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Celtic look set to potentially miss out on securing a summer move for Brazilian midfielder and reported target Vinicius Souza.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Fraser Fletcher, Celtic are set to lose out on the signing from Lommel with PSV Eindhoven and Betis wanting to sign the player.

He revealed: “Vinicius Souza at Lommel will be moving on soon. His new club to be revealed shortly. Many want him PSV and Betis and others. Celtic not close to deal as it stands.”

Last season saw the 23-year-old spend a loan spell with fellow Belgian club KV Mechelen, in which he showed how much of a capable midfield player he is.

Celtic fans will be gutted

As the Hoops are dealt a blow in their bid to sign the talented Souza, their supporters will no doubt be gutted as he would have added a great deal to the Parkhead ranks.

With 27 league appearances to his name, the midfielder ended the campaign with more interceptions (64) and more tackles won (66) than any other player at the club.

Souza also racked up the third-highest percentage for shots on target (53.8%) at the Belgian side, which shows just how deadly he can be with the ball going forward.

This shows how much of a well-rounded midfielder he is and why clubs such as Celtic and PSV have been after him.

It also proves how much of a disappointing blow it would to the Parkhead club and their fans, if they were to see him make a move to the Netherlands this summer.

Bearing in mind how the Hoops saw the likes of Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham leave the club last summer and also saw Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic wave goodbye at the end of the previous season, it’s safe to say that the Bhoys could do with some reinforcements in the midfield area.

With the Brazilian being identified as a potential candidate to join Ange Postecoglou’s squad, Celtic will have to look at other midfield options to bring in before their next campaign starts.

Having shown during the previous summer and winter transfer windows, in addition to already securing deals for the likes of Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei over the past few weeks, that the club are very capable of being active in the transfer market, this should Celtic fans hope that there will be more signings made in the coming weeks.

While it would be bad news to miss out on signing Souza, it would give the club the chance to move on from the saga and focus on other possible midfield recruits.

AND in other news: Ange can unearth his own Van Dijk as Celtic eye £5.9k-p/w titan who has a “big future”

Aston Villa have ‘no intention’ of parting ways with Danny Ings this summer, Sky Sports report.

The Lowdown: Exit rumours

Ings made the move to Villa Park last summer from Southampton in a deal worth £26.48m. The 29-year-old made 31 appearances in his first season as a Villa player, scoring seven times and registering six assists.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Steven Gerrard would be willing to part ways with Ings this summer to make room for a new marquee attacker, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports provided a live TV update regarding Villa and Ings on Monday afternoon.

They were told ‘in the last few minutes’ that Villa have ‘no intention of selling’ Ings despite rumours of a move to Manchester United or Leeds United, adding that Gerrard sees Ings as an ‘integral part of his squad’.

The Verdict: Good news

Villa are fairly short of centre-forward options, with Ings and Ollie Watkins the two recognised strikers in the Midlands.

Keinan Davis and Cameron Archer spent the second half of last season out on loan in the Championship, so keeping hold of Ings appears to be the correct call.

Gerrard found success in a system using two centre-forwards, so bringing in another striker to challenge Ings and Watkins could be the better decision, and hopefully we will see that come to fruition ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

In other news: Villa now receive ‘official proposal’ for player with ‘unbelievable’ work rate. 

Journalist Paul Brown has delivered his verdict on the future of out-of-favour Everton striker Moise Kean. 

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed for £25.1m from Juventus in 2019 (BBC), the Italy international arrived on Merseyside with the world seemingly at his feet having made a successful transition from youth starlet to first-team performer in his homeland.

Following a disappointing debut campaign which yielded just four direct goal involvements in 29 Premier League outings, the young striker was sent out on loan to Paris Saint-Germain, where he appeared to recapture some form with 13 goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances.

However, after just two more fleeting cameos for the Toffees, the 22-year-old was loaned back to Juventus last September for two years with an obligation to buy, but he now faces an uncertain future…

The latest: Kean’s Everton future in doubt

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Brown dismissed the notion of the 12-cap Italy ace ever returning to Goodison Park.

