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Brian Lara still has serious ambitions of coming out of retirement to try his hand at Twenty20 and is targeting next year’s fourth IPL tournament

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Brian Lara still has serious ambitions of coming out of retirement to try his hand at Twenty20 and is targeting next year’s fourth IPL tournament.Lara, who is now 41, will turn out for MCC against Pakistan on Sunday, at Lord’s, and it will be the first time he has played competitive cricket since being part of the rebel Indian Cricket League where he made just 31 runs at 6.20 for Mumbai Champs.Earlier this season he was in talks about joining Surrey for their Friends Provident t20 campaign and although that move fell through he hasn’t shelved his plans of cashing in on the lucrative Twenty20 game.”I’m thinking about it,” he told the Lord’s website. “I would love to be a player-coach. [I was] very close to joining Surrey this season. I was disappointed the talks broke down. If I have intentions of getting back and making an impression in IPL 2011 I need to start playing now.”Lara retired before the format took off internationally and although he maintains Test cricket remains the pinnacle he is positive about the impact Twenty20 has had. “I’m from the old school, I love Test cricket and I’m very happy that was the game I made my name in, but everything in life changes,” he said. “Evolution is important.”Lara has been in the nets at Lord’s preparing for his MCC appearance where he will line-up alongside Sourav Ganguly in a match which is part of the club’s sponsorship of Pakistan’s series against Australia under their Spirit of Cricket banner.”It has been a while since I played in a competitive match, surely I will be a bit rusty, but it’s great to have on the gear again,” he said.

A claim has been made on Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo, regarding a potential contract extension at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the ex-Charlton man is not eager to put pen to paper on fresh terms with the Glasgow giants.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Rangers might have a big decision on their hands in the summer because he’s only got 18 months left on his current deal and it seems he’s in no rush to sign a new deal.”

Gutted

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst could be set for his biggest disaster yet with this update as it points towards an Ibrox exit for Aribo in the not-too-distance future. If he is unwilling to sign a new contract then it could leave the Gers in a place where they need to cash in on him instead of allowing him to leave for nothing.

Transfermarkt value Aribo at £9m and, if that is an accurate estimation of his worth, Rangers could miss out on a hefty payday if they do not sell him in one of the next two windows. If they do not cash in and he continues to avoid fresh terms then he could sign a pre-contract deal with a club outside of Scotland in 12 months and they would get nothing in return for his services.

In both of these scenarios, however, is the worrying prospect of losing Aribo from the squad. Fans will be gutted at the thought of him leaving the club as he has been in stunning form for the Gers since the start of last season in the Premiership.

Last season, the Nigeria international scored seven times and provided four assists in 31 league outings. He averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.13 as he showed that he can perform consistently to a high level in the division.

Aribo has upped his game this term, with an average SofaScore rating of 7.20 in 20 Premiership matches. The midfielder has already racked up six goals and three assists, providing quality end product from an advanced midfield role under Steven Gerrard and van Bronckhorst.

This is why Rangers fans will be dejected by the news and why it would be a disaster for the club to lose him, whether it comes now or in one of the next two transfer windows. Ross Wilson must work his socks off with van Bronckhorst to convince him to put pen to paper on a new deal to ensure he remains in Glasgow in the long term.

AND in other news, GVB makes January enquiry to sign £2.1m “conductor”, Rangers fans surely buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici could be lining up one of the bargains of 2022 this January…

What’s the word?

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Spurs are one of the teams monitoring Ousmane Dembele’s contractual situation at Barcelona as he will soon enter the final six months of his current £210k-per-week contract.

The French winger is free to speak to foreign teams, including the north London outfit, from January, where a pre-contract agreement can be made ahead of the summer.

Those at the Nou Camp are said to be fed up by the time it is taking to agree to a new deal, so a deadline has been set, whilst it’s thought that his agent would prefer him to leave the LaLiga giants.

Valued at a whopping £45m by Transfermarkt, this could be quite the steal from Paratici and co.

Bargain swoop

It was only four years ago that the 23-year-old joined Barcelona in a mega £133.5m deal from Borussia Dortmund and whilst it’s safe to say that his time in Spain has hardly gone to plan, he is still an undoubted talent.

Injuries have somewhat hampered his chances at the Catalan outfit, though from 125 appearances, he has still directly contributed towards 55 goals, as per Transfermarkt. That’s a goal or assist every 130 minutes, which is a very respectable rate of return.

He is, after all, a player that even Lionel Messi is a huge fan of.

