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Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson is confident that Mitchell Starc can dominate at home in the upcoming season on tracks that will provide bounce

Brydon Coverdale14-Sep-2016Mitchell Johnson at the WACA. For the better part of a decade, this was one of the most watchable parts of Australia’s home summer. Johnson was quick anywhere, but something about Perth brought his threat to a new level, even in the years when the WACA’s typical pace and bounce suffered a lull. Nowhere did he take more Test wickets than the 45 at 22.77 he claimed in Perth, and his best work there came against South Africa.Johnson was back at the WACA on Wednesday, 50 days out from the ground hosting South Africa for the first Test of the Australian summer. But this year, South Africa’s batsmen will not have to worry about the threat of Johnson running in on a zippy pitch with a breeze to help him swing the ball. And yet another left-arm danger could be just as effective, if not more, when the home summer begins: Mitchell Starc.Johnson’s retirement during last season stripped 313 wickets from Australia’s Test attack, but the transition to a post-Johnson era has been smooth. That is largely thanks to Starc, whose swing, pace and mastery of the yorker have made him one of the most challenging fast bowlers in world cricket at the moment. If Australia’s recent series in Sri Lanka was a disaster it was not because of Starc, who topped Australia’s wicket list with 24 at 15.16.It was the highest series tally ever by a visiting fast bowler in Sri Lanka, and it was followed, in the one-day series, by Starc breaking the world record for reaching 100 ODI wickets in the fewest matches. Australia will be greatly looking forward to seeing what Starc can achieve during the six home Tests this summer, after he missed the second half of last season due to an ankle injury that required surgery and a long recovery.”It was really exciting to see Mitch Starc perform well,” Johnson said in Perth on Wednesday. “I thought he was really close when we went over to England for that last Ashes series, and wasn’t quite there. But he’s shown that after his injury he’s really committed to working really hard and did all the work. I’ve kept in touch with him and he was really positive going into that series. To be the leading wicket-taker in Sri Lanka in those conditions was a real positive and a good step forward.”He can dominate again [at home] on wickets that are going to provide bounce, and with his height, it’s going to be very difficult. He bowls the fuller ball, gets the ball up there, and especially on a wicket like the WACA where it can get good bounce, it’s really vital to be up there. He’ll swing the ball when he pitches the ball up.”That yorker he’s got is very dangerous. He’s always working to improve his game. He’s still pretty fresh in Test cricket. He’s only going to get better. He’s going to keep breaking records, I think, as well. It’s really exciting to see him play really well.”The first Test against South Africa will be Australia’s first in Perth since Johnson farewelled Test cricket there last November. The three bowlers who rounded out Australia’s attack alongside Johnson in that match – Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon – have continued to steer Australia’s Test bowling with success since then.”It’s nice to be able to finish and have him performing in the line-up that Australia have,” Johnson said of Starc. “It’s a pretty inexperienced bowling line-up. They’ve got Nathan Lyon there, who’s got plenty of experience spin-bowling, and Josh Hazlewood is still trying to find his feet. There’s always going to be pressure on him to be like a [Glenn] McGrath.”But I think we’ve got a really good bowling line-up at the moment, and it’s really well-balanced. Those guys are really tall as well, so in these conditions they’re going to be really difficult to play. Coming up against South Africa at the start is really going to test Australia. But the bowling is really good at the moment. I’m really happy where it’s placed.”Johnson, like the current Australians, is less happy with where the team is placed on the Test rankings – No.3 after losing top spot in Sri Lanka – but it is also a time of change for South Africa, who are currently ranked fifth.”South Africa are going through a bit of a change at the moment but there are a few guys that have just come into really good form,” Johnson said. “Dale Steyn’s back in form, Morne [Morkel] is floating around there as well, and they’ve got a great batting line-up as always. Australia have always competed very hard against them.”

