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Celtic trio Albian Ajeti, Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli all look set to leave the club this month, according to The Daily Record’s Gabriel McKay.

The Lowdown: Exits needed

The Hoops have been extremely busy when it comes to incomings this month, with Michael Nicholson finalising five signings for Ange Postecoglou’s squad in January. Midfielder Matt O’Riley was the latest to move to Parkhead, penning a deal until 2026 from MK Dons.

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It seems as if Celtic’s focus now is on moving players out of Glasgow in the final days of the window, with three Neil Lennon acquisitions in line to leave the club.

The Latest: McKay’s claim

McKay shared a transfer news recap on The Daily Record on Saturday evening.

Within his report, he said that Ajeti, Barkas and Bolingoli all ‘look set to go in the opposite direction and follow Leigh Griffiths out of Celtic Park’.

The Verdict: Flops

Celtic paid £4.5m for both Ajeti and Barkas and £3m for Bolingoli. That has proven to be £12m not well spent, with the trio hardly featuring under Postecoglou this season.

Hopefully the Hoops can recoup the majority of the £12m they spent on those three players, but that could be a big ask for CEO Nicholson with only a few days remaining in the transfer window.

If you use Transfermarkt’s valuations, for example, the Hoops could land just £4.95m, as Ajeti’s value has dropped from £4.05m to £2.25m as a Celtic player, Barkas’ going from £4.5m to £1.35m and Bolingoli’s falling from £2.7m to £1.35m.

In other news: ‘Absolute travesty’ – Journalist reacts as Celtic swoop for Jota now in ‘doubt’

Mohsin Khan, the PCB’s chief selector, has reacted strongly after the board was accused of being biased against players from Karachi by the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA)

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2010Mohsin Khan, the PCB’s chief selector, has reacted strongly after the board was accused of being biased against players from Karachi by the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), with regards to the ongoing Test series against England. “The England-bound squad was selected after thorough deliberation with coach and the captain, hence putting the blame solely on me is a bit unjust. On top of all the captain of the squad (Shahid Afridi) was from Karachi and had a big say in the team selection”, Khan told the news channel .The players in the current Pakistan squad are predominantly from one province, Punjab, and the accusations reflect a growing disquiet over the failure to put together a “representative team” for the series. The KCCA had named Sarfraz Ahmed, Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Faisal Iqbal and Asad Shafiq – all Karachi cricketers – as among those who were ignored by the selection committee. Mohsin said apart from Afridi, Danish Kaneria and Tanvir Ahmed from Karachi, were part of the squad but the selectors could not be blamed for their non-inclusion in the playing eleven.”Shahid Afridi resigned after the very first Test match; Kaneria’s performance was not up to the mark and was released by the tour management to regain his form while Tanvir was not provided with an opportunity as there was no room in presence of Amir, Asif and Gul,” Mohsin said.Mohsin added that several youngsters, including those from Karachi, had been considered for the tour but the selectors eventually settled on Umar Amin and Azhar Ali. “Batting in England has never been easy for Pakistan hence Azhar Ali was unanimously picked due to his decent technique, which is essential in English conditions. We were told that Naveed Yasin was nursing an injury hence he was not considered; a lengthy discussion was held on Umar Amin and upon the insistence of coach and captain, he was included in the squad. Faisal Iqbal was also discussed but the captain was of the view that his performance had been inconsistent as he had only scored one century in 44 innings.”Meanwhile the KCCA reiterated its criticism on Wednesday at a press conference in Karachi. “A number of talented cricketers from Karachi have been neglected,” Khalil Nanitalwala, vice-president of the KCCA said. “The team’s recent showings in England prove that merit was not followed in team selection.”Kaneria was ousted after not being able to perform well in the first Test which is quite unprecedented and a blow to Karachi cricket. Karachi’s Asad Shafiq was among the top run-getters in the last domestic season, while Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Sami, Fawad Alam and a number of other players also deserved places in the team.”Nanitalwala said the KCCA has been protesting with the PCB over the issue but decided to go public only after the board took no notice.

Newcastle United have reportedly now enquired about signing Adam Webster before the January transfer window shuts.