“On the pitch, [Dembele] is a phenomenon and it depends on him [how good he becomes],” the ex-Barca superstar told Marca (via FourFourTwo) back in 2018. “He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best.”

Elsewhere, ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes he’s better than some of Europe’s biggest stars.

“With that money, we went for players like Dembele and [Philippe] Coutinho. Dembele is better than Neymar. He’s at Barca and he is better,” he once claimed to Sport.

On the above evidence, Dembele would be an absolute bargain to secure next month. When one of the world’s greats speaks of a player in that manner and you can sign him for nothing in terms of a transfer fee, then you’d be foolish to not try.

Despite his injuries and lack of game time on the pitch, it’s clear that the France international can still deliver whenever he is involved. That should be enough to convince manager Antonio Conte into pushing for his signing.

Paratici could land quite the raid with a move for the £45m-rated star.

AND in other news, Conte dealt fresh Spurs injury blow this week….

قال محمد ناجي جدو مهاجم الأهلي ومنتخب مصر الأسبق، إن الوافد الجديد للقلعة الحمراء، البرازيلي برونو سافيو، قدم مستوى جيدًا في الظهور الأول له مع الفريق.

وأضاف جدو في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “المحور” عبر برنامج “الريمونتادا”: “لمسة برونو للكرة مختلفة عن باقي اللاعبين، وهذا ظهر بشكل كبير في المباراة”.

أحمد سامي يكشف عن تطور جديد في مستقبل صلاح محسن مع الأهلي

وأردف: “أكرم توفيق ظهر بشكل مميز واستحواذ الأهلي على الكرة خارج ملعبه أمر إيجابي”.

واستكمل: “عمرو السولية ليس جاهزًا بنسبة 100%، والأهلي ما زال في احتياج لمهاجم”.

وأتم: “شعرت أن شادي حسين كان معزولًا امام الاتحاد المنسيتري وما زال يحتاج إلى وقت”.

Tottenham are looking to pip Newcastle United in the race to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Sports Witness.

The Lowdown: Dembele at Barca

Dembele has been at the Nou Camp since 2017 following a £121.5m move from Borussia Dortmund and has made 126 appearances for the Catalan giants.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 24-year-old, capable of playing anywhere across the front line, has scored 30 times and provided 23 assists during his time in Spain.

However, he’s missed a whopping 100 games due to injury, and it now seems as if his time with Barcelona could be coming to an end.

The Latest: Tuttomercatoweb’s update

Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Sports Witness, suggest that Dembele is the ‘dream’ signing for Spurs boss Antonio Conte.

They claim that Newcastle have been pushing for Dembele for some time without making progress, with Tottenham now looking to pip their Premier League rivals to a move. Contact has been made with Dembele’s entourage, with Spurs keen on a January deal.

The Verdict: Possible?

A cut-price transfer in the New Year could well be a real possibility, especially with Barcelona recently reaching a big-money agreement to sign Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.

Dembele’s current contract has just over six months remaining, so Barcelona could now be open to the idea of bringing in some funds in January to avoid losing the Frenchman for nothing in the summer.

It seems as if Conte and Fabio Paratici are extremely keen on the World Cup winner, so this could be a move to keep a close eye on as Spurs look to add to their attacking ranks with a first marquee signing under the new manager.

In other news: Conte in awe of tireless player as he wows in Spurs training, could now stay in January.  

MatériaMais Notícias

O LANCE! teve acesso a uma nova pesquisa do Instituto GPP, encomendada pela Sempre Vasco Livre, do candidato Julio Brant, para a eleição presidencial do Vasco na próxima terça-feira. Os dados foram colhidos pelo instituto na última sexta-feira, com 401 entrevistados entre sócios cruz-maltinos aptos a votar. Nela, Julio Brant aparece na frente de Eurico Miranda pela primeira vez. O índice de confiança é de 95%.

Esta foi a terceira pesquisa realizada pelo Instituto GPP. Julio Brant (chapa Sempre Vasco Livre) aparece com 29,9% das intenções de voto. Em segundo aparece o candidato da situação Eurico Miranda (chapa Reconstruindo o Vasco) com 26,2% das intenções. A margem de erro da pesquisa é de 4,7%. Por conta disso, estatisticamente, Julio Brant e Eurico Miranda ficam tecnicamente empatados.