He explained: “It’s clear he hasn’t got a future at Everton, and I don’t think he wants one either, I think that’s also quite clear.

“The move didn’t work out for him and the man that brought him in, Marcel Brands has gone and it’s a completely different club now.”

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The verdict: Not worth it

Lauded as ‘fearless’ by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, under whom Kean played at PSG, there is certainly a top-level player waiting to be unleashed in the 22-year-old. However, seemingly unwanted by Juventus, he is now stuttering along in a career which is in danger of stagnating at a very early stage.

During 2021/22 the Italian scored six times and provided three assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, another below-par campaign from a young forward with an abundance of talent.

Couple these on-field struggles when it comes to output with the fallout when replaced by Duncan Ferguson against Manchester United in 2019, and Frank Lampard may be best served to avoid bringing a disenchanted Kean back to Merseyside, even in light of the possibility of losing frontline duo Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

In other news: Frank McAvennie has reacted to this behind-the-scenes Everton development

Liverpool survived an early scare to bounce back to winning ways against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Tuesday night, having been held to a draw by Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side just a few days prior.

Manager Jurgen Klopp had been critical of Spurs’ defensive showing in that clash at Anfield, although the same could not be said of Steven Gerrard’s outfit, with the Midlands side netting inside just three minutes in what was a breathless start to proceedings.

After recovering quickly to strike back soon after through Joel Matip, the Reds completed the comeback midway through the second half through Sadio Mane, the Senegal international’s strike moving the Merseysiders level on points with Manchester City at the summit, albeit with the reigning champions having played a game less.

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The headlines will no doubt go to that man Mane for his crucial late effort – which keeps the club’s title hopes alive – although one man who endured an uncharacteristically anonymous showing was former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diogo Jota, with the Portuguese sensation suffering a rare off day.

The £54m-rated man has enjoyed a fine second campaign under Klopp’s tutelage, having netted 21 times in all competitions so far this term prior to the midweek clash, although rarely looked like adding to that tally following a limp display in attack.

In his 90-minute outing, the £120k-per-week star lost possession 14 times from just 42 touches – a dismal ratio of losing the ball once every three touches – ensuring he finished with just a 72% pass completion rate as a result.

The 25-year-old also won just two of his total duels and failed to register a single shot on target, eventually ending the match with just a 6.6 match rating, as per SofaScore – the second-worst among his teammates in the starting lineup.

Furthermore, he also made fewer passes (23) than substitute Jordan Henderson who played just an hour after Fabinho’s withdrawal through injury.

The Express writer Archie Griggs was also critical of the one-time Porto man’s performance, handing the player a 5/10 rating in his post-match analysis and stating of his display that: “Often managed to get himself into some promising areas and played a role for his team in attack but, like so many of his team-mates, appeared to lack the required end product over the course of the contest. Pressed well in the early stages of the match but ended up faltering away and did not exert as great an influence as he would have liked at Villa Park.”

A poor night in what’s largely been an otherwise fruitful stint at Liverpool – with 34 goals and nine assists to his name in 80 appearances across all fronts since joining in the summer of 2020 – the 24-cap international will likely be hoping he hasn’t played himself out of contention for Saturday’s FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea.

With Mo Salah set to return after earning a rest on Tuesday night – and with Roberto Firmino back in contention after his recent injury layoff – there is simply too much competition for places to allow for any passengers.

Jota seemingly was a passenger against Gerrard’s men and will be fortunate not to be dropped to the bench at Wembley.

IN other news, “Met his agent…”: Sky Sports journo drops big Liverpool update, Klopp will be fuming

The wicketkeeper reflects on the time spent at rehab, surgeries, channeling the frustration of not playing and his eagerness to return

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Feb-2019

You must have counted the number of days you were away from active cricket?

Yes, it is about six-eight months easily, but when I returned to the ground I felt like I had never left. I just felt like I was only away for 15-20 days. When I entered the ground during my first training session with Bengal, I never felt I was out for seven-ten months. Usually after a long break, when you are batting in the nets, you feel your bat is not coming down well, your feet are not moving properly. But my body was feeling good, I was in good rhythm, and I assimilated quickly and easily with my team-mates. It feels good.How hungry and desperate were you to return to the field?