The Lowdown: Brighton raid

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has recently reported that the St. James’ Park faithful have had an £8m bid rejected from Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Dan Burn.

With links to Webster emerging as well, it seems as if the North East club could be looking to raid the Seagulls with just a few days left of the window remaining.

The Latest: Webster enquiry

As per journalist Alan Nixon, the Tyneside outfit have now made contact over the possibility of signing Webster, but warns that the price will be ‘big’:

“Newcastle. Surprise late enquiry for centre half Adam Webster at Brighton. Right age, Prem experience. Price would be big all the same.”

The Verdict: Burn over Webster

While Webster could be a solid signing for the Magpies, given his experience in the Premier League, Burn would be a better, and potentially cheaper option for them.

Webster is two years younger, and as Nixon says, a big transfer fee could be needed to sign him, whereas Burn is 29, and his contract is up next summer, meaning that he is likely to go for cheaper.

Comparing their stats in the top flight so far this season, Burn is actually averaging more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game than Webster (WhoScored), and so the Toon might as well save a bit of change to sign the local lad, born in Blyth, instead.

In other news, find out what Bruno Guimaraes twist has now emerged here!

Daniel Vettori has said Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, will be the biggest threat for the visitors during the upcoming five-match ODI series in Mirpur

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2010Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has singled out Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan as the biggest threat for the visitors during the upcoming five-match ODI series in Mirpur.”We have seen the Bangladesh team improve”, Vettori said. “Obviously Shakib is probably their best player, so if we can nullify him we know we are going to win. He is a very good player, he has proven himself particularly in these conditions, so he is probably their main player.”Shakib, who is the vice-captain of the Bangladesh one-day team, is currently rated No. 1 in the ICC ranking for allrounders in ODIs. He has played 94 one-dayers, scoring 2465 runs and has picked up 109 wickets. Vettori, who is rated No. 5, said a comparison between him and Shakib was inevitable.”I think we have some similarity, we both bat down the order at the same position and we both bowl left-arm spin,” he said. “And Shakib was captain for a while, so there was some obvious comparison. The key for us hopefully is that we can play a role in our team winning. Obviously you want to try and out-think the opposition as much as you can. And Shakib is probably our main opposition.”Vettori said the absence of opener Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out of the series due to surgery on his left wrist, was a big blow for Bangladesh. “Iqbal is injured, so that’s a big loss for Bangladesh. He scored a lot of runs at the top of the order. So he will be a loss throughout the series.”Vettori had warned his side against complacency during the series, but was confident of his team’s chances. “We know it’s a tough task. But I think you have to play really well to win every game you have and that’s the way to go.”We are confident as we have got some very good players, particularly our batting line-up with [Jesse] Ryder, [Brendon] McCullum and [Ross] Taylor at the top, [and there are] a lot of expectations on us. We are looking forward to winning the series.”New Zealand’s first warm-up match of the series, a one-dayer against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in Savar scheduled for Friday, has been called off due to incessant rains. Vettori’s side has another one-dayer against the same opponents on October 3, two days before the start of the ODIs.

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ John Wenham has shared what he’s ‘heard’ from his sources about Lilywhites midfielder Giovani Lo Celso after he completed a loan move to Villarreal.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso in temporary stint…

The 25-year-old cut a bit-part figure under Antonio Conte at Spurs before completing his temporary switch to La Liga, with Fabio Paratici helping to clear some deadwood out of the squad.

Despite shining on the international stage under Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni, Lo Celso hasn’t quite managed to replicate that form at club level for Spurs. As such, the club saw fit to let him join Villarreal on loan until the end of 2021/22 with an option to buy, as N17 insider Wenham now shares what he’s ‘heard’ about the player in a damning claim.

The Latest: Wenham rips into Lo Celso…

Speaking to Football Insider, the insider said that people within the club have questioned Lo Celso’s poor attitude, which ‘stinks’ according to Wenham.

He said of the Argentine: “I don’t think he will return to Tottenham. His move has been a disaster.

“For the money we spent, what positive memories do I have of him? There was goal against Man City but apart from that I have nothing to look back on.

“He had the same impact as someone you pick up for £3million, not your second-most expensive ever signing.

