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Spurs are facing a race against time to replace their offensive talisman before the transfer window closes…

It's been touted to be happening for years, but there was still an element of disbelief when Harry Kane pulled on a Bayern Munich shirt for the first time on Saturday. The man who had dragged Tottenham to the dizziest heights of their modern era – almost single-handedly at times – has left the building. Now, Spurs need to find a new hero – and fast.

With less than three weeks left until the summer transfer window closes, Spurs are facing the daunting prospect of Richarlison leading the line single-handedly for the entire season, unless they can recruit a new No.9.

At least Daniel Levy has a sizeable chunk of change to play with, with Bayern paying an initial €100m (£86.1m/$108.8m) plus add-ons for Kane. Then again, in the current market, even a war chest that size does not give you complete freedom, meaning Ange Postecoglou may need to settle for one of the names lower down on his shortlist.

Ahead of what is set to be a hectic few weeks, GOAL has taken a look at how Tottenham could go about completing the impossible job of replacing Kane:

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  Richarlison (Tottenham)

  Tottenham have already spent £50m+ ($63.5m) on a potential Kane replacement in the relatively recent past. Richarlison's maiden season in north London following his arrival from Everton was pretty shambolic, however, with the Brazilian scoring just once in the Premier League.

  Prior to this sharp drop off in form, he boasted a fairly reliable record in front of goal and was trusted with filling Kane's boots against Brentford on the opening weekend. The reviews were mixed at best. He had a handful of chances but again drew a blank, with Postecoglou calling for better service from those behind him moving forward.

  “I thought we could have been a little bit more direct to him and look for him a little bit more,” the Spurs boss said. “He was making some good runs and he was working hard. He had a couple of half-opportunities, but I thought we could have created more for him. The key for us with Richy is to keep supporting him because he’s working awfully hard for the team in a defensive sense and when we get in that front third I thought we didn’t look enough for him today. I have got a lot of time for him. He’s a striker and he’s got a lot of great attributes and he will always work hard for the team, and that’s a good starting point for me.”

  While his manager is convinced he will come good, Spurs could clearly use another centre-forward. Should Richarlison go down with an injury, Postecoglou would be left scratching around for a No.9, with Son Heung-min or Manor Solomon likely to be asked to play out of position.

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  Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

  Romelu Lukaku has endured a miserable few months. Since missing golden chance in the Champions League final for Inter, the Belgian has managed to alienate the only fanbase that has ever loved him unconditionally, and there is now next to no chance of him securing a permanent return to San Siro.

  Following significant supporter backlash, Juventus no longer seem interested either, while links with Saudi Arabia have cooled significantly too. As a result, Lukaku is in limbo at Chelsea, with new manager Mauricio Pochettino showing no indication that he is part of his plans. Could Tottenham offer Lukaku salvation? Quite possibly.

  Things haven't gone tremendously well since Lukaku left Inter the first time, but it's worth remembering what earned him his big-money move to Stamford Bridge in the first place. Between 2019 and 2021, the 30-year-old could not stop scoring, with his goals propelling the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title in 2021.

  It's clear Lukaku needs a bit of love to thrive and he would get that in abundance under Postecoglou's care. As long as Spurs' other forwards can get close to him when they're attacking, he should be a snug fit stylistically too.

  Wages could be an issue, but then again Chelsea are desperate to sell, which puts Daniel Levy in a strong negotiating position. This is one to watch very closely over the next few weeks.

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  Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)

  Like Lukaku, Dusan Vlahovic might be regretting his most recent transfer. The Serbian had his pick of Europe's top clubs when he opted to leave Fiorentina partway through the 2021-22 season, eventually opting to remain in Italy by joining Juventus. Vlahovic's time in Turin, however, has been punctuated by off-field turmoil and on-field dysfunction under Max Allegri – with the frontman managing just 23 goals in 63 appearances.

  There are several reasons for his underwhelming form. A troublesome groin injury has limited his influence, while the highly-pragmatic Allegri has been accused of shackling the Serbian's potential by asking him to play too deep. The manager does not appear to be leaving Turin any time soon, so Vlahovic might have to be the one to move on.

  While he would likely prefer to join a Champions League club, no one who fits this description appears to be searching for a striker. Tottenham would represent a welcome change of scenery, and Postecoglou would no doubt facilitate his return to the penalty-box predator that took Europe by storm a few years back.

