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With Mark Warburton having seen his Queen Park Rangers side suffer something of a setback in the Championship over the last eight days, with the Rs losing their first and second league fixtures of the season in back to back matches, the 59-year-old manager would have undoubtedly been hoping for a positive performance in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening to get his side back on track.

And, despite their opponents being Premier League side Everton, QPR duly delivered for their manager, boasting 61% possession in the fixture, completing 197 more passes than the Toffees and winning 13 more duels than Rafael Benitez’s side, with the scoreline reading 2-2 at 90 minutes.

Warburton’s men then demonstrated incredible composure and maturity in the subsequent penalty shootout, scoring all eight of their spot-kicks, meaning that Tom Davies’ miss sent the Rs through to the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2008.

As such, rather predictably when considering the result, a number of the west London side highly impressed in the match, with Charlie Austin – who scored both of the Rs’ two goals in the clash – Christopher Willock, Yoann Barbet and Seny Dieng all turning in dominant displays against the Toffees.

However, it was 23-year-old attacking midfielder Ilias Chair who, from a statistical point of view, stole the show against Everton.

Three key passes

Over his 76 minutes on the pitch, Chair was arguably QPR’s most important player, with the Morocco international continually causing the Everton midfield and defence problems with both his creativity and attacking inclination.

Indeed, the £3.6m-rated man ended the fixture with one assist to his name – which came after a delightful piece of skill on the left-wing, before putting the ball square on Charlie Austin’s forehead between two Everton defenders – as well as making three key passes, completing both of his attempted crosses and hitting the target with 100% of his shots.

The player Warburton dubbed a “lively” talent also managed 53 touches of the ball, completed 86% of his passes and made one tackle during his spell on the pitch.

These returns saw the £7.1k-per-week midfielder earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.2 in the fixture, something which, considering the level of the opposition, only further highlights the progress Chair has made under Warburton in the last few seasons – with the 23-year-old clearly boasting the ability to play a major role in QPR’s push for a top-six finish in the Championship this season.

In other news: Blackstock 2.0: “Brilliant” £3.6m-rated QPR ace is key to Warburton’s promotion push

World Cup representatives Jessica Cameron and Erin Osborne have been elevated into the Australian women’s squad for 2009-10

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2009World Cup representatives Jessica Cameron and Erin Osborne have been elevated into the Australian women’s squad for 2009-10 while three new players have been selected. Alyssa Healy, Elyse Villani and Rachael Haynes are the new faces in the 19-woman outfit as the side attempts to rebuild after the disappointing fourth place at the global tournament last month.Six players are under 19 and Marg Jennings, the national selection chair, said it was one of the youngest line-ups ever. “While we have lost some experienced players, we believe the squad selected has the ability to perform well for Australia at the upcoming World Twenty20 and beyond,” Jennings said. “We have taken the opportunity to introduce three new players to the group in Alyssa, Elyse and Rachael. All three are exciting prospects and deserve their place.”Healy also has the added versatility of being a wicketkeeper and she will assume the back-up role to Jodie Fields following the retirement of Leonie Coleman. The panel believes these players have the potential to play important roles into the future.”Coleman and Emma Sampson stepped down after the World Cup while Clea Smith and Renee Chappell are unavailable for the next year. Melissa Bulow and Kris Britt have been cut from last year’s squad.The players will attend camps at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane in April and May before the squad is named to contest the World Twenty20 and series against England. Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Osborne, Ellyse Perry and Villani will also attend the Centre of Excellence for four weeks from April 24.Australia squad Sarah Andrews (NSW), Alex Blackwell (NSW), Kate Blackwell (NSW), Jessica Cameron (Vic), Lauren Ebsary (WA), Sarah Edwards (Vic), Rene Farrell (WA), Jodie Fields (Qld), Rachael Haynes (Vic), Alyssa Healy (NSW), Delissa Kimmince (Qld), Shelley Nitschke (SA), Erin Osborne (NSW), Ellyse Perry (NSW), Kirsten Pike (Qld), Leah Poulton (NSW), Karen Rolton (SA), Lisa Sthalekar (NSW), Elyse Villani (Vic).AIS scholarship holders Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Elyse Villani.Under-21 squad Sarah Coyte (NSW), Ashleigh Endacott (NSW), Katelyn Fryett (Tas), Emma Inglis (Vic), Jessica Jonassen (Qld), Meg Lanning (Vic), Renee Melton (Vic), Angela Reakes (NSW), Kara Sutherland (NSW), Selina Tainton (Qld), Jo-Ann Verrall (Qld), Amanda Williams (WA).

