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The finance minister made a brief intervention in a heated Parliamentary debate on the IPL controversy to say that the “concerned department” was already looking into the IPL’s funding

Cricinfo staff19-Apr-2010A day after the resignation of Indian minister Shashi Tharoor, the IPL and the BCCI remain at the centre of a growing political and financial controversy that echoed in the national Parliament. Amid a growing call for closer regulation of cricket in India, and reports of various government agencies investigating the IPL’s financial transactions in a coordinated operation, the BCCI has rescheduled its working committee meeting to May 2.In Parliament the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, made a brief intervention in a heated debate on the IPL controversy to say that the “concerned department” – which is probably the income-tax department – was already looking into the IPL’s funding. “Some members raised the issue of the IPL and wanted to have the probe in all its aspects. In fact, I want to assure them that all aspects of the IPL, including the source of funding, how they have been invested, will be looked into,” Mukherjee said.Media reports have suggested that the Corporate Affairs ministry is also planning, pending the cabinet’s approval, an investigation of the manner in which the IPL franchises are run. This ministry’s involvement will be mandated given that there are several listed companies among the IPL franchise owners; it is also expected to look at the mechanism of the Kochi deal.Three years since its inception, the IPL has been a money-spinner on many counts. The first set of eight franchises were sold in a high-profile auction that earned $700 million. Those numbers were trumped by the two new franchises added this year, that fetched over $700 million between them. Additionally, the BCCI signed a contract worth $1.63 billion for the sale of TV rights, in 2009. The league was recently valued at a mind-boggling $4.13 billion. All components that add up to this figure are now set to come under the scanner., quoting Government sources, reported that the Revenue Secretary and Enforcement Directorate will be briefing Income Tax officials on Monday on how to speed up investigations. The outcry against the IPL came on a day a leading financial daily published a report leveling allegations against Modi, a report Modi has denied.The speed of the developments suggests that the BCCI could have taken a decision – or be presented with a fait accompli – before it meets on May 2. That meeting will be preceded by one of the IPL’s governing council, where the first moves will be taken to set the house in order.”The working committee meeting has been postponed because all things have to be discussed in the governing council meeting first,” Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI’s media and finance committee chairman, told PTI. “There is no point in having a working committee meeting before that. All the allegations and other issues will be discussed in the governing council, the date for that meeting will be announced soon.”Modi’s fate could be decided by his mentor Sharad Pawar, nominally the head of the Mumbai Cricket Association but whose influence in the game extends beyond even his other avatar as the ICC’s president-elect. When contacted by Cricinfo, Pawar said he was part of the ICC and could not comment on the BCCI or the domestic league. When it was put to him that he had been the BCCI president when the IPL was set up, Pawar said: “That was three years ago, now I’m with the ICC.”The BCCI’s first official response to the controversy, which broke last weekend when Lalit Modi disclosed the details of the Kochi franchise ownership, was a statement on April 13 that a meeting of the IPL Governing Council would be convened “within 10 days to discuss all the issues and take a decision”. It is now clear that deadline will not be met, though no explanation has been given for the delay.The controversy was triggered by an update on Lalit Modi’s twitter account that questioned the ownership structure of the Kochi consortium, particularly the nature of equity owned by Sunanda Pushkar, who is a friend of Shashi Tharoor, a cabinet minister in the Indian government. Pushkar has since given up her stake in the franchise, while Tharoor was forced to resign from his office, over allegations of conflict of interest in his mentoring of the consortium.One fallout of Modi’s Twitter revelation was to swing the spotlight on the IPL’s financial dealings, and on Sunday the BCCI said it had received a summons from the income-tax department to furnish complete details of all eight original Indian Premier League franchises, who were successful bidders for the city-based teams in January 2008, on April 23. The taxmen have already carried out inspections of the IPL’s offices and Modi’s residence in Mumbai and also the Kings XI Punjab franchise office in Mohali.”Day before yesterday they had asked for details only about the two new franchises – their shareholding patterns, addresses, player auction and bidding process. Now they want us to furnish all the details about the eight other franchises too,” the BCCI’s chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty had said.

Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe in the absence of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, both of whom have been rested for the triangular series also involving India

Sa'adi Thawfeeq20-May-2010Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe in the absence of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, both of whom have been rested for the triangular series also involving India. Sanath Jayasuriya, who had a horrid World Twenty20, and Lasith Malinga also have been rested. Angelo Mathews, the allrounder, will deputise for Dilshan, who is on his first assignment as captain for an ODI series.Muttiah Muralitharan, who was ruled out during the World Twenty20 due to a groin injury, also hasn’t been picked. Sri Lanka have drafted in allrounder Jeewan Mendis, who’s been in his country’s domestic circuit for almost ten years but is yet to make a international appearance. Also featuring in the squad of 15 is left-handed batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, who played for Sri Lanka in two ODIs in Bangladesh in January.Returning to the squad are opener Upul Tharanga, middle-order batsman Chamara Silva and fast bowler Dilhara Fernando, who were not picked for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.The tournament gets underway in Bulawayo on May 28, with Zimbabwe taking on India in the opener.Sri Lanka squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chamara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Silva, Thissira Perera.

Celtic have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring John Souttar to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that Blackburn Rovers are leading the race to sign the Hearts centre-back ahead of the opening of the winter market, as the Championship club have opened pre-contract discussions with the 25-year-old in a bid to seal his signing on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The report goes on to state that all of Celtic, Rangers, Stoke City and Nottingham Forest are also keen on a move for the Scotland international, however, the English sides look to have an advantage over the Old Firm due to their ability to offer the defender pre-contract terms.

Postecoglou will be furious

Considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Hearts so far this season, the news that Celtic could miss out on the centre-back to Blackburn Rovers is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou furious.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances this term, the £720k-rated man has helped his side keep five clean sheets, scored three goals and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 4.4 clearances, 44.9 passes and winning 71% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the player who Craig Levein dubbed an “exceptional” talent average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.43, ranking him as the fifth-best player in the entirety of the Scottish top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the £3.1k-per-week Souttar would make a fantastic addition to Postecoglou’s current options in the heart of his defence, however, following the latest report regarding the centre-back’s future, it would appear that a deal for the 25-year-old will be incredibly difficult for Celtic to get over the line next month.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “stupid” £15k-p/w Celtic flop by sealing “extraordinary” £8m gem

Australia A require another five wickets for victory after setting Sri Lanka A 424 to win the opening first-class game of the series

Cricinfo staff20-Jun-2010Sri Lanka A 103 and 5 for 224 (Chandimal 54, George 5-55) need 200 runs to beat Australia A 208 and 318 (Bailey 87, Hilfenhaus 50, Prasad 3-59)
Scorecard
George Bailey’s 87 further strengthened Australia A’s position•Getty ImagesAustralia A require another five wickets for victory after setting Sri Lanka A 424 to win the opening first-class game of the series in Brisbane. South Australia’s Peter George collected all five breakthroughs as the visitors pushed to 5 for 224 at stumps on day three.The opener Tharanga Paranavitana started well with 47 and Dinesh Chandimal made 54 and Kaushal Silva collected 47, but George was a constant threat and returned 5 for 55. Batting was easier than on the first two days, but Australia A will look to wrap up the match quickly on the final morning.George Bailey, the captain, posted a game-high 87 as Australia A added 118 to their overnight total of 4 for 110. The innings seemed to be close to an end when Steve O’Keefe added 47 – it went with his 61 on Friday and his 7 for 35 yesterday – and Bailey was dismissed to give Sachithra Senanayake his 11th wicket of the game.However, Ben Hilfenhaus raced to his maiden first-class half-century, striking six fours and two sixes, to take the lead past 400. Senanayake finished with 3 for 110 to go with his 8 for 70 in the first innings, while Dammika Prasad also collected three breakthroughs.

An exciting Rangers transfer update has emerged as the Ibrox club close in on their first signing under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

What’s the talk?

Gers reporter Chris Jack has dropped a key claim regarding the club’s plans for the rest of the January transfer window. He has revealed that New York City FC midfielder James Sands is poised to arrive in the coming days, but he is not set to be the last of their business.

When questioned about what they could do in the coming weeks, Jack Tweeted: “A replacement for Patterson and a right-sided forward I would think.”

Love

Rangers fans will surely love this claim from Jack for several reasons. Firstly, it suggests that Sands is not being brought in to replace Nathan Patterson. The American is capable of playing at right-back, along with centre-back and in midfield, and could have been eyed as a potential replacement for the Ibrox academy graduate.

However, it appears as though the club are committed to signing a natural right-back to come in and take up his place in the squad, whilst Sands may be more competition in the midfield areas. The MLS beast could provide key cover in several positions, whilst pushing the likes of Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield for a spot in the starting XI.

The prospect of a right forward coming in could be one that Rangers fans love as it has been a tricky position for the side this season. Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright have both been deployed out on the right of the attack, but have only mustered three goals and zero assists between them all campaign from a combined 18 starts.

