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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Hussey’s return has helped Super Kings

Hussey
The Chennai Super Kings appear to have turned the corner in IPL 6 with a massive 86-run rout of the Delhi Daredevils. Coming into tonight’s clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders, MS Dhoni and his men will be full of confidence and looking to make another statement to the rest of the
competition. I thought Michael Hussey’s return to the team was a key to their success, with a fantastic partnership alongside his captain providing the platform for his side’s 170 runs. Unbeaten on 65, Hussey was patient at the crease before opening up with some vintage shots.  He was well supported by M Vijay and Suresh Raina besides Dhoni, with all four batsmen putting in strong performances.
They now face a Knight Riders side who will react one of two ways following their disappointing last ball loss to Kings XI Punjab earlier this week. Gautam Gambhir, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee and their other leaders are proud cricketers, so I’m tipping a fightback, which should provide great theatre in front of their home fans. But I think it’s difficult to look past the Super Kings in what I expect will be another close one.
 Another big game tonight is the Royal Challengers Bangalore facing the Rajasthan Royals in a battle of table toppers. RCB are undefeated at home so far this season but will face stiff competition from the Royals who are on fire after four wins in their last five outings. I’ve enjoyed watching the Royals so far, with their Indian contingent of Rahane, Dravid, Sreesanth and Trivedi all playing exceptionally well. 
For RCB, it’s tough to look past Gayle, Kohli and AB de Villiers- three batsmen full of firepower and capable of winning games on their own. Rest assured this will be a thoroughly entertaining contest. In front of a partisan home crowd though, I’m tipping RCB will take home the chocolates.
Professional Management Group
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RCB thump Rajasthan by seven wickets

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Mancini furious at Kompany start for Belgium

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has hit out at Belgium counterpart Marc Wilmots for selecting captain Vincent Kompany for international duty this week.
Football News: Vincent Kompany
Kompany made his first competitive appearance in eight weeks when he featured in his country's World Cup qualifier against Macedonia on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old defender had been sidelined since suffering a calf injury in the FA Cup fourth-round win at Stoke on January 26 and had a potential comeback date put back several times.
That did not prevent him being called up by Belgium and although the national skipper did not play in last Friday's game in Macedonia, he played all 90 minutes of the return fixture in Brussels.
Mancini said: "He didn't play for us for 60 days and then he went to play for the Belgium team.
"I did not agree with this. I think sometimes some managers of national teams should understand the situation.
"This player plays for the club and the club, every month, pay his salary.
"I don't know if he is okay or not. One week before the international break he was not fit to play for us.
"I didn't see Vinny yesterday [Wednesday]. I will see him today [Thursday]."
Mancini hopes Kompany will be fit to return for his side in Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
Mancini, speaking at a press conference to preview the game, added that striker Sergio Aguero is fit and could make his comeback.
The 24-year-old has missed City's last three games with a knee injury.
He returned to Argentina for treatment during his lay-off, and linked up with the national squad, but did not play and has been back training at Carrington for the past week.
Mancini said: "Sergio is okay. I think he could be ready for Saturday."
Mancini was also asked about the latest speculation concerning his own future and that of midfield talisman Yaya Toure.
The Italian has grown used to recurring stories linking him with other clubs or suggesting the City hierarchy could bring his tenure to a premature end.
A new report has claimed Monaco - who it was claimed made an approach last season - are again preparing to move for the 48-year-old as a potential replacement for Claudio Ranieri.
Mancini said: "No. Monaco, for me, are one of the best (teams) in France now. Now they are in the second division.
"They have a good manager and I stay here for a long time, like Yaya."
Speculation over Toure has arisen after his agent expressed frustration about what he sees as a delay to discussions over a new contract.
But 29-year-old Toure has more than two years left on his current contract and Mancini feels there is enough time to resolve the issue.
Mancini said: "Yaya will stay here for a long time. Yaya is one of the best players in the world and he will stay here for another three, four, five (years), I don't know. A long time."
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Injury blow for Abou Diaby


Abou Diaby: Could be out for up to nine months
Abou Diaby: Could be out for up to nine months
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The 26-year-old France international faces an operation on the injury, which he suffered in training on Wednesday.

