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Simon Katich has questioned Australia’s limited preparation for the Test series against Pakistan after the first day of their two-day game against Derbyshire. The match is the only chance for the Australians to adapt to facing the red Duke ball before the first Test at Lord’s, which starts on Tuesday, and Katich would have preferred a four-day encounter.”I honestly don’t know why we’re playing a two-day match, but there’s obviously a reason for it,” Katich said after the first day. “It must be the schedule. It’s the first time I’ve been on a tour where we haven’t played at least a four-day match, at least one if not two before the Test series. I’m not sure, I haven’t asked anyone why.”Australia have been busy with one-day cricket and Twenty20s against England and Pakistan over the past few weeks, and most of the Test players have been involved in those games. Of those who were not in the limited-overs squad, Marcus North has been at home in Perth during the winter and faced only 32 balls in Derby, Ben Hilfenhaus had a decent run during the Australia A series in Queensland and Katich, who made 22, has been playing for Lancashire.”I feel like it’s been good to have gotten over here earlier, even though it wasn’t a lot of four-day cricket I got to play one game,” he said. “It was better than being at home practising indoors.”Practising at home, you can’t really replicate the same sort of conditions because you have to train indoors because of the weather, and you’re facing either the machine or not the same balls. There’s only one way, to play in the same conditions with the same balls you’re going to cop in a Test match.”But while a two-day game is not ideal ahead of a Test match, Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting made the most of the opportunity by scoring centuries against a Derbyshire attack lacking experience. The second day will be just as important for Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Steven Smith, who are likely to form Australia’s attack at Lord’s.”It was a good hit-out,” Katich said after Australia posted 436. “Most of the guys had a pretty good stint out in the middle, just getting used to facing red balls again. The boys have been facing white ones for the last month. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be good and we’ll be able to get our full day in the field and give our bowlers a bit of a hit-out as well.”

Speaking to club media, as shared by The Peterborough Telegraph, Director of Football Barry Fry of Peterborough United has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of defender Benjamin Mensah.

The Lowdown: Spurs make enquiry…

First breaking the news, Sky Sports (13 Jan, 12:46) claimed that Spurs had made an enquiry to sign the 19-year-old amid manager Antonio Conte’s hunt for a right-wing back.

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Alasdair Gold says that the search for a player in that position is among the Italian’s and transfer chief Fabio Paratici top priorities for January with Mensah now attracting interest.

It is believed that the young ace would go straight into Tottenham’s Under-23s set up as the club seemingly look at RWB options for the future also, with Mensah capable of slotting in there as well as in a traditional back four.

The Latest: Fry confirms talks with Spurs…

As per club chief Fry, Spurs do indeed hold an interest and have ‘suggested one or two things’, with the Peterborough chief revealing he has in fact ‘talked to Tottenham’.

“I have talked to Tottenham and they have suggested one or two things to me,” he explained.

“Which I told the manager and the chairman about but they were adamant it was a no. Tottenham are still monitoring the situation.”

The Verdict: Interesting development…

It’s not everyday club officials come out to confirm transfer rumours, so this comes as an interesting development.

In terms of Mensah, he could be a brilliant option for the future with Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson already raving over the teenager after he signed his first professional contract.

The former Manchester United player called his youngster ‘aggressive’ and ‘excellent’ in one-vs-one situations with the English-born Ghanian ace seemingly one to watch out for.

If Tottenham can get him over the line and reach an agreement with The Posh, it’ll be fascinating to see his development at N17.

In other news: ‘This will excite Tottenham fans…’ – Sky Sports drop major live TV transfer claim, find out more here.

Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has been reprimanded by the IPL for his negative comments on Rajasthan Royals

Cricinfo staff02-Apr-2010Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has been reprimanded by the IPL for his negative comments on Rajasthan Royals after his team’s comprehensive 67-run win at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Wednesday, their third successive win. Gambhir said at the post-match presentation that besides the attacking Yusuf Pathan, the rest of the batsmen were “ordinary”.”I think Rajasthan was never a threat. Except for Yusuf Pathan, the other guys were pretty ordinary,” Gambhir said. “We weren’t really worried about anyone else.” Chasing 189, Rajasthan stumbled to 32 for 4 and never recovered. Yusuf contributed a 14-ball 24 and was the fifth out at 66.Gambhir was reported by IPL chairman Lalit Modi, and pleaded guilty to a level 1 offence (section 2.1.7), which relates to “Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in a Match or any Player, Team Official, Match Official or Team participating in any Match, irrespective of when such criticism or inappropriate comment is made.” Gambhir however escaped a fine, which carries a maximum penalty of upto 50% of the match fee.Yusuf is Rajasthan’s leading run-scorer with 274 runs at a massive strike-rate of 179.08. He smashed a century off just 37 balls against Mumbai Indians, and became only the second Indian player – after Manish Pandey – to score an IPL hundred. The defeat to Delhi halted their bid to make it five wins on the trot.