  The chance to be Spurs' undisputed star man is also likely to appeal. Vlahovic is certainly no shrinking violet, taking Cristiano Ronaldo's No.7 shirt after arriving at Juventus.

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  Folarin Balogun (Arsenal)

  Folarin Balogun had been expected to join Inter this summer, with the United States men's national team star dropping a huge hint that the Serie A side was his preferred destination by posting a clip of himself watching prime Ronaldo Nazario highlights from his time at San Siro.

  However, despite the striker's clear preference to join the Nerazzurri, a concrete offer has not emerged, opening the door for other clubs to sign him. West Ham and Monaco have both been linked, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tottenham enter the fray too.

  Balogun enjoyed a breakout 2022-23, netting a stunning 21 goals for mid-table Reims in Ligue 1. That's more league goals than Marcus Rashford, Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi managed last season.

  Balogun is a lethal finisher, but is also able to fashion chances for himself thanks to his excellent dribbling ability. Naysayers may point to his lack of assists, but with James Maddison arriving at Spurs this summer, whoever replaces Kane will not have to be anywhere near as creative as he was in his prime.

  Obviously, crossing the north London divide would not make him a popular man with Arsenal supporters, but with some Gunners fans already beginning to sour on the U.S. international, he may not mind ruffling a few feathers.

All of Europe's richest clubs want to sign the England midfielder, but his development would be better served by another season at Signal Iduna Park

So, now we know. Liverpool are out of the running to sign Jude Bellingham this summer, which is a shame both for the club and the player. Because a move to Merseyside made so much sense.

Liverpool are in dire need of a new Steven Gerrard, while Anfield would have provided Bellingham with the perfect platform to prove himself as a truly generational talent.

He wouldn't have just been a guaranteed starter, he would have been the foundation on which Jurgen Klopp constructed his next great Liverpool team.

Unfortunately, this season's dramatic dip in form, which will likely result in the Reds missing out on Champions League football and financing next season, has put paid to any hope the German coach had of landing Bellingham.

After all, Dortmund are, quite understandably, seeking around €150 million (£132m/$165m) for their most prized possession and Liverpool are no state-sponsored club. They simply do not have the resources to sign the most-coveted teenager in world football overhaul their squad.

Bellingham, of course, still has plenty of potential destinations to choose from, but are any of them really as attractive as Anfield?

GettyManchester City

Manchester City are obviously one of the leading contenders to sign Bellingham and the prospect of working with Pep Guardiola would appeal to the England youngster.

Crucially, unlike Liverpool, money is no object to the club's Abu Dhabi-based owners. Meeting both Dortmund's asking price and Bellingham's wage demands would not be an issue.

But City's wealth is not without its downside, certainly from a player's perspective. The reigning Premier League champions can afford to make mistakes in the transfer market. If an expensive signing doesn't work out, they can just make another one.

They are in the rather enviable position of being able to pay £42m ($53m) for a promising young English midfielder and leave him on the bench for almost the entire season. Now, people may argue with some justification that Bellingham is a far better player than Kalvin Phillips – and a very different one too – but the former Leeds United star's struggles at the Etihad this season underline just how difficult it is to break into this City side.

Pep will obviously have a plan for Bellingham, but he doesn't exactly look like a perfect fit from a tactical perspective. City don't have another player like the 19-year-old, which is good in one way, but potentially problematic in another.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva could both leave this summer, but Bellingham hardly represents a like-for-like replacement for either player.

He is far more direct and actually more akin to Kevin De Bruyne but, again, it's difficult to see Bellingham playing instead of the Belgian or even with him, unless he makes some modifications to his game. Just look at how the ridiculously talented Phil Foden is in and out of the City starting line-up this season.

Bellingham would obviously learn a lot playing under Guardiola, and alongside some of the most intelligent footballers in the game today, but, at his age, he needs to play, and he needs to grow. It's not as if Phillips is doing either right now…

AdvertisementGetty ImagesReal Madrid

As it stands, Madrid don't appear to have quite enough money in the bank to bring Bellingham to Santiago Bernabeu this summer, not that a lack of cash has ever stopped them before. Real usually find a way to get what they want.

A player's desire to move to Madrid often helps too. It remains the dream destination for most footballers, representing the most successful side in the history of the European Cup is still considered by many to be the pinnacle of their profession. Bellingham would be no different in that regard.

