The opening batsman, Loots Bosman, has become the second South African cricketer in the space of a month to be called before a CSA disciplinary hearing, following his controversial criticism of the national coach, Mickey Arthur, in the Afrikaans newspaper, Beeld.On Tuesday, Bosman was withdrawn from the South Africa squad for the ICC World Twenty20 with a back injury, to be replaced by the fast bowler, Andre Nel. The official reason for his omission, however, did not go down well with the player himself, who was quoted in Wednesday’s edition of Beeld as accusing Arthur of lying.Under the headline, “Loots slaan Mickey vir ‘n ses”, Bosman hit out at the decision, claiming that the CSA medical advice that he should rest his injured back for six weeks was suspect. “I am tired of the lying,” Bosman was quoted as saying. “I am fine, ask my physiotherapist in Bloemfontein who treated me last week. I am very, very, disappointed. Mickey [Arthur] tells too many lies.”Arthur himself responded in the same paper that the comments were “shocking”. “It is understandable that he would be disappointed,” said Arthur, “but his reactions are very immature and I am disappointed how he has handled this.”Arthur is also confident that there is nothing wrong with the procedure thathas been followed. “I have the findings of the leading neurosurgeon in the land. How can Iargue against that?” he said. “Does Loots not realise that there is a possibility thathe could be paralysed?”South Africa’s Twenty20 campaign gets underway against West Indies at Johannesburg on Tuesday, and Arthur claimed that he had envisaged a full role in the tournament for Bosman, had he been fit. “I wanted him to play in the warm-up game in Potchefstroom on Saturday,” said Arthur, “but he could not attend a fitness test as it had been recommended that he should not be active for a six-week period.”As a consequence of his comments, Bosman has been charged with four breaches of the CSA code of conduct, including “detrimental conduct which could bring [himself], the board or the game of cricket into disrepute.” As was the case with his team-mate, Mark Boucher, who was carpeted for speaking publicly about Jacques Kallis’s omission from the Twenty20 squad, Bosman will appear before the CSA’s Disciplinary Commissioner, Advocate Michael Kuper SC, on a date that has yet to be decided.The case is yet another example of the very public rifts developing in South African cricket. At the weekend, the allrounder Andrew Hall announced that he would be turning his back on the national team when his contract expires at the end of the month, and instead has committed to the breakaway Indian Cricket League.Unlike Boucher and Bosman, however, Hall has vowed to keep his council until his contract expires. “I don’t want the same to happen to my husband than what happened to Mark Boucher,” his wife, Leanie, told Beeld. “When Andrew’s contract with CSA expires at the end of the month, he will state his side of the matter.”
Australia’s cricket team is “totally confident” in security measures taken in response to reports of a terror threat against the squad during last year’s Ashes series, according to the captain Ricky Ponting. The .”Unfortunately it is part and parcel of modern life when you are travelling the globe. We didn’t go to Sri Lanka or Pakistan because we were not 100 percent sure. Being 99 percent sure isn’t good enough.”
Jason Gillespie’s tour has been pretty wretched, and after taking 3 for 300 in the first three Tests, it was not a surprise when he was left out of the Australian side at Trent Bridge.But on the eve of the match he turned on the English crowds in a remarkable interview with the Mirror newspaper. Gillespie has been the target of some hefty abuse from crowds at Lord’s, Edgbaston and Old Trafford, with his appearance attracting particular attention.”Some of the crowd behaviour is appalling, the insulting things people say,” he said. “People pay their money to come in and they think it is their right to question your parentage and have a crack at your mother. It’s always these guys that abuse you, call you effing this and effing that and 10 seconds later they are asking for an autograph for their kids. You say, ‘Look mate, I’m not going to sign it for you’, and all of a sudden you are the worst bloke in the history of the world, so you can’t win.”His complaints cut no ice with the Barmy Army. Katie Cook, one of their leading members, told BBC Radio Five: “I think he’s been a bit pathetic really. I hope he’s been misquoted because the Australians give the English more stick than any other country in the world.”Us lot questioning his parentage or saying he lives in a caravan – and let’s face it, he looks like it – is not bad compared to what the Australian public give the English players over there. Hopefully, we’re squaring it up now.””I’ve got no sympathies for that man,” said Phil Tufnell. “Every time the ball came to me at Melbourne or Sydney I used to be petrified … it was a case of get it in your hands or get it away, otherwise the flack you got was awful.””You can get shirty about it but it is not going to achieve a hell of a lot,” Gillespie concluded. “I have got my way of ignoring what is going on.” Unfortunately, by drawing attention to it, he has ensured that the next time he fields near the boundary, he is sure to be the target of some more banter.
