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Yasir Arafat has the distinction of being the first Pakistan cricketer to play in India after the 26/11 terrorist attacks last year in Mumbai escalated the tension between both countries

Nagraj Gollapudi in Delhi08-Oct-2009″I’m alone here,” Yasir Arafat said with a smile, sitting comfortably on his bed in a Delhi hotel. Part of the Sussex Sharks squad for the Champions League Twenty20, Arafat has the distinction of being the first Pakistan cricketer to play in India after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last year escalated tensions between the countries. Cricket became an immediate, and inadvertent, victim with the Pakistan players not allowed by their government to take part in the second edition of IPL.Yet Arafat had a smooth entry into India; he said he got his visa at the Indian High Commission in London – where he was playing county cricket – without any fuss. “The Champions League organisers helped with a letter and I got it immediately,” Arafat told Cricinfo. “The PCB gave me the permission immediately.”Arafat, 27, may be inundated with non-cricketing questions as he moves around but, having made a memorable Test debut in India a few years ago, the Pakistan bowler is relaxed. “It is a good feeling,” he said. “There is no pressure, I am here to enjoy Twenty20 cricket.”He admitted that, in a way, he was an ambassador for Pakistan and believed cricket could once again form a bridge to de-escalate tensions between the countries. And his confidence is based on his conversations with the Indians he meets – in the media, administration and even the common man – who all fondly reminisce about the hospitality showered on them by the people of Pakistan on their trip across the border during India’s historic series in 2004.Arafat picked a five-for in his very first-innings, in the Bangalore Test of the 2007 series, and followed it with a strokeful 44 in the same drawn game. Yet it is not the cricketing memories he talks about on his return: Not many know that his ties with Delhi are pretty old, and that he’s coming back to the capital after 22 years. “I studied at St Giri School in Chanakyapuri till the second standard. I went there today to relive the memories,” he said.The family stayed in Delhi during his father’s stint at the Pakistan High Commission. ” (father) was in the visa section and the family still talk fondly about Delhi,” said Arafat. “The first thing my family wanted me to do was to visit the school.” Interestingly, a senior teacher, who has been working at the school for three decades remembered Arafat’s elder brother Imran. Arafat also managed to sneak out to Nehru Place, and plans to visit the Taj Mahal, Qutb Minar and the pilgrimage centre of Ajmer Sharief. The senior Arafats, who stay in Rawalpindi, continue to reminisce till this day about their day trips to all these places.”Based on the scheduling and the team’s progress I would like to visit the sites that were our favourite,” Arafat said.Asked about the match-fixing allegations surfacing after Pakistan’s exit in the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy, Arafat said the reports and the people perpetuating such stuff were only there to “demoralise” Pakistan cricket.”The attitude of countries in the subcontinent towards a loss is negative,” Arafat said. “Definitely, reports such match-fixing is always demoralising. The boys were playing and working hard and even spent Eid in South Africa and despite all the sacrifices they make fingers are still pointed at them.”

Crystal Palace have been handed a big injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Manchester City this afternoon after manager Patrick Vieira revealed that he has no fresh injury concerns.

What’s the word?

Talisman Wilfried Zaha hasn’t started the Eagles’ last two games after returning from international duty with an illness, while long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze are still recovering from their respective Achilles injuries.

However, Vieira confirmed in Friday’s press conference that virtually everyone had taken part in training earlier in the day, providing him with plenty of options for the tricky fixture ahead.

“This morning, we had training, and everybody was available,” said the Frenchman. “The only one that didn’t start training with the squad yet is Nathan [Ferguson]. But again, he’s doing really well, and he should start taking some part of training with the team in the next couple of weeks.”

However, despite Eze returning to first team training, Vieira disclosed that today’s encounter at the Etihad Stadium had come too soon for the 23-year-old.

“He’s been very good. He had a full week with the first team, where he did from the start to the end, and is doing really well. So I was really pleased with where he is at the moment. But it’s still too short for him to take part in the game tomorrow,” the manager said.

The former Nice boss then revealed that Zaha is doing well following his recent setback, although he refused to confirm on Friday whether the Ivorian would start against the Cityzens.

Vieira concluded: “We will make a decision tomorrow. Wilfried had a full training session with the team, and he’s doing well. We will make a final decision tomorrow morning.”

Patrick Vieira will be delighted

News that Palace have no new fitness worries will leave Vieira delighted going into one of the toughest fixtures on the Premier League calendar.

Zaha was the club’s top scorer with 11 top-flight goals last season, so his possible availability will be a huge boost for the Eagles as they attempt to cause an upset against the reigning champions, just as they have done in the past.

The south London outfit have drawn their last four games as they continue to excite and frustrate in equal measure under Vieira, and they’ll be hoping that this positive injury update will help them turn one point into three.

