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Jack Birkenshaw has been named Mark Lane’s deputy as England women’s assistant coach, a post he will hold until July 2009

Cricinfo staff06-Jun-2008Jack Birkenshaw has been named Mark Lane’s deputy as England women’s assistant coach, a post he will hold until July 2009. Birkenshaw, the former England spinner and head coach at Leicestershire, will work with Lane on a permanent basis having helped steer them to an historic Ashes win in Australia in February.He brings huge experience to the women’s game, having played for Test cricket as well as representing Leicestershire, Worcestershire and his native Yorkshire. He will assist in all areas of coaching, but with a specific focus on England’s spinners once more.He is looking forward to his latest challenge. “I enjoyed coaching the England women over the winter, and many of the players are making great progress,” he said. “I am very proud to be part of their recent success and am sure we can get even better this summer. They are a great group to work with and are very talented cricketers”.Clare Connor, the ECB’s head of women’s cricket, added: “To attract someone of Jack’s calibre is an absolute coup for the women’s game. We are all delighted to welcome Jack on board and confident that, with Mark, this is the coaching team to bring Charlotte Edwards and her squad even more success in the next 12 months. Whilst we have always used many specialist coaches with our elite players, we have never had an assistant coach working with the players on a weekly basis and to tour with them.” Even though England had an assistant coach this winter, this was only under a temporary contract.Connor also confirmed to Cricinfo the obligations of Vince Wells, who was forced to pull out of the Australasia tour because of personal reasons. “Vince Wells’ role this summer is to coach the Emeralds in our Super 4s competition,” Connor said. “He will then be used by Mark as one of the four coaches who work with the players at England training camps throughout the winter. “Birkenshaw joins in time for the five-ODI series against South Africa, which starts on August 6 and includes a match at Lord’s on August 8. England also host India this summer.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a setback in their bid to bring Trevoh Chalobah to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that, while the chances of Valerien Ismael getting a deal over the line for the Chelsea defensive midfielder this summer at not quite dead in the water, they are severely receding.

This is likely down to the fact that newly-promoted Premier League side Brentford have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old, as have a number of top-flight and European teams.

Ismael surely fuming

Considering how few options Ismael currently has in the middle of the park at West Brom, as well as the fact it previously appeared as if the Baggies were close to securing a deal for Chalobah this summer, the fact that the Chelsea midfielder now appears to be slipping out of the club’s grasp is sure to have left the Frenchman furious.

And, having highly impressed during his loan spell at FC Lorient last season, the 22-year-old would appear to have been a fantastic addition to the Albion midfield ahead of next season, particularly as it had been reported Thomas Tuchel’s side are willing to let the former England U21 international leave for nothing.

Indeed, over his 29 Ligue 1 appearances for Christophe Pelissier’s side last term, the £12k-per-week midfielder made an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and won 5.2 duels per game.

The man Paul Lambert dubbed a “complete” player also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.3 key passes per fixture.

These returns saw the £3.15m-rated man earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as Lorient’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football, playing a key role in his side securing survival in the division.

As such, it is clear that Chalobah would have indeed made a fine addition to Ismael’s options in central midfield, however, unless something drastically changes in the coming days, it seems the 22-year-old will not be playing his football at The Hawthorns next season.

In other news: Ismael facing West Brom nightmare as Madeley makes worrying transfer claim

Zimbabwe has got a lot of growing talent which can be brewed to the advantage of the future national teams

