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Michael Vaughan is expected to announce his retirement from international cricket this week

Andrew Miller28-Jun-2009Michael Vaughan, the man who led England to more Test victories than any other captain, is expected to announce his retirement from all cricket this week. A press conference has been scheduled for 11.30am at Edgbaston on Tuesday, at which it is widely anticipated that he will call time on his 16-year first-class career.Vaughan has struggled with injuries to his right knee which kept him out of cricket for over a year between November 2005 and May 2007. In January, he withdrew from the IPL auction to concentrate on getting back into the Test side in time for the Ashes, but still lost out on a place in the 16-man pre-Ashes squad.Vaughan’s timelineDecember 1999 – Makes England debut in Johannesburg, and impresses with an unflappable 33, despite a scoreline of 2 for 4
January 2000 – Named Man of the Match after scoring 69 to seal a consolation win for England at Centurion, in a match later discredited after Hansie Cronje revelations
May 2001 – First Test century, 120 against Pakistan at Old Trafford
Aug-Sept 2002 – Makes a Test-best 197 against India at Trent Bridge, closely followed by 195 at The Oval, in a remarkable tally of 615 runs in four Tests
January 2003 – Climbs to the top of the world rankings after his third century in five Tests against Australia, a brilliant 183 that secures a consolation win in Sydney
July 2003 – Named England captain for the second Test against South Africa at Lord’s after Nasser Hussain steps down
August 2003 – Secures first Test win as captain, by 70 runs at Trent Bridge
August 2003 – England level the series against South Africa with a nine-wicket win at The Oval
March 2004 – Leads England to their first series win in West Indies since 1967-68
May-August 2004 – England win all seven Tests in the summer against New Zealand and West Indies
January 2005 – A draw at Centurion Park gives England a series victory in South Africa for the first time since 1965
September 2005 – England regain the Ashes after 16 years with a draw at The Oval
February 2006 – Breaks down with a knee injury at the start of tour of India. Doesn’t play again for nearly a year
May 2007 – Makes Test comeback with a century at Headingley against West Indies
June 2007 – Resigns one-day captaincy
August 2007 – Loses his first home series as captain, going down 1-0 to India
August 2008 – Resigns as Test captain following five-wicket loss against South Africa at Edgbaston
September 2008 – Retains central contract, but is omitted from winter tours to India and West Indies
June 2009 – Overlooked for 16-man preliminary squad for Ashes seriesIt had been speculated that Vaughan’s final appearance for Yorkshire would take place in Sunday’s Twenty20 Cup fixture against Derbyshire at Headingley, but he was omitted from the starting line-up for that match. According to Stewart Regan, Yorkshire’s chief executive, any official announcement is on hold until Vaughan has met with the ECB, to whom he is still centrally contracted.”There is a meeting between Michael and the ECB scheduled for tomorrow, and after that it will be up to the ECB to make any formal announcement,” Regan told Cricinfo. “Michael has obviously not been selected in the squad today, his place has been taken by Anthony McGrath, and we are very much concentrating on what is a very important game for Yorkshire.”Vaughan, 34, captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests, and won a record 26 of these, including most famously the two matches that enabled England to regain the Ashes in 2005. But he hasn’t played international cricket since stepping down from the captaincy during the home series against South Africa last year, and this season he has made only 159 runs at 19.88 for Yorkshire. The last time he scored a century in a competitive match was for Yorkshire in a 50-over game against Surrey in Abu Dhabi this March.Aside from the growing acceptance that he will never play international cricket again, not least since Ravi Bopara burst onto the scene at the beginning of the season to nail down the No. 3 slot, Vaughan is believed to be wary of hampering the opportunities of young talent at Yorkshire – among them Jonathan Bairstow, the 19-year-old son of the former England wicketkeeper, David, who made his debut this season.”If Vaughan really is packing it in I can understand his decision, though it’s a sad day for all of us who played in 2005,” Steve Harmison told The Mail on Sunday. “He was a great leader on the field. He knew how to get the best out of me, by telling me I was the best bowler in the world. Maybe he was lying, maybe it was kidology but he knew how to press the buttons and we all wanted to play for him.”Vaughan scored three centuries out of a tally of 633 runs in the 2002-03 Ashes that preceded his 2005 triumph, and was one of the few English cricketers whom Australia hold in the highest regard. “I was slightly shocked about Vaughan not getting the inclusion [in the current Ashes squad],” said Brett Lee last week, “more so from what he’s done against us in the past, he’s got the utmost respect from all our players.”If, as expected, he does call it quits this week, the timing of Vaughan’s retirement will serve to spare the current Ashes team endless speculation about his chances of a recall, should early results against Australia go against them. One of his finest achievements as captain was to shield the side against panic in 2005, after a heavy defeat in the first Test at Lord’s. The same side was retained for each of the first four matches of the series.Vaughan is highly likely to remain close to the action this summer, however, as he is sure to be welcomed straight into the Sky commentary box, alongside his former team-mates and fellow England captains, Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain, and his most formidable Ashes foe, Shane Warne.