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to make an approach for Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou in the coming days, according to reports.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou is a Greek-Australian manager who is currently in charge of Celtic having been appointed there back in 2021, but the fact that he’s on a 12-month rolling contract means that his future is always uncertain, especially beyond this summer having not yet put pen to paper on a deal extension in Glasgow.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Hoops boss is someone that has “always” been on Daniel Levy’s shortlist to succeed Ryan Mason from next term, and despite the 57-year-old having recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Scottish Premiership side during an interview with Sky Sports, the champions are worried that he’s set to depart for the Premier League.

Football Insider claim that the Bhoys have already started sounding out potential replacements amid fears that their coach will leave them at the end of the season to accept the role in N17 which is definitely something that could be on the horizon.

Are Spurs appointing Postecoglou?

According to The Daily Record, Tottenham are "preparing to make their move" for Postecoglou despite him remaining focused on the job at hand at Celtic. Spurs are expected to "get set to swoop" for the experienced coach who is "hot property" following the outstanding impact he's made at Parkhead. Levy's interest is believed to be "concrete", so this could be one to watch in the near future.

What Postecoglou has achieved since joining Celtic is nothing short of remarkable, and he’s been praised for passing his “top class” mentality onto the players, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, so he would be the perfect candidate to take charge at Tottenham.

The Nea Filadelfeia native, whose preferred formation is an attacking 4-3-3, has won 82, drawn 12 and lost just 18 of his 112 games north of the border, averaging 2.30 points per match, via Transfermarkt, not to mention that he’s also been rewarded with four pieces of silverware having secured both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup titles consecutively, first in 2021/22 and now 2022/23.

Postecoglou, who has won 11 senior trophies in total at club level since the start of his managerial career, also shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Pedro Porro, Son Heung-Min and Richarlison, so this existing representative connection could give the club an advantage when trying to tempt him into moving to the top-flight.

USA’s chances for winning the Auty Cup took another hit with the withdrawal of allrounder Timroy Allen

Peter Della Penna13-Oct-2016USA’s chances for winning the Auty Cup took another hit with the withdrawal of allrounder Timroy Allen. An ICC Americas official confirmed on Wednesday that the Jamaica Tallawahs-contracted player would be unavailable for the three-match series against Canada, which starts from October 13, due to a “pre-advised commitment”.Allen’s spot in the squad has been taken by batsman Ravi Timbawala, who lives and plays his club cricket at Woodley Park in Los Angeles, the venue for the Auty Cup. Timbawala was second on the list of run-getters at USA’s 30-man squad camp at the start of August in Florida but was a surprise omission from the final 14-man USA squad for ICC WCL Division Four, beginning October 29.Allen is the second CPL-contracted player to withdraw from USA’s original Auty Cup squad and his absence leaves USA without both new-ball pace bowlers for the series. Guyana Amazon Warriors fast bowler Ali Khan was ruled out after he failed to recover in time from a left hamstring injury suffered at the five-day national camp at Indianapolis on September 20.Khan’s spot was taken by medium-pacer Hammad Shahid, who will also provide standby cover for WCL Division Four in case Khan cannot recover in time for the start of the tournament.

Leeds United are considering FC Lorient boss Regis Le Bris as a candidate to be their new manager, according to an intriguing new update.

Who are Leeds' manager targets?

The search to be the Whites' next man in the Elland Road dugout is ongoing, with a host of name already being thrown into the mix in recent days.

Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers are both seen as contenders to come in and turn Leeds' fortunes around, having been sacked by Aston Villa and Leicester City earlier this season, while current West Brom boss Carlos Corberan is also seen as a potential option.

It has been a rocky time of things at the club over the past 12 months or so, with three managers losing their jobs in the space of one season, as well as off-field matters being dominated by 49ers Enterprises' potential takeover.

Now, a new name has been chucked into the hat when it comes to Leeds' next manager, with the individual in question not as big a name as some of those mentioned.

Could Le Bris be Whites' next boss?

