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Sarel Burger, who was Namibia’s interim captain for most of the recent T20 series against Kenya, has been made the full-time captain

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2011Sarel Burger, who was Namibia’s interim captain for most of the recent T20 series against Kenya, has been made the full-time captain. Burger led his team to a 6-2 victory in the eight-game series and topped the batting averages with 146 runs at 48.66 and a strike-rate of 97.98. He replaces Craig Williams.”We are in the middle of the preparation process for the ICC Global T20 qualifiers in March next year,” Graham McMillan, chief executive of Cricket Namibia, said in a statement. “We felt that it is important to make a change early if one was going to be made. I am sure that Sarel will step up to the new role. He has already done six matches against Kenya, he proved himself to be a very capable man-manager. “Raymond van Schoor, who captained in the other two games against Kenya, was named the vice-captain.McMillan also paid tribute to Williams, the former captain. “I would also like to recognize the role that former captain Craig Williams played in the development of Namibia’s cricket. Craig made a very valuable contribution in the way he approached the game.”I am looking forward to seeing him playing without the pressure of captaincy over his head.”

ESPNcricinfo’s Plays of the Day from the one-off ODI between Ireland and England in Dublin

Andrew McGlashan in Dublin25-Aug-2011

Tough debuts of the day
England gave out three new caps before play as James Taylor, Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick were named in the XI. Taylor was the first to have a chance to impress, and much is expected of the Leicestershire batsman, but he couldn’t shine on this occasion despite his fine form in county and England Lions cricket. Facing Boyd Rankin, in the ultimate little-and-large duel, he got underneath a pull and top-edged to square leg. Taylor wasn’t alone, though, as none of England’s new faces enjoy a great day. Ben Stokes faced 10 balls for 3 and Scott Borthwick’s first over was taken for 13 courtesy of Kevin O’Brien.Welcome of the day
Much had been made of Eoin Morgan’s return to Dublin as England captain, but he was given a warm reception by the home crowd when he walked in at No. 4. His boundaries, though, weren’t greeted with quite the same affection as he moved to a swift half-century and threatened to take the game away from his former team-mates. However, Paul Stirling found Morgan’s leading edge and made excellent ground to his left to take the return catch and the crowd gave Morgan another warm hand.Team-mate duel of the day
Steven Finn and Stirling both play their county cricket for Middlesex and came face-to-face as Finn shared the new ball at the start of Ireland’s chase. After a first-ball wide Stirling wasted no time in making a mark as he cut a six over deep cover, but two balls later Finn had his revenge when Stirling couldn’t resist playing a huge heave across the line and the top edge looped to cover.Tactical run out of the day
After an afternoon of frustrating rain delays play finally resumed with Ireland needing another 87 off 10 overs. William Porterfield and Niall O’Brien were at the crease, but they really needed a certain Kevin O’Brien there. Off the second ball of Borthwick’s over Porterfield nudged the ball into the leg side and ambled out of his crease. He turned to try and get back as Borthwick fielded quickly off his own bowling but couldn’t quite reach the crease. For Ireland, though, there was no point Kevin O’Brien waiting around to bat and in he strode at No. 4. When he launched his third and fourth balls in the stands Clontarf was rocking with chants of ‘easy, easy’ from boisterous local support.Ball of the day
While Kevin O’Brien was in the middle Ireland were winning this match, but he had no answer to a pinpoint yorker from Jade Dernbach which zoomed in on middle and leg stump as he tried to bring his bat down. Dernbach had just bowled a series of slower deliveries, which are his trademark in one-day cricket, but showed the skill to immediately change up a gear. It was just the latest display of the nerve that has impressed England’s selectors in the early days of Dernbach’s international career. And, vitally for a bowler who is used at key moments, he relishes the challenge.

استطاع الأهلي  تسجيل الهدف الثاني أمام إنبي، في المباراة الجارية حالياً، في افتتاح لقاءات الجولة الثانية عشر من بطولة الدوري.