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has tipped Bailey Wright to feature from the start in the Black Cats’ trip to Fleetwood this weekend in the absence of Tom Flanagan.

The Lowdown: Wright is an experienced head at the back for Sunderland

Becoming an important squad player in the northeast, the Australian has made 51 appearances during his time at the Stadium of Light, scoring twice [Transfermarkt].

He has previously earned high praise for his impact at Sunderland, once being labelled as a ‘great signing’ by his former manager Phil Parkinson [The Northern Echo].

He has now been tipped to get the nod for the Wearsiders’ trip to Fleetwood this weekend, with defensive counterpart Flanagan suspended for the clash.

The Latest: Phillips believes Wright should get the nod versus Fleetwood

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, former England striker Phillips was very complimentary about the Australia international

He said: “100 per cent Wright starts. It will be a straight swap. Bailey Wright came on at the weekend when they were trying to shut up shop so he’s got minutes under his belt.

“It’s a big blow losing Flanagan because he’s formed a great partnership with Doyle. They really compliment each other well.

“They have an understanding. Their distances are always spot on. They look tight. The back four on the whole look like a good unit.

“I think it will be a straight swap with Bailey Wright and I have no problem with that because he has experience and leadership qualities. The minutes at the weekend will have really helped him. Hopefully he has got rid of that rustiness.

“He’s shown that he is a top defender. We saw that before he got injured at Oxford last season. He’s a great player to have in the background and it’s a big opportunity for him to stake his claim in the starting XI again.”

The Verdict: Wright should start for Sunderland on Saturday

Rightfully, Phillips points to Wright’s experience and ability to lead the backline as a key factor as to why he should get the nod this weekend.

So far this season, the 29-year-old has made seven appearances for Lee Johnson’s men in all competitions [Transfermarkt]. His most impressive quality within this timeframe has been his capability to sniff out danger, averaging 4.5 clearances per game thus far in the current campaign [WhoScored].

As the Black Cats gear up for another crucial battle in the context of their promotion aspirations, Wright may well be the best option at centre-half as they aim to shut out the Fleetwood attack.

In other news, a significant clause has appeared in a Sunderland players contract. Find out more here.

David Norris was shocked to discover Leeds United turned down the opportunity to secure Harry Winks on loan during the transfer window.

Winks has found his opportunities at Tottenham Hotspur restricted, with the central midfielder making just one substitute appearance in the Premier League this season.

It has been reported that Leeds opted against taking up Spurs’ offer of signing the England international on a season-long loan.

With the 25-year-old out of favour in north London, the current Premier League leaders were willing to offload Winks and Manchester United kept tabs on the situation before the new season got underway.

Winks also struggled to break into Spurs’ preferred starting line-up last season and made just nine top-flight starts.

His lack of involvement led to Southampton taking an interest before focusing their attentions elsewhere.

Former Leeds midfielder Norris believes Winks, who has made 110 Premier League appearances during his career, would have been an ideal addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites squad.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “I’m very surprised they didn’t take that opportunity. I thought that would be a no-brainer.

“He’s played in a top six side, done well and proved he can handle himself at that level. I am surprised they didn’t look to pursue that deal.”

With a good performance at the Queen’s Park Oval, West Indies can win back the prize that was in permanent possession of the home side through the 1970s, 80s and 90s