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as news emerged on Leighton Baines.

As per the club’s official website, under-18 boss Paul Tait has now confirmed that the 36-year-old is working as his assistant manager on a short-term basis. The retired left-back has stepped in for Phil Jevons, who left to join Sunderland as a first-team coach.

Baines was the Merseyside club’s professional development coach in September 2020, with his remit to work closely with young players in the first team in addition to the under-23 and under-18 squads, but he will now be working as Tait’s assistant.

Of course, to have a Toffees legend working on bringing the younger players through is an exciting prospect, and there is no doubt that Baines should flourish in his new role given his previous work with the club.

Everton fans on Baines’ appointment

These Everton fans were buzzing as the news was shared on Twitter, with a couple of supporters describing Baines’ appointment as under-18 assistant manager as ‘great news’:

“That’s great news. This true legend deserves to be successful at Goodison and I hope this is the start of a great career off the pitch for him.”

Credit: @IanDavies1967

“LET’S GOOOO with the thirst pic”

Credit: @otrochris

“If he’s half as good a coach as he was a player he will be brilliant”

Credit: @ToffeMc

“Yeeeeees but I’m gonna need a testimonial for him soon.”

Credit: @DameGinger

“Been great with the U18s’ defence since he came in, last 4 games 3 wins and a draw, the lads listen to his every word, I’ve watched all the games and the improvement is tremendous.”

Credit: @johntierney40

“Great news, definitely has the voice and hard-working attitude to do well”

Credit: @EndEverton

In other news, this Rafael Benitez news has left many Evertonians buzzing

Andrew Symonds has gained confidence from his breakthrough half-century against Pakistan after fearing the series might be his last

Cricinfo staff26-Apr-2009

Andrew Symonds has gained confidence from his breakthrough half-century against Pakistan after fearing the series might be his last as an international. Symonds was recalled after a couple of suspensions for off-field behaviour for the contest in the United Arab Emirates and knew that if he didn’t perform he would be on the way out.”I did feel like that,” he told AAP after his double of 58 and 2 for 12 helped Australia to a series-levelling six-wicket victory on Friday. “In the first game I got out and I thought: ‘Gee, there’s one down, I’ve got possibly five to go.’ That’s how I was looking at it.”After knee surgery following the Boxing Day Test, Symonds struggled on his return for Queensland and was left out of the South Africa tour to continue his rehabilitation from personal issues that had hampered him since his gone fishing episode last year. “I’d been away for quite a while and that was probably the main thing that was going through my head the last little bit, whether I could find the way that I played successfully when I was in the side,” he said. “It was a very important innings for me.”I’m glad that it happened now and not in two games’ time or the last game, because this has given me a bit of confidence going into the next few games that I play. There’s a bit of relief there and believing that I can do what I used to do is a great thing to feel again.”If he can continue to show improvement – the third game is in Abu Dhabi on Monday – Symonds will be a certainty for the World Twenty20 and may come into consideration for the Ashes. Michael Clarke said Symonds was still a key member of the side.”Without a doubt Symo in form is brilliant in any team,” Clarke said. “Obviously his batting’s a given, when he’s scoring runs he’s brilliant to have because he can win a game, no matter what form of the game, on his own. His fielding and bowling speaks for itself as well.”