Again, though, there are some red flags. Madrid have signed two young midfielders of enormous potential during the last summer two transfer windows, in Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.

The former was once again on the bench against Chelsea on Wednesday night, while the latter played at left-back.

Both were obviously bought with the future in mind. Despite some compelling evidence to the contrary, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos cannot continue forever.

But, again, Bellingham might have to spend more time on the bench than he'd like if he were to join Madrid at this particular moment in time.

After all, another midfielder really isn't really Real's priority right now, which is telling in itself.

GettyManchester United

In recently urging Bellingham to stay at Dortmund, club legend Stefan Effenberg pointed out in his column for that there are "no guarantees elsewhere – [Jadon] Sancho is the best example of this."

It was a valid point. Sancho appeared perfectly primed to become a superstar at Manchester United in 2021 after three stellar seasons at Signal Iduna Park.

Sadly, the winger has endured a tough time at Old Trafford, with the mental strain of playing in one of the most pressurised environments in world football having taken a heavy toll on Sancho, who is only now starting to look like something resembling his old self.

Sancho certainly wasn't helped by the constant turmoil at United, and while things have improved around the first team following the appointment of the excellent Erik ten Hag as coach, the ongoing unrest at boardroom level is hugely concerning.

Indeed, it was hoped that the Glazer family, who are reviled by many supporters, would sell the club before the end of the season, but that process could now drag on into the summer, meaning less time for the new owners to prepare for next season.

For that reason alone, United appear unlikely to sign Bellingham. They're not presently in a position to commit to such a massive deal, while Bellingham would be well advised to steer clear while the ownership issue at Old Trafford remains unresolved.

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Getty ImagesChelsea

If United's interest should be treated with caution, any offer from Chelsea must be immediately dismissed. The new owners at Stamford Bridge are making the previous administration look like models of restraint, having already sacked two managers since taking charge last summer and spent more than £500m ($625m) on players.

Seriously, it's The Muppet Show, an ever-expanding cast of comical characters that appear to exist only for our amusement.

It obviously makes no sense for Chelsea to bid for Bellingham, given they're already in danger of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations because of their historic spending spree, but that doesn't mean they won't.

Todd Boehly & Co. clearly want to sign as many talented young players as possible. However, it would be hugely surprising if Bellingham had any interest in joining a club operating in a total state of flux.

They won't be playing in the Champions League next season, while it's not yet known who their next manager will be – or whether he'll be sacked six games into the new campaign.

Bellingham must avoid Chelsea at all costs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Invicto neste início de temporada, o Sampaio Corrêa tem um grande desafio nesta quarta-feira (12) pela Copa do Brasil. Na primeira fase, a Bolívia Querida enfrenta o Água Negra, às 21h30 (horário de Brasília) no Estádio Ninho D’Águia em Rio Brilhante-MS.

Titular da equipe maranhense depois de passagem positiva na última temporada pelo Remo, o zagueiro Marcão projetou a partida única que vale a classificação no torneio.

– Minha expectativa é muito boa, o grupo vem trabalhando forte na semana e nossa equipe vem se entrosando cada vez mais. É um jogo único e o empate é nosso, mas iremos para buscar a vitória. Queremos passar de fase e também ajudar o clube financeiramente – disse Marcão, que mostrou conhecimento do adversário.

– Sabemos que esse jogo vale muito para o nosso adversário, e para nós não é diferente. Temos que nos manter focados o tempo inteiro para não facilitar um segundo sequer – concluiu.

No Campeonato Maranhense, o Sampaio Corrêa está na liderança da tabela de classificação com sete pontos através de duas vitórias e um empate.

RelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo anuncia a contratação do técnico Paulo AutuoriBotafogo12/02/2020Futebol NacionalConfira a seleção Footstats do Campeonato Paulista após cinco rodadasFutebol Nacional12/02/2020VitóriaThiago Carleto comemora classificação do Vitória e defende atuação da equipeVitória12/02/2020

