The Jamaican authorities have ordered an inquest to be held into the murder of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach. Woolmer’s family was informed that his body would remain in Jamaica till the inquest was over.Coroner’s inquests are held in cases of sudden or unexplained deaths.The reported that according to the Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, the coroner had directed the inquest be held “as soon as possible”.According to Les Green, the police officer heading the Major Investigation Task Force, no date has yet been set for the inquest. “We don’t know when it will begin at this point,” Green told the on Friday.But a release from the government’s public relations arm, the Jamaica Information Service, stated that the coroner gave an assurance that the inquest, which is to be held with a jury, would be conducted “as soon as practical”.The police also denied reports appearing in the foreign press that a man was arrested in connection with the case in Jamaica on Thursday night and that phone numbers of Pakistan and Indian team members were found in a cellular phone taken from the man.TVJ, a local television channel, reported that Darren Lifsun, the Pakistan team physiotherapist, and Murray Stevenson, the trainer, would stay back in Jamaica till the inquest is completed. “We promised the family to stay until everything is sorted out,” Lifsun told AFP. “The police informed the family first, then us, with everything, and then we told the team.”Woolmer died on March 18 in his hotel room in Kingston and five days later the cause of his death was confirmed to be asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation. The Pakistan team were fingerprinted and asked to provide DNA samples as part of the investigations.
South Africa believe they are getting closer to matching Australia on the Test match field but, each time the divide threatens to get a little smaller, familiar foes have stood in the way. However, today they faced up to the challenge and counterattacked with a verve that deserves much praise. They showed similar fight on the second day at Cape Town before capitulating, but the key here is the day ended on a positive note rather than a late fall of wickets.At 10 for 2, with Brett Lee consistently hitting above 150kph, the South Africans could have gone like a pack of cards, especially after a frustrating time trying to wrap up the Australian innings. But Jacques Kallis, who is playing under constant pain from what has been diagnosed as tennis elbow, refused to wilt. He was made to hop about, and was not always convincing against the short ball, but to beat Australia those are the periods batsmen have to battle through.Ironically, it was Ricky Ponting’s decision to bring Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds into the attack – so that the umpires wouldn’t offer the light – that enabled South Africa to finish on a more level playing field than had appeared likely for most of the day. Ponting’s move was another subtle way of Australia making a further statement of intent; they are already 1-0 up and could quite easily have headed for the dressing room, but this is not a team that plays for draws. South Africa are the ones who need to force the pace, yet would have been quite happy to kick their heels as the clouds rolled in.Kallis clearly wasn’t happy with the conditions and a couple of his boundaries were a release of frustration, but he and AB de Villiers soon realised that Warne and Symonds were not posing a huge threat. Kallis is certainly not considered a dasher among the world’s leading batsmen, but followed his aggressive intent from the first Test. He hasn’t had a huge amount of cricket of late, after sitting out the majority of South Africa’s recent one-day matches, and the benefits of an extended period in the middle showed as his balance and footwork returned to something near their best.The same can’t be said of Herschelle Gibbs who, despite his astonishing 175 in match at Johannesburg, continues to have a tough time in Tests against the Australians. He should have gone second ball today, Ponting shelling the chance at second slip, and there was an air of inevitability about his dismissal to Michael Kasprowicz. For the seventh time in nine knocks against Australia this summer he stumps were rattled – an unbelievably high number for a top-order batsman. Gibbs has always been prone to being bowled, given his keenness to free the arms at hit through the offside, but he has drifted further to leg and the Australians now aim to hit his stumps.If Gibbs’ manner of dismissal is becoming an unwanted similarity for South Africa, so is the identity of the man who held them up earlier in the day. Following a courageous draw at Perth in December, their winter began to unravel when Mike Hussey – never mind being Mr Cricket he is certainly Mr Fix It – and Glenn McGrath added 107 for the tenth wicket at Melbourne. The stand hauled Australia around from 248 for 9 and South Africa never fully recovered.Hussey’s intervention today was less dramatic, but no less important following Andre Nel’s burst which left Australia 259 for 7. A repeat of his 122 at the MCG was looming with Stuart Clark providing combative support and the South African bowlers growing increasingly agitated. If Ponting had continued with his quicks Hussey would have been the story of the day, but his thunder was stolen by a courageous recovery. South Africa have shared the honours for two days, but for that gap to become permanently smaller it must continue for the next three.