Andrew McGlashan in Trinidad05-Mar-2009
Chris Gayle: “We don’t want to go in with the mindset that we are playing for a draw” © Getty Images
West Indies are on the verge of something quite special. Not since 2000 have they led a series against England and that advantage slipped away during the remainder of the contests as they gave up the Wisden Trophy for the first time since 1968. With a good performance at the Queen’s Park Oval, they can win back the prize that was in permanent possession of the home side through the 1970s, 80s and 90s.They haven’t won a series against anyone in five years and the game in these success-starved nations dearly needs West Indies to complete the job. “It’s been five years?” Chris Gayle said. “It would mean a lot to me and the rest of the players to actually be a part of it and enjoy the moment. It would mean a lot for the people around the Caribbean.”Outsiders hadn’t expected West Indies to pose such a tough challenge. They acknowledged the improvements made under Gayle and John Dyson, but the feeling persisted that they were unstable and could fold at any moment. They haven’t folded once in this series – the most dramatic collapse belongs to England and their 51 all out in Kingston could yet prove the deciding factor.West Indies have shown resilience at every turn. From battling for a vital lead in Kingston, to staving off defeat in Antigua to their mammoth total of 749 in Barbados which dwarfed England’s seemingly impregnable 600. Make no mistake, this is now a team with fight, resolve and bottle.That isn’t to say the series is in the bag. Far from it. West Indies were a wicket away from defeat at the Antigua Recreation Ground and the bowling attack, like England’s, is struggling to make much of an impression. But the fact that they have held their advantage for three matches bodes well for this final challenge.How they approach the game over the next five days will prove a fascinating insight into what sort of a team is being developed. Taking the series would be such a major achievement that there will surely be temptation to play it safe. Test match draws have received a fair amount of criticism in recent weeks, but West Indies would happily take one here. It is a dangerous idea, though, to enter a game with that mentality.”It’s a tricky situation to be honest,” Gayle said. “Most of the time we haven’t been in this situation but we don’t want to go in with the mindset that we are playing for a draw. We have still got to go out there and play positive cricket. England have to throw everything at us and we expect it to be tough.”What they have done well in this series is react to the different situations and that is what is needed in Trinidad. England might start well and take the early honours, and how West Indies respond with the weight of expectation on them in that situation will reveal how strong this unit is becoming.”I know they will come hard at us but we are here to restrict them from doing that. It’s going to be a good game and hopefully we will get good conditions,” Gayle said. “I’m very happy with the batting but I’m not going to settle for it. At the same time Ramnaresh Sarwan has been in terrific form and hopefully he can continue in the same vein.”Gayle confirmed there will be changes to West Indies’ side without giving any specifics. The likely swaps are Lionel Baker replacing the struggling Daren Powell in the pace line-up and Lendl Simmons earning a Test debut in place of Ryan Hinds. However, Hinds may hold onto his spot because Dyson is very keen on consistency.The bigger concern is Jerome Taylor’s fitness, even though Gayle said he was 100% fit. The home side are desperate for him to hold together for this final match and repeat his magical spell in Kingston.”We are just around the corner but we haven’t turned it yet,” Gayle said as he tried to keep everyone calm. “There is a long way to go. We have a hand on the trophy but we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”

David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that Marcelo Bielsa’s contract extension is a relief to everyone at Leeds.

Following a similar scenario to this time 12 months ago, the popular Argentine manager signed his new deal within days of the start of the Premier League campaign.

And once again, Bielsa has extended his stay by just one-year, taking him into his fourth season at Elland Road.

Bielsa wasn’t able to celebrate his new contract in style, though, after seeing his Leeds side fall to a 5-1 thrashing at rivals Manchester United on Saturday despite Luke Ayling’s second-half thunderbolt which briefly restored parity.

Despite the result at Old Trafford, Norris told FFC that he’s thrilled to finally see the 66-year-old put pen to paper:

“It’s a massive boost, it’s like signing a top player. I’m sure there was a little bit of panic, but he does tend to do that.

“But he’s been key to everything that’s been good about Leeds in the last few years, so it was important despite it only being a short-term contract.”

England’s major international venues could agree to host Test matches involving two non-English teams