Na terceira colocação aparece Fernando Horta (chapa Mudança com Segurança) com 15,7% das intenções de voto. O percentual que mais aumentou entre uma pesquisa e outra foi o de indecisos, que agora está com 28,2%. Francisco Guimarães, diretor do Instituto GPP, explicou ao LANCE! o motivo deste aumento, citando as recentes uniões da oposição com Julio Brant.

– A união de Julio com Campello fez crescer a candidatura de Julio Brant, o que já era previsto nas pesquisas anteriores. O aumento do número de indecisos se dá pelo movimento migratório de votos e estes indecisos tendem a votar muito mais na oposição (85% x 15%). Hoje, quem decide a eleição é o voto útil – afirmou o diretor que já fez pesquisas para clubes como Flamengo e Corinthians em contato com a reportagem.

CONFIRA EVOLUÇÕES ENTRE AS TRÊS PESQUISAS DO INSTITUTO GPP:

RelacionadasVascoEleição Vasco 2017: Eurico Miranda não responde perguntas do LANCE!Vasco04/11/2017VascoEleição Vasco 2017: ‘O Vasco tem que voltar a escrever história no futebol mundial’, diz Julio BrantVasco02/11/2017VascoEleição Vasco 2017: ‘Sou capaz de fazer um Vasco melhor’, diz HortaVasco01/11/2017

A round-up of the fourth day’s play from the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2009
Scorecard
Sairaj Bahutule continued to spin a web around Andhra on the final day to ensure that Assam completed a five-wicket victory against Andhra in Guwahati. Resuming 40 runs ahead with five wickets standing, the visitors had no answer to Bahutule’s turn on the last day. He picked four wickets to finish with an innings haul of six and ensure there was no lower-order defiance from Andhra. Chasing a tricky target of 129, Assam suffered a few anxious moments when they were reduced to 67 for 4. But Dhiraj Jadhav followed up his first-innings heroics with a responsible 49 to lead his team to victory . Assam’s win seals a place in next year’s Super League as well as a quarter-final berth this season, where they will encounter Uttar Pradesh. Crucially, Assam will have the home advantage in that match.
Scorecard
Sachin Rana and Ankit Rawat struck hundreds on the last day to ensure that Haryana secured a draw against Tripura in Rohtak. Having conceded the first-innings lead, Tripura needed to enforce an outright win, a possibility that existed at the start of the day with the hosts 260 runs ahead with five wickets remaining. However, their hopes were quashed by contrasting centuries from Rana and Rawat. Rana was the aggressor, hitting 14 fours and a couple of sixes in his unbeaten 163 while Rawat was resolute in defense, batting nearly 400 minutes for his 114 before he was forced to retire hurt. By then, the draw was a formality, a result that pitchforked Haryana into the big league for next year. Before that they will face Mumbai in the quarter-finals at home.

تخطط إدارة نادي برشلونة الإسباني، لإعادة طرح عرض لشراء برناردو سيلفا في يناير المقبل، وفقًا للتقارير.

فشل برشلونة في محاولة التعاقد مع برناردو سيلفا من صفوف مانشستر سيتي، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

وسيواصلون سعيهم للحصول على صانع الألعاب البرتغالي، الذي سجل بالفعل هدفين في أول 6 مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم.

على الرغم من مشاكلهم المالية، تمكن الكتالونيون من إنفاق ما يقرب من 150 مليون جنيه إسترليني على الصفقات الجديدة وتعاقدوا مع روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ورافينها وفرانك كيسي وأندريا كريستنسن وجول كوندي وماركوس ألونسو وهيكتور بيليرين.

تمكن برشلونة أيضًا من جمع 700 مليون جنيه إسترليني من خلال بيع أصول رقمية مختلفة، ما يجعل أي صفقة محتملة لسيلفا أمرًا ممكنًا.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، فريق تشافي يمكنه الآن إضافة المزيد دون أي خوف من الإنفاق بما يتجاوز إمكانياته.

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ويأتي أحدث تقرير بعد أن أكد والد سيلفا أن نجله أجرى محادثات مع برشلونة خلال الصيف.

اعترف باولو سيلفا بأن هذه الخطوة لم تحدث لأنه “لم يكن الوقت المناسب لجميع الأطراف المعنية”.

وقال: “جرت الكثير من المحادثات لكن لم يتم تقديم عرض ملموس في الأوقات التي اعتقدنا أنها كانت على حق”.

وأضاف: “عندما جاء ذلك، أدركنا أنه لم يعد الوقت المناسب لجميع الأطراف المعنية، يجب أن تحدث الأشياء بعقلانية ولم يكن السيناريو المثالي لبرناردو”.