Titans 115 for 2 (Bodi 47) beat Western Province Boland114 for 9 (Kemp 3-19) by 8 wicketsWestern Province Boland finished a dismal season at Newlands in CapeTown taking an eight-wicket drubbing from the Titans in the final round-robin game of the PRO20 Series.Sent in to bat, WPBOL’s innings never got off the ground as first DaleSteyn (2 for 10) sent them crashing with some very quick bowling andthen Justin Kemp (3 for 19) cleaned up the top order. With only DerrinBassage, Wian Smit and Renier Munnik able to get into the twenties, WPBOLcollapsed to 114 for 9 at the end of the 20 overs.In contrast, the Titans innings started well with Goolam Bodi andAlviro Petersen putting on 43 before Petersen was caught behind for 20off 15 balls. The hard work had been done up front leaving Bodi andZander de Bruin the easy task of looking for a run-a-ball and theoccasional boundary. A great catch at short fine leg saw the end of Bodihaving scored 47 off 43 balls to leave the Titans 18 runs short of thewin. Justin Kemp strode to the crease and after getting away with anedge off the first ball took just seven ball to hit 14 and the win forthe Titans.Warriors 145 for 6 (Henderson 62) beat Eagles 141 for 8(Beukes 49, Jacobs 40) by 4 wicketsAt Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein, the Eagles were knocked out of a homesemi-final spot as the Warriors beat them by four wickets to claim thesecond spot on the table.A slight wobble at the start of the Eagles’ innings saw Jonathan Beukesand Davey Jacobs recover from 2 for 14 to 3 for 90 after 11 overs.Jacobs struck 40 in his 26 balls while Beukes played a more conservativerole scoring 49 off 45. Benjamin Hector was next best with 15 as thelower order failed to leave the Eagles on 141 for 8.The Warriors lost both their openers for 37 but a 56-run partnershipbetween Arno Jacobs (22) and Tyron Henderson saw them edge closer to thetarget. With Henderson once again on fire, striking six sixes and twofours in his 62, the Warriors eased to a four wicket win with 5 balls tospare.
Wisden Cricinfo speaks exclusively to United States captain Richard Staple in the aftermath of the qualification for the Champions Trophy in SeptemberWhat’s been the reaction to your team qualifying? Joy and happiness. This win has done a lot for cricket here judging by the response. It’s getting out that we won the tournament, and the awareness is much greater now.What sort of feedback have you had from the non-cricket community? We’ve received some calls from politicians. It’s an election year. That’s always good for publicity, bringing the game into the public forum.How much preparation was there before the tournament? We had a camp in Florida as most of our players are from the north-east. Mostly net sessions – we didn’t play for months. We had Faoud [Bacchus] as well as a few guys who live in Florida, like the former West Indian player Hamesh Anthony, assisting.Did you have any idea how quickly you had to win the last match to finishahead of Scotland? About three-quarters of the way into the game we worked out we were going to have to win with two overs to spare.The batting was your strength – did you bank on that knowing the bowling would concede some runs? Definitely. The wickets were batting tracks and we backed ourselves to bat second as we chase pretty well. We knew our bowling wasn’t as strong.In the build-up to the Champions Trophy, will you be looking for some more bowlers? Yes, we have some good young fast bowlers. They were overlooked – I don’t know why, to be quite honest. There is a young boy named Imran Awan in Washington DC. He’s about the quickest we have in the country. and I think we are going to have to encourage young talent like him because our bowling attack is ageing. We have a lot of cricket prior to the Champions Trophy, so hopefully we can get a few young ones in.What was different about this squad to previous ones? Clayton [Lambert] adds professionalism [which was] lacking in the previous sides. Normally, we would lose one or two wickets and then panic when chasing around 240. He keeps his cool, and allows the other players to play with a certain amount of relaxation.Should the ICC schedule more tournaments for the top six or so non-Test countries? Yes. That would be great. We have been too inactive. We play a tournament and then don’t play for some time. Against teams like Holland, Scotland and Namibia, we can only improve.
