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Shahid Karim, Mohammad Amir’s lawyer at the spot-fixing hearing in Doha, has said that the ICC tribunal’s decision to defer their verdict gives his client hope

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011Shahid Karim, Mohammad Amir’s lawyer at the spot-fixing hearing in Doha, has said that the ICC tribunal’s decision to defer their verdict gives his client renewed hope.”The last day of the (six-day) hearing was very positive,” Karim told on his return to Lahore. “It could be a silver lining for us. I hope Amir will be exonerated next month when the verdict will be announced.”Karim had earlier requested the three-man tribunal examining the charges to take more time to study the case before announcing its verdict, which was initially due on January 11. Following the six-day hearing, the tribunal deferred the verdict to February 5.Karim hopes Amir’s age and unblemished record will work in his favour. “I am happy with the procedure of the hearing,” he had said in Doha. “The ICC code of conduct has a clause which points to looking at the player’s age and past disciplinary record and Amir is young, so we hope the tribunal will keep this in mind.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to get their push for European football back on track as they host Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League this afternoon.

With just five matches to go, Wolves are still firmly in contention of securing a place in one of the continental competitions for next season, with Bruno Lage’s men three points behind seventh-placed West Ham United whilst having a game in hand.

However, three defeats in their last four matches have seen the Old Gold suffer a major blow in the race for Europe, and they can no longer afford any slip-ups.

Getting back on track with a victory against the Seagulls today is crucial, but who will start for Lage’s side? Here is how Football FanCast expects Wolves to line up this afternoon:

Wolves XI – Sa; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Jonny; Hwang, Neto, Jimenez

We anticipate just one change from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Burnley, which sees Fabio Silva replaced by Pedro Neto, with Raul Jimenez leading the line against Graham Potter’s side.

Silva has seriously struggled to make an impact this season and the £35m fee they paid for him in 2020 is still yet to be justified.

Labelled a “hindrance” by Wolves journalist Liam Keen earlier this season, the 19-year-old is yet to score in the current campaign, despite making 24 appearances across all competitions. Lage has tried to play the Portuguese youngster in the same line-up as Jimenez, but Silva’s sorry goal return shows that it hasn’t worked.

In his place comes Neto, who is still being managed carefully having recently returned from a serious knee injury. The 22-year-old returned to the side in late February after a ten-month spell on the sidelines but has started just one match since.

With Neto having been declared fit enough to be involved for Wolves for the past two months, Lage must now unleash the £39k-per-week winger, who Jamie Carragher described as a “superstar” last season after scoring five goals and providing six assists.

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Quality in the final third has been severely lacking for the Old Gold this term, with only four teams scoring fewer Premier League goals, and Lage will need to find a solution to his team’s woes in front of goal. Involving Neto would certainly be a worthwhile test of his ability to address Wolves’ lack of bite in attack.

Although victory will most likely keep Wolves eighth due to West Ham’s superior goal difference, it is vital that Lage’s men keep breathing down the necks of the Hammers and Manchester United.

AND in other news: Forget Marcal: Lage could sign perfect Wolves upgrade in “tremendous” £35k-p/w “beast”

Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston

Andrew Miller at Edgbaston06-Aug-2010Review of the day
Andrew Strauss laughed knowingly on the eve of the Test when asked if he was learning whose judgment he could trust in matters of UDRS referrals, and whose he could not. On the evidence of the day’s first over, Strauss had presumably bracketed James Anderson in the former category, seeing as he agreed to take a second view of a somewhat speculative lbw appeal from only the second ball of the day. In fairness, it pitched in line and only just skimmed over the top of middle stump, but given that the onfield decision would have stood in the event of a borderline verdict, it was still a bit of a waste.Review of the day Mk 2
Talking of which, Strauss himself had an unfortunate brush with the big screen when his own turn came to bat later in the day. He had moved along to 25, the highest score at the time on another crazy day, when Amir zipped a full-length delivery back towards his body and through to the keeper amid a blur of deflections. England’s captain stood his ground, albeit somewhat sheepishly, as Zulqarnain Haider – showing impressive judgment for a debutant with a first-ball duck to his name – insisted on using a review. Sure enough, the ball had clearly jagged off Strauss’s gloves on its way past his body, and he was sent on his way to a mild ripple of admonition.Debutant of the day
That moment aside, the most memorable day of Zulqarnain’s life soon ended up as one he’d prefer to forget. Shortly before lunch he snicked an off-stump delivery from Broad to become the 55th batsman to make a golden duck in their first Test innings, and in the evening session he dropped a leg-side catch off Kevin Pietersen that was the exact replica of the only thing that his predecessor behind the stumps, Kamran Akmal, had got right in the course of his shocking match at Trent Bridge. Then as now, the bowler was Umar Gul, who zipped one off the seam to find the inside edge. But where Kamran clung on, Haider made a hash.Comeuppance of the day
After a flawless performance from the cordon at Trent Bridge, Graeme Swann – aka Mr Second Slip – had a premonition of events to come. “It was the worst possible start we could have done,” he said during the build-up to the second Test, “because now everyone thinks were are going to catch everything!” Lo and behold, who should bring an end to their 100% series record than Swann, who was fooled by a Stuart Broad delivery that squared up Umar Amin and squirted off a leading edge straight into his midriff … and out again. One ball later, Amin edged once again, but this time for four as the ball looped clear over the cordon’s head.Clanger of the day
At least Swann could say that his let-off wasn’t costly, as Pakistan were already six-down at the time, and the reprieved Amin was dismissed four overs later. Imran Farhat, on the other hand, had fewer reasons to be exonerated. Not only were his bowlers busting a gut to keep their team in the game, having extracted both openers on 44, and created this next opportunity 10 runs later, but he had committed a near-identical sin at Trent Bridge last week, when he dropped England’s centurion, Eoin Morgan, early on the second day. This time the sinned-against bowler was Asif, who did well not to lamp his team-mate in his follow-through, as a regulation nick went to ground at first slip.Shot of the day
Umar Akmal does not believe in waiting for the ball. He believes there is no ball that is unplayable. Already he had picked off six runs including a clipped four off the first two balls he faced. So when Broad pitched full but on an unthreatening length slightly outside leg stump, Umar used his strong and supple wrists to flick it over deep square-leg for a surprising six, half an hour before the lunch break. It was an aberration in an otherwise perfect nose-dive of an innings, as he soon ended up as part of Pakistan’s lunchtime scoreline of 37 for 6.Run-rate of the day
Until Akmal arrived to apply a relative measure of humpty to the innings, Pakistan had limped along to 12 runs for three wickets in 14.2 overs. England, by contrast had no such agonies when their chance came soon after lunch. By the time Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook had picked off a boundary apiece in the first over of Mohammad Amir’s reply, they had scored more runs, 9, in four deliveries than Pakistan had managed in 10 overs. Their eventual total of 72 was their joint fourth-lowest total in Tests, and the second time in a week that they had improved on their worst effort against England.

Shane Warne has said he is “flattered” at all the talk of a possible comeback to help Australia’s struggling bowling attack