“He was constantly injured and all I’ve heard from people at the club is that his attitude stinks.

“So I’m pleased he has moved on.”

The Verdict: Second chance?

Depending on whether Villarreal trigger his purchase option, Lo Celso could prove useful for Conte in future campaigns if he manages to recapture his club form in Spain.

However, that is a big if, with Tottenham’s £27.2m permanent signing of the South American in 2020 now looking like a questionable piece of business.

In hindsight, it would have perhaps been best to keep him on loan for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign instead of activating his permanent clause.

In other news: Paratici refuses to quit on signing ‘exceptional’ £29.7m-rated star as Spurs opportunity opens, find out more here.

David Hussey has not given up on his ambition of playing Test cricket, despite losing his Cricket Australia contract during the off-season

Brydon Coverdale07-Oct-2010David Hussey has not given up on his ambition of playing Test cricket, despite losing his Cricket Australia contract during the off-season. Although the incumbent Test No. 6 Marcus North is wobbling, time is against Hussey, who at 33 is already three years older than his brother Michael was when he made his long-awaited Test debut back in 2005.But while younger men such as Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson are on the selection panel’s radar, Hussey continues to pile up runs at domestic level. He was the leading run scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer and he hopes that if he can repeat the effort this season he might make the selectors think again.”I still think there’s a massive opportunity to play Test cricket and one-day cricket for Australia,” Hussey told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve done reasonably well in Twenty20 cricket so hopefully that stands me in good stead for one-day selection. In terms of Test cricket, all I can do is keep making runs and hopefully become the leading run scorer in Sheffield Shield cricket again.”Despite a formidable first-class record of more than 11,000 runs at an average in the mid-50s, Hussey is often pigeon-holed as a limited-overs specialist. It’s a description he has always disliked, although for the time being Twenty20 is the only format in which he is part of Australia’s side.However, Hussey’s most recent one-day international appearance resulted in a century against Scotland last August, and he is hopeful of a return to the 50-over squad. He is one of several fringe ODI batsmen aiming for a place in Australia’s World Cup title defence next February, after he was a key player in helping Australia reach the ICC World Twenty20 final earlier this year.”It’s the ultimate in one-day cricket, playing against the best in a World Cup,” Hussey said. “For me, I desperately want to be part of it. I’ve never been part of a World Cup before, so I know I want to put every foot right to gain selection.”

Celtic favourite John Hartson has backed Kyogo Furuhashi to return to the starting lineup for the Scottish Cup semi-final clash against Rangers at Hampden Park. 

The lowdown: Left out at Ibrox

The 27-year-old forward has been a huge absentee for the Bhoys, having missed 30 games this season with knee and more recently hamstring issues.

However, the Japanese ace made a welcome return to the fold in the second half of the 7-0 demolition of St Johnstone at Celtic Park last weekend. Kyogo was actually fit for the Old Firm win at Ibrox two weeks ago, but was left out as the manager did not feel he was needed.

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Now, as another Old Firm showdown looms large, the Japan international could be back in contention to be named amongst Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI from the outset.

The latest: Hartson calls for Kyogo

Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, as relayed by the Daily Record, Hartson is adamant that Kyogo should feature if Giorgos Giakoumakis is deemed unfit.

The former Wales and 50-goal Hoops frontman said: “The back four will stay the same and I think the midfield will remain the same.

“The only one for me will be O’Riley or Hatate. Then it’ll be Maeda, Jota, and if Giakoumakis isn’t fit, then I see Kyogo starting.

“Why wouldn’t he start him? I think he’ll be dying to get back on the scoresheet.

“He’s such an enthusiastic and quality player. What an impact he made before he got injured.”

The verdict: Spot on

Having finally made a successful comeback there appears to be little reason not to include the 12-cap ace from the start, particularly should Giakoumakis miss out.

After almost four months out it’s unlikely Kyogo will be able to complete 90 minutes but it’s impossible to ignore the Japanese star’s quality.

Prior to coming off injured on Boxing Day, the versatile attacker had scored 16 times and provided five assists in 27 appearances across all competitions this season and will be a welcome addition back into Postecoglou’s squad for the semi-final and beyond.