I did not feel like that, to be honest. Once it was decided in July (2018) that I had to undergo surgery and the time frame was worked out – how long I would be away and how long rehab would take – I was okay. The doctors had pointed out that I would be away for minimum six months. The operation took place in August. After that, I went to the NCA. Rehab, training, strength work, running, skills work – whatever I did, I carried doing what I could without feeling that I am injured.During IPL 2018, you injured your thumb. You had just recovered from the hamstring injury you picked up in South Africa. Was it frustrating?

The thumb fracture I picked in the IPL was on the right hand, so I could not do any weight training with my right hand. When I went to the NCA to recover from the thumb fracture, while doing normal training, I realised one day my right hand did not feel like earlier. The NCA physio carried out an MRI. He told me that the right shoulder had become worse (compared to after South Africa tour). Doctors in Mumbai and Bangalore were consulted. Everyone said surgery was the best solution. One of the doctors even said the other option was if I was going to retire in, say, a couple of months, I could play with injections.

“During rehab, I distracted myself by mingling with trainers, coaching staff and other players – talking things outside of my rehab and cricket. If you think rehab is boring then it can actually turn out to be boring.”

So you did not take the injection?
After being advised by both the NCA phsyios and doctors, I took the injection in the first half of July, because I felt if it worked, I could play the Test series in England. But the right shoulder did not recover, leaving surgery as the only option. Finally, I underwent the operation on August 1. So my entire 2018 was full of injuries.In South Africa, I injured the left hamstring tendon, which took me about a month-and-a-half to recover from. While I was at NCA doing rehab on the hamstring, I was feeling a little bit of a problem in my right shoulder. I was given an injection (around February first half) then and recovered completely from the shoulder injury. I was feeling better for the next three months and even played IPL till I got the thumb injury.How long did you not lift the bat after the surgery in August?


I was advised complete rest for three weeks. Then I went to the NCA, where I started knocking for about two months, somewhere in October. There were restrictions especially with wicketkeeping, but I felt if I did not start training it will only mean I would recover late.Were you scared?
No, no. If I was scared I wouldn’t have dived. I started to dive about five months after the operation. Initially I would dive indoors on foam mats (pile of four to five). Gradually I became confident enough of doing full training – wicketkeeping and batting – outdoors. If I had hastened my recovery, I could have risked the injury resurfacing, which would have hampered my return once again. So I decided to become completely fit and only then return.Can you talk about the difficulties of sitting out for such an extended period?

From childhood I have never been impatient. During the rehab, I made sure I did not think rehab was boring. I distracted myself by mingling with trainers, coaching staff and other players – talking about things outside of my rehab and cricket. If you think rehab is boring then it can actually turn out to be boring.Associated PressStill, it must have been challenging?

No doubt, but my mindset has always been to not think of the end result. I have always focused on the positives in everything I do, regardless of the result. So I did not let negative thoughts enter my mind. That is how I have come out of any difficult situation – both on and off the field. I feel some of my best innings with the bat have come in crunch situations.

“I was very happy when Rishabh scored his maiden Test century (at The Oval) and even sent him a message. Recently I met him at NCA. We exchanged notes about the England and Australia series.”

Can I ask your wife, Romi, who was so worried about your playing future after you missed the England tour that she even tweeted on your behalf for support during your recovery.

Romi Saha: The was negativity surrounding his future in cricket and it was affecting me personally. People were talking about his tenure being over. At that point in time, it was useless talking about an international player in that fashion. He has come to the highest level without any support, so I felt it was too fast to comment on his future. I feared it may affect him, after all he is human. I know he is very strong mentally, but as a family we were devastated. Hence I sent out that tweet on behalf of Team Saha.Were you scared in those months when he had the surgery?

Romi: I wanted to join him for the surgery in Manchester, but because the decision was taken at short notice, I couldn’t get my visa. I was very scared because the injuries happened one after another. He was also doing well at that point.So you put more pressure on him than us media?