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2010Shane Warne has said he is “flattered” at all the talk of a possible comeback to help Australia’s struggling bowling attack and stopped short of completely ruling out a return even though it would be a huge admission of the team’s current failings.Warne has arrived in London on a promotional trip for his new chat show and was greeted at Heathrow Airport by photographers and reporters who were only interested in one topic. “Just landed in London it’s freezing and was welcomed by press and photographers asking am I making a comeback? What have I missed ?,” he posted on his Twitter feed.Earlier, his column made a brief mention of the debate in Australia, which has led the creation of a fund and a website – bringbackwarne.com – that is aiming to raise enough money to bring Warne out of retirement. “We offer the Rescue Fund to the King of Spin,” the website says, “pleading with him once again to don the baggy green and attempt us to win back the Ashes.””There has been a bit written in Australia and people have been asking me about making a comeback,” Warne wrote in the newspaper. “All I can say is that it is very flattering to hear those words.”However, he preferred to look at what options Australia could take among their current players. It is almost certain that Xavier Doherty won’t be retained after taking three wickets in his first two Tests and being punished by the England batsmen.”Do they opt for Nathan Hauritz or a wrist-spinner like Steve Smith?”, Warne wrote. “Do they play two spinners or none at all and prepare a green, grassy wicket in Perth? That would be a big gamble against England’s seam attack.”The pitch is not fast and bouncy these days, so maybe you get a local guy who knows the Perth conditions, like left-arm spinner Michael Beer. Sometimes horses for courses works. Australia have to explore all options and win this next match to get back into the series. They need to look at all avenues and go all out for a win.”Beer, 26, has taken 16 first-class wickets in five matches at 39.93. He played against England in their opening tour match at Perth and claimed 5 for 207 but conceded runs at five per over.Hauritz is favoured for a recall, and hit a hundred as nightwatchman for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia having gone wicketless in his first innings. However, in his previous Shield match, against Western Australia at the WACA, he took a five-wicket haul.”Whenever you’re dropped you are always looking to perform well,” Hauritz said. “I’ve been lucky enough to take some wickets and score some runs but the job’s only halfway done. I was dropped for not doing my role in the side. I’ve got to go back to first-class cricket and prove I can do that and restore the faith in the selectors and the captain. If you’re taking wickets, scoring runs and playing the role they want you’re put in their faces.”Meanwhile, back in Melbourne, England’s wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, admitted he was bemused by the rumours. “I’ve absolutely no idea what’s going on,” he said. “I don’t read the press, I don’t hear anything, I don’t listen to any of it. If he’s going to come back, great. If he’s not, who knows? Whoever comes into their team we’ll have to look at, process, work out how we’re going to play against them like any other player, whether it be Shane Warne, Merv Hughes or anyone else. We’d look at them, the video footage and respect them like any other cricketers, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Leeds United have reportedly submitted a bid for Calvin Ramsey…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who delivered a rather exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT on deadline day. He revealed:

“Leeds have made an offer for Calvin Ramsay, a right-back at Aberdeen.

“The issue is Aberdeen are holding out for as much money as they can and they feel that if something doesn’t happen now, his value might increase further down the line.

“It’s a little one to keep an eye on.”

Bielsa needs additions!

The Yorkshire giants have so far failed to secure any incomings at Elland Road this January transfer window, though this latest development suggests there is still hope that something can be done.

Recently, the Whites have been linked with a £3m swoop for the Aberdeen starlet and whilst the arrival of an 18-year-old full-back from the Scottish top-flight is hardly encouraging, it is one that manager Marcelo Bielsa badly needs right now.

Truth be told, he could do with any sort of strength in depth, given the ongoing injury crisis at the club.

Problems have ripped right through his squad regularly throughout the 2021/22 season, leaving him putting square pegs in round holes in some crucial matches.

Last month, Leeds looked set for a relegation battle after they were thumped by Man City and Arsenal, with the 66-year-old being without as many as 11 first-team players.

More recently, against West Ham, he had only one senior pro on a bench of nine substitutes. The other eight were all talents from the academy, including 15-year-old midfielder Archie Gray.

Things have improved since then but the side is merely another injury or two away from sheer panic – the likes of last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford, club captain Liam Cooper and influential anchorman Kalvin Philips are still on the treatment table.

Ramsey, who has been dubbed “elite” by Dons chairman Dave Cormack, would provide vice-skipper Luke Ayling with some crucial cover with the goal of replacing him one day surely in mind.

He’s an established starter in the SPFL and has represented his country at U21s level, so you’d imagine that he could hold his own if called upon.

Bielsa badly needs additions and at around £3m, Leeds could do little wrong with the signing of Ramsey this deadline day.

AND in other news, Leeds’ late deadline day transfer plans emerge ahead of 11pm…

Gabby Agbonlahor has given his reaction to some early Glasgow Rangers team news that has now emerged before their UEFA Europa League clash.

The Lowdown: No Morelos or Roofe

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now confirmed that both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe will not be available for the semi-final first leg against RB Leipzig through injury.

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It means that the Dutch manager will have to look for an alternative solution up top, with Fashion Sakala filling in there in the 3-1 win away at Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend.