According to Le Telegramme [via Sport Witness], Le Bris has emerged as a target for the Whites, as they look to fill the void left by Sam Allardyce, who parted ways with the club last week. Having taken charge of Lorient last year, he performed impressive with them, guiding them to a 10th-place finish in Ligue 1.

The 47-year-old is "already rousing interest" from both Leeds and OGC Nice, and he is "being ambitious" on a personal level, with a move away from Lorient possibly appealing to him, following some new claims regarding his future:

"There are discussions at the moment… I really want to take advantage of the moment in relation to everything that we have been through and close the season in the best possible way. Then we will think about the future in the next few days."

Le Bris may be a relative unknown to some of those who don't follow Ligue 1 closely, but he is being considered an option for a reason, and could be an interesting appointment.

He is a manager who focuses on a direct style of play, rather than a possession-based one, with the idea to get the ball into the penalty area as soon as possible. They do keep the ball from deep, however, in order to tempt opponents into pressing them, so it could make for exciting football at Elland Road.

Whether Leeds decide to go for Le Bris over a bigger name remains to be seen, but it is encouraging to see them thinking outside the box.

Glasgow Rangers require some much-needed attacking reinforcements during the summer transfer window as they aim to fill the void left by Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

It won't be easy to replace them, however, Michael Beale is eyeing up a few players in the market who could arrive at Ibrox and make an impression. One such player was winger Luis Palma, who the club were interested in recently, yet reports this week have claimed that the deal is now off as Rangers aren’t willing to pay the £4.5m for the 23-year-old, and it appears as though Beale will now have to move on swiftly.

The 42-year-old may have already found an ideal alternative, with American. Brian Gutierrez being eyed up for a potential move according to the Daily Mail.

The Gers face competition for the teen however as Manchester United are also keeping tabs on him, yet securing a work permit may prove to be a stickler for any potential move this summer.

Could Brian Gutierrez improve Rangers?

The left-winger has enjoyed a wonderful start to his professional career at MLS side Chicago Fire, already racking up 75 senior appearances, registering 13 goal contributions across those games.

His creative talents have certainly been on show during the 2023 MLS campaign as the youngster has created four big chances, made one key pass per game and has succeeded with 1.5 dribbles per match – a success rate of 64% – showcasing all the attributes of a successful winger.

He even made more dribbles than Palma did during the entirety of the 2022/2023 season, while creating the same amount of big chances and failing slightly behind on key passes per game, with Palma managing 1.4, suggesting that the 19-year-old would be a fine alternative.

His coach at Chicago Fire, Frank Klopas, has lauded his player as someone who simply “has everything” before stating that he is “good with the ball, his work rate, key passes, ability to beat players, technical ability." And making a move for the winger should be a priority now that Palma is reportedly off the cards.

Gutierrez has plenty of experience for someone so young, and he could further develop his skills in Scotland, as he will be given plenty of game time under Beale if he did join the Light Blues.

With a void to fill on the left flank, the youngster has shown that he means business in the senior ranks and could be a gamble worth taking.

The South Africa coach is hopeful administrators will either give players a wide berth or crack down completely when applying law 42 because he believes the application of artificial substances to the ball, especially in the form of edibles, occurs often.

Firdose Moonda in Adelaide22-Nov-20163:44

‘Seems to be a daily occurrence on the field’

Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, is hopeful administrators will either give players a wide berth or crack down completely when applying Law 42 – fair and unfair play – because he believes the application of artificial substances to the ball, especially in the form of edibles, occurs often.Domingo spoke to reporters about an hour before his captain Faf du Plessis’ hearing to face ball-tampering charges took place at the Adelaide Oval and could not comment on the specifics of the case but hinted that one of South Africa’s defenses could be that everybody else does it too.”You see it daily with those types of instances taking place on the field. I don’t want to talk about the [Faf] incident too much but it seems to be a daily occurrence on the field of play so they [the administrators] might need to re-look at that should they feel its not within the spirit of the game,” Domingo said.Du Plessis was only charged when television footage of him shining the ball with saliva – while also having a sweet or mint in his mouth – was circulated the day after the Hobart Test. By then, the time for the match officials to report an alleged offence had lapsed and the ICC investigated the visuals of their own volition, after being alerted by widespread media reports. After two similar incidents in the last three years (Dubai in 2013 and Galle in 2014), in which broadcasters were also involved in bringing to light South African offences, Domingo said they feel singled out.”There are other teams that have maybe done similar things and we’ve maybe looked at one or two instances that they have done those things and they haven’t been highlighted. I wouldn’t say we’ve been targeted but we’ve definitely been highlighted,” Domingo said. “It’s definitely been brought to the attention of the world and its definitely been brought to the attention of the ICC and its definitely been brought to our attention. Although it seemed pretty insignificant at the start of it, quite a lot has been made of it.””Lolly-line” or “Mint-gate” as it has been dubbed, has been on the front and back pages in the Australian press. And the South African squad have had several run-ins with the Australian television reporters which culminated in an airport scuffle on their arrival in Adelaide. Journalists were trying to get a comment out of du Plessis, who was shielded by the security officer, and has not spoken to the media since the Hobart win. Despite the possibility of a one-match ban, Domingo said du Plessis was holding up well.”It’s never pleasant when everybody has got an opinion on you and people have judged you before rulings have been made. That’s the nature of the world at the moment, everybody has got an opinion and can air it. When you are constantly seeing yourself in newspapers and have things written about you, I suppose it does weigh you down at times,” Domingo said. “He is a tough and resilient man and the team really supported him and surrounded him to lessen the load on him.”South Africa’s entire squad stood alongside Hashim Amla at the MCG when he called the ball-tampering allegations a “joke,” last Friday and said South Africa believed their captain had done, “absolutely nothing wrong.” Amla’s address took place before du Plessis was charged, but even in hindsight, Domingo does not think they would have handled it differently.”We are a unified team. We stand by our captain. We stand by the decisions we’ve made. They might not have always come across as the ideal way to do things but at that time and space we thought those were the right things to do,” he said.Perhaps surprisingly, South Africa have been buoyed by this fight, even though it has marred their preparation for their first pink-ball Test. Two days ahead of the day-night game, they were not sure whether their captain would be able to take the field with them or whether they would be allowed sweets, when they step on the park. But they were very sure they’re in it together.”Hopefully these incidents do galvanise the team a bit more. There’s definitely a feeling of togetherness and unity in the group and a lot of support for the current captain,” Domingo said. “It’s been an interesting few days. We’ve had a wonderful tour here, its been great, we’ve played great cricket. We’ve had long discussions and our focus now is purely on cricket. It hasn’t been ideal preparation. I would be lying if I say its been spectacular preparation but our focus is totally on the cricket.”

Manchester United could be a potential destination for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic if he decides to leave his current employers in the forthcoming transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Dusan Vlahovic?

According to Corriere Torino via The Faithful MUFC, Manchester United are eyeing a move for Vlahovic and would need to pay around €90 million (£77.4 million) to land the Serbia international this summer.

The report states that Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal made proposals to try and land the 23-year-old in the January window; however, nothing came to fruition and he remained at Juventus.

ESPN claimed last month that Chelsea are said to have made an offer of €80 million (£68.8 million) as they look to sign a striker this off-season and Vlahovic is believed to be their preferred striking target at Stamford Bridge.

Vlahovic is unhappy at Juventus and has become a hot topic around Europe as many clubs look to capitalise on the fact Juventus will be plying their trade in the Europa Conference League next term rather than the Champions League, where they would've been situated if it wasn't for a 10-point deduction.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Vlahovic could end up at Old Trafford this summer as speculation swirls over his future.