This suggests that there is scope for Gio van Bronckhorst to add a new signing in that area of the pitch, as they have struggled to find a consistent performer in terms of end product. Fans could get excited by the potential of a forward coming in as they are players who are capable of getting supporters off their seats with pieces of trickery and quality in the final third, resulting in goals and assists.

Therefore, supporters will love this claim in terms of what it means for Sands, the right-back situation and the prospect of an attacking addition to provide excitement on the wing. However, it is now down to van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson to identify the right targets and get quality deals over the line.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Goldson: GvB may seal dream 1st Rangers signing in gem who “makes no mistakes”…

Scotland batsman George Bailey gave Hampshire a scare with an aggressive 90 before his team subsided to a 31-run defeat at the Rose Bowl in Clydesdale Bank 40 group C

30-May-2010
ScorecardScotland batsman George Bailey gave Hampshire a scare with an aggressive 90 before his team subsided to a 31-run defeat at the Rose Bowl in Clydesdale Bank 40 group C. Bailey, who captains Tasmania’s side when he goes home, put on 118 for the second Scotland wicket with Omer Hussain to unsettle Hampshire.But once Bailey had gone, caught at the wicket by Nic Pothas off James Tomlinson, Scotland lost their way and the momentum he had created. Pothas chose to bat first and Hampshire compiled 237, overcoming the early loss of Michael Lumb without scoring and Michael Carberry with only six on the board.Consistent James Adams led Hampshire’s recovery in a stand of 84 for the third wicket with Sean Ervine. Adams was Hampshire’s top scorer with five fours and a six in his 57 and there were useful middle-order contributions from Neil McKenzie, Pothas and Dominic Cork.Pace bowlers Gordon Goudie and South African-born Richie Berrington were the pick of the Scottish attack, Goudie taking 3 for 54, plus a run out of Ervine. Berrington finished with figures of 4 for 47 as Hampshire completed their revival from a shaky start.But for a time it did not look as if Hampshire’s total would be enough as Bailey and Hussain put on 118 in 23.1 overs for the second wicket. Bailey was in rampant form, striking six fours and two sixes, before his dismissal led to a Scottish anti-climax.Tomlinson removed Berrington one run later and four wickets fell for the addition of 10 runs with a middle order collapse. Tomlinson finished with 3 for 33 but Hampshire were held up by a brave stand of 32 for the eighth wicket between Gordon Drummond and Majid Haq.However, Hampshire never allowed Scotland to threaten to do to them what they had done to Leicestershire earlier in the campaign. Scotland battled to the end, needing 32 off the last over, but left arm pace bowler Chris Wood removed Goudie and last man Ross Lyons to leave Haq marooned on 27 not out when the last wicket fell at 206 from the penultimate ball of the match.Earlier Hussain had kept pace with Bailey in making a useful 42 but Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath made the breakthrough when he had the Scotland opener lbw and then soon afterwards Herath put pressure on Bailey by sending back Gregor Maiden without scoring.Scotland have now lost four of their five matches and travel to Kent on Monday for their next fixture badly needing another win.

Taking to Twitter, broadcaster, author and Tottenham Hotspur fan Greg Jenner has commented on a Tottenham Hotspur exit development involving young winger Dilan Markanday.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Markanday exit talks…

As per reliable reports, Tottenham are in talks with Blackburn over an exit for the Lilywhites starlet with Sky Sports revealing that the 20-year-old could now leave.

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Alongside Sky, reliable reporter Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard claims that a deal could be announced next week as with the fee to believed to be around £500,000 – which could rise to over £1 million with add-ons.

The Latest: Jenner reacts…

In reaction to this development, Jenner, a BBC broadcaster, claimed Spurs letting the talent go is a real ‘waste’.

“What?! That’s bizarre – he’s clearly a big talent,” the BBC Sounds host explained.

“And we have a striker crisis. Why haven’t we been playing him instead of very very young Dane Scarlett? What a waste!”

The Verdict: Agreed…

Making his senor debut this season in the Europa Conference League, Markanday has come on leaps and bounds at Spurs, even scoring an incredible 12 goals and five assists in 14 Premier League 2 starts.

The homegrown ace could’ve been a star in years to come but manager Antonio Conte’s use of a three-of-the-back formation makes Markanday’s inclusion as a winger difficult to say the least.

Lilywhites supporters will be disappointed to see him leave but will be interesting to see how he adapts to England’s second tier.