Mumbai have been slotted in the tougher of the two groups for next season’s Ranji Trophy campaign. Railways, Delhi and Karnataka, traditionally strong teams, were also drawn in the same Elite Group. Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh complete the roster. Tamil Nadu, the runner-up last year, were slotted in the other group.The groupings were announced when the fixtures and programme committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Thursday. MP and Maharashtra, the two teams to have gained promotion from the Plate Group to the Elite Group last season, were slotted in different groups.The groupings for the Plate Group were also announced with Haryana, Vidarbha and Rajasthan in the same pool. Rajasthan and Kerala were the two teams to have been relegated to the Plate group last year.Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the BCCI, said that the domestic one-day tournament will be held in January.Shetty also confirmed that the Under-19 domestic tournament would follow the same format of the Ranji Trophy, with Elite and Plate groups. However, the games will be three-day affairs with 15 teams in Elite Group and 12 teams in Plate Group.Ranji Trophy Groupings for the 2004-05 Elite Division Group A Mumbai, Bengal, Railways, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya PradeshGroup B Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Baroda, Maharashtra and PunjabPlate Division Group A Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Saurashtra and BiharGroup B Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Services, Vidarbha and Rajasthan
Hungerford’s bid to make the early pace in Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 has received a double setback, with skipper Owen Dawkins injured and opening bowler Jason Williams banned.The Berkshire club could be without captain Dawkins, a former MCC Young Professional, for the remainder of the season after the all-rounder broke his wrist playing for Wales MC against Wiltshire last weekend.Bowling his off-spin, Dawkins was hit on the wrist by a blistering drive and currently has his arm in plaster.Jason Williams has been banned for three matches by the Premier League following abusive remarks made to an umpire in a Division 3 match at New Milton earlier in the season.The Berkshire club, who visit Ventnor tomorrow, have imposed internal disciplinary measures against the bowler.Hungerford lie joint second in SPL3 after winning both of their completed matches, although they were saved by the rain in the subsequently abandoned match at Fernhill.Trojans, also on 42 points, visit Paultons, while Winchester KS, near enough back to full strength, will be confident of ruining Havant II’s unbeaten start, even though they have lost their last two games.Havant first team captain Paul Gover plays against WKS as he is unable to play all day.The return of students Chris Yates, who captains Cardiff University, and Nick Morant at bottom club South Wilts II should boost Rowledge’s prospects of a third successive win.But a hamstring injury has sidelined former Reigate Priory seamer Simon Bonser, who will be a spectator at Bemerton, alongside injured teenage wicketkeeper Ian Metcalfe.Hambledon, who successfully chased amassive 280-5 to beat Hook & Newnham Basics last week, face a testing visit to unbeaten Alton, who are among the prime promotion contenders.Ryan Beck returns to the New Milton fold as the Fernhill club bid to break their duck against Portsmouth II.Struggling Flamingo plan a top-order batting shake up in a bid to put more runs on the board in a vital match at Hook & Newnham Basics, who have also suffered three defeats.One-time Hook left-hander Mike Foster makes a nostalgic return to his old club.
The England team management today announced the availability of Englandcontracted players to their counties for the rest of the domestic cricketseason.Available for all remaining domestic fixtures: Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard (all Yorkshire), Alec Stewart (Surrey) and Michael Atherton (Lancashire.) Graham Thorpe (Surrey) and Dominic Cork (Derbyshire) will also be available subject to fitness.The England team management has also requested that counties rest the following players in order to give them an extended break before this winter’s tours.Craig White: available for Yorkshire’s NUL match against Kent tomorrow but to be rested thereafter.Andrew Caddick and Marcus Trescothick: available to Somerset for their NULfixture at Northampton this Thursday and the C and G Trophy Final thisSaturday, but to be rested thereafter.Nasser Hussain: to be rested by Essex from all domestic cricket until theend of the season.
The 20-year-old joined Real Madrid back in 2019 and has since been out on loan with Villarreal, Getafe and now Mallorca.
He is out of contract at the Bernabeu in 2024 and has previously worked under Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos, and Orlowitz hasn’t ruled out a potential loan switch to Parkhead for the youngster.
The Latest: Orlowitz on Kubo and Celtic
Orlowitz took to Twitter on Thursday, sharing news of Takuhiro Nakai’s new deal with Real Madrid through to 2025.
He suggested that Nakai could make the step up to the first team before Kubo, with one Celtic fan hoping that Postecoglou takes a look at the latter. This is what Orlowitz had to say in reply, claiming that it might be some bit plausible:
“Ange already helped Kubo find his footing once during his half-season loan at Yokohama FM so this kind of isn’t the most insane idea.”
The Verdict: Unlikely…
The Hoops aren’t exactly short of options out wide after bringing in Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Daizen Maeda and Jota under Postecoglou during his two transfer windows in charge.
Celtic also have the option to make Jota’s loan move permanent in the summer for £6.5m, and if they do, you’d expect that a temporary switch for Kubo could be unlikely.
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However, it may well be one to keep an eye on due to the 20-year-old working with Postecoglou before, and after Orlowitz’s claim, concrete links might just surface ahead of the summer transfer window.