In other news… Vieira could unearth CPFC gem in “quality” 19 y/o who has “so many strings to his bow” 

A round-up of the latest action from the Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2009Matabeleland Tuskers continued their winning ways with a 39-run win over Southern Rocks at Masvingo. The Tuskers were pushed to a strong 299 for 7 by Bornaparte Mujuru (89 off 90 balls), the in-form Terrence Duffin (68) and Dion Ebrahim (61), who then picked up 5 for 45 with his part-time offspin. It was ultimately poor fielding that cost the home team asthey continued to drop simple catches.In reply, the Rocks could only muster 261. The opener Eric Chaulaka (44) and captain Steve Tikolo (54) were the main contributors to that total, with Thomas Odoyo (32),Chitongo Tendai(36) and opener Steve Marrillier (21) failing to convert starts. Ebrahim had no opposition in picking up the Man-of-the-Match, running through the batting.At Mutare, the Mountaineers opening pair of Tino Mawoyo and Bernard Mlambo destroyed the Mid West Rhinos in a ten-wicket win with 81 balls to spare. Tidy and commanding spin bowling from Natsai Mushangwe and Donald Tiripano did for the Rhinos, who were bowled out for 169 in the 44th over. Mawoyo, the Mountaineers’ captain, hit an unbeaten 71 from 109 balls and Mlambo 81 from 113 balls, with 11 fours, as the target was achieved with minimal fuss.

Mountaineers 4 4 00 0 18 +1.147 813/157.2 804/200.0 Mid West Rhinos 4 2 2 00 8 -0.027 963/200.0 903/186.3 Southern Rocks 4 2 2 00 8 -0.368 915/198.3 954/191.4 Mashonaland Eagles 4 1 3 00 4 -0.111 956/198.2 960/194.4 Matabeleland Tuskers 4 1 3 00 4 -0.652 989/200.0 1015/181.2

According to a report by Milan Live, West Ham United have now got Lille forward Jonathan Ikone in their sights as they eye more attacking additions for manager David Moyes.

The Lowdown: West Ham in forward hunt…

Over the summer, Moyes made no secret of his desire to add more forward additions to his ranks and bolster West Ham’s chances for 2021/2022.

As he candidly admitted, the Scotsman was ‘desperate’ to sign a striker in particular and it isn’t difficult to see why when taking into account star man Michail Antonio’s concerning injury history.

The Jamaica international has started this season in sublime form; bagging six goals and three assists in just nine Premier League starts whilst also winning the English top flight’s Player of the Month award for August.

Moyes has had to manage him carefully, though, with the Hammers boss electing not to use the 31-year-old at all in the Carabao Cup for example.

He has even sent club doctors abroad to monitor Antonio when the player goes touring on international duty.

An injury to Antonio, which is always a lingering possibility, would spell disaster for West Ham and Moyes – leaving little wonder why they are currently weighing moves for new attacking additions like Andrea Belotti and Jesse Lingard.

The Latest: West Ham set sights on Ikone…

As per Milan Live, West Ham have now set their sights on another forward in Lille star Ikone who has featured in the Champions League this season.

A key player for the Ligue 1 title-winners over 2020/2021, he has been attracting attention from Serie A giants AC Milan, but as they apparently pull out of the race, the Hammers and Everton swoop in.

West Ham, alongside the Toffees, are now in contention to sign the 23-year-old and are ‘seriously considering buying the player’ for Moyes.

The Verdict: Underwhelming?

Lille apparently value their man at around €40 million (£34.2m) according to an exclusive Anfield Central, and for that price, we believe Ikone should be strongly avoided.

The summer signing of Nikola Vlasic and links to Lingard, who could leave Manchester United in January for half of Ikone’s reported price (The Sun), arguably render the Frenchman’s addition unnecessary.

Going by his numbers, he doesn’t exactly stand out as a must-have target for Moyes either.

According to WhoScored, Ikone’s averages of 1.3 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.1 completed dribbles per 90 don’t measure up to that of key West Ham first teamers.

The likes of Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Antonio have all racked up superior numbers to Ikone in terms of these attacking aspects, leaving one to wonder what he could add under Moyes.

A ‘very sought-after’ player before signing for Lille, we believe he shouldn’t be anywhere near the top of Rob Newman’s transfer wish list for January.

In other news: ‘Woohoo’, ‘Going for the title’…ExWHUemployee’s transfer claim has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Frank McAvennie has claimed that Ange Postecoglou’s backroom staff are now ‘hindering’ him after the Celtic boss won October’s Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month.

The Lowdown: Deserved award

Earlier this week, the 56-year-old was awarded the manager of the month (MOTM) award for the Scottish top flight, but he was pictured claiming it alongside his backroom staff.