Las Condes, the 2002 Santiago League Champions, initiated their 2003 campaign on Saturday at the Grange School ground against a fancied Santiago side who were still smarting from a narrow defeat against the PWCC the previous week.Santiago were put into bat on what looked like and soon turned out to be a bowlers wicket and were soon two wickets down with just one run on the board with both Santiago’s openers back in the pavilion.Marcus Yorke-Long and Blair Douglas then steadied the ship before Douglas was well caught at first slip by Hollis giving Messner his second victim. Sean Jones took his second wicket for Las Condes shortly afterwards when Yorke-Long mistimed a straight drive giving the bowler a simple catch.The Messner-Hollis combination saw the back of Anglin four runs later, again superbly taken by Hollis in the slips leaving Santiago on 26 for 5 after just nine overs.Messner continued to rip the heart out of the Santiago order as Shalders and Desmaras quickly fell to his spell of accurate Medium quick seam bowling. At 40 for 8, early tea looked imminent, but the experienced Chris Brown had other ideas as he came in and leapt on the bad balls from the second string bowlers for a confident looking 31 not out. The Santiago tail, unfortunately couldn’t stay with him and when Graves became Messner’s sixth and Willemse was stumped by Wollocombe, Santiago were all out for just 77 runs.The Las Condes openers, Hickman and Wollocombe, achieved what Santiago had not, on the other hand, through a good deal of grit and determination against Santiago’s strong left and right bowling attack of Douglas and Anglin. The breakthrough didn’t come until the 10th over with the score on 22 as Wollocombe was alleged LBW to a full length inswinger from Anglin.Hollis was not able to pick up where had had left off in the South American Championships and was out cheaply giving Douglas his only wicket of the match. However, Matthew Hickman was still looking good despite the good bowling and, supported by Andy Salmond-Smith, the pair took the score to 46 before Hickman was bowled off another Anglin inswinging missile.Salmond-Smith continued to thump the ball with a relish until he holed out on 16 to Douglas off a good over from Santiago’s young hopeful JP Fassnidge.Shalders and Fassnidge then began to eat their way through Las Condes’s middle order to expose a shaky looking tail until the Las Condes Captain Clive Marriott managed to steady the ship and Messner cracked the winning runs with just two wickets remaining.Tim Messner was awarded Man-of-the Match for his fine spell of 8-3-13-6.Points awarded Las Condes:18,Santiago:7
With three man of the match awards from four games in the ongoingtriangular series in Zimbabwe, Sachin Tendulkar says he is extremelykeen to “score more and more hundreds”, a statement certain to ringalarm bells for the other finalists, the West Indies.”I am not easily satisfied. I want to score many more hundreds,” saidTendulkar yesterday after his unbeaten 122 shaped up India’s sixwicket win against West Indies in the last league match.Tendulkar’s 29th one-day international hundred, was his first of thesix-week tour where he has played two Tests and four ODIs besides athree-day game. The genius said he was disappointed at not getting acentury in previous games.”One always goes out to score hundreds. I wanted to score a hundred inboth the Tests. But it happens to all the players. If it was not to beso, then all the great players wouldn’t have got out in the 70 and80s. When I had embarked on this tour, I had personally decided to tryand hang around as much as possible. And that is what I was trying todo. I had told myself not to play big shots, even though that meant Iwould have to suppress my natural instinct to hit the ball. Ibasically did it because of the wickets here. I think on these kind oftracks you can’t play the way you play in India or anywhere else.”But, that the batsman does not forget defeat easily was evident whenhe recalled how the one hour on the fourth morning of the second Testcost India the match.”The tour has gone on very well so far, except for the fourth morningof the second Test. That one hour cost us the match. I thought wedidn’t play good cricket and we allowed them to get back into thegame. If we had given them 200 or 210 runs to get in the fourthinnings it would have been a different story.”India lost the second Test to Zimbabwe by four wickets after they lostseven wickets for 37 runs on the penultimate day.”I thought losing those seven wickets for 37 runs was the key. If youlose so many wickets in no time, it is very difficult to win a Testmatch. Right until that moment I felt that we were in the drivingseat. I know it is very hard to express in words as to what we shoulddo and what we shouldn’t do. It just happens,” the former skipper saidphilosophically.”The only thing one could have done was to wait and hang around therefor the new ball to wear out. Such things are going to happen. Wecan’t pin-point each other. We all need to take responsibility for itand try and ensure that we don’t repeat it.”On the brighter side, Tendulkar said the team had now some very goodyoungsters. “All the youngsters we have are very talented. They arealso hungry to do well. They are prepared to work hard and that is agood sign. It augurs well because if you look at the average age ofthe team it is around 23-24 years. The team is young and if this lotcan stick together for years to come, I am sure we can produce betterresults.”However, Tendulkar said, it was the bowling where India had profitedmost. “All the bowlers show promise. All the guys have differentqualities and that is so important when you form a team. From everyend, you have variety. Harbhajan Singh is a top class off spinner andhe is only 21. It is an added advantage to the side. Somebody who isso young and done well against quality sides, we can only expectbetter things from him.”The 28-year-old stalwart from Mumbai was also very pleased with thefitness level of the team. “It has improved by leaps and bounds. Nowwe are a very good fielding side too”.Tendulkar said he is always keen to lend a helping hand to youngstersin the team. “I know I am the senior-most among the players here. If Isee something wrong or an area where somebody can improve, I just goand tell him that this is what I feel. Then it is up to the player totake a decision. But as a senior member, I feel I should tell themwhere they are going wrong.”