وقال بيب جوارديولا مدرب السيتي إنه لن يقف في طريق سيلفا إذا أراد الذهاب، وصرح: “إنه لاعبنا، نريده أن يكون معنا لأنه مهم للغاية”.

وأردف: “بعد قولي هذا، لا أريد أن يكون أي شخص غير سعيد، لكنني لا أريده أن يرحل لأنه لاعب متفوق، إنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين الذين مررت بهم على الإطلاق، في أي مسابقة هو أفضل لاعب”. 

Australia’s stand-in coach Troy Cooley has praised Brett Lee for his spirited comeback from injury after he skittled out five England batsmen in Saturday’s Lord’s ODI, and says there is more to come from him. Lee was forced to sit out all five Ashes Tests with a side strain but made a comeback on the one-day leg of the tour, saving his best performance of 5 for 49 in the series-winning match.”To see what he’s been through, when he broke his foot and came back again, then tear a side and get his fitness up and see him hit that top-end pace which we know he’s got and to sustain that, it’s obviously very pleasing for Brett and all of us,” Cooley told reporters.Lee crossed the 90mph mark regularly at Lord’s and constantly slipped in the inswinging yorker. Four of his five victims were bowled. Lee spoke confidently of crossing the 100mph mark and Cooley – also a fast-bowling coach – has backed him to achieve that feat.”As you can see [from his display at Lord’s], he has got the most ferocious inswinger in the game at the moment,” Cooley said. “He keeps saying it [crossing the 100mph mark], so we’re happy to keep pushing him up there. He is doing all the right things to make sure he is at full tilt whenever he can be, he is a champion.”We still think he’s got a little bit to go, he thinks he has a little bit more to go, so we’re happy to facilitate the development of that.”Lee narrowly missed out on selection for the first Ashes Test at Cardiff, which Australia failed to close out on the fifth day despite having England nine down. Former New South Wales and Australia wicketkeeper, Steve Rixon, believed Australia sorely missed a bowler of Lee’s ability in that game.”I know it was only a one-day game, but if he can produce a five to 10-over spell like that during a Test match, he has the pace and ability to swing the ball that changes the pattern of a game,” Rixon told the . “He can be a dangerous weapon.”There aren’t too many bowlers who can hit the base of the stumps that often. I know he was injured before the first Test in the Ashes [with a side strain], but if you take that game where we have 70-odd balls to get a final wicket, Brett would have been that person who can do that something special at the death.”Cooley is filling in for Tim Nielsen, who decided to head home to be with his family, and said he has no intentions of taking on a full-time coaching role with Australia.”It’s a caretaker role at the moment, I love my role within the fast bowling group. I have a great job back home with the fast-bowling programme, so I’ve got no eyes on taking ‘Vinny’s’ (Nielsen’s) job,” Cooley said. “It’s basically just to be able to make sure he can have a break and come back refreshed.”I’m very happy to be doing what I am at the moment and when Vinny said look after this team I said ‘Okay, only if it’s short-term’.”

دافع أنطونيو كونتي المدير الفني الإيطالي لفريق توتنهام عن المهاجم الكوري، هيونج مين سون، بسبب عدم تسجيله أهداف حتى الآن هذا الموسم.

خلال 3 مباريات صنع سون هدفًا ولم يسجل أي هدف، وهو ما جعله يتعرض للانتقادات من وسائل الإعلام.

وقال كونتي في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بمواجهة نوتنجهام فورست: “ليست مشكلة بالنسبة لـ سون، لقد سجل 23 هدفًا في الموسم الماضي، أنا متأكد من أنه عندما يبدأ بالتسجيل لن يتوقف”.

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وأضاف: “لا توجد هناك مشكلة مع سون، يقدم مستويات رائعة وملتزم بالتعليمات ودائمًا ما يكون سلوكه رائعًا في الملعب أو خارجه، ليس لدي أي مشكلة بابتعاده عن التسجيل”.

وأشار مدرب توتنهام: “هناك العديد من الأشياء الإيجابية، فريقنا أصبح قويًا ونمتلك صلابة، خرجنا بشباك نظيفة في الجولة الماضية لأول مرة هذا الموسم وأمام فريق قوي مثل ولفرهامبتون”.

وأكمل بالحديث عن دوري أبطال أوروبا: “هدفنا هو العبور للدور الثاني من دوري أبطال أوروبا، نحن نستحق أن نلعب في تلك البطولة، نريد ان نستمتع بذلك، وأن نذهب إلى أبعد مكان”.