Romi: I am always putting him under pressure .Wriddhi, you last played for India in January 2018. You have since missed 14 Tests, and India have fielded Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant in the interim. How do you look at the sequence of events as you embark on a comeback?

In South Africa, Parthiv was my back-up. During the England tour, DK and Rishabh got opportunities. So there are four keepers in contention and each has been rotated. Now, Rishabh has grabbed the opportunity. The important thing for me is to do well in every tournament I play – in Syed Mushtaq Ali and then IPL. But [I want to] perform in those tournaments not because I want to make my India comeback. Of course, I want to come back to the Indian dressing room. Once I start doing well, the selectors can take the call whether I can earn my Test spot. I do not think too much. Just keep doing the good work and perform and then hope to get the call from the selectors.So you’re not taking your Test comeback for granted?

I have always believed in working hard. Even when Mahi [MS Dhoni] was playing (in Tests) and I was the second wicketkeeper, my preparation was as if I was playing. I learned that quickly after my Test debut, where I was not actually prepared for the occasion. I don’t think I will get back my Test spot . I have to focus on the process.Are you then okay to be the No. 2 keeper after Pant?

There are so many Indians that play cricket. If you are picked in the 15, it is a proud moment for any player. I have not been in the Indian dressing room for one year, so if I get another opportunity, I will do anything to make a comeback. To get back, I have to perform well. Earlier I was No.1 wicketkeeper in the team. Now Rishabh is. My thinking is if you do well you need to get the chance.As the senior glovesman, what are Pant’s strengths as a wicketkeeper?

He has got the record for most dismissals recently, isn’t it? Is it 11? No doubt he is good, but he still has room for improvement. He is young. The more he plays the better he will get. I was very happy when he scored his maiden Test century (at The Oval) and even sent him a message. Recently I met him at NCA when he had come there after the Australian tour. We exchanged notes about the England and Australia series. We spoke about collecting the wobbling Dukes in England which is a challenge. I have had some experience with India A previously. We also spoke about Australia.You have a small, close-knit family. Romi mentioned the toughest time in the last year was you staying away from home for longer periods. How difficult was it on your daughter?

I used to feel really bad. I would come for a couple days having spent few weeks at NCA. The first thing Anvi would ask me is ‘when are you going back (to NCA)?’ Even now she asks me: ‘Are you going to go back again?’ It is very tough. We missed doing the normal family things: going out, going for a movie, to a restaurant. You were asking me my biggest challenge. It was not cricket. The challenge was I could not spend time with my family as much as I wanted in the last year.

With teams focusing on ODIs, given the upcoming Champions Trophy, and the next World T20 possibly three years away, there is a distinct lack of context to Friday’s New Zealand-South Africa match