ScorecardJamaica opener Danza Hyatt scored a century to lead his side to a comfortable six-wicket win against Ireland at the Port Rhodes Sports Club.Batting first after being sent in by Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert, Ireland could only manage 229 in 49.3 overs on what appeared to be a troublesome pitch, as fast bowler Andre Russell continued his fine form, taking 5 for 42 off 9.3 overs.In reply, opener Danza Hyatt scored 102 and David Bernard provided support with an unbeaten 52 to lead Jamaica to victory in the 48th over. Hyatt’s knock included 12 fours and a six as he took Ireland’s bowlers to task. Carlton Baugh, who contributed 24 off 20 balls, was also in good form as Jamaica continued their success in front of an appreciative crowd.Ireland wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, who was one of Russell’s victims, made 53 before he was caught in the deep by Odean Brown during Russell’s second spell. Wilson got support from his captain, William Porterfield (44), with whom he shared a 72-run partnership for the third wicket. Ireland, however, were never in control of the match and failed to recover from their poor start – they were 29 for 2 at one point – before losing their last six wickets for 61 runs.Lambert was also in fine bowling form, claiming two wickets for 10 runs in three overs, while Krishmar Santokie took 1 for 26 off seven. Lambert was pleased with the victory and is hoping that it will help his team to curb their poor one-day form.”We are happy with the win. I think it was a good victory for us. We haven’t been playing good one day cricket over the years so we are working on it from now, especially where chasing is concerned,” Lambert said. “It was a great team effort, everyone chipped in but Andre Russell bowled really well in their innings and the partnership between Danza (Hyatt) and David Bernard really set us up well.”Porterfield was disappointed with his team’s batting display, but took heart from their efforts in the field and remained positive. “Everything started well, I think, and we were hoping to get 270 runs but it all went wrong from the 30th over,” he said. “No one likes to lose but we are not overly disappointed. We have to look at the bigger picture because we bowled really well but we now have to pick things up.”

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a claim regarding Celtic’s possible permanent swoop for Tottenham’s Cameron Carter-Vickers, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers under Postecoglou

Carter-Vickers was the club’s final addition over the summer, joining on deadline day in a season-long loan deal that includes an option to buy next summer.

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Since then, the 23-year-old has been an ever-present figure at the back under Ange Postecoglou, making 20 appearances in green and white.

He’s missed just one Scottish Premiership fixture following his move and was hailed as an ‘excellent professional’ by Kenny Dalglish.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s claim

Give Me Sport shared the latest news on Carter-Vickers making a permanent Parkhead switch, suggesting both Celtic and the player are keen on a full-time move.

Reporter O’Rourke gave his thoughts on a possible permanent swoop to Give Me Sport, admitting he wasn’t sure if the Hoops could reach the £10m asking price, as reported by The Daily Record.

“Cameron Carter-Vickers has made a big impression since his loan move from Tottenham, but I’m not sure if Celtic could reach that £10m valuation that Spurs are looking for a permanent deal, though.”

The Verdict: Club record fee

Should Celtic stump up the fee for Carter-Vickers, they’d reportedly have to pay two separate add-ons which would take the deal over £10m.

That would make him the club’s most expensive signing of all time, eclipsing the £9.27m move that made Odsonne Edouard’s loan permanent from Paris Saint-Germain.

There’s no denying that Carter-Vickers has impressed at Celtic Park, however, £10m is a lot of money, especially with the Hoops already spending over £20m in the summer and seemingly looking at four January permanent additions in Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and on-loan Jota.

In other news: Devlin shares worrying injury update on Celtic ace after bone ‘break’. 

Rangers maintained their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Ibrox on Wednesday evening.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side consolidated their four point cushion over nearest rivals Celtic thanks to goals from Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent against St Johnstone, and while the two goal-scorers will rightly get the headlines, James Tavernier surely had his manager purring too.

