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Lockhart Sebastien has been appointed as a selector for the WICB, filling the place vacated by former fast bowling great Courtney Walsh

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-20161:06

“We will ensure the best West Indies team is selected at all times” – Sebastien

Former Dominica opening batsman Lockhart Sebastien has been appointed for a two-year term as a selector for the WICB, filling the place vacated by former fast bowling great Courtney Walsh. Walsh had stepped down from the selection panel last month after signing on as Bangladesh’s new bowling coach.Sebastien has served in various capacities within the WICB over the past few decades. He has managed the Windward Islands team for the last 12 years and has served as a director on the Windward Islands board for the last ten years. He also served as manager for West Indies A in 2013 and 2014.While thanking the Board of Directors for approving his appointment, Sebastien spoke of his determination to contribute as a selector. “I have always been a team player and, together with the other selectors, we will ensure the best West Indies team is selected at all times,” he said. “Selectors have not always pleased everyone in the Caribbean but I am part of a team who will try the utmost to make Caribbean people happy.”

Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee is likely to retain Galle as a venue for the two-Test series against West Indies in October but has decided to drastically reduce the costs it will incur in hosting the match there, as well as at other venues for the

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Sep-2015After much deliberation, Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee is likely to retain Galle as a venue for the two-Test series against West Indies in October but has decided to drastically reduce the costs it will incur in hosting the match there, as well as at other venues for the tour.”We hope to cut costs down to about Rs 3 million (approx. $22,200) to try and offset the losses we will incur hosting West Indies,” Kushil Gunasekera, the interim committee vice-president, said.”We didn’t want to deprive the outstation spectators from watching an international match but at the same time we had to also curtail the losses that we will incur playing at Galle.”Galle traditionally has been an extravagant venue and we will try and keep down costs to a minimum.”Gunasekera said that SLC will not be making use of the Galle Municipal building and the Galle Cricket Club. It will also discard having marquees for spectators as well as feeding 500 school children breakfast, lunch and tea, which alone cost SLC Rs 1.2 million.Galle has been a Test venue for all tours since 1998. The two Tests played against Pakistan and India in Galle brought in revenue of Rs 14 million, Gunasekara said, but with SLC receiving only Rs 45 million for TV broadcasting rights for the West Indies series, it stands to lose overall Rs 105 million on the tour comprising two Tests, three ODIs and two T20s.SLC made a record profit of Rs 87 million from the Pakistan tour against a target of Rs 50 million, and stands to gain Rs 300 million from the recently concluded India tour.The first Test against West Indies starts October 14 with the second beginning at P Sara Oval on October 22. R Premadasa Stadium and Pallekele will host the ODIs and T20s.

England players are “substantially underpaid” and require far greater compensation for missing out on the riches available in T20 leagues around the world, according to Angus Porter