Cricinfo staff21-Jan-2009
Overseas Tests could become a feature of the English summer, after proposals were raised at the ECB’s meeting in Leicester © Getty Images
England’s major international venues could agree to host Test matches involving two non-English teams, as the England & Wales Cricket Board meet in Leicester on Wednesday to consider the proposals raised at their Test Match Strategy Day at Stapleford Park earlier in the week.Monday’s summit meeting, which was attended by a host of former England captains and players, was called to address the future of Test cricket, which has come under increasing scrutiny following the huge growth in popularity of the Twenty20 format.At the top of the agenda was the need to strengthen the Future Tours Programme, which has been over-burdened by the sheer weight of matches now required to meet its demands, and undervalued by the proliferation of uncompetitive fixtures. One of the proposals raised was a greater emphasis on contests between the leading Test nations.”The input from all areas of cricket provided focus on the key opportunities and issues facing the game,” said David Collier, the ECB chief executive, who added that the board intended to work more closely with the ICC to give greater context to Test cricket through a World Test Championship.That proposal could give rise to the intriguing prospect of India playing Tests against Pakistan at Headingley, where Yorkshire’s large Asian community could be expected to turn out in droves. Meanwhile, the weaker nations such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe could find themselves limited to home Tests only, which would provide them with the exposure necessary for development, but not at the expense of the revenue of the major boards.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, hinted at that outcome in Mohali last month, when he warned that Bangladesh might not be invited back for a full Test series after their next tour in 2010. “If we are going to have a proper strategy for Test cricket we want to have games like that we have just had in Chennai,” Clarke told reporters. “It showed everybody just what a Test can be. We have to make sure that the standard is there.”Under the staging arrangements being put in place for 2012-16, England’s nine Category A grounds are expected to be guaranteed only 11 days of international cricket over the course of five years, a prospect which jeopardises the ambitious expansion plans at many of the venues. Those grounds would doubtless welcome the prospect of more big matches being played on English soil, although one major stumbling block to such an arrangement would be the division of TV revenue.England’s current deal with Sky is worth £300 million over four years, which is a considerably larger income than any other board bar India. It is unlikely the ECB would be willing to agree to a revenue share, as proposed by Cricket Australia, if other nations wanted to stage matches on their turf.Another issue would be the willingness of other Test nations to voluntarily play their home matches overseas. According to the former England coach, David Lloyd, who was present at the meeting, Pakistan’s predicament was at the forefront of the discussions. The team did not play a single Test at home in 2008, and as Lloyd told Cricinfo, for Pakistan to agree to the idea would be tantamount to admitting that they could no longer host fixtures in their own country.Several other issues were raised at the meeting, including the suggestion that over-rates in Test matches should be improved by using points rewards or penalties within the World Test Championship, rather than the current system of fines and/or bans for transgressing captains. The ECB will also discuss the installation of improved drainage systems in all Test match venues, following the success of the system that is now in place at Lord’s.”I’m confident that there has never been such a gathering in the history of cricket in England and Wales,” claimed the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke. “I am extremely grateful for the support of all those who travelled from all corners of the country and the world to share their ideas on the state of Test cricket.”Everyone who attended shared the desire that Test cricket be preserved and reinforced as the pre-eminent form of this great game. It was an enthralling and informative session which allows the ECB board to consider key proposals which will allow us to deliver our promise of making England and Wales the home of Test cricket.”Six England captains were present at the meeting – Andrew Strauss, Michael Atherton, Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Mike Gatting – as well as numerous past and present Test players, from Dennis Amiss, Ashley Giles, Alastair Cook, Hugh Morris, Angus Fraser, Mike Selvey, Jonathan Agnew, David Lloyd and Geoff Miller.Also present were ICC General Cricket Manager, Dave Richardson, England’s assistant coach Andy Flower, the ICC World Twenty20 director Steve Elworthy, and the elite umpire, Simon Taufel, as well as the chairmen and representatives of the 18 first-class counties and MCC.

Tottenham Hotspur have made Dusan Vlahovic their number one target with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold on the ‘Gold and Guest talk Tottenham’ podcast this week, the Fiorentina striker is now the “top” option for the club as they search for someone to bolster Nuno Santo’s frontline.

However, it’s a complicated situation as Atletico Madrid are also “strongly interested,” so Fabio Paratici and co will need to convince the Serbian to join the Premier League side over the La Liga champions.

La Viola are reluctant to let him leave the Serie A club this summer, which is why they are thought to be asking for around €70m (£60m).

Get it done!

Whether Harry Kane remains in north London remains to be seen but his future should not play any influence in a move for Vlahovic as he can either become his strike partner, the perfect alternative or his replacement. It’s a win-win all round.