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland16-Feb-2017New Zealand and South Africa are singing from the same hymn sheet: one-off T20s don’t have much meaning. There are caveats, and clichés, thrown in – playing for your country, putting on a show, building momentum – but the bottom line is that it is hard to stack much relevance on a standalone 40 overs of cricket before switching to another format.Context to world cricket is a hot topic at the moment after the recent round of ICC meetings in Dubai, which went a long way towards redrawing the shape of the international schedule. New Zealand are the No. 1-ranked T20 side, and while they are rightly proud of their standing, it does not come with the kudos of South Africa’s top spot in ODIs or India’s in Tests.”You always want more meaning on anything you play in, and if you could extend the series, it probably would give it that,” Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain, said. “But at the same time, with the schedules, it isn’t that easy to do. We have a big one-day series after this, followed by big Tests, so it’s just the nature of the beast.”Both these sides have recently come off three-match T20 series – New Zealand beat Bangladesh
3-0 and South Africa lost 2-1 to Sri Lanka – which gave the players involved a chance to sink their teeth into the format rather than a fly-in, fly-out meeting.While there is a considerable overlap between T20 and ODI personnel, there are some for whom the shortest format is their one international chance: Colin Munro, for example, has been dropped from the New Zealand one-day squad but remains in the T20 set-up.Imran Tahir, the South Africa legspinner who is the No. 1 bowler in both white-ball formats, believes one-off matches make it harsh to judge a player. “More would be fair – at least three games or maybe two,” he said. “In one game you might get rain and play a 5/5, so another game or two would be nice. Guys need an opportunity to perform. If you have two-three games you have a better chance to show what you can do, unlike missing out in one match.”The next World T20 is not scheduled until 2020 – the chances of another being slotted in during 2018 appear to be receding – and in the first part of this year teams are focused on their preparation for the Champions Trophy in England.”When it comes closer to World T20 time, teams tend to play a lot more T20 cricket,” Williamson said. “At the same time you are in competition for your country and you want to play well. I think it’s important that the T20s are worked into tours and they can carry a bit more weight when it comes closer to the World T20. It’s just natural there is more focus on certain formats in certain years.”Imran Tahir: “In one game you might get rain and play a 5/5. Guys need an opportunity to perform. If you have two-three games you have a better chance to show what you can do”•Associated PressThe growth of T20 has come on the franchise scene rather than international cricket. The IPL, BBL and CPL are currently the big three, and they are joined by the PSL and BPL. Later this year South Africa will launch a league and in 2020, English cricket will begin its new T20 tournament.On Monday the IPL auction will take place in Bangalore. Some cricketers will become rich, others will think they could perhaps have gone for more, some will be left disappointed not to get picked up at all.Last year Chris Morris, the South Africa allrounder who is part of their squad for this tour, was one of the surprise big buys when he was bought for $1 million by Delhi Daredevils, and there will be plenty of players looking their phones as the gavel comes down next week. Tahir, who was released by Delhi, and so is back up for auction, insisted that whatever sums of money float around, it will always remain South Africa first for him.”It’s somewhere in the back of my mind. The T20 is another opportunity to play for South Africa, which is more important for me. I really mean that. Everyone is aware of the auction. I’ve been released from Dehli Daredevils, so I have nothing to lose. I might get it, I might not. But as long as I keep winning games for South Africa, that’s more important for me.”There are 19 New Zealand players in the auction, including 20-year-old Glenn Phillips, who is set for his international debut on Friday, but Williamson, who was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad, is adamant it won’t prove a distraction.”You never quite know what will happen, it’s often a hard thing to read – who might go for what – but it’s a fantastic opportunity, especially for those involved for the first time. But at the same time it’s something you can’t control and our focus remains on the cricket we have here.”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2015David Warner set the tone for the day by smashing five fours as he raced to 23 off 11•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesHe then top-edged a Jerome Taylor delivery to Marlon Samuels, who completed a juggling catch at short extra cover•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja, who was returning from injury, and Joe Burns patiently built a century partnership•Getty ImagesBoth batsmen completed fifties as they took Australia to 193 for 1 at tea•Getty ImagesSoon after the break, Burns reached his second Test century•Getty ImagesTwo balls later, Khawaja got to his ton, his third in as many games.•Getty ImagesThe pair took their partnership tally to 258 before Kraigg Brathwaite finally removed Burns for 128 late in the day•Getty ImagesWI clawed back with two late wickets but the hosts were in total control, ending the first day at 345 for 3.•Getty Images

The results of India’s general elections could shape the next BCCI leadership, with several politicians on the sidelines of the current regime said to be on the frontline for the post of president