Abou Diaby

2. Abou Diaby

Appearances 15 (1)
Goals 1
Assists 0
Yellows 2
Reds 0
*Current Season
A club statement confirmed: "Abou Diaby injured his left knee in training on Wednesday and subsequent scans have confirmed that he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
"Following consultations with specialists, Abou will undergo surgery to repair the injury in the near future. Abou is expected to be out for around eight to nine months.
"The thoughts and best wishes from everyone at Arsenal are with Abou, and we all wish him a successful recovery."
Even before this latest setback, Diaby's spell in north London had been blighted by injuries ever since he joined from Auxerre in 2006 as a 19-year-old.
The commanding midfielder suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in May of that year and recorded only 27 Barclays Premier League appearances over the next two seasons.
He eventually established himself as a regular presence in the Gunners' midfield, scoring seven times in 40 appearances in all competitions in 2010-11.
But he was restricted to only five appearances last season due to a string of injuries, including ankle and calf problems, and has played only 16 games in the current campaign.
The news on Diaby adds to manager Arsene Wenger's mounting injury problems. Jack Wilshere is currently recovering from an ankle problem which has ruled him out since the defeat at Tottenham on March 3, meaning he missed the Champions League win in Bayern Munich as well as England's games against San Marino and Montenegro during the international break.
Wenger must also do without forward Theo Walcott against Reading this weekend after he returned home early from international duty with a pelvic injury, while Kieran Gibbs is doubtful due to a virus.
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Jones wants Liverpool to build, not buy

Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones believes building rather than buying success will provide be a source of greater pride at Anfield.
Football News: Stewart Downing, Liverpool
With owners Fenway Sports Group looking to run the club on a more sound footing with Financial Fair Play in mind, the Reds are never likely to be in a position to compete with Europe's biggest spenders.
While the Americans have provided funds for significant purchases in the past, there is still a desire to see more value for money attained in the transfer market.
So with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom and Suso all making significant contributions to the first team this season, the intention is for the club's academy to play a bigger role in the future.
Jones believes this, added to the progress made under manager Brendan Rodgers, points to a brighter future as they look to regain Champions League status.
"It is difficult to say (how much ground we have to make up)," the Australian, speaking at an event for charity Anthony Nolan, told Press Association Sport.
"The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have spent unbelievable amounts of money. Liverpool haven't necessarily done that.
"It was documented a couple of years ago when the new owners came in and spent a fair bit in one go but you have to remember £50million of that came in from Fernando Torres.
"If you ask the teams that have, shall we say, `bought' a winning team I don't think their fans will care because they have won something.
"But if you get to the top from building I think the fans grow with the team.
"When you get there there will be that extra bit of pride but for us we just have to keep building on what we have got and what the club have done."
Jones added: "The club aren't trying to go out and buy the league in one season.
"The owners are quite clever, they have seen it in other sports. For them it is a slow process, it is not going to happen overnight.
"I think they will be happy with what they have seen this season and obviously they will want it to move forward and make that next step and hopefully that will be next season.
"That is the direction we're going in and it is a good place to be."
Jones and his partner Dani Lawrence are prominent supporters of Anthony Nolan, the UK blood cancer charity, after the goalkeeper's six-year-old son Luca from a previous relationship died from leukaemia in November 2011.
They were present at an event at Anfield, also supported by the Liverpool FC Foundation, aimed at promoting the donor register.
"It was something that, after we lost Luca, we wanted to spread the word and get people on the list and have a legacy for him," explained Jones.
"When people hear bone marrow transplant they think 'pain' and it is really not like that, it is more like giving blood, and it is trying to get rid of those negative connotations.
"We are in a privileged position where I am at a massive club and people will follow what we do and listen to what we are saying.
"Obviously it is a positive to get people on the register and that means there is more chance of people getting a donor.
"We are trying to help others because it wasn't until we were there we realised just how hard it was."
Mark Haig, head of operations at the LFC Foundation, said the club occupied a unique position in being able to reach areas of the community others could not.
"The Foundation is quite broad but this initiative around Anthony Nolan we are very much supporting because we have a very close relationship with Liverpool NHS," he said.
"We can actually connect easier than agencies like the NHS because of the power of the LFC badge and the way people respond to it in different ways."
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Sky Sports' Baseball preview continues with a look at the line-up in the American League