George Dobell15-Feb-2013England players are “substantially underpaid” and require far greater compensation for missing out on the riches available in T20 leagues around the world, according to the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the players’ union.Angus Porter is one of the key men charged with negotiating England’s central contracts and he feels there is a chasm to be bridged before the players and the ECB can agree the next deal. The new contracts are due to be issued in October.England’s busy schedule is one key area of concern. With the international team playing cricket almost the whole way around the calendar, the opportunities available to England players to participate in the various domestic T20 leagues springing up around the world are sharply curtailed. As a result, according to Porter, their payment lags far behind their opposite numbers from other countries.The players are also said to be concerned about the integrity of Test cricket. While the format remains most cherished by all current England players, Porter said they are worried that Tests played in May are compromised by the absence of key members of the opposition at the IPL and serve to devalue the premier form of the game.”T20 leagues are very much an issue as we look at the next round of central contracts,” Porter told ESPNcricinfo. “It would be wrong to focus purely on the IPL; the fact is that England players have very little time to appear in any of the highly profitable T20 leagues or even in the Champions League.”It is quite wrong to presume that central contracts are adequate compensation. England players are substantially underpaid even before we factor in the lost earnings from potential T20 appearances. They are paid somewhere around half the amount of Australian players and most Australian players also have the opportunity to appear in the IPL and the BBL. We are asking that England players be given a chance to maximise their earnings.”While helping the players to do that is clearly one part of Porter’s remit, it is not his only concern. “It is very important to the ECB that the integrity of the early season Tests is maintained,” Porter said. “But it isn’t necessarily so important to the opposition. The players are concerned that playing games against half-strength teams does long-term damage to the integrity of the format that all of them feel is the most important and prestigious.”We understand there are complex issues here. We understand why the England schedule is so busy and we don’t pretend there are simple answers. We are not thrusting a stake into the ground and saying our position cannot be moved. We just feel that a bit of flexibility is required and that a negotiated settlement is the answer. The players are certainly prepared to compromise and I hope the ECB are, too. The England players need to have a greater say in the schedule.”Talks between the two sides are at an early stage but it is clear that there are significant problems to be solved before the England team depart for the Ashes at the end of October.As things stand, an uneasy compromise exists between the ECB and its contracted players, allowing them to appear in the IPL for around a month but rendering them far less attractive to franchises due to their partial availability – several went unsold in this year’s IPL auction.The 2013 IPL runs from April 3 to May 26 but the ECB has insisted their players are back in England by May 5, ahead of the New Zealand Test at Lord’s, which begins on May 16. The New Zealand team is sure to be weakened by players who have chosen to appear in the IPL instead.The ECB might have thought it had won the argument after subjugating Kevin Pietersen’s attempted rebellion in 2012. Among other disagreements, Pietersen had wanted to play a whole season of IPL but was forced to back down when the England management made it clear that they were not willing to give any more ground. But Matt Prior is the latest England regular to suggest a rethink of England’s early season schedule, while Owais Shah is believed to be thinking of becoming the first English cricketer to give up a contract in county cricket to make himself available as a travelling T20 professional. The issue is clearly not going away.”There is no question that we are going to see cricketers go freelance,” Porter said. “It may be Shah and it may be someone else. But you can understand players wanting to maximise their earning ability over the last few years of their career and, perhaps, extending that career by managing their workload. It will happen soon.”The involvement of England’s players in the IPL may be academic for a few years, though. Between 2014 and 2016 the dates of the IPL are set to be pushed back a few weeks to accommodate major global events, making it practically impossible for England players to be involved. The World T20 takes place in Bangladesh in April 2014, the World Cup the following year runs until the end of March and the following World T20 takes place in India in April 2016.

Andrew Strauss has described England’s defeat against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi as among the most painful of his career

George Dobell in Abu Dhabi28-Jan-2012Andrew Strauss has described England’s defeat against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi as among the most painful of his career.Strauss, the England captain, top scored with 32 as his side was dismissed for 72 in pursuit of a target of 145. It was England’s lowest total against Pakistan and only the second time they failed to chase a target of under 150 in the fourth innings in more than a century. The result condemned them to their first series defeat since losing in the West Indies in 2009 and jeopardised their reign as the world’s No. 1 Test team. If England fail to win the final Test and South Africa inflict a 3-0 defeat upon New Zealand, then South Africa will usurp England.To make the defeat all the more galling, England had several opportunities to win. Not only was their target modest but, had Kevin Pietersen hit the stumps with a simple throw on day three to run out Asad Shafiq, Pakistan’s key second-innings partnership would have been ended. In the context of a low-scoring game, the extra 49 runs the pair added were vital.”It is a struggle to think of a loss that has hurt more than this,” Strauss said. “It’s bitterly disappointing to lose a game you should have won. These are the games that hurt the most, because you feel like you’ve done everything you can to win the game – and then you aren’t able to nail the final nail in the coffin.Strauss’ disappointment was increased by the sense that England had failed a significant challenge. Winning in Asian conditions remains the Holy Grail for England and, after the success of the last couple of years, they felt they had an excellent opportunity on this tour. He was, however, frank when assessing where England had gone wrong.Andrew Strauss was one of two batsmen to make it past single digits in England’s second innings•AFP