It hasn’t been the prettiest campaign for Tottenham Hotspur, and Thomas Frank has work to do if he is to convince the Lilywhite supporters of his capacity to lead this team through a sustained period of success.
The conquering of the Europa League last season might have been used as a springboard, but Tottenham have reverted to type, 11th in the Premier League and lacking the attacking sparkle fans expect. This was painfully clear last weekend, during the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
To Dare Is To Do, but Spurs are not being brave enough, and their instability is becoming a big problem. It will be Frank’s undoing if he fails to mount a convincing assault against the Premier League’s elite, challenging in the Champions League and FA Cup too.
Defensively, issues linger from the Ange Postecoglou era. Tottenham have been blunted in attack too. But it’s perhaps the midfield which is epicentral to the lack of control and creativity and craftsmanship.
Spurs' plans to fix their midfield
Tottenham’s midfield ranks have left plenty to be desired this season. Frank will feel hard done by given James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been absent since the summer due to injury, but the decision to persist with Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha isn’t providing the desired results.
Palhinha, a loan arrival from Bayern Munich, has added some punch to the centre of the park, but he’s not exactly a progressive midfielder on the ball. Bentancur, beside him, struggles to serve as a neat counterpoint, with the Uruguayan’s struggles in recent years even leading analyst Raj Chohan to describe him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.
Clearly, Spurs need an upgrade, and they could find one in Leon Goetzka, who fancies trying his hand at something new after a lifetime of football in his German homeland.
That’s according to Spanish sources, who claim that Goretzka is seeking a fresh start after being consigned to a reduced part in Vincent Kompany’s project.
Tottenham are understood to be among the best-placed teams to complete a deal, with Premier League rivals like Nottingham Forest and West Ham United also ready to submit formal offers this winter.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Last summer, Manchester United’s interest led to Bayern relatiation, placing a £34m on the 30-year-old. ENIC Group will hope that figure has since diminished.
Why Leron Goretzka would be perfect for Spurs' midfield
Goretzka has enjoyed a glittering career with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, winning the Champions League and so many Bundesliga titles since joining on a free transfer in 2018 after his contract with Schalke expired.
Bayern Munich'sLeroySanecelebrates scoring their first goal with Leon Goretzka
A powerful and commanding centre-midfielder, Goretzka’s prospective success down N17 in the Premier League would come at either Palhinha or Bentancur’s expense.
Looking at how he contrasts with ex-teammate Palhinha for example, underscores the kind of upgrade Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici would strike.
Goretzka vs Palhinha (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Goretzka
Palhinha
Goals scored
0.11
0.16
Assists
0.04
0.16
Touches
83.66
60.63
Pass completion (%)
90.8
84.9
Progressive passes
7.69
3.02
Progressive carries
2.18
0.49
Shot-creating actions
2.21
1.29
Successful take-ons
0.41
0.43
Ball recoveries
4.73
3.77
Tackles + interceptions
2.74
5.87
Aerial duels won
1.95
1.72
Data via FBref
He is a midfield powerhouse, and his energy and ferocity have seen him said to be “like a madman” on the field by former teammate Sami Khedira, who then hailed his countryman as a “machine” of a player.
Subscribe to the newsletter for expert Spurs transfer insight Craving in-depth Spurs transfer and midfield coverage? Subscribe to the newsletter for expert scouting, tactical breakdowns and stat-led analysis that put moves like a Goretzka pursuit in context and explain how they fit the squad. Subscribe to the newsletter for expert Spurs transfer insight Craving in-depth Spurs transfer and midfield coverage? Subscribe to the newsletter for expert scouting, tactical breakdowns and stat-led analysis that put moves like a Goretzka pursuit in context and explain how they fit the squad.
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He doesn’t churn out the same calibre of defensive actions as someone like Palhinha – who does? – but Goretzka is a more complete and balanced player. He would raise the level of Spurs’ wider system, trumping Bentancur in that regard.
Indeed, across 11 Bundesliga starts this season, the experienced midfielder has won 57% of his ground duels. He could actually partner Palhinha in the Spurs centre, striking a much-needed defend-attack balance. Control. It’s very important in the Premier League, and Goretzka would instil it.
With an intense work rate and a tenacity that cannot be taught, Goretzka would be a credit to Tottenham’s midfield. He would certainly work his way into the starting line-up at the expense of strugglers like Palhinha and Bentancur.
Tottenham need more dynamism in midfield, and Goretzka has the experience and the technical skillset to create a central system that could see Frank’s vision realised over the second half of the season and indeed the next few years.