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England international striker Agbonlahor, who is also a pundit for Sky Sports and talkSPORT, has claimed that it is a ‘big blow’ for the Teddy Bears to be without both Morelos and Roofe:

“It’s looking very tough for Rangers.

“Without Morelos and now without Roofe, that’s a big blow. It’s going to be very difficult without an out-and-out striker.

“Their best bet is to try and park the bus in that first leg. Try and get out of there alive. Even a 1-0 defeat is not the worst result, they can’t come out of that game with a 3-0, 4-0 loss.

“They can’t go in open because it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere at Leipzig are a top team. The tactics have got to be spot on, try and frustrate Leipzig and get the game back to Ibrox.

“When you’re at Ibrox, that atmosphere with a chance of getting to the final, anything can happen.

“They’ve really got to be on it in the first leg though.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Of course, being without both strikers for the game will be worrying for the club and its supporters.

They are the top two scorers in the squad, with no fewer than 35 goals between them in total over all competitions so far this season, and the Light Blues may need a few goals to get through the tie given Leipzig’s firepower.

Christopher Nkunku is the main threat, with a whopping 30 goals from midfield in all competitions, and so players like Sakala will now have to step up in order to overcome the Bundesliga side.

In other news, find out what big behind-the-scenes twist has now emerged at Gers here!

A Rangers transfer update has emerged, regarding a Premier League player they may try to bring to Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, via The Scottish Sun, the Gers are interested in a deal to sign Crysencio Summerville from Leeds this month.

The report claims that they are keeping close tabs on his situation as they consider a swoop to bring him in on loan for the second half of the campaign.

Masterclass

Gio van Bronckhorst could seal a masterclass in his first transfer window by securing a deal for his fellow countryman this month.

The 20-year-old has made five Premier League appearances for Leeds this season and has impressed for the Whites at youth level. He has produced nine goals and eight assists in 24 games for the club’s U23 side, showing that he has the potential to both score and create goals from out wide.

He was dubbed a “bag of tricks” by coach Chris Powell and this suggests that he could be an exciting player for the fans to enjoy watching. Rangers supporters would love to see him pulling off skill moves to beat an opponent on the wing before scoring or creating a goal, which could endear him to the Ibrox crowd and make him a favourite if he is successful.

Leeds Live’s Joe Donnohue previously lauded the winger on Twitter, saying: “Cody Drameh and Crysencio Summerville were great together down the right flank for Leeds’ U23s last season. Seems like more of the same this year. Drameh an excellent carrier, weightless going forward. Summerville a wriggler, impossible to handle.”

At the age of 20, he has the world at his feet as he has plenty of time to develop and grow into a top player. This is why signing him on loan could be a masterclass by van Bronckhorst, as Rangers could be getting a player with untapped potential who could regularly contribute goals for the club in the Premiership without paying a transfer fee for him.

If the transfer is a success and he is able to hit the ground running in Scotland then the Gers could look to negotiate a permanent deal at the end of the season. Although, it is slightly premature for that as a loan is yet to be agreed between the two sides at this moment in time.

AND in other news, Report delivers big update on £3.1k-p/w Rangers outcast that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are still interested in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha, but  they could find it tricky to complete a deal for him this month.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Peter O’Rourke said: “Palhinha has been a long-term target for Wolves, and some of the signs we’re getting from Sporting Lisbon is that they would consider selling him before Monday’s deadline.

“£25 million has been mentioned, I think that will put him out of Wolves’ price range right now, and I think there are other bigger clubs also looking at the Portuguese international as well.”

The midfielder is contracted to the Portuguese champions until summer 2026 and has been a regular for Sporting this season, making 26 appearances so far in all competitions.

Moreover, according to Portuguese newspaper Record (as relayed by Sport Witness), there are numerous other clubs interested in the 26-year-old, with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla all named as potential suitors.

Lage will be seething

Wolves manager Bruno Lage will likely be hoping to add to his squad before Monday’s deadline as he looks to secure a top-six finish in his first season in charge at Molineux.