“I said at the start of this tour, this is the final frontier,” Strauss said. “England teams haven’t done very well out here [in Asia] in the past. We felt like we had a great chance to win this series, but I think the fact that we got rolled over twice in Dubai meant that there was some baggage there going into this final innings. Test
cricket is hard and it exposes any vulnerability or weaknesses you have.”As a batting unit we have to hold our hands up and say we haven’t done well enough. We have been rolled over three times in four innings this series. There are no excuses – we need to be better than that.”We just didn’t play well enough, individually or collectively. Individually we’ve not been clear enough in our game plans against spin, we’ve not been clear enough in our methods of where our scoring areas are, and we’ve allowed pressure to build.”Strauss admitted that England’s cautious approach might have contributed to the defeat. England were almost strokeless at times, with Alastair Cook labouring for 15 overs for his seven runs.”It is easy to get caught between two stools,” Strauss said. “You don’t know whether to be patient or to take the bull by the horns. There is always a balance to strike between attack and defence and ultimately we didn’t do it right. I’m a strong believer that players should play their natural game in positions like this, but it was a bit unfortunate that our attacking players were out very quickly.”Strauss was also keen to credit Pakistan for their performance. “It’s very important in circumstances like this, and particularly after this game, to give a lot of credit to Pakistan,” he said. “They were outstanding. They’ve been a good, close-knit unit – and they’ve got some very good spin bowlers. Ultimately, they’ve played better cricket than we did.”

Growing differences between Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif appear to have given rise to the acknowledgment that wrongdoing was committed

Osman Samiuddin in Doha10-Jan-2011Growing differences between Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in the spot-fixing hearings in Doha, Qatar appear to have given rise to the acknowledgment that wrongdoing was committed during the Lord’s Test last summer, but that complicity in the act and blame for it have not yet been settled.The pair, along with Mohammad Amir, have pleaded not guilty to charges of bowling deliberate no-balls in the fourth Test against England, allegedly at the behest of player-agent Mazhar Majeed. But on day five of the hearing, during which Asif presented his defence and was then cross-examined by ICC lawyers, the explanations of why a no-ball was bowled suggest that it was the result of a direct or indirect instruction from Butt.It has slowly become clear over the course of the hearing that the equation between how Butt and Asif defended themselves in particular was going to be pivotal in the case. In his opening statement, Asif is believed to have said that the no-ball came about because of the extra effort required to bowl a faster ball as instructed by Butt, who was captain at the time.As a result, Butt was questioned by Asif’s lawyer, Alexander Cameron, during his defence earlier in the hearing; in turn, on Monday, Butt’s lawyer Yasin Patel questioned Asif. Amir on the other hand was not questioned by either of the other players’ lawyers.There is a suggestion that Butt wasn’t in the courtroom, on the 12th floor of the Qatar Financial Centre, during Asif’s questioning. As has been the case through the week, the players arrived separately; Asif was the first to do so and the last to leave.Given that the possibility of deliberate wrongdoing is strengthened through the interplay between Butt and Asif, the situation does not appear too bright for the players. The probability that the ICC, which is keen to establish its credentials as a body with zero tolerance for corruption, will push for harsh sanctions must be high. As Pakistan’s captain at the time, Butt faces the possibility of the sternest sanctions.He was under cross-examination for the longest period of the three players and one witness’ statements in particular are thought to have hurt his case. Equally, stern action against Asif and Amir cannot be discounted if guilt is established, even though the latter’s youth and unblemished disciplinary record might provide mitigating circumstances.After Asif’s cross-examination, the ICC began its closing statements. On Wednesday the players will deliver their closing statements. Thereafter the tribunal of Michael Beloff QC, Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao is expected to deliberate over the judgment. There is no indication yet whether a judgment and verdict will be made public on Tuesday or whether they decide to reserve the judgment till later.

