple of days, to have a 17-year-old, who wants to compete with senior players, not only has the technique but the competitiveness and maturity… he’s a hugely exciting player.”

At the age of 18, Bellingham has already played 33 Bundesliga matches and 10 games in the Champions League for Dortmund, having also played 41 games in the Championship for Birmingham at the start of his career. This shows that he already has plenty of experience under his belt despite his age.

With Rodri only turning 25 a couple of months ago, City could have a central midfield pairing to last them a number of years by bringing Bellingham in to partner the Spaniard. They could be perfect together as Rodri offers the defensive steel and positional discipline, whilst Bellingham is able to cover ground and go from box-to-box – averaging 3.3 tackles and interceptions along with 3.0 key passes and dribbles per game this season for Dortmund.

This is why City must seal a deal for the £80m midfielder. Guardiola would then be able to relax about his options in that area of the pitch for the foreseeable future as he would have Rodri and Bellingham, who are both still young, to work with as starters.

AND in other news, Forget Bernardo: Man City dynamo with four key passes stole the show vs Leicester…

After a memorable three weeks where they have caught global attention, Afghanistan’s 21-run win over Namibia in Krugersdorp earned them official ODI status

Cricinfo staff17-Apr-2009
ScorecardAfter a memorable three weeks in which they have gained global attention, Afghanistan’s 21-run win over Namibia in Krugersdorp earned them official ODI status, although they failed short of sealing a spot at the World Cup as they could not beat Kenya’s net run rate.Afghanistan chose to bat and made 243 for 7 thanks largely to Mohammad Shehzad’s 73 and the captain Nowroz Mangal’s 78. Nine bowlers were used and they did well in the field, but that 87-run partnership between Shehzad and Mangal proved decisive. Afghanistan came out determined to win and their new-ball attack of Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hassan nipped out early wickets.Hassan finished an impressive tournament with 3 for 37, striking at the top, in the middle and at the tail, and received support from Zadran and Karim Khan. From 79 for 5 Namibia were resurrected somewhat thanks to Gerrie Snyman’s 54 before Hassan and Karim hit back. After a remarkable year this win marked a commendable campaign by Afghanistan but now the challenge is to make the most of their four years of valuable funding and opportunity.”When we came into the Super Eight we weren’t in a very good position to qualify, but the way the boys played showed how much courage and talent they have got winning some much tougher matches,” said Afghanistan’s coach, Kabir Khan. “I am sure we will play in a World Cup one day.”My first goal when we came into this tournament was to get into the Super Eight as we didn’t want to be relegated. I thought it would be very hard to make the World Cup, playing against so many top sides in this qualifier, but finishing in the top six is an excellent result for us.”It will help develop the cricketing culture in Afghanistan and there will be more cricket and we will have the opportunity to play four-day cricket (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup).We are not going home empty-handed from the tournament – we have managed to achieve our ODI status.”I think four-day cricket brings out the true cricketer in everybody as in one-day cricket players may play bad shots against you chasing runs, but in four-day cricket you have to get the batsman out with your own qualities and skills.”We will also benefit from the support from the ICC in preparing for these competitions. Our team is also very good in the short-form of the game and in Twenty20 they will be challenging a lot of the big teams. All their life in Afghanistan they have played 20 or 25-over cricket, so their games are well suited to this.”Praise was quick to arrive from other teams, with Scotland coach Peter Steindl pleased for their success. “Good on ’em. They’ve come a long way and have played in a lot of tournaments just to get this far, so any team that comes from Division 3 or 4 and works their way up to reach the top six, they deserve it,” Steindl told Cricinfo. “You don’t get there by luck, or without hard work and good performances, so good on them. I think we play them again in two days time,” he said, with a nervous laugh, “so we look forward to that.””They deserved the win [against Scotland] and have beaten Ireland as well. The one thing that’s come out of the tournament is you can’t take any team lightly. There’s been surprises and upsets and also hard-fought wins by teams. It’s a good state to be in for world cricket if you can have as many teams as this and still generate good cricket.”The achievement will also be a boost domestically and internationally for a war-torn nation.’It’s a great achievement by the Afghan cricket team to qualify for ODI status with such scant resources and shows the determination and resourcefulness of the people,” Dominic O’Reilly, UK Director of the charity Afghanaid, told Cricinfo. “Those of us who work in and for Afghanistan know there is much more to the country than the fighting we see on news bulletins and the cricketers have demonstrated that. While cricket is currently a minority sport in Afghanistan, I’m sure the team’s success will boost interest and give everyone there a lift.”