In other news, pundit pinpoints key Celtic advantage in SPFL title race. Find out more here.

Cricket Australia will decide on Friday whether to allow private ownership of domestic Twenty20 teams in a shake-up it thinks could be as big as the World Series Cricket breakaway

Brydon Coverdale27-Oct-2010Cricket Australia will decide on Friday whether to allow private ownership of domestic Twenty20 teams in a shake-up it thinks could be as big as the World Series Cricket breakaway. Investors from India are believed to have shown significant interest in buying a stake in Australian sides for the revamped T20 league, which will start in 2011-12.The new tournament is expected to feature eight city-based teams instead of the existing six state sides and how the ownership structure for those new teams is up for discussion. A four-hour presentation at Cricket Australia’s annual general meeting on Thursday will be followed on Friday by a board meeting, at which a decision on private ownership will be made.”There has been interest from private investors in being involved,” a Cricket Australia spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “All of that is a matter for board determination, but it will be a big discussion.”The has reported that Victoria and New South Wales have both been approached by Indian investors offering multi-million dollar deals to take minority holdings in the new Melbourne and Sydney teams. All six state capitals are expected to field a side, with two new teams to be based in growth areas.Cricket Australia has been keen to significantly expand the Big Bash after seeing the success of the Indian Premier League, although IPL-style franchising of sides was not a priority in the initial stages. Cricket Australia’s general manager of marketing, Mike McKenna, said earlier this year “sport in Australia is not full of great successes in private investment”.But the early interest from investors has given the board plenty to think about, barely a year from the expected start of the competition. The locations for the two new sides are likely to be decided early next year.

Celtic are reportedly in advanced talks with Cameron Carter-Vickers over a permanent move to Parkhead this summer, in what would be a big piece of business.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers excelling on loan

The American joined the Hoops on a temporary basis last summer, coming in on loan from Tottenham in order to enjoy more regular playing time.

Carter-Vickers’ switch north of the border has been a match made in heaven, with the 24-year-old becoming a key part of Ange Postecoglou’s defence in the Scottish Premiership.

The centre-back’s future remains up in the air – a number of other clubs want to sign him this summer – but a promising update is now doing the rounds.

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The Latest: Permanent move close?

According to SBI Soccer, an American source has revealed Celtic are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Carter-Vickers permanently at the end of the season, with Spurs still valuing him at £6million.

The report states that Wolves, Leicester City and Watford have all shown an interest, too, but the Hoops appear to be in pole position for his signature.

The Verdict: Huge news for Celtic

Carter-Vickers may already be part of Celtic’s squad but clinching a permanent move for him this summer really would feel like a big signing, given his influence.

The USA international has been an increasingly colossal performer at the heart of the defence, averaging 3.2 aerial duel wins and an 89.8% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing he is more than capable playing at a higher level.

At 24, he is primed to improve in the coming years, becoming an even more formidable player, and he could play a big part in Celtic’s future, potentially then being sold for a hefty profit after some years of sustained success.

In other news, a pundit has bemoaned something that will affect Celtic next season. Read more here.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been handed a second file of evidence relating to claims that Pakistan’s cricketers accepted bribes to engage in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2010The Crown Prosecution Service has been handed a second file of evidence relating to claims that Pakistan’s cricketers accepted bribes to engage in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August.Scotland Yard said that evidence that there was a conspiracy to defraud bookmakers will be considered by the CPS, although the investigation remains ongoing.Detectives interviewed four players under caution, three of whom – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – are currently suspended from international cricket by the ICC.Mazhar Majeed, a businessman and players’ agent, was also arrested as part of the investigation, and stands accused of accepting £150,000 to fix the actions of several players during the Lord’s Test.A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police has today delivered a second file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in connection with the investigation of alleged offences in relation to the fourth Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 26 August. The file will now be subject to CPS consideration.”The ICC’s code of conduct commission rejected appeals by Butt and Amir against their suspensions last Sunday, while Asif had withdrawn his appeal. The next stage will be a hearing by the anti-corruption tribunal into details of the fixing case.