Amol Karhadkar27-May-2014The swearing in of India’s new union cabinet on Monday is likely to have ripple effects on the BCCI.With Arun Jaitley, a former president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association but still a political player in the BCCI, being appointed finance and defence minister in the new government, his new job has left him little time for BCCI matters.As a result, Amit Shah, a close aide of India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could enter the BCCI in an active capacity during the board’s annual general meeting in September. Shah, who has been the vice-president of the Gujarat Cricket Association – of which Modi is president – for more than five years, could replace Mumbai’s Ravi Savant as the vice-president from the west zone. While Shah’s son Jayesh, it is said, appears to control the GCA affairs, Shah may emerge as the link between the BCCI and central government during the Board’s AGM in September.Should N Srinivasan, currently sidelined as BCCI president, be found guilty in a Supreme Court-appointed inquiry looking into the IPL corruption scandal of 2013, then more politicians currently on the outside of the current regime are likely to stake their claim for the post of president.The candidates being mentioned are Rajiv Shukla, a BCCI vice-president, joint secretary Anurag Thakur and Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI and ICC chief. Shukla and Thakur, who belong to different political parties, have not expressed opinions on Srinivasan’s attempt to stay in office despite severe criticism from the Supreme Court. Pawar, however, has become a vocal critic of the BCCI and, as the Mumbai Cricket Association chief, is expected to take an active role in the lead-up to the AGM.These possibilities were created by the BCCI decision to amend its constitution in September 2012, which created a loophole to go past the conventional rotational system of nominating presidents. At the time, it was widely understood the rule had been changed to ensure that Jaitley, a lawyer turned politician in charge of the DDCA since 1999, could take over the presidency of the BCCI in 2014 even though he did not belong to East Zone, who were due to nominate the next head.Four months ahead of the AGM, though, it is understood Jaitley will not make a pitch for the top job. There is a strong possibility that his decision to stay away has as much to do with a disinclination in leading an organisation that has been on the wrong side of public opinion and the judiciary since the IPL corruption scandal broke in May 2013, as with his new-found responsibilities.A Jaitley confidante in the DDCA said he did not want the central government to be dragged into controversies surrounding the BCCI. In September 2013, Jaitley had decided to step down from his position as BCCI vice-president to focus on the general elections, and was replaced with his DDCA aide Sneh Bansal. That was followed by Jaitley choosing not to contest for the post of DDCA president, making way for Bansal to head the body. Though Jaitley remains a member of the DDCA executive committee, he hasn’t participated in any BCCI meetings since the 2013 AGM.Jaitley distancing himself from the BCCI and Shah getting closer could make for a fascinating four months in the run up to the BCCI election. With all the office-bearers’ terms being extended to three years as per the amended constitution, the main question is whether the ruling faction in the BCCI will face any open opposition.At the moment, the only hurdle against Srinivasan controlling the board by proxy is the on-going investigation by Justice Mukul Mudgal into 13 individuals, including Srinivasan, for their alleged role in corrupt and unethical practices. Several BCCI members are confident that if the Mudgal committee exonerates Srinivasan, he could appoint one of his lieutenants as proxy BCCI president.In such a case, the three prime candidates would be vice-president Shivlal Yadav, who was appointed by the Supreme Court as the chief of all BCCI affairs except IPL after Srinivasan was sidelined, secretary Sanjay Patel and treasurer Anirudh Choudhary.According to the rules, it is the East Zone’s turn to nominate the BCCI president. However, after the 2012 amendment, a non-East Zone member could be nominated for president if his name is proposed and seconded by members from the East Zone. This means if the ruling faction has five of the six East Zone members on its side, the possibility of an election is eroded automatically.The Mudgal commission held its first meeting on May 25 and told the Supreme Court it would require four months to finish investigations. Should Srinivasan be found guilty, there is a strong possibility the tide may turn against the man who has occupied the three most important positions in the BCCI – treasurer, secretary and president – since 2005.Irrespective of who becomes president, Brijesh Patel, the secretary of Karnataka State Cricket Association, could be the prime contender for the post of the BCCI secretary. The former India batsman, whose group replaced the one headed by former India captain Anil Kumble at the helm of KSCA in December 2013, has already been bargaining hard with the ruling faction. Not only were Patel and KSCA vice-president Ashok Anand given managerial duties for the World Twenty20 and the Asia Cup, respectively, the IPL final was recently moved from Mumbai to Bangalore.