R Ashwin is widely considered the leader of India’s bowling attack, particularly in home conditions. He has ended the World T20 – a tournament held in India, on pitches that have by and large helped the spinners – having delivered only 15 overs in five matches, the smallest workload of India’s four frontline bowlers.Ashwin bowled his full quota of overs in only two of the five games, against New Zealand in Nagpur and against Bangladesh in Bangalore. He only bowled three overs against Pakistan on a Kolkata pitch offering plenty of turn, two expensive overs against Australia in Mohali, and two overs in Thursday’s semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai.Ashwin conceded 20 runs in those two overs, the seventh and ninth of West Indies’ innings, and did not bowl thereafter. India captain MS Dhoni did not turn to his offspinner in the middle overs, when Hardik Pandya’s medium-pace was leaking runs, or for the final over, when he gave the part-timer Virat Kohli the ball with West Indies needing eight to win.Dhoni said he did not use Ashwin because of the onset of dew. He said the ball “was gripping” the pitch during India’s innings, but the dew made it skid through when West Indies batted, making it easy for them to hit the spinners.”The seam gets wet and the surface becomes a bit greasy so it comes onto the bat nicely,” Dhoni said. “Ash only bowled two overs, [Ravindra] Jadeja we were forced to bowl the last quota of his overs otherwise he would have only bowled three overs.”Jadeja had a torrid time with the ball, conceding 48 off his four overs. With two right-handers at the crease – Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell – at the start of the 19th over, Dhoni turned to Jadeja’s left-arm spin rather than Ashwin’s offspin.Dhoni said he gave Kohli – who picked up a wicket off his very first ball of the tournament to start the 14th of West Indies’ innings – the final over because he feared that the lack of turn off a dew-slicked pitch would make it easy for Andre Russell or Lendl Simmons to hit big shots off a spinner. He said he did not remember why he had not bowled out Ashwin’s quota in the match against Pakistan.”No, it was not in my mind [to give Ashwin the ball], looking at Russell and the big hitters and the amount of purchase there was on offer. That was not the best time for him to bowl. Calcutta, I’m not sure what my thinking was then. When the wicket is turning I like to take that gamble of keeping a few overs of the spinner [in reserve] so that if needed, I can make him bowl.”Immediately after the Kolkata match, Dhoni had said he used Jasprit Bumrah rather than Ashwin at the death, since he felt Pakistan had a greater chance of taking a big over off a spinner – “in excess of 15 runs” – rather than a seamer. “I’m not saying [Ashwin] couldn’t have bowled, but that was the thinking at that point of time and I went for the safer option.”At the Wankhede, Ashwin could have had a wicket in his first over, when Bumrah caught Simmons brilliantly at short third man, but replays showed the bowler had overstepped. Simmons was batting on 18 at that point. Later, while on 50, he had another life when Ashwin caught him at cover off Pandya – off another no-ball. Dhoni said the no-balls were the only thing that disappointed him about India’s performance, on a pitch that he felt had been transformed between innings by the dew.Hardik Pandya was the second bowler whose dismissal of Lendl Simmons was nullified by a no-ball•Getty Images

“Thirty more [runs] would have been really nice,” he said, when asked if he felt 192 was too low a total to defend on a flat pitch against West Indies. “But you have to realise it was half an hour early start, a bad toss to lose. When they started batting the first few overs were fine, but after that there was a considerable amount of dew, which meant the spinner couldn’t bowl how they would have liked to.”It was coming on nicely and the ball was getting wet, so that was the difference between the first innings and second innings. The surface had some assistance for the spinners [in the first innings], it was gripping, but in the second innings there wasn’t much in it for them.”It was quite difficult to score 190. We are saying 10-15 short based on the second innings but you have to analyse that the surface was completely different. If you’re looking for 210 in the first innings you may end up with 160 and on this wicket 160 becomes quite below par. The only thing I’m disappointed about are the two no-balls. Other than that we tried our best and even if the conditions were not in favour of the spinners, whatever resources we had we tried our best in the game.”Having played an unchanged eleven right through the Super 10 phase, India made two changes for the semi-final. One was forced on them – Manish Pandey coming in for the injured Yuvraj Singh – but the other was tactical, with Ajinkya Rahane replacing Shikhar Dhawan, who made 43 runs in four innings during the group stage, at the top of the order. Dhoni defended the decision to drop Dhawan for Rahane – who made 40 off 35 balls and was part of half-century stands with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the first two wickets – saying that Dhawan hadn’t converted starts into big scores during the tournament.”If you see, Shikhar has been batting quite well but he’s not been able to convert,” Dhoni said, explaining the reasoning behind dropping Dhawan. “The thing with Rahane is, he is someone who is quite calm and composed and he knows his responsibility in the team. This is the kind of innings that is expected of him.”He isn’t someone who is going to bat like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli. If you see, someone who is orthodox can give us that platform from where we can launch and score those extra 10-15 runs in the last few overs. Both of them are very good but it’s just that Shikhar wasn’t able to convert starts.”In games like these often you want to give the new guy a go, because if you see, where Shikhar had the edge was in a few games before the World Cup. Other than that, if you see the stats, Ajinkya in such conditions like in the IPL, he’s been among the leading run-scorers as opener. So those were the reasons behind it. I’m glad that after facing a few deliveries he got a start and did what he does best.”