Spurs have signed a "hidden gem" who could end Richarlison's stay
Tottenham are still searching for a Harry Kane replacement at number nine.
The South African fast bowler, Monde Zondeki, has signed as Warwickshire’s overseas player for the 2008 season.Zondeki, 25, has represented South Africa in five Tests and 11 one-day Internationals, having made his Test debut on South Africa’s last tour of England in 2003.His ODI debut came six months earlier, at Bloemfontein in December 2002, where he made an immediate impact with his first-ball dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu. To date he has taken 201 first-class wickets in 63 appearances at an average of 27.81, as well as 78 limited-overs wickets at 28.67.Zondeki will be available for all of Warwickshire’s competitions next season, except when Sanath Jayasuriya comes across for the Twenty20 Cup in June.”I am hugely excited about signing for Warwickshire,” said Zondeki. “The opportunity to work under Ashley Giles and bowling coach Allan Donald is one that was too good to refuse. This promises to be a huge year for the Bears and I am looking forward to playing an important role in the upcoming season.”Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles, said: “Monde comes highly recommended from South Africa. Myself and AD have had many discussions about world-class bowlers and he rates him as one of the quickest bowlers in South Africa.”Monde will add pace and experience to our bowling attack and will be a good addition to the squad. I look forward to welcoming to Edgbaston in March.”
Scott Styris feels he is “off the pace” after his lay-off with a back injury but remains confident he can be a major contributor in New Zealand’s World Cup campaign. Styris has had an interrupted few months since aggravating his problem at the Champions Trophy and has struggled to find form on his return to the ODI side.His CB Series and Chappell-Hadlee Trophy scores were 34, 16, 17 and 0, and he followed up with 26 in New Zealand’s warm-up game against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Styris conceded he would need to lift if he wants to help New Zealand fulfil their World Cup potential.”My form’s there or thereabouts,” he told . “I was quite happy when I came back into the side but I think I need to get more up to speed with the intensity of the game, more than anything. There’s a massive jump in intensity between our domestic cricket and here, and I’ve felt a bit off the pace, if anything.”But Styris is comfortable with Caribbean conditions, having made a Test century on debut there in 2002. “I’ve got good memories from the tour of the West Indies in 2002,” he said. “In the one-dayers I had an opportunity to bat higher up the order and did pretty well, and I guess that’s where I first persuaded the skipper and the selectors that I could play a front-line batting role.”The slow and low pitches expected during the World Cup would suit his playing style, Styris said. “They also tend to stop and turn a bit, which is conducive to what I try to do with the ball,” he said. “I feel I should be able to make a good contribution.”Having said that, they’ve got a whole lot of new grounds over here now and the pitches are pretty much an unknown quantity. There’s a suggestion that they’ll still be low and slow but I haven’t seen too many new surfaces play that way. We’ll just have to wait and see.”New Zealand’s final warm-up match is against Sri Lanka on Friday. They begin their World Cup campaign in earnest with a vital clash with England next Friday.
England A 283 for 9 (Joyce 85, Clarke 58, Solanki 47) beat West Indies A 226 (Joseph 45, Richards 39, Mahmood 4-37, Batty 4-40) by 57 runs ScorecardSajid Mahmood and Gareth Batty grabbed four wickets apiece to bowl England A to a 57-run series-leveling win over West Indies A under the lights at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on March 11.Rikki Clarke spurred England with an allround effort: he rattled a breezy 44-ball 58 to lift the visitors to 283 for 9 and then strangled the hosts, after they had run away to 95 for 1 in 15 overs, with a miserly 10-over spell – conceding only 26 runs and picking up Dale Richards’s (39) wicket in the bargain. Richards’s wicket opened up the gates for Batty and Mahmood to barge through, and the duo kept striking at regular intervals: seven wickets fell for 94 runs as West Indies folded up for 226.Ed Joyce, who top-scored for the second successive match, and Vikram Solanki, who missed the first game, got the visitors off to a great start, racing away to 97 in only 15.4 overs. However, their march was halted by Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinner who bowled his 10 overs on a trot, grabbing 4 for 38. Hinds got rid off Solanki in his first over and removed Alex Loudon and Ravi Bopara cheaply before nailing Joyce to leave the visitors at a wobbly 168 for 5.It was then that Clarke stepped in, counterattacking his way out of trouble. Gavin Tonge came in for special attention from Clarke who hit him for four fours in succession in the 48th over. However, Tonge soon got his revenge, removing Clarke off the last ball of the over.The battle will now resume in Barbados on Tuesday where the final three matches of the series will be played.