The 6 foot 3 talisman enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last term, scoring 21 goals in 37 league appearances, and that looks to have continued into this season as he’s already bagged a brace in their opening Coppa Italia clash against Cosenza.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, Vlahovic has been described as a “complete number nine,” which should leave Nuno’s mouth watering.

“I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals,” Serie A expert Conor Clancy told This is Futbol. “He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

It’s the sort of trusted presence that the Portuguese coach had for so long at Molineux in Raul Jimenez – a leading frontman capable of doing it all. Head, left foot, right foot, pace, power. The lot.

As per The Telegraph, Nuno’s intention is to deploy a two-man attack, but in the absence of Kane on Sunday, he selected Heung-min Son to lead the line on his own.

The Fiorentina striker could be the man to plug that gap, meaning that the South Korean can remain a threat out on the wings. Spurs supremo Paratici must look to sanction this move in the coming days.

Time is running out, with less than two weeks until the transfer window slams shut.

AND in other news, Paratici could discover Spurs’ new Dembele by signing “complete” £16.2m-rated colossus…

NWFP overcame a poor opening day through a solid second, dismissing Baluchistan for 174 and extending their lead to 154 by stumps at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore

Cricinfo staff25-Nov-2008
ScorecardNorth West Frontier Province overcame a poor opening day through a solid second, dismissing Baluchistan for 174 and extending their lead to 154 by stumps at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Leading their push for a maiden title triumph was NWFP’s pace attack, led by four-wicket man Shakeel-ur-Rehman and Junaid Khan.Baluchistan resumed on 24 for 1, behind by 198 runs. Their day started poorly, when Shaleel-ur-Rehman removed opener Usman Tariq for his overnight score of 6 (24 for 2). One run later, Shakeel-ur-Rehman removed Baluchistan’s captain, Misbah-ul-Haq for a duck (25 for 3). That was a massive loss, and strikes from Umar Gul and Junaid later reduced Baluchistan to 87 for 6.Kamran Hussain (61) and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf (27) added 71, a stand ended when Gul ran out Sadaf (158 for 7). Shakeel-ur-Rehman nipped out two more wickets immediately after to make it 158 for 9 and Gul bowled Hussain to finish off the innings. Shakeel-ur-Rehman finished with 4 for 41, Junaid took 3 for 49, and Gul’s two wickets cost him 63.A second time around, NWFP were given a solid opening. Yasir Hameed atoned for a single-digit first innings with 48 from 52 balls in an opening stand of 74 with Adnan Raees, who was unbeaten on 39 at close. Azharullah and Zulfiqar Babar took a wicket each.

Political uncertainty forced the relocation, with the ODIs expected to start at 4pm

Umar Farooq30-May-2022Pakistan have relocated their home series against West Indies from Rawalpindi to Multan. The decision has been taken in light of political uncertainty in Islamabad – the country’s capital, adjacent to Rawalpindi. The fixtures and schedule, however, remain unchanged, with the three ODIs, which are a part of the Cricket World Cup Super League to be played on June 8, 10 and 12.The games were originally slated for Rawalpindi, but the PCB had kept Multan as a back-up option, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan potentially planning protest rallies in the capital over the coming days. The original protest rally took place on May 25, but there remains a significant possibility of further such rallies over the coming days.Multan remained the only viable option, with Lahore and Karachi’s pitches being relaid, and the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar undergoing renovation work.Multan is situated in southern Punjab, and among the hottest cities in the country, with temperatures in the high 40s expected on matchdays. Pakistan has never hosted elite cricket at this time of year due to the summer heat, with nearly all high-level competitions including domestic season played during the winter and spring months between September and April.During the summer months, the PCB has mostly held its training camps in northern side of the country mostly in Abbottabad, which is located in the hilly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and experiences relatively milder weather. Last year, the PCB had made an attempt to host women cricketers camp in Multan but had to call off the camp due to extreme heat.The games will start at 4pm in the afternoon to mitigate the weather conditions. Pakistan will carry out their training camp in Lahore from June 1-4, before the squad moves to Multan on June 5. West Indies will arrive in Islamabad as planned on June 6 and will travel to Multan on a charter flight. The ODIs have been carried over from the series scheduled last December, when only the three T20Is took place, a Covid outbreak in the West Indies camp forcing the postponement of the ODIs. There will be no biosecure bubble for the series.