ويتواجه الأهلي مع إنبي، على أرضية ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر.

وسجل أليو ديانج الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 77 من عمر اللقاء، بعد استلام الكرة من منتصف الملعب وراوغ أكثر من لاعب ثم سدد الكرة من داخل منطقة الجزاء في الشباك.

طالع..مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي وإنبي في الدوري

ويحتل الأهلي صدارة ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 27 نقطة، جمعها من الفوز في 8 مباريات والتعادل بـ3 مواجهات دون الوقوع في أي هزائم.

بينما إنبي يتواجد في المركز الثاني عشر بجدول ترتيب المسابقة ولديه 10 نقاط في رصيده، جمعها من الانتصار في مباراتين والتعادل بـ4 لقاءات والهزيمة في 5. هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام إنبي في الدوري

Shahid Afridi wasn’t an entirely happy man after orchestrating “a very bigwin” over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa, a result likely to havesignificant repercussions on Group A as the tournament progresses

Osman Samiuddin in Colombo26-Feb-2011Shahid Afridi wasn’t an entirely happy man after orchestrating “a very bigwin” over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa, a result likely to havesignificant repercussions on Group A as the tournament progresses.Afridi was at the centre of the triumph, picking up four key wickets asPakistan overcame a late implosion in the field to sneak out with an11-run win. The haul included his 300th ODI wicket, the third Pakistani todo so and only the second player after Sanath Jayasuriya to complete 300wickets and 4000 runs in the format. With nine wickets in two games, he isfor now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.But Pakistan’s inability to finish off games over the last year hasworried coach Waqar Younis and tonight’s performance, deservedlytriumphant ultimately, would not have eased those concerns. Sri Lanka losttheir top order with less than 100 on the board, so by the 22nd overof the chase, the game seemed done.Pakistan relaxed and proceeded to spill three catches, fluff two stumpingsand miss a host of run-out attempts over the next 20 overs, allowingChamara Silva, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews to fight back. Amid thebedlam, they swiftly wasted two referrals and totted up 29 extras andthough Afridi felt that “80%” of the task was done by then, he warned thatimprovement was needed.Shahid Afridi is now the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with nine scalps in two games•AFP

“It’s a very big win for us, beating Sri Lanka before a capacity crowd,their own people and a strong team which has been playing very wellrecently,” Afridi said. “I think when we go ahead in this tournament ourdestination will get tougher and tougher and if we commit the samemistakes, then we will return to Pakistan very soon. We must improve. Ourfielding has been improving since the New Zealand tour, but I don’t knowwhy in this match we dropped catches and failed to take run-out chances.”The win was built on the back of contributions from older players; fiftiesfrom Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan set up the total and two wickets fromShoaib Akhtar, as well as Afridi’s haul, helped defend it. Given the blendof youth and experience in the squad, it was an important contribution.”I’m happy that seniors have taken responsibility,” he said. “Younis andMisbah are the backbone of the team, and it’s important that the captainperforms well as it sets an example for others.”Pakistan have a couple of days off now before their next game againstCanada on March 3, also at the R Premadasa. There are likely to be changesfor that game, to rest some players, but also for strategic reasons.Pakistan took an unchanged line-up into today’s game, which meant theywere using just three specialist bowlers and again not fully exploitingAbdul Razzaq: he faced four balls at the death and bowled five tidy overs.Another specialist bowler is likely to be considered. Misbah also pickedup a hamstring strain during his innings and though it is not thought tobe serious just yet, it might impact on the line-up for the Canada game.”I will sit down and plan, I will take advice from my coach and from mysenior players as it is everyone’s team,” Afridi said. “Winning is veryimportant for us, it is a good habit and we should try to win every matchand play hard with our strength. I think we will give rest to some of ourplayers but definitely we want to win each and every game.”

Noel Whelan has now dropped a ‘massive’ Glasgow Rangers claim ahead of their game at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership tonight.