Jerome Taylor refused to question why he bowled so few overs for West Indies on the first day of the Jamaica Test match, despite looking by far the most likely man to unpick the lock to Australia’s batting order at Sabina Park.Possessing an already handsome record at the ground, Taylor improved it further by picking up 3 for 18 from his 15 overs, a tally of deliveries that might easily have been greater. By day’s end his Sabina Park ledger stood at 26 wickets at 13.11 from four and a quarter Test matches, leaving many to wonder why the captain Denesh Ramdin did not afford him further opportunities in the morning and then again with the second new ball in the evening.”I’m only one person,” Taylor countered. “It is a bowling unit and each of us have to get a fair chance out there. So, at the same time we know what is required moving forward, so it is a case where each and every one has to chip in. And I think the effort was good at the end of the day.”About not using the second new ball, Taylor said: “The old ball was working for us. We didn’t know what the new ball would have been like. So, what was happening was the work we were doing, bowling as well as possible, and see what we could get out of it. So, it is about taking the new ball tomorrow, at whatever time, and at the end of the day it is what it is. It is a good team effort.”As one of the Caribbean’s most storied grounds, Sabina Park features two ends bearing the names of the pace bowling giants Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh. It was from Holding’s end that Taylor raced in to the wicket, finding swing to add to the speed and bounce he was able to extract from the pitch, particularly when it was fresh. His performance came close to validating Ramdin’s decision to send Australia in.”It is a decision that the captain took and decided, we have to support the skipper 100% so as the bowling leader it was up to me to lead the charge from the front,” Taylor said. “It means a lot to me. Of course it is my home crowd, this is a happy hunting ground for me. I have memories that will live with me for the rest of my life. So, being here performing for the crowd and the people of the West Indies and Jamaica, it is just a fantastic feeling.”Once you are comfortable with your run-up and have you balance then, I mean, that’s the two primary things, so it is about hitting the area and concentrating for a long period.”The West Indies’ day turned less on anything Taylor did than the one ball with which his offsider Kemar Roach appeared to have taken a wicket. Roach had a poor day, unable to get his lines or lengths consistent, but when he claimed a return catch from the Australian captain Michael Clarke, the tourists were looking at serious trouble. Instead, Clarke was reprieved by a Roach no-ball, and the rest of the first session provided evidence of how sapping such moments can be as Clarke and Steven Smith wrested control.”It is a blow,” Taylor said. “We all know that having Michael Clarke on a no-ball, it is a big chance, but at the end of the day it is still cricket and these things do happen and we have to move on past that. Unfortunately Roachy didn’t get the wicket there but we got him out in the end and it is a good feeling for us.”The first session of the day went haywire and then the bowlers really came back and pulled it together and pulled back the Aussies so much. So, I mean, we are confident about moving forward.”

