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Australia will soon have its first million-dollar Test cricketer under a new pay deal negotiated with the Australian Cricket Board

AAP09-May-2001Australia will soon have its first million-dollar Test cricketer under a new pay deal negotiated with the Australian Cricket Board.Under the agreement released today, the ACB says that the Australian squad will be the best paid cricket team in the world.The board has painted a rosy future for cricket in Australia, predicting revenue from the sport will rise steadily in the next four years covered by the deal.ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed predicts that within two years, an Australian Test player will be paid more than $1 million annually in wages alone.

Keith Gillespie has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he expects Manchester United winger Daniel James to remain at Old Trafford this summer.

The Welsh international burst on the scene following his move from Swansea City for £15m the summer before last, when scoring three times in his first four Premier League appearances.

However, the emergence of Mason Greenwood has seen James restricted to a bit-part role under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this term.

The 23-year-old has scored five times and added one assist in his 24 United appearances, but has started just nine times in the Premier League.

Five of those starts have come in the last nine matches, although James has been a regular in the Europa League, too, which could be valuable for his chances of starting for Wales at this summer’s European Championships.

Despite January links away from Old Trafford, Gillespie believes that James still has a part to play, and expects him to be a Manchester United player next season.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“I don’t think he’ll leave. He’s a good squad player, he’s still young and learning the game. It has been disappointing for him because when he first came in, he did well at the start, but his performances have gone downhill.

“He’s been used this season more than I thought he would be, you see him in the starting line-up when you don’t expect it – Ole obviously likes him.”

Brett Lee and the Australian cricket team were among the nominees to miss out on major awards at the second annual Laureus World Sports Awards night in Monte Carlo on Tuesday

Rick Eyre23-May-2001Brett Lee and the Australian cricket team were among the nominees to miss out on major awards at the second annual Laureus World Sports Awards night in Monte Carlo on Tuesday.The Australian team, who set a new world record in cricket for winning sixteen Test matches in a row from October 1999 to March 2001, was one of the five finalists in the category of “World Team of the Year” at the glittering ceremony conducted at the Grimaldi Forum and televised in many parts of the world.The award, however, went to the French national soccer team, which won the Euro 2000 championships last July. Other nominees in the team category were the Cameroon national team (Olympic soccer), Real Madrid (soccer), and the New York Yankees (baseball).Australian fast bowler Brett Lee was one of the five finalists in the category of “World Newcomer of the Year”. He was beaten by Russian tennis player Marat Safin, the other nominees being Juan-Carlos Ferrero (tennis), Aaron Baddeley (golf) and Jenson Button (motor racing). Lee made his debut in international cricket in December 1999, and despite injury problems and official scrutiny of his bowling action has taken 42 wickets in his first seven Test appearances at an average of 16.07.The Laureus World Sports Awards, which were instituted last year, were established by DaimlerChrysler and Richemont to honour the achievements of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women on an annual basis. Nominations for the awards are submitted by a selection panel of more than 300 sports journalists in 75 countries. The awards were based on performances over the year ending January 31, 2001.Kapil Dev and Sir Vivian Richards were named on the Laureus web site among the list of past and present sporting greats to attend the evening in Monaco. Along with Ian Botham, they are the only three cricketers who are part of the 42-strong “Laureus World Sports Academy”.Other winners of awards at Tuesday night’s ceremony:World Sportsman of the Year: Tiger Woods (USA, golf)World Sportswoman of the Year: Cathy Freeman (Australia, athletics)World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Vinny Lauwers (Australia, paraplegic sailing)World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year: Mike Horn (South Africa, equator circumnavigator)World Comeback of the Year: Jennifer Capriati (USA, tennis)Sport for Good Award: Kip Keino (Kenya, athletics)Lifetime Achievement Award: Steve Redgrave (UK, rowing)

According to a report by Football Insider, former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is keen on the Tottenham Hotspur managerial role with chairman Daniel Levy now weighing a swoop.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager hunt looms on…

As the Tottenham manager hunt lingers on, more and more names become linked with the vacant post and there have been no shortage of them.