The Lowdown: Rangers get big boost

As per Football Insider’s Ibrox sources, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are now set to rake in £25m-plus from their success in Europe this season, with their semi-final win against RB Leipzig bringing in another £3.3m.

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Finance expert Kieran Maguire expects their income to rise to between £75-80m in their 2021/22 accounts, as a result of reaching the UEFA Europa League final against Frankfurt.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former BBC pundit Whelan has claimed that the financial boost is ‘massive’ for the club, as it means that they are under no pressure to sell any of their best players:

“It’s massive because financially, there’s no real need to sell any players. They’ve got that windfall already where they might not have to be a selling club in the summer.

“They can keep their team together, they can strengthen as well. After Covid, with no fans coming in, it’ll go a massive way to sustaining the club at a high level.

“It will make them bigger challenges in the summer to go and get signings. Financially, it’s saved them from having to sell any of their star players in the summer. They don’t have to think about that now.

“They can relax and instead of thinking: Oh, we might need to sell one for funds to get players in’, the funds are already there.

“The funds are already there. That might just strengthen their capability to go and win back the Premiership from Celtic.

“First and foremost, they’ll want to win the trophy. They won’t be thinking about the money that’s coming into the club. They will be thinking about bringing that trophy back to Ibrox.”

The Verdict: Big boost

Of course, the extra finances on top of their memorable European campaign is a big boost for the Teddy Bears, as it could help them do the business that they want in the summer.

There is uncertainty over the futures of the likes of Ryan Kent and Connor Goldson, given their respective contract situations, and so the money can be used to help tie them down.

They could also approach the market with more ambition, having been linked to the likes of Sunderland poacher Ross Stewart, and use the extra money in order to land their biggest transfer targets.

Nonetheless, with their chances of another SPFL title all but over as they play Ross County tonight, this will at least provide a safety cushion heading into the summer.

In other news, find out who has been mooted as Goldson’s potential replacement here!

Ralf Rangnick is interested in a deal to bring Kalvin Phillips to Manchester United in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian journalist and transfer insider revealing during a recent appearance on The United Stand that, with David Moyes appearing adamant that Declan Rice will not be sold for anything under £150m this summer, Rangnick could instead pursue a deal for the Leeds United midfielder.

Regarding United’s potential interest in the 26-year-old, Romano said: “Phillips would be the solution for a normal fee, not a crazy fee. He’s a player who is appreciated by the Man United board, so he could be a possibility.

“But, he’s still not been discussed with Erik ten Hag. So, he’s on Manchester United’s list, he’s appreciated by Ralf Rangnick – I’m told – but, still not approved by Erik ten Hag.”

Supporters will love it

Despite Romano’s claim that Rangnick and the Manchester United board are yet to discuss a potential move for Phillips with Ten Hag, the suggestion that the club are interested in a deal to sign the England international is sure to be an update the Old Trafford faithful will love.

While it is true that Phillips’ 2021/22 campaign has been largely hampered by injury, the 26-year-old undoubtedly proved his ability at the very highest level of the English professional game last season.

Indeed, over his 29 Premier League appearances last term, the £45m-rated talent was in sensational form for the Whites, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week defensive midfielder also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls, 41 passes and 0.7 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Leeds fans have dubbed the Yorkshire Pirlo average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Leeds’ best performer in the league but also as the ninth-best midfielder in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, should Manchester United not be able to afford a move for Rice this summer, Phillips would undoubtedly be a fantastic alternative to the West Ham talisman – not to mention a signing who would be a dramatic improvement upon Ten Hag’s current options in the middle of the Old Trafford pitch.

AND in other news: Man Utd plot bid to sign “amazing” £164k-p/w “genius”, he’s a huge McTominay upgrade

As per Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move to bring Brentford midfielder Christen Eriksen back to North London in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: The show must go on…

Following a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, Eriksen was unable to play for Inter Milan in Serie A and a stellar career was in danger of being prematurely cut short.