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke hinted at some confusion within the team over Shane Watson’s omission and rapid recall from the World Cup team across games against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and said a squad mentality would be critical should the national selectors continue to shuffle their deck according to the prevailing conditions.Watson was left out against Afghanistan and appeared likely to be on the sidelines for some time when his prime No. 3 spot in the batting order was handed over to Steven Smith. But a dry SCG surface and the decision to choose Xavier Doherty instead of a third seamer pitched him back into the team in the recently unfamiliar role of a No. 6 batsman, where he prospered alongside Glenn Maxwell.Clarke has long avoided commenting on selection, ever since he excused himself from a formal role on the panel in the first half of 2013, but his rueful laugh and long sigh at the start of a response to questions about the Watson shuffle said as much as any words could about the sequence of the past few days. The coach Darren Lehmann and the selector on duty Mark Waugh waited until match day to conclude that Watson and Doherty would play.”I’m not going there,” Clarke said before making a fishing gesture. “The selectors pick the players, and my job is to try to get the best out of the 11 players. So no chance am I getting hold of that hook. I thought the selectors made it pretty clear that they were horses for courses in regard to selection today, they went for the extra experience with Watto in the bowling department only playing two frontline fast bowlers, so that was a big part of why they made that call … but good question.”I thought Shane played really well. His batting was how we know Watto can bat. He’s got amazing power and I think he played a big part in helping set the game up, that partnership with Maxy and him. Then he held his nerve under pressure with the ball as well. That was a real test for us out there, as games continue to move forward we’re going to be under pressure and I felt the way all the bowlers held their nerve today was exceptional.”Consultation between a captain and the selectors has long been a point of discussion in Australian cricket. Ricky Ponting had no formal selection role but seldom got a team he did not prefer, but since he stepped down from the panel Clarke has been at odds with Lehmann, Waugh, Trevor Hohns and the chairman Rod Marsh more than once. Asked whether he needed a more open line, Clarke answered carefully.”I think it’s exactly how it’s been since I stood down from being a selector,” he said. “It’s been very consistent the whole way through. I think when I was a selector there was a lot more stuff over email and the phone in regard to communication but since I’ve stood down it’s been exactly the same.”It’s the squad that wins you tournaments, not just the 11 players. We had a completely different team in Perth and we made a world record score. So whatever 11 players the selectors decide to pick for the conditions and against the opposition, everyone will be ready to play.”The summer has been a vexing one for Clarke, and having made his first substantial score since suffering the hamstring injury that required surgery after the first Test against India in early December, he also spoke at some length about his dealings with the media. It was in response to a broader question about how he managed to handle the stress of this season.”I don’t feel stress from what people write or say,” he said. “It might have taken me a few years but I think I’ve slowly learned to ignore a lot of it and laugh at a lot of it, and I think that’s probably the only reason I’m still playing this game at the highest level. When I was a lot younger I probably took a lot more to heart. I think I’m pretty honest with a lot of the journalist who I feel are out of line or criticise me for something that’s not true.”I’ll generally front the journalist and ask why it’s been said and voice my opinion, as I’m sure a few of the journos in this room have experienced. But I also understand that people have jobs to do, they have to sell newspapers, there’s channels on TV that are fighting for viewers. So I understand and respect that’s part and parcel of sport at the highest level, and I think if you cannot take it personally that’s been the best thing for me. Sometimes it’s hard but you’ve got to do your best.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Em sétimo lugar na Série B, o Paraná retorna a disputa nessa sexta-feira (30) às 19h15 (horário de Brasília) recebendo na Vila Capanema o time do Vila Nova, atualmente o 17° colocado com 20 pontos e atrás do Vitória apenas no critério de desempate tendo um triunfo a menos.

O jogo marca o começo do returno para os dois times na competição onde, no último mês de abril, ambos fizeram suas respectivas estreias empatando por 1 a 1 na cidade de Goiânia.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalEm jogo morno, Vila Nova e Cuiabá empatam sem golsFutebol Nacional27/08/2019Futebol NacionalVacila não, Braga! Série B tem histórico de campeões diferentes no primeiro e segundo turnoFutebol Nacional27/08/2019ParanáPaulo Fales ressalta objetivo do Paraná no estadual Sub-19: ‘Queremos o título’Paraná28/08/2019

Quem conhece bem o potencial e a estrutura do time goiano é justamente um ex-jogador do time do Centro-Oeste, o centroavante Jenison. Mais aliviado por ter marcado na última rodada diante do Botafogo-SP, encerrando um jejum que durava desde 11 de junho, o camisa 9 paranista alerta para os perigos do adversário:

-Passa tudo muito rápido. Já disputamos metade do campeonato e a partir de agora é contagem regressiva, os jogos ganham ainda mais importância. Já joguei no Vila Nova e sei que eles costumam montar boas equipes, por isso temos que encarar com seriedade essa partida. No turno empatamos lá, agora precisamos fazer o dever de casa e conquistar a vitória, que pode nos deixar bem perto do G-4.

Por parte do Vila, a tendência é que o time que empatou na última rodada frente ao Cuiabá seja utilizado novamente contra a equipe paranista. O desfalque segue sendo o versátil lateral Jeferson por questão muscular.