Ireland 7 5 2 00 10 +0.689 1434/295.5 1447/348.0Canada 7 4 3 0 08 +0.687 1643/333.0 1357/319.3 Kenya 7 4 3 0 0 8+0.035 1281/310.2 1354/330.5 Netherlands 74 3 0 0 8 +0.0251601/337.0 1624/343.4 Scotland 7 34 0 0 6 -0.140 1509/350.01503/337.4 Afghanistan 7 3 40 0 6 -0.209 1635/350.0 1670/342.1 U.A.E. 7 3 4 00 6 -1.080 1345/327.5 1503/290.0Namibia 7 2 5 0 04 -0.079 1650/350.0 1640/342.1

It was an inexperienced Australia bowling line-up but that didn’t prevent them from taking the eight wickets needed on the final day to take a series lead in the top-of-the-table clash with South Africa

The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran02-Mar-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Mitchell Johnson was adjudged Man of the Match for his efforts with both the bat and ball © AFP
Write off Australia only if you wish to be called a fool. South Africa’scoronation as the world’s best Test side was put on hold as an Australianteam with three debutants in the ranks routed them by 162 runs at theWanderers. Each of the four pace bowlers was absolutely superb asAustralia choked the life out of the South African batting beforeadministering the lethal blows. Mitchell Johnson led the way with 4 for112, but Peter Siddle was just as impressive, summoning up a magnificentspell that accounted for JP Duminy in the second session.There was no dramatic collapse, as on the fourth day, but Australia’spersistence was eye-catching and by the time Johnson slipped one throughDale Steyn’s bat and pad, eight wickets had fallen for 85 runs. Havingstarted the day needing a further 276 to win, South Africa lasted justeight balls after tea, with tidy, restrictive bowling the key to theAustralian success. They simply blocked off the runs and waited for themistakes.Not long ago, Duminy had marshalled a tremendous rearguard action at theMCG that ultimately inspired a South African series win. There was to beno such repeat on Monday though, with Siddle’s spell irrevocably changingthe game after lunch. Accurate, hostile and tireless, he kept running inuntil Duminy finally fended a brute of a delivery to Ricky Ponting atsecond slip.What followed wouldn’t have thrilled the South African dressing room much.Morne Morkel had fallen to a poor pull stroke in the first innings, butthere was no instance of twice shy here, with an ill-advised hoick atJohnson ending up in Phillip Hughes’ hands at midwicket. That left MarkBoucher as the lone hope for survival, and when the hugely impressive BenHilfenhaus got some late movement to take the inside edge of his bat,South Africa were left to ponder a post-tea miracle.Hans Christian Andersen wasn’t at the Wanderers though, and Paul Harrisdeflected a Siddle delivery to short leg to start the countdown. Two ballslater, Johnson finished it off to spark jubilant celebrations from Pontingand his supposed underdog side.Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla had started the day with all three results very much a possibility, but when Hilfenhaus got one to rear and strikeKallis on the glove in the day’s opening over, you sensed the magnitude ofthe task that they faced. Even so, the duo survived the initial burst fromHilfenhaus and Johnson to raise hopes among the sparse crowd.A superb cover-drive off Johnson took Amla to his half-century from 103balls, and when Kallis flicked an errant delivery from Siddle for four,South Africa had 200 on the board. It all went wrong soon after. Thepartnership was worth 76 when a ball from Siddle appeared to stop a littleon Amla. His click off the toes only found Hughes at midwicket.Five runs later, it got worse. Andrew McDonald bowled at pedestrian pace,but was so accurate that South Africa simply couldn’t get him away. As thepressure built, AB de Villiers attempted to turn one away off the pads.The Australian appeal was spontaneous, as was Billy Bowden’s response, andthough de Villiers went for a referral, it was futile.The grip was tightening, with just 10 runs from 10 overs, and when the newball was taken, there was another moment of drama. Johnson’s firstdelivery with it kept low and struck Kallis plumb in front of the stumps.But as soon as Bowden’s crooked finger went up, Kallis went for thereferral. This time, fortune was on South Africa’s side, with the replayshowing that the ball might have pitched just outside the line of legstump.Kallis didn’t stick around long enough to make much of the reprievethough. When Johnson pitched one full and wide of off stump, he went forthe flamboyant drive on bended knee. Unfortunately for him, it onlyproduced an inside edge on to the stumps. Kallis had scored just 4 fromthe last 42 balls that he faced, and his exit drastically reduced SouthAfrica’s chances of saving the game.Duminy played one gorgeous on-drive off Johnson, but there was little elsefor South Africa to savour before lunch was taken. If the slips hadn’tbeen so deep, Australia might even have had another wicket, as Hilfenhausinduced an edge from Boucher. Ultimately though, it mattered little, withthe Australian progress to victory inexorable.