Tony Greig genuinely loved the game, was always well-informed about it, and brought an energy all his own to the commentary box

Harsha Bhogle29-Dec-2012It didn’t matter if you didn’t agree with Tony Greig, and I don’t think it mattered to him either, but gee, you listened to him.He had what every commentator must: he had energy, and he loved the game, and the two always went together. And because he so loved the game, he knew everything about it. If there was a change in the playing conditions, he was up with the news first; if there was a match going on in Gwalior and he was in Port Elizabeth, he knew what was happening; and if there was a controversy, he waded into it.I didn’t actually work a lot with him but whenever I did, I noticed he was always ready. He had his facts and he would go into battle with them. “Righto, let’s take a look at this…” meant you had better be prepared to talk about what he was going to come up with. When I wasn’t completely sure about a couple of aspects of the DRS debate, I went to his blog, and sure as ever, everything was there. He liked to know what was happening.But Greig the commentator was merely the reflection of Greig, the outstanding cricketer. He came to Hyderabad in 1972-73, and I instantly disliked him from our school stand because he produced a beauty to bowl our hero, GR Viswanath. He had long strides, and like all South Africans hit the deck hard. We went home that evening and while we couldn’t match the length of his strides, we still copied his run-up and delivery.Those two England tours of India, 1972-73, and then as captain in 1976-77 were memorable. We didn’t know silly point till he stood there. He batted for ever and ever in Calcutta to score 103 and win England a game, and of course, in Bombay he lifted Vishy up in his arms when he got a hundred. That picture appeared everywhere.He was English, he was Australian, and often he was Sri Lankan, but somewhere the South African in him never went away. On the few occasions we chatted, I asked him about South Africa and I thought there was a different tone to his voice. He was one of cricket’s great travellers.I will miss the zest he had for cricket.

A chance at promotion was on the cards after a win over Hong Kong, but 24 hours later, the wheels started to come off for USA at WCL Division Three