George Bailey’s maiden one-day century and his astute use of the spinner Xavier Doherty kept Tasmania’s FR Cup season alive

Cricinfo staff13-Feb-2010Tasmania 5 for 264 (Bailey 112*, Cowan 53) beat Queensland 245 (Reardon 79, Doherty 4-28) by 19 runs

ScorecardGeorge Bailey’s century set up Tasmania’s win•Getty Images

The captain George Bailey’s maiden one-day century and his astute use of the spinner Xavier Doherty kept Tasmania’s FR Cup season alive with a 19-run win over Queensland. Bailey scored 112 as the hosts reached 5 for 264 and then opened with Doherty, the left-arm orthodox, who finished with 4 for 28 off 10 overs.Nathan Reardon’s 79, which included three sixes and took 84 balls, and 36 to Craig Philipson gave the Bulls hope, but Doherty proved too much of an obstacle and they were dismissed for 245. The result left a jammed table, with the leaders Queensland on 21 points with Victoria, Tasmania one behind in third, and the bottom-placed South Australia on 17. All the sides have one match remaining to determine who progresses to the final on February 28.With 66 needed off the last 10 overs, Queensland took the Powerplay and soon lost the crucial wicket of Reardon to a fine run-out from Bailey, who hit the stumps from cover. In the next over Chris Simpson fell without scoring when he found deep square leg off Doherty.Calling the spinner for the PowerPlay was as brave as opening with him, and Doherty was soon celebrating again when he bowled Ben Cutting. The game was effectively over when Philipson was caught by a diving Michael Dighton at backward point in the 48th over.Doherty started the second innings and the ploy worked after four balls when he had Ryan Broad lbw. Chris Hartley was also undone by a spinner, falling to Jason Krejza on 41, and the Bulls were in more difficulty at 4 for 141 when Chris Lynn became Doherty’s second victim.Tasmania’s innings began cautiously but picked up after Bailey joined Ed Cowan when the hosts were 2 for 43. Cowan left with a measured 53 and Bailey really picked up the tempo late in the innings when joined by Dan Marsh (24 off 25) and Krejza (32 off 22).Bailey’s hundred came up with a six flicked off his toes from Cutting, who was unfortunate to give up 17 in his last over, while he also gained eight fours during his 108-ball innings. His use of Doherty and a vital run-out added to the captain’s fine day.

The Reds survived a late scare to secure a 1-1 draw at Craven Cotage and set up a final date against Chelsea

Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup final despite drawing 1-1 with Fulham on Wednesday, finishing the semi-final tie with a 3-2 aggregate lead.

It took just 11 minutes for Luis Diaz to power his side into the lead. He won an aerial battle after a long pass from Jarell Quansah and drove towards the Fulham goal, unleashing a shot at the perfect time as the Fulham defenders came lunging in and managed to direct it beyond Bernd Leno.

While Liverpool were on top throughout, Fulham refused to give up and kept knocking at the door. Their persistence paid off thanks to some great work from Harry Wilson, who cut in past Conor Bradley and found Issa Diop diverted it in after 77 minutes.

That goal gave the home team a significant boost, and Caoimhin Kelleher was alert to keep out a dangerous shot from Wilson as the Reds were able to see the game out.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Craven Cottage…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):

  Made a few comfortable saves but put his goal at risk when he failed to win an aerial battle in the second half.

  Conor Bradley (6/10):

  Looked at home on the right side of the defence once again, but was beaten by Wilson for the equaliser.

  Virgil van Dijk (7/10):

  Cleaned up well at the back and looked great in the air.

  Jarell Quansah (7/10):

  Sent a great long pass to Diaz for the opener and was strong defensively.

  Joe Gomez (6/10):

  Had a comfortable game at left-back while attempting two wild shots from distance.

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  Midfield

  Alexis Mac Allister (7/10):

  Fought hard to win the ball and took a few blows for his trouble.

  Ryan Gravenerch (7/10):

  A solid presence in midfield as he chipped in with tackles and tried to move the ball forward.