He guided Celtic through an unbeaten month, picking up four wins and a draw in the Premiership, as well as a 2-0 win against Ferencvaros in the Europa League group stage (BBC).

The award was well-deserved for Postecoglou, who has taken on a big job to try and beat Rangers to the league title this time around.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Hoops striker McAvennie has been left disappointed by how his former club chose to present Ange’s award, with the inclusion of his backroom staff in the images striking the wrong note with the 61-year-old. He raged:

“It’s big for Ange. He’s had a good month and we have gone unbeaten, you can’t ask for more than that.

“Did you see the pictures? He was stood there with the award with his backroom staff.

“I’m not having that. They have done nothing. This is all down to him.

“I have said many times that Ange should have been allowed to bring his own team in when he joined.

“I think they are hindering him if anything. The club wants to show a united front, I get that.

“But this should be a moment for Ange to cherish, he’s doing so well at the moment.

“It’s his award, no one else’s.”

The Verdict: Results down to Ange

We’re with McAvennie on this one. Postecoglou’s backroom staff may have helped him along his Celts journey so far, but the recent run of results are mainly down to him as the players now seem to be performing for him on the pitch.

Celtic are now just four points behind Rangers in the Premiership after it looked like they were going to be cut adrift once more at one point. Their 30 goals in the league and nine conceded are the most scored and fewest let in out of any other team so far (BBC), suggesting that their attack and defence are clicking.

Postecoglou finally looks to be getting a tune out of his players, and long may it continue if they are going to catch their bitter rivals at the top of the table.

In other news, Celtic have been dealt a transfer blow over this midfielder

The IPL will use pink balls at practice games ahead of the league’s third season next year

Cricinfo staff11-Nov-2009The IPL will use pink balls at practice games ahead of the third season of the Twenty20 Indian domestic league starting on March 12, Lalit Modi, the tournament chairman, has said. The IPL will also experiment with four fielding substitutes instead of just the twelfth man.”IPL teams to test pink ball in their practice matches and sessions in partnership with MCC,” Modi posted on his twitter site. “Four fielding substitutes rather than 12th man.”Modi is currently in Bangkok where the IPL is holding a workshop to discuss the third season, to be held across India.The MCC had suggested using pink balls as an alternative to white ones, which often get discoloured and can be difficult to spot in day-night matches. Although this suggestion was rejected by the ECB in county cricket, the IPL had shown interest in trialling them.The introduction of pink balls is considered essential if Test cricket is to be played in the day-night format – an idea that the BCCI has supported to increase spectator interest.”The concept of using pink balls in the IPL received a very positive reception from the franchise owners,” John Stephenson, MCC head of cricket, said. “The successful use of pink balls in the IPL would be a major step towards their acceptance in international cricket, as it would expose most of the world’s top Test players to the ball. It would also add further weight to the IPL’s standing as a progressive force in the game.”Pink balls are suitable for use with white or coloured clothing, during the day or at night. They are easily visible to spectators, they work well on television and are innovative and marketable. Importantly, the balls behave as cricket balls should and have already received backing from top players and umpires, such as Shaun Pollock and Steve Waugh. It is a compelling case to take forward for international cricket.”

With Liverpool set to return to Premier League action on Saturday evening with a clash at Anfield against Arsenal, it’s safe to say the Reds are not in a good place at the moment when it comes to injuries. That is particularly the case in midfield with the likes of Harvey Elliott, Naby Keita, James Milner, Curtis Jones and potentially Jordan Henderson out injured for the clash against the north Londoners.

Opportunity knocks

Taking this into account, this could provide one promising Liverpool midfielder with the chance of getting some Premier League minutes under his belt and proving his worth to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Having been among the substitutes in their two previous league matches, Tyler Morton could well find himself getting his first taste of Premier League action in the coming weeks given the number of injured midfielders Liverpool have at the moment.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth system, the 19-year-old has 23 appearances under his belt with their under-18 side with six goals and seven assists to his name, as well as 24 appearances for the under-23s with five goals scored and four assists provided in the process.

The teenager, who has been praised in the past by Klopp for having an “outstanding” football brain, has made two senior appearances for the Reds, both of which came in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.

For their 2-0 win over Preston in the Carabao Cup in October where he played the full 90 minutes, Morton’s performance earned him an overall match rating of 7/10 from the Liverpool Echo, whose reporter Ian Doyle said he was “neat on the ball.”

Taking all this into account, depending on how long the currently injured midfielders will be ruled out of action, it seems likely that Morton will get his chance to play in the Premier League in the near future to help Liverpool keep up with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and West Ham United at the top of the table.

Looking further ahead to the future, if Klopp does give the teenager a chance to prove himself in the Premier League in the coming weeks and months, the midfielder could well end up becoming a regular figure in Klopp’s squad in the same way Curtis Jones has done in recent years.