Given a bit more freedom to go forward and join the attack like he’s done so effectively in years prior, the right-back looked far more dangerous than he has been in recent games.

As per Sofascore, he had a whopping 102 touches of the ball (only Glen Kamara and Connor Goldson had more), while he also provided three key passes and attempted 12 crosses – those latter stats ranking him joint-third and top among his teammates.

That’s also not to mention the fact he also looked assured defensively too, however, winning 86% of his duels on the night, and making a team-high five tackles too.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Football Scotland, Euan Robertson gave him a seven, saying: “Afforded more attacking licence than in recent weeks and produced a controlled performance.”

If Tavernier can match the kind of goals and assists he usually produces from those wide areas like he has done in previous seasons, Van Bronckhorst will feel very confident at the kind of potent attack his Rangers side could be.

In his previous three games in the Scottish Premiership, the 30-year-old had managed no goals or assists whatsoever, which is quite the drought for someone so involved as him – to put that into context, the previous five games before that little run saw him notch two goals and an incredible eight assists.

His performance against St Johnstone looked like Tavernier nearing his best, and his manager would no doubt have been delighted.

Meanwhile, this Rangers star has been a revelation…

A transfer update has emerged on Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi, regarding interest from a European club in luring him away from Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish outlet Sabah Spor, Galatasaray will hold a meeting with the Gers to discuss a deal for the Romania international.

The report does not state any further details, such as a potential fee or Hagi’s thoughts on the move, and simply claims that they are expected to meet with the Scottish giants.

Fans gutted?

Rangers fans will surely be gutted with this update as it suggests that there is strong interest in the mercurial midfielder ahead of the upcoming transfer window. It would be a big blow to lose him halfway through the campaign and Galatasaray are seemingly ready to test the club’s resolve with a move for him.

With aims to actually meet with Rangers instead of just holding interest from afar also indicates that they feel they have a chance of getting a deal done. It would be a waste of their time to enter discussions with the Gers if they did not truly believe that they have the funds to secure his services, which could be worrying for supporters.

Fans will have to hope and pray that Ross Wilson stands firm and does not allow Hagi to leave in the winter window and is able to reject Galatasaray’s advances. It would be a seismic blow for Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad heading into the second half of the campaign as he is a vital member of the team and his absence would leave a hole in the attacking line-up, which could hinder their chances of winning silverware.

Ex-Ibrox head coach Steven Gerrard previously hailed him, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

This suggests that van Bronckhorst will enjoy working with him in the coming months, with his quality on the pitch there for all to see. Hagi has 14 goals and 21 assists in 77 appearances for the Gers, showing that he has the ability to score and create in the final third.

Therefore, fans will understandably be gutted with the prospect of the Turkish side trying to prise him away from Ibrox and it explains why his sale could dampen the club’s chances of winning trophies as his goal contributions could be crucial to winning matches.

AND in other news, Rangers pulled off dream swoop for “outstanding” beast whose value has rocketed 75%…

Celtic defender Stephen Welsh has revealed he should be fit and available for selection against St Johnstone on Saturday, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Injury scare…

Welsh made his fifth and sixth appearances for Scotland’s Under-21 side during the international break, captaining his country to a 2-0 win over Kazakhstan.

The 21-year-old kept his place in the side against Belgium on Tuesday, however, he limped off with minutes remaining, with St Johnstone man Glenn Middleton also needing to be withdrawn due to injury.

That left both players’ availability for the League Cup semi-final in doubt, but it now seems as if the Celtic man will be ready to go at Hampden Park.

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The Latest: Welsh’s comments

Welsh, labelled as ‘excellent’ by pundit Paul John Dykes, was talking to the media and addressed his recent knock, admitting he was replaced as a precaution and labelled the knock as an ‘impact’ injury.

“I’m fine. It was a knock when their player had a shot and followed through on us, but I just came off as a precaution. I’ll be fine for the weekend.

“You’re always worried when you feel a bit of pain, but luckily it wasn’t a twist or anything. It was just pure impact so I should be fine.”

The Verdict: Relief…

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that summer signing Carl Starfelt, along with Tom Rogic and Giorgos Giakoumakis, probably won’t be fit for the League Cup semi-final on Saturday, and with Christopher Jullien also still sidelined, having Welsh fit is great news.

He’s been the player who has filled in for Starfelt prior to the international break in wins over Ferencvaros and Dundee, so you’d expect he could once again partner Cameron Carter-Vickers at the back.