  Harvey Elliott (5/10):

  Not one of his better performances despite covering a lot of ground. Struggled to create anything and wasn't good off the ball.

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  Attack

  Cody Gakpo (6/10):

  Combined well with team-mates but was not enough of a threat.

  Darwin Nunez (7/10):

  Some good movement to get into space and receive the ball. Saw a good shot go just wide after the hour mark and went off shortly afterwards.

  Luis Diaz (8/10):

  Did a great job to win the ball, drive forward and beat Leno for the opening goal. Was a great threat throughout the game.

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• Subs & Manager

  Curtis Jones (6/10):

  Took Mac Allister's place in the midfield and did a decent job.

  Diogo Jota (5/10):

  Replaced Nunez with just over 20 minutes but could not influence his team's attack.

  Ibrahima Konate (6/10):

  On to shore up the defence for the closing stages.

  Bobby Clark (5/10):

  Came on for Gravenberch late on but didn't have time to make an impact.

  Jurgen Klopp (7/10):

  Set his team up well to get the job done in the second leg. They kept Fulham at bay for the most part until the equaliser and looked capable of adding to their lead after Diaz's goal. Made some late changes to help stabilise his team.

MatériaMais Notícias

O foco do Flamengo em relação a chegadas é por um novo treinador, mas a diretoria rubro-negra tem visto jogadores do elenco principal de partida. Depois de Orlando Berrío partir para os Emirados Árabes Unidos e Piris da Motta estar perto de sair (rumo ao Braga-POR), outros nomes que estão a caminho do “adeus” são o de Matheus Dantas e Lucas Silva.A informação inicial é do jornalista Venê Casagrande, do jornal “O Dia”.

O Farense já enviou umadocumentação ao Flamengo para que o zagueiro assine por três anos. Já o atacante pode rumar ao Paços de Ferreira, com contrato pelo mesmo período. Ambos os clubes estão na elite de Portugal – sendo que o Farense garantiu a vaga nesta temporada.

A informação inicial é do jornalista Venê Casagrande, do jornal “O Dia”.

Já com a proposta em mãos, após conversas de aproximadamente um mês, o Flamengo está perto de liberar Dantas, ficando ainda com 40% dos direitos econômicos do defensor de 21 anos, visando uma futura negociação.

Em relação a Lucas Silva, o Rubro-Negro ficaria com 30%, caso a oferta atual seja aceita, nos mesmos moldes da de Dantas.

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O Farense firmou um parceria com o Lyon, da França, e deve fazer investimentos maiores até a temporada 2020/21. E lá deve ser o destino de Dantas, que, atualmente, tem vínculo com o Fla até dezembro deste ano. São seis jogos pelo clube, ao todo.

Quanto a Lucas Silva, de 22 anos, o Paços de Ferreira é visto com bons olhos pelo estafe do atacante desde o início das negociações. O seu contrato com o Flamengo também vai até dezembro de 2020. São 22 jogos e dois gols pelo clube, ao todo.

Ambos os negócios tendem a ser sacramentados em breve.

With the transfer window open across Europe, Goal takes a look at the players who could be on the move in the coming month

The January transfer window provides a timely opportunity for many clubs to deepen their playing pool, but the market can be a peculiar place at that time of the season.

Historically, there have been some big moves at this point in the season, the most notable recent example perhaps being the signing of Virgil van Dijk by Liverpool from Southampton in 2018.

We have already seen the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Erling Braut Haaland change clubs, with more set to follow.

With the 2020 January rumour mill turning and transfer window open, Goal takes a look at the players who could potentially make a move.

Getty ImagesMarcos Alonso | Chelsea | Defender

Spanish wing-back Marcos Alonso emerged as one of Chelsea's most valuable players in recent campaigns, popping up with goals and assists galore.

However, he has endured a difficult period at the club since the departure of Antonio Conte and has struggled for game time under Frank Lampard.