Peter Della Penna31-Jan-2011″On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.” This famous American sports quote belongs to Bert Bell, former commissioner of the NFL. After the last week in Hong Kong, it’s also a harsh reminder for the USA cricket fraternity that no matter how much talent USA has, taking a blasé approach to preparation and underestimating the strength of any opposition can result in devastating consequences.Steve Massiah, the captain, came into the ICC WCL Division Three confident that his team would make it three straight promotions to move up into Division Two. While the tournament was an opportunity for the players to stand tall against tougher competition, administrators back home were keeping fingers crossed that the team would advance again because of the increased ICC funding at stake.Knowing that five of the last six tournament hosts had finished in the top two and been promoted to the next division, a lot was riding on USA’s first encounter against Hong Kong. Rising to the occasion, Massiah led from the front with an unbeaten 97 to chase down 256 in a seven-wicket win.The next day against Denmark, cracks that had been papered over from previous tours became visible again when USA’s habitually poor fielding habits reared their ugly head. Denmark captain Michael Pedersen was dropped on 23, 46 and 70 on his way to 78 not out in his team’s 193 for 6. The US players walked around at the innings break like it was no big deal and that after the previous day’s batting performance, a win could virtually be chalked up.They started the chase easily enough, going at better than five an over through the initial Powerplay. But it all came crashing down. The team was at 84 for 2 with a well-set Carl Wright and Lennox Cush fairly new to the crease. With five men now on the boundary, all that was needed was to knock the ball around for ones and twos. Instead, Cush went for an outlandish heave against Pedersen’s flighted off-spin that resulted in a top edge taken at mid-on.What followed was a spectacular collapse against a less talented opponent, but one who had more discipline and mental strength than USA could muster. In the process, USA not only lost by 30 runs, but had to go the rest of the tournament without their most dependable batsman and leading scorer from 2010, Aditya Thyagarajan. He had sprained his left ankle in the field and then dislocated his right patella while overcompensating for leverage on the delivery that bowled him. If only the men before him had batted responsibly, his ankle would have been allowed to rest, heal, and in 36 hours, would have been ready for the next game. Instead, he was lost for the tournament and USA’s batting lineup turned into a rudderless ship.While Cush’s shot against Pedersen was worthy of a banishment to seven years in the wilderness ala Damien Martyn, he was instead rewarded with a promotion to open the batting for the next two games, where he scored 0 and 0 to set the platform for USA to be dismissed for 44 against Papua New Guinea and stutter to 20 for 7 against Oman. Only a tail-end Houdini act by Usman Shuja and Asif Khan saw USA past Oman to keep the country’s promotion dream alive.Unfortunately, USA’s sorry fielding came back to haunt them versus Italy. When the two teams first met last August at Division Four in Bologna, USA had failed to convert a handful of chances, none more costly than when Peter Petricola was on 3 before he went on to make 85 in a 51-run win for the Italians. During the pivotal encounter in Hong Kong, USA dropped another three chances, including a Petricola edge that was put down by wicketkeeper Wright on 30. One match after finishing 104 not out against Hong Kong, Petricloa finished 69 not out to go along with 4 for 38 in the first innings, leading Italy to victory by four wickets. In the process, he knocked USA back to Division Four.In a press release that appeared only hours after USA had been relegated, USACA announced that it had hired Robin Singh to coach the Under-19 squad at February’s ICC Americas U-19 event in Florida. In a not so subtle message to Clayton Lambert that his time as USA senior coach is probably up, the release stated that “it is expected that his role may expand to include coaching USA national teams in other upcoming ICC-sanctioned tournaments.”Lambert has done a commendable job in the last few years. Under his leadership, USA has won three tournaments, finished runner-up in two others and also won resoundingly against ODI-nation Scotland at the 2010 World Twenty20 Qualifier. However, his decision-making in Hong Kong was not up to scratch.When asked after the loss to Denmark about the form of 20-year-old off-spinner Muhammad Ghous, who was only given one over to bowl by the captain, Lambert replied, “Ghous has been our best bowler. He’s only had one bad game really so we shouldn’t be panicking.” Sometime in the 36 hours that followed, the panic button was pressed and USA’s “best bowler” was benched for the next three games.In a move that outraged fans and administrators back in America, Lambert not only added 46-year-old assistant coach Howard Johnson to the playing squad after the injury to Thyagarajan, he also put him in the starting XI to open the bowling against Papua New Guinea. ICC officials at the tournament felt duped after it was insinuated by team management the day before that he would only be used as a substitute fielder if necessary. One official said they would have never approved the addition of Johnson to the squad if they knew what USA’s actual plans were.”Other than Howard Johnson’s age, if he’s up for trials or selection, he can walk into the team,” was Lambert’s justification, even though fast bowler Durale Forrest was in the squad and waiting to make his debut. When prodded further to explain why he would risk destroying Forrest’s confidence with such a maneuver, Lambert responded, “What would happen if Chanderpaul was the assistant coach? Would that damage the confidence of the players?”Lambert also said that the team needed a new-ball bowler to support Kevin Darlington against PNG because Shuja wasn’t providing enough support at the other end. He also said that Johnson was the right man to do it because Forrest was brought on tour to be a first-change option. Who wound up opening the bowling for USA in two of their final three games? You guessed it, Durale Forrest.The management follies continued against Italy. USA posted 222 for 8 and after 41 overs, Italy were 180 for 5 needing another 43 more. Johnson, back in his role as assistant coach, wandered over to the scorers and media area to ask how fast Italy would need to win in order to pass USA on net run rate, totally oblivious to the fact that Italy already enjoyed a 0.638 advantage on USA at the start of the day.Changes aplenty are in order now. For several of the older players, this was probably their last tour and in the next year, younger talent must be given their chance to get more experience. Massiah acknowledged as much after the loss to Italy. A silver lining in the defeat was the assured 30 scored by 20-year-old Ryan Corns at first drop on debut. While Massiah was packing up his kit, he lifted his head in the direction of the South Africa-born Corns and said, “This is your era now Jo’burg.”More importantly, USACA would be well advised to take a hint from PNG coach Andy Bichel regarding its selection policy. USACA has a long established habit of choosing players based on reputation, with scant consideration given to form, dedication or attitude. Bichel was asked after his team thrashed USA why PNG was having so much success in Hong Kong and said, “It’s about performance. If you perform, you’ll be in this team. It’s a great environment to create. If we can build that performance-based attitude, that’s a very healthy one.”Division Four is more than a year away so USACA has to start working now in order to produce a respectable squad in time for that event. The next tournament scheduled for the senior team is this July in Toronto. If one of the lessons learned in the past week harkened back to the words of Bert Bell, another piece of wisdom that would be useful for everyone involved in US cricket to draw on comes from coaching legend Vince Lombardi: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”