Fast bowler Brett Lee has been deemed unfit to return to international cricket after having failed to recover from an ankle injury

Cricinfo staff15-Apr-2009Brett Lee’s return to international cricket has been delayed after medical staff deemed his surgically repaired ankle not yet ready for the rigours of bowling. Doug Bollinger, the left-arm fast bowler, has been added to the Australian squad as cover for the forthcoming limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE, and is in line to make his one-day international debut. Lee, part of the squad currently in South Africa, will remain in the country to continue his rehabilitation, but will not be available to play for his IPL franchise, Kings XI Punjab, according to Australian team sources.”The National Selection Panel (NSP) has been advised by Cricket Australia medical staff that Brett Lee is not yet fit enough to resume international cricket,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “While it’s disappointing for Brett to miss the start of the Pakistan series, the NSP wants to take a careful approach to his return to the Australian team.”Lee, who last played during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne before surgery, was fast-tracked into the one-day squad currently in South Africa, hoping to make an early comeback. However he still has a chance of joining the squad in the UAE provided he makes a speedy recovery.”Brett’s ankle has recovered well from surgery in January this year,” Alex Kountouris, the team physiotherapist, said. “However, the rehabilitation process is ongoing and, to date, Brett has not bowled sufficiently to allow him to be fit to resume playing cricket. I will be monitoring Brett’s progress to assess his availability for any part of the series against Pakistan in the UAE.”Bollinger made his Australia debut in the Sydney Test against South Africa but is yet to play a one-day international. “Doug was probably a bit disappointed not to get a run during the Test series in South Africa, but this is an opportunity for him to impress at one-day level for Australia and I’m sure it’s an opportunity he’ll be keen to make the most of,” Hilditch said.The first ODI against Pakistan is on April 22 in Dubai.

The ICL is willing to release some of its foreign players from their contracts so they can play international cricket but expects them to return when the league restarts its international Twenty20 programme in October-November

Ajay S Shankar31-Mar-2009The ICL is willing to release some of its foreign players from their contracts so they can play international cricket but expects them to return when the league restarts its international Twenty20 programme in October-November. The unauthorised league is also gearing up for a major legal battle if its application for recognition is turned down at an ICC meeting next month, a senior ICL official said.”We came to know that some of our players from New Zealand and Pakistan would be considered for their national teams if they obtain a release from their contracts,” the ICL official told Cricinfo. “We are happy to oblige because having players from our league playing international cricket only adds to our value. We expect these players will play for us again when we restart our programme this year-end.”The official also said the ICL expected the ICC to take a decision on the league’s request for recognition at its board meeting in Dubai on April 17. “If there is no satisfactory resolution at the meeting, we will take the legal route as we have stated all along,” he said.The ICL had cancelled its March tournament due to the deepening global recession and the non-availability of Pakistani players due to diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, following the Mumbai terror attacks. “There are certain vested interests within the official establishment who are spreading the word that we are broke, and that we have no money to pay our players,” the official said. “Payments are on track and, in the case of some players, have been put on hold pending a performance appraisal, which we have stated before.”The ICL hit the headlines last weekend after New Zealand’s reported that New Zealand players involved in the ICL have received an e-mail from the league stating that they will be released from their contracts if they request for a termination. Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), told the paper if these players end their association with the unofficial league, they will be immediately available for selection to the New Zealand national side.Earlier, there were also reports from Pakistan that a few of their ICL players, including Mohammad Yousuf, were planning to end their association with the unauthorised Twenty20 league and return to international cricket. The Pakistan board has also indicated it would welcome their ICL players back to the national fold if they cut all ties with the unauthorised league.Players associated with the two-year-old ICL have been barred from all official cricket in most countries, especially in India where the BCCI has adopted a hard-line stance against the private venture.