Sky Bet
Sky Sports' Baseball preview continues with a look at the line-up in the American League
American League East: AKA The Money Division. It is no longer only the New York Yankees splashing the cash as they have a rival in the Toronto Blue Jays, who will expect to win this division in 2013 after slumping to fourth last season.
They spent big money to bring in shortstop Jose Reyes, outfielder Melky Cabrera and starting pitchers RA Dickey and Josh Johnson and will expect their investment to be realised quickly. The return of Jose Bautista is bound to help but this remains a tough division to win with the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles performing well in 2012 and the Boston Red Sox keen to avoid the embarrassment of finishing bottom again.
Predictions: Blue Jays money shrewdly spent and 100 wins on the cards. Yankees to miss the play-offs with their veteran players starting to show their age
American League Central: This one looks like a two-horse race with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox vying for play-off berths. Detroit came out on top in 2012 and should do so again with the boost of Victor Martinez's return to their line-up.

Predictions:

NL division winners:
Atlanta
Cincinnati
LA Dodgers
Wildcards:
Washington
Colorado
With Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera still in town, and Justin Verlander anchoring a fine rotation, they should just have the measure of the solid White Sox.
Chicago's pitching is also excellent - look out for the continuing emergence of Chris Sale - but their batting line-up has a couple of significant holes and they will need plenty of home runs from Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo if they are to keep up.
Kansas City could emerge in third again, and they have bought wisely in adding pitchers James Shields and (to a lesser extent) Ervin Santana, but whether they can challenge the top two is doubtful. Despite a couple of interesting signings it could be a long season for Cleveland and Minnesota will struggle to finish anywhere but last.
Prediction: Tigers bare their teeth and go all the way to the World Series this time.
American League West: Now up to five teams, with the addition of the Houston Astros, this could be the best divisional race of the 2013 season. The Los Angeles Angels finished last season strongly and will look to build on that.
They have added Josh Hamilton to an already strong set of batters but their rotation is weaker without Dan Haren and Ervin Santana so they could need all the runs Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Hamilton will produce...and then some.
Hamilton's departure makes the Texas Rangers a little less potent but they still look solid, especially with their pitching, and last season's surprise packages Oakland are just as good....as well as young and hungry. Yoenis Cespedes could well emerge as one of the best hitters in the league.
Seattle face a tough task, but not as tough as the Astros, who weren't very good last season, are probably even weaker now and find themselves in a much tougher division.
Predictions: The powerful Angels win the division by a hair and Trout is named American League MVP. Houston are the first team to lose 100 games.
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Afridi ready to retire if substitute is available

Afridi quits international cricket
All rounder Shahid Afridi has claimed he doesn't think there is currently any player who is good enough to replace him in the Pakistan team, adding he is ready to retire if a suitable substitute for him is available.
Afridi stated that there was a dearth of talented all-rounders and the moment there was someone ready and able to take the responsibility, he would call time on his international career, the Dawn reports.
Afridi said he would quit as soon as a replacement for him surfaces, adding at present it seems there is no one who has the talent to play as an all-rounder and make a sustained impact at the international level.
The all rounder added he has said time and again he would not block anyone good enough for Pakistan.
Afridi, who is regarded as the most popular Pakistani cricketer of the present times, also thanked his supporters for renewing their trust in him.
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