Marcus North will add not only a strong batting presence at No. 6 but also a handy offspin option, a solid first slip fieldsman, and a smart cricketing brain

Brydon Coverdale in Johannesburg25-Feb-2009
Marcus North scored two half-centuries and took six wickets in the tour match in Potchefstroom © Getty Images
No matter how far Michael Hussey goes in international cricket, there’s always someone there to remind him of his roots at the Wanneroo District Cricket Club. His Perth grade side was also the home of Damien Martyn, who was part of the Test unit when Hussey broke into the squad, and of course his brother and ODI team-mate David Hussey played for the club in his younger days before moving to Victoria.Now another link in the Wanneroo chain has emerged: Marcus North. If North makes his Test debut in Johannesburg on Thursday as expected, more than a quarter of the side will have links to Wanneroo. When Mitchell Johnson moved to Perth he also signed with the club, which was North’s junior side before he moved on to the Bayswater team.”We’ve known each other since I think we’ve been about 12 or 13 ,” Hussey said of North. “It’s quite nice really to think that two young kids from Wanneroo are able to hopefully play in a Test match together for Australia. It’s quite a strange sort of feeling but really exciting as well.”Hussey has in the past captained North at Western Australia, where North himself is now the skipper. If he gets the nod following his strong performance in the tour match in Potchefstroom, North will add not only a strong batting presence at No. 6 but also a handy offspin option, a solid first slip fieldsman and a smart cricketing brain.”I’m quite chuffed that Marcus is on the tour,” Hussey said. “He’s someone that’s really performed very well for Western Australia, deserves his chance at this level, and just speaking to him, he seems very calm, very collected and he seems very comfortable with being around the team. I think that augurs well for him to perform well at Test match level.”One man who is guaranteed to make his Test debut at the Wanderers is the opener Phillip Hughes. Although he is only 20, Hughes has impressed everyone in the Australian squad not only with his outstanding ability with the bat but also with the way he has handled his rapid rise to the top.”From what I saw up in Potch [he is a] very impressive young guy, really likeable young man around the group,” Hussey said. “[He] just loves cricket and loves batting, so he’ll fit into our team pretty well I think. The signs that we saw from him up in Potch are pretty exciting for the future as well.”Hughes and North are two of four uncapped players in Australia’s 14-man squad, along with Ben Hilfenhaus and Bryce McGain. It makes for an inexperienced and unfamiliar-looking side but Hussey insisted all four men, along with the recently-capped Doug Bollinger and Andrew McDonald, were up to the task.”They’ve got a big role to play in this team,” Hussey said. “It’s not a case of we’re expecting less from the new guys. They’re in the Australian cricket team so they’re expected to do their jobs as well as the most senior guys in the team.”

Ryan Hinds is not making a fuss over his non-selection to the West Indies Test squad for the first game against England