The ICC has reduced the number of reviews available to a team from three unsuccessful reviews per innings to two during the Test series between England and West Indies in February

Cricinfo staff29-Jan-2009
England will try out the umpire review system for the first time in the Tests in West Indies © Getty Images
The ICC has reduced the number of reviews available to a team from three unsuccessful reviews per innings to two during the Test series between England and West Indies in February.Earlier, each team was allowed three unsuccessful reviews per innings and the reduction was based on feedback from players and match officials. If the modification works successfully in the Caribbean, it will also be trialled in the Tests between Australia and South Africa later in February. Once the two series are finished, the review system will be appraised, and the merits of using or discarding it will be debated by the ICC’s cricket committee in May.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said the review system had received positive feedback but it had to be trialled further before it was introduced on a permanent basis.”That is why we have made this refinement to it,” Lorgat said. “It has become clear during the trial so far that three unsuccessful reviews per innings are too many as there is potential for frivolous or unnecessary reviews to be made by one side or the other. We are testing different playing conditions so that we can find the best one and give the trial every chance of succeeding. We listen to feedback and we have been hearing that two is a preferred option.”After the review system was used during West Indies’ tour of New Zealand, the two captains, Daniel Vettori and Chris Gayle, expressed concern over its usage. Vettori said it would dilute the on-field umpire’s authority if it was constantly used for marginal calls, and Gayle felt it was the standing umpires’ job to make decisions.The system has caused debate and controversy since it was first tried on the domestic circuit in England in 2007, and it received mixed reactions on its international debut in the Tests between Sri Lanka and India earlier this year. However the ICC decided to extend trials to three other Test series. After Australia’s tour of South Africa, seven teams – Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, West Indies, England, South Africa and Australia – would have been exposed to the new umpiring system.

Everton’s transfer window has hardly been a barnstorming affair but the business Rafa Benitez has concluded has surprisingly paid off.

Demarai Gray is looking like an instant bargain after scoring twice in two games following a mere £1.7m move.

His goals have been vital in the Toffees securing seven points from their opening three matches but they aren’t done in the market just yet.

What’s the word?

Anything can happen in the remaining few days of the transfer window but despite Everton’s restricted finances, they are looking to conclude business.

Richarlison could still depart Goodison while James Rodriguez is looking increasingly likely to leave.

The Colombian is due to return to Porto in a swap deal involving Luis Diaz. That news broke on Friday and on Saturday, Fabrizio Romano posted an exciting update on the progress of the move.

He said: “Everton are confident to complete the agreement with FC Porto to sign Luis Díaz. Talks progressing on a permanent move – James Rodriguez expected to join Porto if salary agreement will be completed. Luis Díaz wants Everton as priority, now waiting for final agreement.”

Complete player

If Benitez can conclude a deal for the 24-year-old then he will have every right to be delighted. After all, the Toffees require an extra dose of quality in the final third to take them to the next level.

Gray has started his Everton career in scintillating fashion but if Richarlison does head for the exit door, it would leave them in the lurch.

That’s why the acquisition of Diaz is such an exciting one. He starred at the recent Copa America for Colombia, scoring four goals in five outings. He has hit the ground running in the top-flight of Portuguese football this term too.

In fact, he’s arguably been one of the best players in the division. The winger has beaten the goalkeeper on two occasions and claimed an assist in his first four outings.

Those numbers add to the nine goal involvements he managed in Liga NOS last term.

Diaz doesn’t just bring goals and assists to the table, however. He has won an impressive three aerial duels per game this term and has managed 2.3 dribbles per outing.

If we compare those statistics to those at Everton, he stands out considerably. Only Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have won more aerial battles while no one has been able to replicate his dribbling.

On that evidence, he’d be a wonderful signing for Everton and a deal that surely suits the Toffees more.

They’ll be losing an unhappy ageing player and signing a young vibrant individual with the world at his feet. Benitez should be extremely pleased with Marcel Brands’ work.