Rajasthan’s one-day form touched a new low on Tuesday as the team was bowled out for 35 against Railways in Nagpur

Amol Karhadkar11-Nov-2014
Scorecard
Pankaj Singh: “Obviously everything went wrong with our batting”•Getty ImagesIf Rajasthan’s build-up to the domestic season, mired in uncertainty due to Rajasthan Cricket Association’s internal tussles and those with the BCCI, was bad, then their start to the campaign has been worse.Rajasthan’s one-day form touched a new low on Tuesday as the team was bowled out for 35 against Railways in Nagpur. It was the second-lowest total in India’s domestic one-day cricket, after Saurashtra’s 34 against Mumbai in 1999-00. However, the duration of the Rajasthan innings, which lasted just 15.3 overs, was the lowest for a completed innings in Indian domestic cricket.Railways, whose new-ball bowlers Anureet Singh and Amit Mishra had claimed five wickets each, then overhauled the target of 36 in just 5.3 overs, handing Rajasthan one of the biggest losses in one-day cricket. The demoralising loss came on the back of comprehensive losses against Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh earlier in the tournament.Despite being disappointed with his batsmen, Rajasthan captain Pankaj Singh wasn’t overtly critical of his team-mates. “There is not much one can say when the team suffers from such a huge loss,” a dejected Pankaj told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously everything went wrong with our batting. I would attribute it to lack of application. Both the Railways bowlers bowled well but when none of the batsmen try to apply, then you are bound to be bowled out cheaply.”Railways captain Mahesh Rawat lavished praise on his bowlers. “Yesterday, we played at the same ground and both teams scored in the range of 240-plus. So you can’t simply blame the pitch,” he said. “The pitch was fine and there were no demons. Our opening bowlers were brilliant from the start. We have young Bilaspur boy Amit, who bowls outswing at a decent pace and we had Anureet, who is a seasoned campaigner at this level.”The areas that our new ball bowlers bowled was brilliant and it became difficult for their batsmen. They wilted under pressure created by our bowlers.”The first four batsmen in the Rajasthan batting line-up fell for a duck and at 17 for 8 in the 12th over, Rajasthan were in danger of being bowled out for the lowest total in domestic one-day cricket. Robin Bist, the senior-most Rajasthan batsman in the one-day squad, agreed with his captain. “We played very bad cricket,” Bist told ESPNcricinfo. “They bowled very well, one or two balls were exceptional but we didn’t apply ourselves. Most of us lost our wickets due to poor shot selection.”Rajasthan players were in danger of missing out on the domestic season as late as the first week of October when the court appointed selection committees and directed BCCI to field the team as Rajasthan XI. As a result, after playing a selection tournament before Diwali, the Rajasthan team had a short 10-day camp in Jaipur before entering the tournament.Still, Pankaj refused to blame a lack of preparation for the recent results. “We had a good camp and some of us played in the Duleep Trophy as well so we cannot say we were not prepared,” Pankaj said. “Anyway, traditionally Rajasthan have struggled in the one-day format, so I just hope we can end the campaign with a victory in our last game and learn from our mistakes going into the Ranji Trophy.”The last time Rajasthan qualified for the all-India knockouts of the one-day competition was in 2006-07 when they lost to Mumbai in the final. Since then, despite winning two Ranji Trophy titles, Rajasthan have failed to finish in top two of the Central Zone one-day league.Even Bist, who along with Pankaj and Ashok Menaria helped Central Zone with their first Duleep title in ten seasons last week, agreed with Pankaj but said that due to a lack of match practice the team was still trying to gel. “The more a set of boys plays together the sooner it gels. Since we missed all the pre-season preparatory tournaments, we are aware that it would take us a little while for this new team to get together,” Bist said.This is the first time in seven years that Rajasthan are entering a domestic season without the services of a professional. As a result, the Rajasthan team is full of new faces, most of whom have been competing for places in the team.The only positive for Rajasthan during this year’s league has been Pankaj’s spell of 6 for 50 in their opener against Vidarbha. It was the best bowling spell by a Rajasthan bowler in one-day cricket, bettering Shamsher Singh’s 5 for 26 against Vidarbha in 1998-99. “Records and achievements don’t mean anything if the team isn’t doing well,” Pankaj said. “I just hope that we can lift ourselves in the coming season. It’s going to be a long season and it’s just the beginning. We just have to be positive about our game and give our best.”