Haydn Gill27-Jan-2009
Ryan Hinds: “I’ll be looking forward to continue what I’m doing – getting runs, wickets, taking catches and enjoying playing cricket for Barbados” © DigicelCricket.com/Brooks La Touche Photography
Ryan Hinds is not making a fuss over his non-selection to the West Indies squad for the first Test against England. Hinds was overlooked despite an overwhelming start to the domestic season, with a tournament-best 382 runs at an average of 95.50 and 14 wickets for Barbados in the first three rounds of the Regional Four-Day Competition.”Obviously, you’d be disappointed, but this is a chance for me to stamp my authority,” he said after collecting his second successive Man-of-the-Match award in Barbados’ crushing victory over the Leeward Islands at Carib Lumber Park on Sunday.”I’ve had conversations with [selectors] Mr Clyde Butts, and Robert Haynes told me that he is really impressed with my effort. It is just a matter for me to go out there and do it on a more consistent basis,” he said. “I am not down spirited. We have a lot of cricket to play this year. I’ll be looking forward to continue what I’m doing – getting runs, wickets, taking catches and enjoying playing cricket for Barbados.”Hinds’ aggregate includes a career-best 240 against Leewards that was made on Friday after the selection panel of Clyde Butts, Robert Haynes, Raphick Jumadeen and coach John Dyson put their heads together to come up with a squad.When pressed for reasons for Hinds’ non-inclusion, Butts pointed to concerns over his fitness, noting that the allrounder often had to pull out of West Indies squads in the past because of injuries. “I’ve been fitter than before. I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work. This is five months that I’ve been training really hard behind the scenes,” Hinds said while lauding the contribution of Barbados trainer Jasper Blades and physiotherapist Jacqui King-Mowatt for helping him in that area.Last Saturday, while his team-mates were in the pavilion getting themselves ready for warm-up drills prior to the start of play, Hinds was out on the park running around 15 minutes before the formal training started. It was all part of the extra work that Hinds said he has often done in recent times.”It is something that I’ve been doing for quite some time, but a lot of people don’t have to know what I am doing,” he said. “Captain Jason Haynes, who is a fitness freak, is my personal friend. He said, ‘Mate, you need to get fitter’.”Hinds’ 240 was the second-highest score by a Barbadian in regional first-class competitions, after Desmond Haynes’ 246 against Windward Islands at Kensington Oval in 1992, and it was his eighth first-class century. The innings followed his 89 against Windwards in the previous match when he went past 5000 first-class runs.”It is up there with one of the best innings I have ever played. This is the best start I have had to a season,” he said. “It is always good to start on a really good note. It is always good to maintain your good form and play positively. Sometimes you play games and you get two jaffas and you start to doubt yourself.”It was the third time Hinds had turned in a major contribution against the Leewards. Three years ago in St Thomas, his 168 and 150 was the first time a batsman made 150 or more in both innings of a regional first-class match in the West Indies, and back in 2001 in Nevis, his left-arm spin earned him a 15-wicket match haul, including a record 9 for 68 in the first innings.”I tell myself anytime I am struggling, I’ll like to play against the Leewards the next game,” Hinds said. “Leewards play positive cricket. They are always at you. They are a very aggressive team. It is just a matter of me taking the attack to them. I really enjoy playing against guys like them.”

A round-up of the fourth day of matches at the World Cricket League Division 3 in Buenos Aires

Cricinfo staff29-Jan-2009
Karim Sadiq took six catches and scored a half-century in Afghanistan’s eight-wicket win over Papua New Guinea © ICC Cricket-Europe
Ronald Ssemanda took two wickets in the final over to help Uganda beat Hong Kong by one run in a thriller in Buenos Aires. The victory puts them on par – in terms of wins and points – with Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea.Hong Kong got off to the worst possible start chasing 181, losing two wickets – both to fast bowler Kenneth Kamyuka, who took 4 for 21 – without a run on the board. However, Manoj Cheruparambil and Hussain Butt scored half-centuries to lead the recovery with an 84-run stand. Hong Kong looked comfortably placed at 124 for 3 but a collapse ensued as they lost their next four wickets for 49 runs, including Butt. Zain Abbas, the No.5 batsman, resisted throughout the ordeal with a determined 35 before Ssemanda accounted for him and wicketkeeper James Atkinson in the 50th over.Kamyuka had earlier contributed 37 after Uganda had failed to consolidate the 64-run opening partnership between Roger Mukasa – who top-scored with 67 – and Arthur Kyobe. Munir Dar, the left-arm spinner, took 4 for 30 and triggered a middle-order collapse, in which Uganda lost five wickets for 59 runs.In the context of the match, Kamyuka’s cameo towards the end proved decisive. He paid tribute to his coach Ebrahim Mohamed: “The coach has helped us with these situations by working on the mental side of our game. He has told us we should be soldiers and fight to the last ball. I enjoy bowling when there is a lot of pressure on the batsmen.”Mohamed said he was confident his team could pull off a win despite Hong Kong being in control for much of their innings. “I didn’t give up hope as we have been in these type of situations before and from the moment we got a couple of late wickets, there was always a chance and we were determined to fight until the last ball.”Afghanistan completed a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Papua New Guinea at the Hurlingham Club Ground, to top the table as a result of three wins and an impressive net run-rate. Hamid Hassan, the right-arm medium bowler, took 3 for 26 and the other Afghanistan bowlers chipped in with at least a wicket each as PNG struggled from the outset, eventually managing just 93. Vani Morea, the PNG opener, fell for a duck to medium pacer Daulat Ahmadzai, who took 2 for 27, and his team never recovered from the early loss. PNG were bowled out in just 31 overs, with Jamie Brazier top-scoring with 22, and managed a highest partnership of just 29 for the fifth wicket.In reply, Afghanistan’s openers provided them the ideal start with wicketkeeper and stand-in captain Karim Sadiq following up his six catches in the PNG innings with a half-century, and adding 63 with Shafiqullah. “I am very proud that I captained my country, took six catches and scored a 50. I am also pleased we have helped our net run-rate and hopefully we go out and win on Friday,” Karim said. He was confident ahead of his team’s next match against Cayman Islands and was determined to qualify for the 2011 World Cup. “We beat Cayman Islands in a practice match before this tournament and we have our captain coming back for this match so I am hopeful that we can win.”It is my dream to get my very poor country to the World Cup. All of our people want to watch our country play in the tournament and watch the games live on television.”The PNG captain Rarva Dikana singled out the batting as the major worry and hoped for an improved performance in their next match against Hong Kong. “We need to work hard on our batting and if we put on a good score we should be able to defend it given our bowling strength. We have been quietly confident throughout and hopefully we will do well on Friday.”Afghanistan’s next opponents, Cayman Islands, also registered a comfortable six-wicket win over hosts Argentina – who are now relegated to Division 4 – to take the No.6 spot on the points table, though the game was not as one-sided. Argentina squandered an encouraging start by opener Lucas Paterlini, who scored a quickfire 70 off just 50 balls, to be bowled out for 165. The opening pair added 40, but the Cayman Islands bowlers then triggered a collapse where the hosts lost 7 for 72, with only two batsmen in the top seven getting to double figures. Pablo Ferguson and Estaban Macdermott, the Argentina captain, added 35 for the eighth wicket but, despite their resistance, the Cayman Islands bowlers, led by offspinners Alessandro Morris and Saeed Mohamed – who took 5 for 34 between them – ensured a quick conclusion to the Argentina innings.The Cayman Islands’ response started off soundly, with openers Ainsley Hall and Ramon Sealy – who remained unbeaten on 66 – added 64. They then lost two quick wickets, but Sealy added a further 61 with captain Steve Gordon to put the game firmly in his team’s grasp.Macdermott was disappointed at his team’s relegation: “We will have to adapt and face up to the situation we are in and we will look to get promotion from Division 4. The tournament is not over yet and we owe it to the people who come to watch our matches and we owe it to ourselves to do our best in our last two games.”Sealy, the star for Cayman Islands, was satisfied after his team registered its first win in the tournament. “It’s good to get a win at this event. We were always confident of reaching the target as it wasn’t that big a total but it was nice to get a victory.”