However, following a spell training with former club Ajax, the 30-year-old was signed by Thomas Frank at Brentford during the January window as a free agent.

Since then, the creative Dane has made an instant impact in the Premier League and made a successful return to the international fold, heightening speculation over a possible major summer move…

The latest: Spurs eyeing reunion

According to a recruitment source at FI, Tottenham are believed to be ‘keeping tabs’ on Eriksen ahead of a swoop at the end of the season.

It’s claimed that the Lilywhites are ‘among’ a host of English top-flight clubs monitoring the 111-cap Denmark star who was once hailed as ‘special’ by Mauricio Pochettino.

Set to become a free agent in July when a short term deal expires at Brentford, ex-Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte could reunite with Eriksen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having selected the creative ace on 60 occasions whilst together in Italy.

The verdict: Make it happen

Sentiment aside, the Dane’s quality has been evident for all to see by his sensational return to football and bringing him back to Tottenham for free would be a superb piece of business by recruitment chief Fabio Paratici.

Since signing for Brentford, Eriksen has scored once and provided two assists in six outings – earning an outstanding 7.47 average SofaScore rating in the process, making three big chances, producing 1.8 key passes a game and delivering 37.5 (81%) accurate passes on average per appearance.

Not only a player of undoubted ability, but the three-time Danish Footballer of the Year also possesses unrivalled experience that would be of great benefit to Conte’s fledgling squad as the Italian looks to take Spurs to the next stage of their development.

In other news: Tottenham legend lauds current Spurs regular, find out more here.

كشف أكرم توفيق لاعب النادي الأهلي ومنتخب مصر الأول عن أسعد أيام حياته والمباراة الأصعب في مسيرته داخل عالم الساحرة المستديرة.

وكان أكرم توفيق قد انضم للأهلي في موسم 2016-2017 قادمًا له من صفوف فريق إنبي.

طالع أيضًا.. الأهلي يُعلن عبر بطولات مدة غياب أيمن أشرف بعد جراحة الركبة

وقال أكرم توفيق في تصريحاته عبر قناة “الأهلي” الرسمية على موقع “يوتيوب”: “انضمامي للنادي الأهلي كان أسعد يوم في حياتي، كنت أحب محمد أبو تريكة، وعندما كنت ألعب مع أصدقائي في الشارع وأحرز هدفًا كنت أحتفل مثله، وكنت أتمنى أن أنضم لهذا النادي وتحقق ذلك”.

وأضاف: “انضممت لنادي الجونة لكي أقول للأهلي إنني أستحق الفرصة فقط لكي أثبت نفسي”.

وتابع اللاعب: “مباراة الترجي التونسي في قبل نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا كانت أصعب مباراة في حياتي، وأحداثها غريبة وكانت الأولى لي على ملعب رادس وشاركت في مركز الظهير الأيمن وهذا ليس مركزي، والحمل كان كبيرًا وحصلت على أفضل لاعب في المباراة بفضل زملائي والجماهير”.

وأردف: “أسعد لحظة في حياتي عندما حصدنا بطولة إفريقيا شعرت بإحساس لا يوصف، وكنت أتمنى أن أشارك في البطولة التاسعة، والأشياء التي حدثت فيها جعلتنا نشعر كأننا منذ فترة كبيرة جدًا لم نفرح”.

واستأنف: “في البطولة العاشرة كان الإحساس مختلف، وشعرت أننا حصدنا كأس مصر ورحلنا ولم نفز بإفريقيا، أما البطولة التاسعة فكان شعور آخر”.

وواصل: “المباريات في أولمبياد طوكيو كانت بالنسبة لي شيء كبير، وبناءً على آراء الناس فإني وُفقت في هذه البطولة، وأكدت فيها على ما فعلته لمدة 7 مباريات مع الأهلي كظهير أيمن، مع أني مع منتخب مصر شاركت في الأولمبياد كلاعب في خط الوسط بمفردي”.