In other news: “Incredible” Liverpool ace with 2.2 shots per game has been Klopp’s unsung hero this season

An explosive 72-run partnership between Steven Smith and David Warner swept New South Wales to a win over the leaders Queensland in the FR Cup

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009New South Wales 6 for 259 (Smith 75*, Rohrer 57) beat Queensland 258 (Kruger 67) by 4 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Steven Smith’s unbeaten half-century ensured a positive result for the struggling Blues•Getty ImagesAn explosive 72-run partnership between Steven Smith and David Warner might have sparked New South Wales’ domestic campaign after they swept past the leaders Queensland in the FR Cup. The Blues, who won only one of their opening four games, were wobbling at 5 for 169 when the pair came together and took off.Smith showed his aggressive range in top scoring with 75 from 84 balls, with seven fours, while Warner flexed with 34 off 24 before he was yorked by James Hopes. That ended the stand, which came at nine an over, and left the visitors wanting 18 from 26 deliveries. Smith was joined by Daniel Smith and the victory came with four wickets and 13 balls in hand.The hosts had felt in control after Phil Jaques (8) and Philip Hughes (6) went in Chris Swan’s impressive comeback, and even when Ben Rohrer was creeping towards 57 they had control of the contest. However, the bowlers were unable to keep up the pressure as the innings continued and the result ended a five-game winning streak. They remain on top with an eight-point buffer over Victoria, who have played two fewer matches, while New South Wales moved four points closer to the fourth-placed Tasmania.A hobbling Nick Kruger held together Queensland’s innings after they were shocked to be 3 for 26 having chosen to bat. Kruger needed a runner midway through his innings due to a hip problem suffered hitting a boundary down the ground, but he pushed through the pain to reach his first domestic half-century, finishing with 67 off 103 balls.The partnerships he shared with Nathan Reardon (41) and Craig Philipson (49) were crucial in reviving the Bulls and some late contributions helped them to a competitive total. Stuart Clark, who felt his side eased off at the end of the innings, joined Josh Hazlewood and Moises Henriques in picking up two wickets.

South Africa will host an Under-19 tri-series, also involving India and Sri Lanka, as part of their build-up to the youth World Cup in New Zealand early next year

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009South Africa, India and Sri Lanka will take part in an Under-19 tri-series as part of their build-up to the age-group World Cup in New Zealand early next year.The ten-day tournament in Johannesburg begins on December 27, with each team playing the others twice before the top two face off in the final. The tournament is likely to be the last chance to fine-tune their strategies for the World Cup, which starts less than two weeks after the final.Sri Lanka will be confident after winning a home tri-series on Tuesday against Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Lewis Dobbin was on target for Everton under-23s as they beat Brighton 2-1 at Goodison Park on Monday night. 

In the 21st minute, the 18-year-old beat Brighton’s James Furlong and fired the ball across goal into the bottom corner from the right-hand side of the penalty area.

Reece Welch doubled Everton’s lead on the half-hour mark, and a 79th-minute effort from Evan Ferguson proved too little, too late for the visitors.

It was Dobbin’s second goal for the under-23s in his 15th appearance at that level. He had previously netted 14 times in 36 outings for the under-18s.

Gray’s injury could be an opportunity for Dobbin

Dobbin, who can operate on either flank and as a centre-forward, has featured twice for the first team under Rafael Benitez this season, earning brief runouts against Norwich City and Manchester United.

‘Early indications suggest’ that Demarai Gray could face six weeks out with the abductor injury he suffered against Manchester City, so opportunity potentially knocks for the 18-year-old.

Another contender for Gray’s spot in the team is Alex Iwobi, but the Nigerian has struggled this season, winning only 50% of his duels overall and drawing plenty of criticism from supporters over his performances. Former Toffees defender Michael Ball wrote that the 25-year-old’s ‘decision-making let him down again’ after he replaced Gray at the Etihad Stadium.

Everton’s official Twitter channel posted footage of Dobbin’s goal against Brighton’s under-23s, and here’s what supporters had to say, with plenty calling for Benitez to get him into the team for the Premier League clash against Brentford next Sunday.

Everton fans call for Benitez to give Dobbin a chance

“Needs to start this weekend”

Credit: @Sanassee

“Better than Iwobi”

Credit: @RhysDavies1878

“Alex Iwobi gets picked over this kid. Bonkers”

Credit: @zodoz9

“Love to see this lad start against Brentford, get some of the kids involved with a bit of passion and fight”

Credit: @RossDullahan

“Start him Sunday”

Credit: @scouse_everton

“Get this man on the field for the senior squad”

Credit: @jshanklin

In other news, these Everton fans react to what one player did at full-time on Sunday.