In other news: Celtic may move for ‘incredibly fast’ ace at top of his game; O’Riley has the same agent
Queensland Cricket (QC) has posted a record profit for the 2006-07 financial year due to last year’s Ashes Test at the Gabba.All five days of the Brisbane Test in November were sold out, with 117,603 people attending to create a record for the ground. On Tuesday Damien Mullins, QC’s chairman, outlined plans to distribute a large slice of the $2.5m profit back into grassroots cricket across the state.”It is appropriate that all members of the Queensland Cricket family share in the spoils of the Ashes series,” Mullins said, “and we believe this to be the most responsible and beneficial way to re-invest in the game’s future.” Each of the state’s seven regional cricket bodies will also receive a $20,000 grant.
Percy Sonn, the ICC’s ever-entertaining president, regaled the media fornearly 45 minutes after his arrival in Colombo, but the sense of humourwas conspicuously absent when it came to his views on South Africa’swithdrawal from the tri-nation series that also involved India and SriLanka. With the ensuing three-match series between Sri Lanka and Indiaalso on the verge of being cancelled, Sri Lanka Cricket is in disarray andlooking at a considerable sum in the red.Sonn, who broke the ice by speaking of his love of the country, trips upnorth to see the elephants and the efficacy of the local oils, invoked thespirit of cricket when he spoke of South Africa’s withdrawal from thetour. “It’s always disappointing when cricket is called off,” he said. “Thespirit of cricket is also about a commitment to play even under the worstcircumstances.”There was a chuckle or two when he spoke of his experiences managing ateam in the townships – “On a Friday night, I’d have to beat up people tokeep them sober for the next day. Some days, if we didn’t have enoughplayers, we’d fill in with school boys.”Sonn went on to state that it was now for Sri Lanka Cricket and CricketSouth Africa to sit together and decide when the matches could be played.He said that the issue would only be presented before the DisputeResolution Committee if both countries couldn’t come to an agreement onthe matter.While admitting that security was a touchy subject, Sonn stated thatcricket had to live with ground realities. ‘The world we live in is animperfect place,” he said. ‘Every country has some issues. The place whereI was born is often referred to as the crime capital of the world, but Ihave never felt that way. I feel as safe there as I do here.”We in the cricketing family have to make the most of the situation andlook to play at all times. We must go out of our way to ensure that thespirit of cricket overrides all the diversities in our cultures.”Sonn spoke of how the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa had helpedbring the country together, and also alluded to Pakistan’s tour of Indiain 1999, with the two countries on the verge of another war, as examplesof how sport could have a positive effect on life.With the ICC’s own tournament, the Champions Trophy, due to be held inIndia in October-November, Sonn said that every precaution had been takenon the security front. “It will be a feast of cricket,” he said. “We havean opportunity to create the best of cricket in India, a country whereeveryone watches the game.”He said that his reaction had been one of “deep disappointment” when helearnt of South Africa’s decision to leave Sri Lanka. “It’s not for theICC to judge the South African decision,” he said, before going on to addthat if all countries were amenable to the idea, the ICC might considermaking the security assessment themselves, rather than leaving theresponsibility to private agencies.He said that the decision to ask for an independent opinion, in the wakeof South Africa’s own security team declaring Colombo unsafe, was part ofICC protocol, put in place after South Africa had dithered prior to theirtour of Pakistan in late 2003. He said that Sri Lanka Cricket would haveto calculate their losses and then talk to South Africa about reschedulingthe matches within the framework of the Future Tours Programme.The man who was president of the United Cricket Board of South Africaduring the last World Cup, laughed when asked what security arrangementshad been made for his visit. “They’re so efficient that I don’t see them,”said Sonn with a chuckle. And when someone enquired whether he felt safewhere his countrymen had not, he smiled and said: “I’m from Cape Town. We aredifferent.”
Terry Jenner’s roles as Shane Warne’s mentor and an ECB legspinning coach have been cleared as a conflict of interest. The ECB received complaints after Jenner had fine-tuned Warne’s action before the first Test at Lord’s, where his six wickets sent a new generation of English batsmen looking for answers.However, an ECB spokesman told Jenner was a consultant rather than a full-time staff member on a program to unearth Test quality spinners by 2007. “As far as we are concerned there is no problem at all,” the spokesman told the paper. “Terry Jenner is his own man. He was involved for one specific project and his work on that is finished.”At a pre-Test net session Jenner, who has coached Warne for more than a decade, worked with him for two hours after spotting some areas where his loop and drift could be improved. Warne then produced what Adam Gilchrist said was “some of the best bowling I’ve kept to from him”. “That’s a pretty big statement, he has set such high standards,” Gilchrist told . “When he bowls over the top he gets that drift towards leg. Then, when you are spinning it, you only have to spin it six inches and you are going to deceive batsmen.”Gilchrist will miss the tour match against Worcestershire, which starts on Saturday, but plans to work on problems caused by Andrew Flintoff bowling around the wicket. The second Test begins at Birmingham on August 4.