وعن أصعب مباراة بالنسبة له تحدث قائلًا: “اللقاء الوحيد الذي حزنت عليه، عندما أصبت في أول مباراة لي في كأس أمم إفريقيا، شعرت أن هناك شيء سيحدث”.

واختتم: “والدتي وشقيقي كانا يقولا لي نشعر أن هناك شيء سيحدث، وبعد إصابتي كنت أريد العودة إلى الملعب مرة أخرى، ولكن شعرت أنها إصابة بالصليبي لذلك خرجت”.

Sunderland have once again found themselves looking for a new permanent manager after Lee Johnson was relieved of his duties following the club’s recent humiliating 6-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers in League One.

In terms of who could come in and see out the remainder of the season in charge of the Black Cats, one name, in particular, has given the club a big boost in their search by reportedly making them aware of his interest in the currently vacant position.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Sunderland Echo, former Celtic manager Neil Lennon “has been mentioned” with the manager’s position at the Wearside club “as he is believed to have made clear he wants to be considered.”

This comes after it appeared as though Roy Keane was also in the frame.

Keane alternative

Having had two spells in charge of Celtic where he won many trophies as well as having stints in charge of Hibernian and Bolton, the 50-year-old has a total of 536 games under his belt as a manager, highlighting the experience he has of leading teams and winning titles, particularly at Celtic.

This is something that could make this an exciting and captivating appointment for the club’s supporters, one that leaves them thrilled, especially when Keane has been out of the game for so long, and hardly has a decorated CV either as a manager.

For instance, during his tenure with the Black Cats, Keane won 42% of his matches but that tumbled when he took charge of Ipswich, prevailing in a measly 34.6% of his matches at the helm at Portman Road.

Like the former Sunderland boss, Lennon is currently without a job in management but his reported eagerness to be considered for the role at the Stadium of Light could well make it a pretty straightforward appointment for the Wearside club. That’s something that would surely benefit the team, ensuring they have a new boss in sooner rather than later.

It must be taken into account how the Northern Irishman resigned from Celtic in his second spell with the Scottish club after falling 18 points behind Rangers halfway through their previous season. That’s something that may well go against him if the Sunderland hierarchy does indeed consider appointing him.

That said, his previous exploits in Glasgow, where he won numerous trophies, shows he is a coach who is capable of handling the pressure of a job with a big club where supporters are expectant. As a consequence, his previous expertise could be just what Sunderland are looking for with Lee Johnson having a far less appealing CV when he joined; something that Keane, unfortunately, boasts too.

Moving forward, with Sunderland currently sat in third place in the League One table with 54 points on the board, five below leaders Rotherham United, if the club does appoint Lennon, he will have a lot of pressure on him to try and secure promotion by the end of the campaign.

Though, if he’s shown an eagerness to take the job, he must be aware of what the job would entail and the pressures that would come with it given how Sunderland have now spent four seasons in League One.

In other news: “SAFC have..”: Luke Edwards drops big Sunderland manager update, fans surely amazed – opinion

ظهر تشافي هيرنانديز، المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم قبل مباراة الغد أمام فيكتوريا بلزن في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث ودع كلاهما البطولة بالفعل، وسيكتفي برشلونة بالمشاركة في ملحق الدوري الأوروبي.

وقال تشافي في مؤتمره الذي نشرته صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “الأمر لا يتعلق بالسلوك، إنها أخطائنا، ونضج كرة القدم ومعرفة كيفية التنافس بشكل أفضل ومواجهة المنافسة بإيمان أكبر، إنها عملية”.

وأضاف: “في العام الماضي كان الشعور أننا لم نمنح كرة القدم، وهذا كان خطأ، كانت مجموعتنا قوية ولم نكن على مستوى المهمة، ولكننا تنافسنا هذه المرة ولهذا أنا متفائل”.