Conte, now at helm of Inter, is a massive admirer of Alonso and the Italian coach is reportedly keen to bring him to Serie A.

According to , the former Fiorentina player is Conte's number one target in January.

AdvertisementReutersCedric Bakambu | Beijing Guoan | Forward

A return to Spain could be on the cards for Cedric Bakambu, whose future at Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan is unclear.

The former Villarreal striker made the move to China in 2018 for a lucrative €10-million-a-season (£9m/$11m) deal, but league regulations could see that figure drop soon.

As a consequence, it is understood that his services have been touted around La Liga, with the likes of Valencia and Atletico Madrid open to making an offer.

However, Bakambu is seen as a second choice for Atletico, who are believed to be keen on securing the signature of Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani.

Getty ImagesEmre Can | Juventus | Midfielder

Emre Can's Juventus adventure has not been a particularly happy one and the Germany international has fallen down the pecking order in Turin, fuelling speculation that he will leave the club in January.

His omission from Juve's Champions League squad this season was a notable sticking point and he has been vocal about his discontent regarding his position at the club.

Tthe former Liverpool midfielder has been linked with a return to the Premier League with – interestingly – Manchester United, and some reports have even suggested that he could be used as a makeweight in a deal involving Paul Pogba going the other direction.

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Getty ImagesEdinson Cavani | PSG | Forward

Atletico Madrid have no shortage of powerful, athletic forwards, but apparently you can never have too many and they are believed to be lining up Edinson Cavani.

The Uruguay international's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer of 2020 so he could move on a free transfer and is considering his options. However, if a move is to happen in January, PSG will naturally demand a fee.

A fee in the region of €10m (£9m/$11m) will be enough, according to reports.

MatériaMais Notícias

Diego Souza carrega um currículo pesado nas costas. Segundo maior artilheiro da história do Campeonato Brasileiro por pontos corridos, com 108 gols, passagem por dez clubes do “G12” do país e sete jogos pela Seleção Brasileira. O Corinthians, adversário do atacante neste domingo, em partida válida pela 34ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, contudo, pode ser considerado como uma pedra no sapato para o atacante do Botafogo.

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Em toda a carreira, Diego Souza jogou contra o Corinthians 28 vezes, mas marcou apenas um gol – foi em 2009, em uma partida do Campeonato Paulista, quando atuava pelo Palmeiras. Desde então, o atleta reencontrou o Timão em mais 22 oportunidades por seis equipes diferentes, mas passou em branco em todas. O retrospecto também é negativo: o jogador soma oito vitórias, seis empates e 14 derrotas contra a equipe paulista.

A história pode mudar em 2019. Diego Souza foi testado e será titular do time de Alberto Valentim na partida no Nilton Santos. O atacante, que não iniciava um duelo há quatro rodadas, voltará a entrar em campo desde o apito inicial logo contra o seu maior carrasco. O momento é delicado: o Botafogo briga contra a zona de rebaixamento e só a vitória interessa.

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– Mais uma vez vou falar: Diego é muito importante, assim como todos os outros jogadores. Sozinho, ele não vai nos dar a permanência na Série A. E o Botafogo vai precisar muito dele nesses jogos finais. A gente conta com o Diego cada dia melhor – afirmou Alberto Valentim, em entrevista coletiva.

Foi justamente contra o Corinthians que Diego Souza passou por dois dos episódios mais negativos da carreira. Em 2011, quando defendia o Vasco, nas quartas da Libertadores, parou em Cássio em uma jogada que arrancou do meio ao ataque sem marcação. No ano passado, o atacante, jogando pelo São Paulo, parou no goleiro novamente – desta vez, na disputa de pênaltis na semifinal do Campeonato Paulista.

Diego Souza é o artilheiro do Botafogo no Campeonato Brasileiro, com 6 gols. Uma possível vitória do Alvinegro sobre o Corinthians – e o consequente alívio na classificação – passarão muito pelos pés do jogador e, acima de tudo, pela superação desta antiga “pedra no sapato”.