In other news: ‘This will get Tottenham fans excited…’ – Sky Sports drop major transfer claim on live TV, find out more here.

England begin their three-match series against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge aiming to stamp their authority after a disappointing finish against Australia

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan07-Jul-2010Match factsJuly 8, 2010, Trent Bridge
Start time 2.30pm (1.30GMT)Ajmal Shahzad will hope to add to his ODI appearances against Bangladesh•Getty ImagesBig pictureEngland’s impressive one-day form was knocked back by the pace of Shaun Tait last week, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that they still won the series 3-2. Now they move onto a contest that should be less demanding, for the batsmen at least, as Bangladesh return for three ODIs having made a quick dash to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup following the Test series here.The hosts will see this as a chance to put in three dominant performances, but in the shorter formats Bangladesh pose much more of a threat. That will be especially true if Tamim Iqbal manages to reproduce his form from the Tests, where he struck memorable hundreds at Lord’s and Old Trafford, and provide a backbone to the team’s batting. If support can come from Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique and Shakib Al Hasan England’s bowlers won’t have it all their own way.Shakib, meanwhile, has handed the captaincy to Mashrafe Mortaza citing the workload of managing all his roles but while Mortaza’s return boosts the seam bowling it is Bangladesh’s spinners, led by Shakib, who will be their main weapon with the ball.For England, there are still plenty of questions to answer. Luke Wright faded badly against Australia, while Tim Bresnan claimed 1 for 236 although played some important innings. Craig Kieswetter also needs runs yet if he succeeds in this series it will come with the inevitable response of “it’s only against Bangladesh”.England have again used their rotation policy by resting Graeme Swann and would have done the same with Kevin Pietersen if he hadn’t picked up his thigh injury. It isn’t a sign of them taking the challenge lightly and even without two main players anything other than a cleansweep will raise significant concerns.Form guide (last five completed matches)England LLWWW
Bangladesh LLLLLWatch out for…Ian Bell has been working hard to earn another chance in one-day cricket with attempts to shed the image of being purely an attractive timer of the ball. He now believes he can hit the ball harder and further and his domestic one-day results, plus strong form for England Lions, suggest the changes have worked. He comes into the series on the back of 158 off 143 balls for the Lions against India A and after carrying drinks against Australia should get his chance at No. 3.There is really only one man to talk about for Bangladesh. Tamim Iqbal is now the team’s superstar after his success in the Test series and England’s bowlers will be well aware of the carnage he can inflict. In the Tests there was almost an element of them waiting for a mistake, but they can’t afford to do that in the one-dayers because 30 overs of Tamim could leave too much ground to make up. He will have to cope with the pressure of expectation, but the way he plays his cricket suggests that nothing much fazes him.Team newsThere will be at least two changes for England with Pietersen and Swann absent, so Bell is likely to bat at No. 3 and James Tredwell will slot in if Andrew Strauss wants to persist with two spinners. Otherwise Ajmal Shahzad could get a chance to add to his two ODI caps.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonJamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, said the top order that faced Middlesex is his preferred line-up for the one-dayers so that means no place for Raqibul Hasan. Mortaza and Shaiful Islam will have the new-ball responsibilities and then it will be down to the assortment of spinners.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Faisal Hossain, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Shafiul IslamPitch and conditionsThe heatwave of recent weeks has abated somewhat and there is the threat of a few showers flirting with Trent Bridge. If the skies are cloudy it could provide some swing, but midsummer in England is a time for batsmen to make hay. The floodlights are excellent in Nottingham and there isn’t much dew at this time of year.Stats and Trivia The two teams have met once before in an ODI at Trent Bridge and it was a record-breaking day for Paul Collingwood as he scored 112 then took 6 for 31 in England’s 168-run victory. If Collingwood has a good one-day series, he could become the first England player to pass 5000 ODIs runs. He currently stands on 4843. Bangladesh have lost their last 13 ODIs since beating Zimbabwe at home in November 2009Quotes”We’ve won four out of six one-dayers [this summer] and we’re very keen to win these three. We want to take things forward from our Australia win. There’s no room for complacency on our part.”
“If Tamim goes off in any of these three one-day games England are in a whole heap of trouble. We can put on a big score if the other guys bat around him. Anything is possible.”

Everton’s season hit a new low this afternoon as they lost 2-1 to Norwich City, who came into the match with just two wins and eight goals from their 20 Premier League games this season.