The Sri Lanka team had spoken about keeping emotions in check in Mahela Jayawardene’s final match, but they will relish the chance to bid him farewell with a 2-0 series win, Kumar Sangakkara said

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC17-Aug-2014The Sri Lanka team had spoken about keeping emotions in check in Mahela Jayawardene’s final match, but they will relish the chance to bid him farewell with a 2-0 series win, Kumar Sangakkara said. Sri Lanka finished day four three wickets away from victory, with Pakistan still 144 runs adrift of their target.”As a team and a player we knew about Mahela’s retirement, but we didn’t want to think only about that but to perform as a team,” Sangakkara said. “That’s what we spoke about from the first day. Because if we were to give him a fitting farewell the best thing we could do is to send him off with a win. We all know about Mahela will be greatly missed by the team in the future. But this is what sports is like. Sportsmen come and go and others will take over.”Sarfraz Ahmed, who made a century in the first innings, remains at the crease, but with the ball taking substantial turn, and misbehaving for the seam bowlers as well, the greatest threat to a Sri Lanka victory comes from the weather, Sangakkara said. Rain is forecast for Monday morning, but it is expected to ease in the afternoon.”The only thing that can probably bother us is the rain. They’re seven down. I’m not sure whether Junaid Khan will bat. It’s unfortunate, we heard he’s got a concussion. But the game is not over until the last wicket falls. We’re going to come back tomorrow and make sure we try and get those wickets as early as we can.”Sangakkara also said Sri Lanka are so well placed in the series because the team had set itself simple goals and maintained high standards throughout both Tests. That had been the change, he said, since the South Africa series, which Sri Lanka lost 1-0, having been defeated in Galle, and failing to take the final two South Africa wickets at SSC.”South Africa really outplayed us in Galle. Probably it was the first innings that really lost us that game, and the first session of the last day. But we dominated South Africa at the SSC and had we not lost about 20-23 overs because of the rain, we could have won that Test and drawn the series.”What we really took from that is at no stage in Test cricket you can go away from your basics. It’s about getting a very good first innings, being competitive and not being shut out until the first innings is over.”That’s what we did when Pakistan got 450 in Galle. We got 80 runs ahead of them and then again here we managed to get over 300 which was a competitive total on a track like this. Then we managed to keep Pakistan just about there, and here we are in the driving seat. It has taken a very special effort from Rangana in both games to get us here. When we do the basics well, rather than the strategy being too flowery and too abstract, that’s when we play our best cricket.”

The BCB is looking for a window in the 2014-15 season to host the controversy-ridden BPL again

Mohammad Isam17-Apr-2014Despite a surfeit of controversies marring the first two seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League, the BCB is looking for a window in the coming season to host the league again. The second edition was held in January-February 2013, after which problems over player payment and a prolonged match-fixing investigation stalled the domestic T20 tournament.At this stage, the November 2014 to January 2015 slot is being looked at by the BCB. Bangladesh are scheduled to take on Zimbabwe in a Test series in early November, while according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan are supposed to tour Bangladesh in January 2015.”BCB is willing to stage the BPL,” Ismail Haider Mallick, BPL governing council’s member secretary, said. “We have selected an approximate date to hold the tournament. We are looking to arrange the tournament between November 2014 and January 2015. However, we of course have to see the international and local cricket’s schedule first.”Mallick also said that the tournament’s event management company, Game On Sports, have paid Tk 10 crore ($1.3 million) of the 19 crore (approx $2.45 million) it owed to the BPL, albeit in three parts. “Game On Sports has given a cheque worth Tk 10 crore. We already received Tk 2.5 crore (approx $323,000) and we will get another 2.5 crore by April 20 while we will be receiving the remaining Tk 5 crore (approx $645,000) very soon,” he said.Whether this payment would be used to pay the players was left unsaid, but it is one of two major problems in the BPL. Even now, several players have remained unpaid. The last reported claim was on February 28 when Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate, West Indies’ Kevon Cooper, Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor and England players Ravi Bopara and Jason Roy said that they were still to get money from the Chittagong Kings.The other major problem is the BPL corruption investigation and while the tribunal has given its short verdict, the BCB is planning to appeal against their judgment after only one individual among nine accused was found guilty of “being party to an effort to fix” a match in the 2013 BPL. The long verdict is still due, although it was to be announced shortly after the World T20 held in Bangladesh.Last year, BCB president Nazmul Hassan had said that it would be difficult to hold the BPL without clearing it of the controversies.