Jones said: “The situation around Vlahovic is very interesting. Potentially he’s one of the hottest frontmen on the market this summer – but we also have to consider Juve might change manager and my information is that could well sway his decision to stay if it happens.

“Let’s consider that he does leave Juve, there is good value to be had. Generally, there is a feeling he goes at around €70m, although I was told that he won’t leave for less than €80m (£70m). Even at that price, he holds good value in my eyes and would be worth the pursuit.

“A source in Italy told me he sees Bayern Munich and Manchester United as the two most likely landing spots for him but there are a few other clubs looking at this too so let’s see how it all opens up in the next few days as a decision is looming.”

Would Dusan Vlahovic prove to be a good signing for Manchester United?

Vlahovic, who has been hailed as a "monster", certainly knows where the back of the net is and would add a predatory instinct to a Manchester United side that did endure moments of profligacy in front of goal throughout this campaign.

In 42 appearances within 2022/23, Vlahovic managed to register 14 goals and four assists for Juventus in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that the £216k-a-week ace was also a constant problem for opposition defenders to contend with, as he averaged 2.5 shots per match in Serie A.

The Serbia international also showed his capacity to lead the line effectively, successfully carrying out 63 shot-creating actions this season, according to FBRef.

Manchester United need to find a quality striker to add extra goals to their side heading into next term and Vlahovic could help the Red Devils to become genuine Premier League title challengers under Erik Ten Hag if they can get a deal over the line for the striker.

Virender Sharma, former Himachal batsman and now an umpire, was forced to stand at both ends for a full day’s play in a Ranji Trophy match in Mysore because his partner, Australian Sam Nogajski, had to be hospitalised with food poisoning

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2016Virender Sharma, former Himachal batsman and now an umpire, was forced to stand at both ends for a full day’s play in a Ranji Trophy match in Mysore because his partner, Australian Sam Nogajski, had to be hospitalised with food poisoning. Nogajski, who had complained of stomach cramps last night, is said to be stable and will be discharged on Tuesday, but will not stand in the rest of the match.The reserve umpire at the venue, Vejith D, is not a member of the BCCI panel, which meant he could only stand at square leg during the second day’s play between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh. Virender had to keep changing ends at the end of every over.V Narayana Kutty, the match referee, in consultation with the BCCI, decided on P Jaipla as a replacement for the final two days of the game.The umpire’s job became crucial on Monday, as it often does in close Ranji matches, with a lot of appealing. Mumbai, who had been bowled out for 233, managed to eke out a slender eight-run lead, but UP raised hopes of an outright result by taking out two wickets in the dying moments of the day. Ruled out caught at gully, Mumbai opener Kaustubh Pawar left unhappy with the decision, suggesting the ball had lobbed up straight off the thigh pad. Eight balls later, nightwatchman Aditya Dhumal also fell.The state of Karnataka doesn’t seem to be a happy hunting ground for Virender. Last year, Vidarbha’s Shrikant Wagh had accused him and colleague Pashchim Pathak of “favouring the home team”.Nor does India seem to be a happy hunting ground for Australian umpires, with whom the BCCI has an exchange programme. Last year John Ward had to be hospitalised after a shot from Barinder Sran pinged him in the head in Dindigul. Tasmanian Nogajski, 37, has been a regular in Shield matches and BBL, and has also stood in four women’s ODIs, but this was his first match officiating in India.

Celtic have officially confirmed the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as their new first-team manager on a three-year deal to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The 50-year-old head coach has returned to the club for his second stint in Glasgow, having already been in charge between 2016 and 2019 earlier in his career.

Rodgers will now be tasked with navigating the summer transfer window in order to bolster his squad and Xavier Mbuyamba could be an impressive first option for the ex-Leicester boss.

Last month, Sky Sports reported that Celtic and Watford were two of the teams interested in signing the 21-year-old central defender.