AND in other news, Forget Gray: £22.5m-rated Everton dud who won 100% duels stole the show vs Brighton…

The Woodworm Cricket Company today announced the signing of Andrew Flintoffand Muttiah Muralitharan. The signing of two such high-profile playersfollows a successful launch of the company in May 2002. In a sport renownedfor conservatism and tradition, the revolutionary new Woodworm Wand hasalready made a significant breakthrough and is now known by mostinternational cricketers.The Woodworm Cricket Company has removed what it calls a “vulnerable” partof the blade and has re-distributed the wood into a larger and heavierhitting zone. “Batsmen never intend to hit the ball off the area where wehave removed the wood – any such contact is inadvertent. The wood is muchbetter off in the right place,” says Woodworm’s founder and ManagingDirector, Joe Sillett. “The first thing everyone says about the WoodwormWand is how cool the bat looks.” “The second thing they say is how light thepick-up is.” “The third thing they say is does it work?” Sillett argues thatthe case is irrefutable. “Russel Arnold averages over 40 with the WoodwormWand and has enjoyed a terrific run of form recently in the VB series inAustralia. The Wisden UK School’s all-rounder of the year, Andries Kruger ofChrist’s Hospital School, scored 835 runs with the Woodworm Wand. It seemsto have received universal approval from all quarters.””I get emails from all over the world saying how impressed people are withthe new design.” “In our online survey, 85% of people said that cricket wascrying out for a new idea,” he added.In signing Flintoff, who is on track to be fit for the 2003 World Cup,Woodworm has signalled its intent to introduce a fresh buzz of excitementinto the game of cricket. Woodworm saw off the competition who all wanted tocapture Flintoff’s signature. “Freddie is the perfect embodiment of theWoodworm brand. He’s ebullient, competitive and has a big future,” saidSillett. Chubby Chandler, Flintoff’s agent of International SportsManagement agrees, “We manage a number of international cricketers who use arange of manufacturers’ products. When looking at the character of Freddieand the charisma of Woodworm, it was clear that it was the right brand forthe right player.”The signing of the Sri Lankan spin-king, Muttiah Muralitharan is also amarker for Woodworm’s global intentions. Sillett added, “Murali is a globalicon, recognised by cricket lovers everywhere. His enthusiasm is infectiousand we are thrilled to have him on board. He will be modelling a range ofWoodworm equipment, in particular the new Woodworm footwear which we arecurrently developing.”The Woodworm Cricket Company sells its patented Wand cricket bats inaddition to a complete range of cricket equipment. For more informationabout The Woodworm Cricket Company, please visitwww.woodworm.tv

Over the next five days Australia face their toughest assignment in three years and the way they play will assist in determining whether an era of dominance is over. Usually a 1-0 result means Ricky Ponting’s men are looking to seal the series, but in Delhi from Wednesday they will be trying to keep it alive.Not since England in 2005 has Australia faced this scenario and since the players returned from a three-day break following the 320-run Mohali defeat they have been mixing detailed team meetings with training. Strategies have been devised to cope with everything from India’s powerful batting line-up and probing reverse-swing to the visitors’ spin options and ability to deal with the smog.Special guests have appeared in the nets over the past couple of days, including Bishen Bedi, Steve Waugh and mates of the selector Merv Hughes. Advice has come from all directions but on the eve of the game Ponting said it was time to end the chatter.”As I made clear to the guys, it’s one thing to talk about these things, it’s another thing to go out and do them under pressure in a Test,” Ponting said. “If we get the chance to bat first we have to start the innings better than we have in the first two games. If we bowl first we have to start our bowling innings a lot better too.”The first session will be crucial and could determine the path for the rest of the game, which may be interrupted by leftover smoke from and bad light towards the end of the day. Australia’s first goal is to limit the gains India made in Mohali.”They got the momentum early last week and put us under pressure right from the start, and we were unable to claw our way back,” Ponting said. “It’s a lot about how you start here [in India], and it’s how we’ve practised the last few days.”Stuart Clark has performed strongly in training and should return to the side, but Ponting is also weighing up whether to play one slow bowler or two. The look of the pitch on Wednesday morning will determine if the offspinner Jason Krejza makes his debut, playing as a sole spinner or in tandem with Cameron White, or is left out.”He’s definitely in the reckoning, the wicket is a little bit loose on the surface,” Ponting said. “That would indicate late in the game it will probably loosen up more, so spin is a definite option for us.”