If he doesn’t quite make it, Postecoglou may have to turn to the experience of versatile ace Nir Bitton, as summer signings Liam Scales and Osaze Urhoghide are yet to start a senior game in green and white.

In other news: Ange now wants to sign another forward for Celtic in January; came through same academy as Rogic. 

While Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side have not exactly got off to the best of starts in their 2021/22 Premier League campaign, with the Whites’ having picked up just 12 points over their opening 13 fixtures of the season – five fewer than at the same stage last term – there have nevertheless been a couple of positives at Elland Road.

Perhaps the biggest of these has been the emergence of 19-year-old centre-forward Joe Gelhardt, a player who there is a considerable amount of excitement about at Thorp Arch following a 2020/21 campaign in which the youngster scored 11 goals and registered three assists over just 16 Premier League 2 fixtures for the Whites U23 side.

Indeed, even Bielsa appears to be an extremely big fan of the England U21 international, with the 66-year-old manager waxing lyrical about the striker’s potential in a recent interview with Sky Sports, stating: “I’m not surprised by his integration. In some way, when I call on someone who is not usually in the starting XI, it’s because I’m convinced he can offer us a positive result.

“It didn’t surprise me that he was able to compete at this level as he has worked hard to deserve these opportunities. He has shown me that he is someone who has the right tools to have an impact without any problems.

“He’s a player that always creates danger in a game. He’s a player who’s more linked with the finishing of chances rather than the creation of them, but he has [the] resources to beat an opponent and he has a final shot, a finish that is very good.

“He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage.”

It is easy to see why Bielsa – a coach who has managed forwards such as Fernando Llorente, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Aritz Aduriz, Carlos Tevez, Alexis Sanchez and even Gabriel Batistuta in his career – is so excited about Gelhardt, as the 19-year-old has highly impressed over his three Premier League appearances for the Whites.

Indeed, the £1.17m-rated man won his side a last-minute penalty with a driving run into Wolverhampton Wanderers box back in October, effectively securing a point for the Whites, while he also completed a whopping five dribbles, won eight duels and received a SofaScore match rating of 7.0 for his battling display against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

As such, after somewhat surprisingly being left on the bench in the 0-0 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, Bielsa must unleash the centre-forward against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, as the £16.5k-per-week teenager has already proven to be something of a game-changer for the Argentine coach.

In other news: Cross drops major Leeds injury update ahead of Palace clash, fans will be buzzing

The Australian captain has expressed concern at the prospect of playing a weakened West Indies side later this year

Osman Samiuddin in Johannesburg23-Sep-2009

Australian captain Ricky Ponting has expressed concern at the prospect of playing a weakenedWest Indies side later this year at the start of the Australia summer.West Indies are due to tour in November for a full tour of three Tests,five ODIs and two T20Is, but the nature of the squad is not yet clear.Currently the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is embroiled in an industrial dispute with its leading players, including captain Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul among others; the situation has led to a severely weakenedside losing a Test and ODI series at home to Bangladesh. A similarly under-strengthside is currently in South Africa for the Champions Trophy. Severalmeetings between the board and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA)have failed to break the impasse, though with the mediation now of theCaribbean community (CARICOM), talks are due to restart.But there is no guarantee the situation will be resolved by mid-November,when West Indies land in Australia. The two are due to meet in theChampions Trophy as well on Saturday, but Ponting acknowledged that there islittle that can be done by outside parties to resolve the situation.”There is nothing we can do about it, as an Australian cricket team oranyone else about the fact that West Indies’ strongest team isn’t hereat the moment,” Ponting said. “We all know the reasons why. All we can dois play well against them.”But a second-string team to start the summer season in Australia would bea worry. “I must admit I am a little bit concerned about the Australiansummer and how that will turn out. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hopethat the number one and full-strength West Indies side make the journey toAustralia because all the fans around the world enjoy seeing them as wellas fans in Australia.”Ponting refused to be drawn into a debate over whether such a scenariowould devalue cricket, adopting a wait-and-see stance. “We’ll have to waitand see. We don’t know what will happen but we’ll keep our fingers crossedas a group of players. From Cricket Australia’s point of view they willkeep their fingers crossed for the strongest team to turn up.”Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland had said earlier this month that he too had his fingers crossed and hoped the dispute would be resolved soon before contemplating contingency plans.