The Portuguese influence at the West Midlands club over recent years has been well documented, which makes the interest in Palhinha particularly understandable. However, the midfielder would prove to be a solid option and a long-term suitor to Old Gold regular Joao Moutinho, who is now 35.

With midfielders Ruben Neves and Moutinho both playing regularly and enjoying impressive campaigns thus far, it could be argued that Palhinha wouldn’t instantly get in the Wolves team if he moves to the Black Country. The support he could provide over the coming seasons would be invaluable, though.

The 12-cap Portugal international is known to be defensive-minded and has even played at centre-back, making Wolves seem an even more perfect fit for him. Lage’s side have the Premier League’s second-best defence, having conceded just 16 goals in 21 games.

It would certainly be a blow for the Wolves manager if he is unable to bring his fellow countryman to Molineux this month. What would make it even worse is if Sporting opted to sell the midfielder to a Premier League rival – that would well and truly have Lage absolutely seething, given how good a fit Palhinha appears to be for the Old Gold.

In other news: Wolves could land perfect Traore replacement in “exceptional” £27m-rated “phenomenon”

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, says his team is looking forward to getting back to cricket after four days of being in the headlines for the wrong reasons

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, says his team is looking forward to getting back to cricket after four days of being in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Pakistan play Somerset in Taunton on Thursday in their first game since the spot-fixing controversy broke.”We had a very good practice session yesterday [Tuesday],” he said at Somerset’s County Ground. “What has happened has gone. We are here to play good cricket. It’s a big challenge for me personally, playing in English conditions is always difficult.”Myself and the coach [Waqar Younis] are trying to keep morale high. It’s always very difficult in these conditions against a good team but they are all really focused.”Three members of the squad – Test captain Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – have left for London, where they are due to meet top administrative and diplomatic officials on Thursday.Afridi, who resigned the Test captaincy after Pakistan’s 150-run loss against Australia in July, joined the squad after the Lord’s Test, which ended in controversy a day after the broke its spot-fixing story.. The rest of the tour – a mix of Twenty20s and ODIs – is in some doubt but Afridi insisted his players would be able to put the furore to one side and concentrate on the task at hand when they faced Somerset. “We are all looking forward to it. It has been really difficult but we can forget everything, get out, play the cricket and entertain the people.”There were protests outside Pakistan’s hotel in London but there were none at their Taunton hotel and the Somerset chief executive Richard Gould was confident Thursday’s match would pass off without spectator unrest.”We are not anticipating anything of that order,” Gould told reporters. “We’ve got a really good family atmosphere generally in the ground and I think that’s going to be all-pervading tomorrow (Thursday).”I suspect there might be a little bit of humour thrown in, with a few comments, but we won’t let anything go beyond light-hearted banter.”

Lots of Everton fans were critical of the performance of Jonjoe Kenny in their 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

With Nathan Patterson unavailable and Seamus Coleman dropped to the bench, Kenny was left to play at right-back, and he seemed to struggle throughout the game up against both Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho.

The 24-year-old lost out on three of his duels and failed to make a single dribble, tackle or cross, while he also lost possession of the ball on 24 different occasions in total, the most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

He did not do enough to warrant keeping his starting place ahead of Coleman and Patterson, and Duncan Ferguson now has a selection dilemma to ponder ahead of Everton’s next match.

Everton fans blast Kenny

These Toffees fans on Twitter blasted Kenny’s performance against Aston Villa on Saturday:

“Kenny can’t pass a ball 5 feet”

Credit: @blackhurst92

“Can’t believe Kenny was playing today, offers nothing with the ball. No Gordon as well was baffling. Heading for the Championship after years of squad mismanagement, fully deserved”

Credit: @MarkWood17

“Kenny and Holgate starting. 2 lightweights in midfield. Wingers having to cut back all the time. No cohesion. Absolute shambles of a club.”

Credit: @nsno1878

“Jonjoe Kenny, who’s he conned into making him a pro footballer?”

Credit: @JoelBeckett93

“Jonjoe Kenny is atrocious”

Credit: @paddy55304510

“Jonjoe Kenny is dead set one of the worst players I’ve ever seen.”

Credit: @LDand_13

In other news, find out whose display against Villa was also slammed by many Evertonians