Whatever combination Australia choose, Ponting is certain his players are ready to overcome India. “We can’t do any more than we’ve done,” he said. “Our training the past two days has been the best I’ve seen it for a long time. Steve Waugh was at training yesterday [Monday] and he said he’d never seen a team train as well as we did.”Now Australia must turn the practice into match performance and the side will look to its senior players for leadership. Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee have been below par while Ponting, Clark, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke also know this is the time to perform.”I’ve got to stand up as much as the next bloke,” Ponting said. “It’s been three innings since I had an impact on the game with the bat.” Ponting opened the series with his first century in India but followed with 17, 5 and 2.”I’ve tried to completely dismiss last week,” he said. “It was one of those games where we were totally out-played and what you’ve got to do is look at reasons why. You learn your lessons and push on.”Since Lee, who has only four wickets in two games, finished the Mohali match he has been hitting the streets for runs and going to the gym for extra fitness, along with working on his run-up and action. Ponting was hopeful the extra effort would turn into greater impact.”A lot of the things we’ve spoken to him about, and a lot of things he said he’d do, he’s done,” Ponting said. “His preparation this week has been spot on, hopefully that equates to results this week.”The bowlers have been focussing on reverse swing in an effort to keep up with the brutal tricks of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. “It goes against everything we do at home,” Ponting said of the new methods. “In Australia you want to keep the ball as new as you can, and hit the seam as often as you can. Here it’s the exact opposite. You’ve got to rough it up as much as you can and then bring one side up again to get it reversing.”In their first innings in Mohali, Ishant bowled about four balls in his first over across the seam and banged it into the wicket. We’re going to have to look at that, and be doing that at different times.”

West Ham fans have been given a huge glimmer of hope as the summer transfer window draws to a close next week…

What’s the word?

The Irons are amongst the lowest-spenders in the Premier League so far, having only brought in one senior addition on loan – back-up goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain.

A new centre-back, playmaker and striker are all needed to bolster David Moyes’ threadbare playing squad but time is quickly running out.

However, talkSPORT host Jim White dropped an exciting claim live on air earlier this week that should provide plenty of encouragement, he said:

“This is where I understand where West Ham are at right now. How much is available to spend in the remainder of the window? [They have] between £40m and £45m available to spend.”

The popular radio station also suggested that the east London outfit would make at least one more signing before Tuesday night’s 11pm deadline.

A late flurry?

Whether Moyes finds the right players to splash the cash on remains to be seen but it should be exciting news for many around the London Stadium as some have been absolutely desperate to see new additions.

The Hammers are also competing in the Europa League this term, so strength in depth across the pitch will be crucial to their chances of success. They may well have picked up back-to-back wins to kickstart the season and sit atop the Premier League table but one or two injuries could serious curtail their progress.

For example, 31-year-old talisman Michail Antonio – who became the club’s record top-flight goalscorer on Monday – is still the Scot’s only senior striker.

He’s been troubled with plenty of injury problems in the past too, so the club cannot afford to risk that happening. As per WhoScored, the former Forest man has failed to start more than 24 league games in the last four seasons.

Fabian Balbuena is yet to be replaced in the backline, so there’s a chance Aaron Cresswell’s creative exploits from the left will be needed in the middle should injuries arise there, though it does seem like the Irons are closing in on the signing of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea.

There’s also a massive gap to fill in the attack, behind Antonio.

Jesse Lingard only joined on loan in January but ended the campaign as their second-highest rated player with nine goals and four assists, via WhoScored.

Hammers assistant Stuart Pearce confirmed their intentions to sign him permanently to talkSPORT last week but whether he leaves Manchester United remains a different story.

But all in all, this update from White, who is thought to be acquaintances with co-owner David Sullivan, is promising news. Moyes has the budget to spend, clearly.

We should expect to see an addition or two before next week, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops major West Ham transfer update, fans will be buzzing…