Whispers of Julian Nagelsmann, who was favourite before taking the job at Bayern Munich, were quickly followed up by claims involving Brendan Rodgers and Erik Ten Hag. 

Many other coaches have also been linked, but it remains to be seen when Tottenham will decide on their man after Jose Mourinho’s dismissal last month.

The Latest: Benitez keen on Spurs job

In a development, Football Insider share that Champions League-winning boss Benitez is now keen on the Tottenham job with Levy weighing up a swoop for the out of work 61-year-old.

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It is said that experience and proven top level management is becoming desirable to Spurs chiefs and candidates like Benitez would provide much more security than the likes of Scott Parker.

Benitez left his last job at Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional back in January, making him a potentially cheap appointment with no attachment fees involved.

The Spaniard also dropped a Premier League hint when speaking to Sky Sports recently, saying that his ‘priority’ is to make a return to England.

The Verdict: The safe option

His glowing CV and the fact Benitez is a free agent do come as huge incentives to make a move, especially in this climate, but can he really promote the Spurs way long term?

Tottenham are said to want a boss in the mould of former favourite Mauricio Pochettino and Benitez’s man management style is far more akin to Mourinho.

He was accused of being a ‘control freak’ at the Bernabeu, not to mention he doesn’t fit into Steve Hitchen’s criteria of a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ boss who promotes attacking football (Daily Mail).

Therefore, while he could provide stability for a time, we believe he isn’t the best solution for Spurs to really build for the future.

In other news: Tottenham now set to interview ‘top coach’, find out more here.

Wolves’ joint top scorer, Pedro Neto, picked up a season-ending injury last month and that is what will stop clubs from being interested in signing him this summer. That is according to Wolves Hall of Famer, Steve Bull, as he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast.

Neto had impressed this season as he attempted to fill the void left by Diogo Jota following his decision to join Liverpool, and he had managed to achieve a respectable 7.11 WhoScored rating before he was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.

Wolves are the fifth-lowest scores this season as the injury to their talisman, Raul Jimenez, has hit them harder than many would have expected with Fabio Silva and Willian Jose nowhere near the Mexican’s level.

Earlier this season, Neto had been linked with a move to Manchester United but following his injury many clubs may not want to sign someone who has sustained a serious injury, Bull spoke exclusively to FFC about whether or not he thinks the winger could leave:

“I think if he hadn’t got injured then there would have been a lot of enquiries because he could fit into anybody’s side as he is a talented player.

“I think clubs will leave him alone until he’s actually fully fit, so I would say we’ve got him for at least the next 12 months.”

The £50,000 per week winger is not the only player who has been linked with a move away from Molineux this summer as Nuno Espirito Santo has been touted as a potential candidate for the Tottenham Hotspur job.

This will be Wolves’ worst finish in the Premier League since they returned to the league back in 2018, having finished seventh in their previous two campaigns.

Portsmouth have stolen a march at the top of Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 after fighting back to beat Lymington by four wickets after an absorbing tussle at St Helen’s, Southsea