وواصل: “لقد أهدرنا فرصة التأهل بأنفسنا، كانت في أيدينا وهربت منا بسبب أخطائنا وأيضًا بسبب قرارات التحكيم، هذه الأخطاء ستجعلنا ننمو”.

وأردف: “علينا أن نفوز غدًا ونلعب بشكل جيد ونستمر في الديناميكية الخاصة بنا، هذا أمر مهم، من أجل الهيبة والاحتراف يجب علينا الفوز في مباراة الغد”.

واستمر: “التحفيز؟ أنا متحمس حتى لو كانت مباراة ودية، نحن برشلونة، اللاعبون مميزون، إنهم في أفضل نادِ في العالم، يجب أن يظهروا أن لديهم مكانًا هنا، نحن في وضع لم نتوقعه، ولكن هذا امتحان كل يوم، إنهم مميزون، يجب عليهم إظهار الأشياء، إنهم لاعبو برشلونة”.

وأكد: “الفكرة هي أن يلعب كل من إيناكي بينيا وبابلو توري غدًا، أولئك الذين لديهم عدد أقل من الدقائق سيلعبون.”

وتابع: “التوقعات؟ كل مباراة هي قصة، علينا أن ندخل اللقاء بديناميكية إيجابية، نحن نلعب كرة قدم جيدة ونحن أبطال اللعبة، لا يمكننا أن نخسر هويتنا، المشروع؟ إنها مسألة وقت، لقد عشت أسوأ وقت في تاريخ النادي، من 2000 إلى 2003، وأفضل وقت كذلك، علينا الإصرار، علينا أن نؤمن بأنفسنا، هذا ليس الوقت المناسب للشك”.

وأوضح: “لقد حدث مثل هذا الأمر لي كلاعب، فأنا متفائل للغاية، نحن على المسار الصحيح، الألقاب سُتحسم في عام 2023، وعلينا الانتظار لنرى ما إذا كانت لدينا خيارات، نحن بخير في الليجا، ولم نكن كذلك في دوري الأبطال، هذا العام لم يمنحنا نتيجة، الخطوات أصغر مما توقعنا، ولكن الألقاب ستحدد في عام 2023، أنا إيجابي للغاية”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. وكيل كيسيه يرد على أنباء رغبته في الرحيل عن برشلونة

وعن خشية اللاعبين من التعرض للإصابة قبل مونديال قطر، قال الإسباني: “في عقلك هناك خطر الإصابة، ولكن هذا قد يحدث في التدريبات كذلك، ولكنني أخبرتهم ألا يفكروا في الأمر، يمكن أن يتعرضوا للإصابة حتى في الاستعدادات للمونديال، عليك أن تكون الأفضل عندما تلعب كل مباراة، كلما كنت أفضل في الفريق، كلما كنت هكذا مع المنتخب، في كل مكان يمكنك أن تتعرض للإصابة”. 

واستكمل: “سوق الانتقالات؟ من المبكر الحديث عن التعاقدات، هناك 3 مباريات قبل كأس العالم، ولا يزال أمامنا شهر ونصف قبل الميركاتو، سنرى ما يمكننا فعله، نحن لا نستبعد أي شئ”.

وفيما يتعلق بتصريحات روبرت ليفاندوفسكي والتي صرح من خلالها أن بايرن ميونخ يتمتع بدرجة أعلى من الاستقرار مقارنة بـ برشلونة، وهذا يجعلهم يفوزون حتى لو لم يلعبوا بشكل جيد، رد تشافي: “معرفة كيفية التنافس في الأوقات المناسبة أمر مهم، إنها ليست مسألة أسلوب، إنها تشير إلى النضج والشعور بالتعبئة كفريق، ولكن هذا لأن لدينا العديد من لاعبي كرة القدم الشباب”.

واختتم تشافي تصريحاته قائلًا: “لدينا أصعب مجموعة منذ سنوات وقرارات التحكيم والإصابات، ليست أعذارًا”.