Afghanistan 4 3 1 0 06 +0.780 661/165.4 642/200.0 Uganda 4 3 1 0 0 6+0.467 640/172.1 650/200.0 Papua New Guinea 43 1 0 0 6 +0.191507/170.5 460/165.4 Hong Kong 4 22 0 0 4 +0.623 686/177.2649/200.0 Cayman Islands 4 1 30 0 2 -1.292 552/189.1 602/143.0 Argentina 4 0 4 00 0 -0.784 523/200.0 566/166.3

Shabbir Ahmed has said that if the Pakistan board did not increase financial benefits for domestic cricketers it would have to face more defections to the unauthorised Twenty20 league which offered good money to players

Cricinfo staff17-Dec-2008
Shabbir Ahmed: “Livelihood of many cricketers is now linked to the ICL. How long can they [PCB] continue to ignore it?” © Cricinfo Ltd
Shabbir Ahmed, the former Pakistan bowler who now plays for the ICL, has said that if the Pakistan board did not increase financial benefits for domestic cricketers it would have to face more defections to the unauthorised Twenty20 league which offered good money to players.However, Shabbir, who plays for the ICL’s Chennai Superstars, was hopeful that the new PCB regime, which included several former Test players, would change the situation where ICL players were banned from playing any form of representative cricket in and for Pakistan. Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and current director-general of the PCB, had earlier said there was immense pressure on the board to bring ICL players back into the fold.”All the previous heads of the board were clueless,” Shabbir was quoted as saying in the Pakistan daily . “It is good now they have brought a former Test player [Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman] and other cricketers into the board.”Sooner or later the authorities will have to recognise the ICL as it is big cricket and it is offering big money. Livelihood of many cricketers is now linked to the ICL. How long can they continue to ignore it?”Shabbir accused former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf of having a personal agenda against the ICL players. “At times it seemed as if Ashraf had some sort of personal agenda against the ICL and some interest in the Indian Premier League and allowing players to sign contracts with it,” Shabbir said.Earlier this year Shoaib Akhtar alleged that the PCB’s ban imposed him on grounds on indiscipline was punishment in return for refusing to give Ashraf a share of his salary from the IPL. Shoaib also alleged that Ashraf had tried to extort money from other Pakistani cricketers as well. He apologised and took back his comments after Ashraf filed a defamation suit against him.Shabbir said several former players who criticised the decision of those who joined the ICL had played in Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket despite opposition from other cricket boards. “They did because they were getting good money. We have also gone to the ICL to safeguard our future.”