The FC Volendam ace, who has been compared to Virgil van Dijk, is a former Chelsea and Barcelona youth product who the Hoops are said to be eyeing up.

Would Xavier Mbuyamba be a good signing for Celtic?

Mbuyamba could be an excellent addition for the Scottish giants as Rodgers could unearth his next version of Kristoffer Ajer by bringing the young defender to the club.

During his first spell with the Hoops, the Northern Irish tactician showed faith in the Norwegian titan, who was 19-21 in that period, by using him in 66 competitive matches.

The towering centre-back went on to sign for Premier League side Brentford for an initial fee of £13.5m in 2021 and Rodgers deserves huge credit for his development as the former Liverpool coach was the one to bring him into the first-team fold to provide the talented gem with a platform to develop and showcase his ability.

Mbuyamba, 6 foot 5, could now follow in the 6 foot 6 Ajer's footsteps at Parkhead in the coming years after an impressive campaign in the Eredivisie with Volendam.

The right-footed colossus averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 28 league outings and made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, which is more than any Celtic defender managed in the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership.

He also showcased his ability to hold his own in physical battles in spite of his young age as the 21-year-old won 53% of his duels, which means that opposition forwards do not get the better of him on a regular basis.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed the giant ace as "complete", "dominant", and "elegant", and placed his potential at 8.5/10. This indicates that the Netherlands U19 international has a bright future ahead of him and could be a long-term project for the Scottish giants.

Celtic must now take a gamble on Mbuyamba and snap the excellent youngster up this summer as the Volendam star could be the next version of Ajer to burst onto the scene under Rodgers before being sold for millions in the future.

The South Africa Invitational XI finished the day 88 runs behind Sri Lankans’ first innings score of 373 after Leus du Plooy struck 142

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Angelo Mathews returned from injury to finish with figures of 2 for 25•Getty ImagesLahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka’s 19-year-old seamer, boosted his chances of playing the first Test in Port Elizabeth by claiming three wickets on day two of the practice match at Potchefstroom. Dushmantha Chameera, meanwhile, went wicketless and proved expensive, conceding 68 runs from his 10 overs. The Sri Lankans had the South African Invitation XI 285 for 8 by stumps. The visitors had made 373 in the first innings.Kumara may not have been in the likely XI for the Port Elizabeth match after taking only three wickets across two Tests in Zimbabwe. However, team management may consider him on the basis of form. Among his three wickets was the scalp of Leus du Plooy, who top scored for the Invitation XI with 142 off 159 deliveries. He also claimed the scalps of allrounders Jason Smith and Bjorn Fortuin, with the latter caught behind.Dinesh Chandimal wore the gloves for the Sri Lankans, having now sufficiently recovered from the broken hand he sustained in September. Chandimal took three catches and effected a stumping off Dilruwan Perera’s bowling.The seam attack appears Sri Lanka’s shakiest discipline heading into the Tests, and, among the other frontline quicks, only Nuwan Pradeep was able to take a wicket, removing the highly-rated Aiden Markram to end the day with figures of 1 for 37.Suranga Lakmal also went wicketless, but it is Chameera’s form Sri Lanka will be most concerned about, as he is the only bowler capable of consistently bowling at speeds in excess of 140 kph. Before Sri Lanka left the island, Chameera had made a modest return to competitive cricket, taking 2 for 76 in a first-class game, though that had been on a spin-friendly pitch.The visitors will be buoyed, however, by a successful return to bowling from Angelo Mathews. Having been laid low by multiple leg injuries in recent months, Mathews took 2 for 15 from his seven overs. Dilruwan Perera also took two scalps for 22, but is unlikely to play in Port Elizabeth over Rangana Herath.Earlier in the day, Dhananjaya de Silva had managed to add only five runs to his overnight score, as he and Upul Tharanga were dismissed by seamer Duanne Olivier.Sri Lanka remain 88 runs ahead in the innings, with Tuesday being the final day of play.