Frankly, it was an embarrassing performance from the visitors at Carrow Road – experienced players like Andre Gomes, Seamus Coleman and Jordan Pickford all ranked lowly according to Sofascore – and it was one which could get Rafael Benitez the sack.

Everton put the ball in the net to break the deadlock, but it was at the wrong end of the pitch, with Michael Keane scoring an own goal in the 16th minute. Adam Idah quickly doubled the lead to put the home team comfortably in front in Norfolk.

Richarlison returned to action for the Toffees in the second half, giving the visiting fans some hope with an impressive overhead kick in the 60th minute, but it wasn’t enough for the Toffees to push on and take a point, with the game ending 2-1 to Dean Smith’s side.

Keane disasterclass

Keane had an absolute nightmare performance in particular, scoring an own goal and failing to redeem himself over the rest of the game, lacking in defensive impact and quality throughout his performance.

According to SofaScore, the £69k-p/w flop lost 66% of his duels, gave away four fouls and picked up a yellow card as a souvenir for his awful efforts, along with losing the ball 11 times. This horrific display from the Everton defender could have just cost Benitez his job at Goodison Park.

Rafa out?

Benitez has been treading a tightrope ever since he took the job at Everton due to his previous success at Liverpool, and after losing their 10th game out of 19 in the Premier League this season against a team who were bottom of the table, it is hard to see how the Spaniard can recover from this result.

Many of the away fans at Carrow Road today made clear their dissatisfaction with the 61-year-old, with the fume also evident on social media as some called for Benitez to be sacked. Inside the ground, one Everton fan invaded the pitch in an attempt to confront the Toffees manager.

Indeed, talkSPORT have reported that Benitez could be sacked as early as tonight, so it will be interesting to see what steps will be taken in the coming days, or whether Moshiri will stick by the Spaniard due to the ongoing transfer window.

If this is to be the 61-year-old’s last match in charge of Everton, Keane’s dismal performance will have been a significant contributing factor to the downfall of his boss.

In other news: Benitez could form a deadly duo at Goodison by making a fourth signing this month

Wolves extended their 100% start to 2022 in all competitions to four games as they beat Brentford 2-1 at the Brentford Community Stadium this afternoon.

Bizarrely, the game had been put on hold for 20 minutes as a drone was seen hovering over the stadium, before Joāo Moutinho gave the visitors the lead just after half-time.

The Bees salvaged an equaliser through Ivan Toney but Rúben Neves’ late winner secured victory for Bruno Lage’s men, who remain eighth in the table.

Star striker Raul Jiménez’s absence meant that Wanderers shifted formation slightly to a 3-5-2, with Daniel Podence and Fábio Silva getting the nod up front. However, neither forward was particularly convincing, not ideal for the latter given his limited opportunities this season.

The contest in west London was the 19-year-old’s first Premier League start of the campaign, having previously been limited to ten substitute cameos.

Having played a total of just 53 minutes in the top flight before today, this was a real opportunity for the youngster to impress his manager and boost his credentials as Jiménez’s back-up. Unfortunately for Silva, he made little impact.

Silva blew his big chance

According to SofaScore, the Portuguese striker only had 28 touches but still gave it away 14 times, losing the ball at a rate of once every two touches. Moreover, the striker recorded a mediocre 65% passing accuracy and did not contribute a single key pass, cross, long ball or shot on target, with two off-target efforts in his 75 minutes on the pitch.

Whilst being dribbled past twice, Silva failed to contribute anything of note defensively, recording no interceptions, tackles, clearances or blocks. Granted, that sort of gritty work isn’t necessarily expected from a striker, but that lightweight nature still wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by his manager.

Having joined Wolves for a record-breaking fee of £35.6m as an 18-year-old from Porto in September 2020, there was considerable expectation surrounding the teenage striker.

There was plenty of hype surrounding Silva, having been the youngest player to represent the Portuguese giants prior to his move to Molineux, but is still yet to spread his wings in the West Midlands.

In 50 appearances for Wolves, the £37k-p/w striker has scored just four goals and contributed six assists, a tally which arguably suggests promise but is also not enough to warrant a regular starting place in a Premier League team looking to secure European football.

Moreover, Silva’s fellow striker Jiménez has started to find form again after a terrifying head injury which kept the Mexican out for the majority of last season. The 30-year-old now has four goals and two assists in 19 league appearances this term as he slowly ebbs towards being the player he was prior to his injury.

Based on that form, Silva’s game-time is only going to be reduced, unless he improves significantly on his underwhelming performance in the capital today.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Wolves transfer update live on air, Lage will be delighted