Mike Vimpany03-Jun-2001Portsmouth have stolen a march at the top of Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 after fighting back to beat Lymington by four wickets after an absorbing tussle at St Helen’s, Southsea.With Sparsholt also losing their unbeaten record – they crashed to a nine-wicket defeat at Trojans – Portsmouth are out in front at the top.The prospects of Portsmouth’s solitary unblemished record remaining intact appeared unlikely as they dipped to 90-5, chasing Lymington’s 205-6.But a splendid 72 by former Hampshire all-rounder Lee Savident, which preceded a match-clinching partnership between Raj Maru (37 not out) and schoolboy Michael Barnes (26 not out), turned a yo-yo match on its head.The game, which swung back and forth throughout the afternoon and evening sessions, produced some exhilerating stroke play, often followed by woeful dismissals.Both teams began their respective innings as if the win points were to be decided after 16 overs, instead of 50.Australian all-rounder Brian Clemow set a familiar pattern, blasting Dave Tiller out of the Portsmouth attack inside six overs as Lymington progressed to 43-0 in quick time.But when Maru introduced his left-arm spin into the attack at the sea end, Lymington’s initial charge was checked.First, Maru lured former county 2nd XI team-mate Glyn Treagus out of his ground and then, several overs later, bowled Clemow for a hard hit 37.Maru (2-27) and Savident (1-24) applied the brake to such an extent that Lymington lurched unconvincingly to 112-5 before the tide began to turn again.Despite suffering from hamstring strains, Neil Trestrail (60) and Dave Coles (44 not out) put bat to ball to great effect in a 45-minute aerial assault immediately before tea to lift the Lymington total to 205-6.Portsmouth came out of the traps with all guns blazing – South African teenager Stephen Cook (30) and Matt Keech producing a selection of sweetly timed drives and pulls.Lymington looked set to buckle as Portsmouth swept majestically to 55-1 in the eighth over.But Cook tried one shot too many and spooned up a return catch, Keech was run out (by Treagus) in a mix-up with Savident, then Jason Carr claimed his third scalp when he bowled Paul Dew.Portsmouth had scored 56 runs, yet lost four wickets inside a bizarre opening ten overs – and the game was back in the balance.The city club needed a responsible innings from Lee Savident and got one – the former Hampshire player producing the key knock of the match, amid the loss of a fifth Portsmouth wicket at 90.But the ball from Daniel Peacock that bowled James Moon proved curiously counterproductive for Lymington.Wicket keeper Dave Burgess needed hospital treatment after the ball struck him in the mouth – and Lymington, already handicapped by a variety of injuries, were left to field for the last hour or so with only ten men.For the second time in the match, the experience of Maru took a decisive hand – and wrested the initiative away from the visitors.Maru, missed before he had scored, provided the ideal foil as Savident struck a six and eight fours in a splendid 72 before being stumped by deputy `keeper Dave Coles at the second attempt.But Hampshire’s Development Coach had no need to concern himself at Savident’s dismissal.He dabbed and swept his way towards a crucial 37 not out – but left the final accolade to schoolboy prospect Michael Barnes, who completed Portsmouth’s victory celebration in real style.Five times in what was to prove the last over, the highly rated 16-year old, who had earlier produced a polished performance behind the stumps, cracked Jason Carr to the boundary.It was a five-star finish by a youngster who has the potential to go a long way in the game …

The number of countries represented at Trent Bridge’s Weekend of Legends has increased to nine with the introduction of Indian international wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia

Media Release15-Jun-2001The number of countries represented at Trent Bridge’s Weekend of Legends has increased to nine with the introduction of Indian international wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia.The 31-year-old star has been drafted into the squad as a late replacement for South African Test stalwart Mark Boucher, who is unable to play after suffering a broken finger.Mongia will line up in the Superkings of Cricket match on June 30 when Sir Richard Hadlee and Sir Garfield Sobers manage teams of current world stars.This will be followed on Sunday July 1 by a World Cricket Masters challenge match between Graham Gooch¹s England and Allan Border¹s Australia.Mongia is a veteran of 140 One-Day Internationals and has been a regular in the Indian international set-up since taking over from Kiran More in the mid-90s.His inclusion adds another country to the list of those involved in the weekend which now includes; England, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.Said event organiser Barbara Quinn: “We are delighted to have secured a replacement of the quality of Nayan to play in what promises to be a great match.”While Mark’s injury and subsequent late withdrawal was a blow, it is a measure of the event’s standing that Nayan was so quick to agree to play in his place.”Adult tickets allowing entry to both games are still available and can be purchased for as little as £20. Bookings can be made on the Ticket Hotline 0870 168 8888.

A number of Everton supporters were left unimpressed with Michael Keane’s first half display against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side headed into the final day with an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, and the Toffees manager made two changes to the side which beat Wolves 1-0 on Wednesday evening, with Mason Holgate and Tom Davies coming in for Seamus Coleman and Yerry Mina respectively.

However, it was Keane‘s performance which had a number of Everton fans talking on social media, and not for the right reasons. The 28-year-old was making his 33rd start of the Premier League campaign and 41st appearance in all competitions.

Keane was partnering Ben Godfrey in a back four, coming up against City striker Gabriel Jesus, with Pep Guardiola’s side racing into an early two-goal lead with goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Jesus.

Everton fans react

Here is what these Toffees fans had to say about Keane’s display, with one fan describing him as ‘horrific’ and other calling him a ‘donkey’ as he largely struggled.

“Say it time and time again , Michael Keane is absolutely horrific”

Credit: @joseph_hill39

“What is Keane doing there the donkey”

Credit: @GJS41991

“Michael Keane out for his Sunday stroll there”

Credit: @dan_taylor22

“Holgate and Keane can go btw”

Credit: @adamcarney01

“Michael Keane is having a nightmare”

Credit: @MichaelHilditc5

“Time for us to get rid of Michael Keane, he’s a calamity”

Credit: @richythepigeon

In other news: Everton battling Liverpool to sign Brazilian defender, find out more here. 

As if trying to make up single-handedly for his mistake in putting East Zone in, South Zone skipper MSK Prasad anchored his team’s innings on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match at Bangalore on Wednesday.

Staff Reporter03-Apr-2002As if trying to make up single-handedly for his mistake in putting East Zone in, South Zone skipper MSK Prasad anchored his team’s innings on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match at Bangalore on Wednesday.East Zone could not add too many to their total on the second morning, being bowled out for 398 in 113.3 overs. Rajiv Kumar, unbeaten overnight on 35, could add just four to his score before being run out by Hemal Watekar. His partner, Zakaria Zuffri, made 45 off 130 balls before falling as the ninth wicket of the innings.For South Zone, young offie Watekar was the most impressive, returning figures of 4-75 off 31 overs. Part-time spinner Sridharan Sriram also picked two wickets.In pursuit of East Zone’s big first-innings total, South Zone made a good start, adding 56 for the first wicket before Sriram was caught behind off Lakshmi Rattan Shukla for 34 off 48 balls. D Vinay Kumar, who along with Sriram was the star of South’s last Duleep match, fell for 23, and East Zone may have sniffed a faint chance at 92 for two.But Prasad and Hemang Badani played with elan to post 87 runs before the latter retired hurt, struck down by a back injury for 65 off just 61 balls. Badani’s innings included 10 fours and two sixes.At the close of play, Prasad was unbeaten on 93 off 185 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes in his knock. He was accompanied by R Vijay Bharadwaj, who was on 19 off 51 balls. South Zone had advanced to 243 for two, a good reply to East’s first-innings performance.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leicester City striker Brian Deane believes Ben Chilwell’s move to Chelsea has worked out well for all parties.

Chilwell, who came through the ranks at Leicester, departed the King Power for Stamford Bridge last summer in a £50m deal.

Since then, Leicester have gone on to win the FA Cup, beating Chilwell’s Chelsea 1-0 in the final, while the 24-year-old left-back has not always been an automatic starter under Thomas Tuchel.

In fact, the German left him on the bench during that clash at Wembley, instead opting for Marcos Alonso.

Nevertheless, Deane feels his old side, Chelsea and Chilwell will still all be pleased with the transfer. The ex-Leicester player told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“I don’t think it was a bad decision for him to go to Chelsea. I think it was a good decision for Leicester because they got a lot of money for him and they can bring somebody else in, which they have done and it’s been seamless.

“I think Chelsea have brought somebody in who they feel might be at the club for the next five or 10 years, so I think it works well for everybody. I don’t think Ben Chilwell’s got any regrets; I don’t think Leicester have any regrets.

“I just think it’s one of those that works for everybody.”

While he, of course, missed out on the FA Cup to his former side, this could still end up being an incredibly successful season for Chilwell and Chelsea, who will be aiming for Champions League glory next Saturday when they take on Manchester City.