John Ward17-Dec-2002NATIONAL YOUTH LEAGUESZimbabwe has got a lot of growing talent which can be brewed to the advantage of the future national teams. I suggest national youth leagues to give everybody a chance. For example I currently play for Purnells Youth Under-17 and will have a chance to show off our talent and improve our cricket. England gives us a chance to enjoy our cricket. Zimbabwean talent in England is growing.Ivan Mukandi (England) – used to attend Allan Wilson Technical High School.ZIMBABWE’S TEST STATUSFirst up, thanks for the continuation of ZCO! The specials about Zims first steps as a Test nation were quite interesting, and not only in historical perspective.Having read Phil Garlands letter regarding Zimbabwe giving up Test status and going back to play ODIs only, several thoughts come to my mind. I agree with your reply that such a move is impossible. Zimbabwe would probably never ever play a single Test match again. The thought of major Test-playing nations coming over to Zim for extended ODI-tours is unrealistic when everyone knows how difficult it has been to get these teams to play in Zim in the last ten years (before the ICC Test Championship was introduced).But Zim players and officials should nevertheless not take Test status as it is today for granted. In every discussion about whether Bangladesh deserves Test status or not (and everyone writing on cricket at the moment seems to be convinced they should lose it immediately) Zimbabwe gets a mention. Realistically, Zim cricket has nothing to fear at the moment. Test status has never been withdrawn before. But there are already calls for the introduction of a kind of divisional Test Championship. Zimbabwe would then play against Kenya and Bangladesh (with other emerging nations such as Nepal following), with only the odd series against major Test nations. The impact on cricket in Zim would be huge, the financial loss devastating.At the time of writing, these are only suggestions by journalists and cricket fans predominantly in England and Australia. But only positive results will put an end to talk like that. Zim have achieved good results in the past and the critics often forget that when a bad patch arrives. English or Australian cricket writers don’t really take notice when Zim narrowly lose an ODI-series in India. Zim reaching the Super Sixes at the last World Cup ahead of England and Sri Lanka seems to be long forgotten. But a few whitewashes less, a few hard-earned draws more, would be some argument.Maybe it’s time for the Zimbabwe players to rediscover the spirit in which they approached their first Test matches. In your interviews on Zim’s first Test they recalled how they wanted to prove being worthy of Test status, not to embarrass themselves and so on.I’m not in the position to criticize any players, and I have high hopes for some of the younger players coming through. Zim, with its limited resources, will probably never become world-beaters. But the likes of Alistair Campbell should be aware that it is their responsibility to make sure today’s youngsters get the opportunity to be tomorrow’s professionals. International cricket would be less colourful without Zim.Where will Zimbabwe cricket (and the whole country) be in another ten years time? Hopefully, fit and well (and politically settled and economically sound).A final thought on selection. Much has been said about the inconsistencies of the selectors. Maybe they should sit with former Zim captain Duncan Fletcher. The current Ashes disaster notwithstanding, consistency in selection has been a major factor in the resurgence of England. Only three years ago they were rated below Zim in Test cricket. The latest twist came with the first ODI against Kenya. Surprise, surprise, Marillier is back! Were the selectors hiding their secret weapon for the World Cup? To have a look at Sims and to blood other young players, the current series would have been ideal. The series against Wasim, Waqar, Saqlain and Shoaib was not. One has to feel sorry for the boys, especially Matsikenyeri.Hopefully, Zim can spring a surprise or two at the World Cup. I guess everybody who supports Zim keeps their fingers crossed for the pacers to get and stay fit!Henrik Halbleib (Germany)A GRIPE FROM KENYAAlthough I understand your bias towards the Zimbabwe Cricket, I am shocked the way you view Kenyan Cricket.Just to remind you that during the World Cup where we beat West Indies, Zimbabwe was in deep trouble until the time when rain came to the rescue otherwise Kenya would have beaten them hands down.Comparing Kenya to Bangladesh just goes to show how naive you are in regards to cricket in Kenya. We have always beaten Bangladesh, twice beaten India (once in India) and of course West Indies. If you go through the one-day table, we have played less games yet we are ranked 10th just below Zimbabwe. You can imagine if we are given more games then we might just end up on top of Zimbabwe.As for the test, it is noticed that we are way out better then most A teams. Zimbabwe A team would be easily be beaten by Coast select so how do you expect the national team to play Zimbabwe A! Yes, playing against Australia A would be a different story.Lets not try to brag that Zimbabwe is a better team or was better prepared. As long as stats show Zimbabwe are nothing better then Kenya if not weaker if the time they have been in test cricket is taken into consideration.For your Kind information, there is more to Kenyan cricket then Steve Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe. Try to watch Brijal Patel and you will know how well cricket is at grass-root level.It would be appreciated if you could be less bias and more realistic in our articles. I am sure we are going to thrash Zimbabwe on our current tour.Muslim Karimjee (Kenya)Reply: Readers can judge for themselves whether I was being unfair to Kenya in my tour preview last week. Have readers from other countries any views on Kenya’s qualifications for Test cricket?

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a potential move for Nat Phillips in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Centre-back wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have recently been linked with a number of central defenders, including Cameron Carter-Vickers and Omar Colley.

It seems clear that Steve Bruce would like to add to his current options in that area, ahead of the new 2021/22 season.

The Latest: Phillips eyed

As per The Athletic, the North East club, as well as West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley and Bayer Leverkusen, have all registered an interest in Phillips.

Liverpool currently value the centre-back at £15m, but the amount of teams in the race for his signature could well boost the price up.

The Verdict: Sign

Phillips would be a shrewd signing by the Tyneside club if they can beat off the competition to sign him.

Jurgen Klopp went as far as to claim that he is a ‘monster’ after a game against RB Leipzig back in March, and his six-foot-two frame would ensure that he is a threat in both boxes for the Magpies.

Phillips was largely impressive when covering for the injured Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term, winning no fewer than 7.5 0f his duels per game, as well as averaging 4.8 clearances, 1.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per match (Sofascore).

Also, being English, he would help fill the home-grown quota, and at 24 years of age, he still has a lot of potential that can be fulfilled at the Toon. He’d be a very good signing for the Magpies.

In other news, find out what ‘advanced talks’ NUFC have been having in the transfer market here!

Birmingham City are reportedly edging closer to an agreement to signing Wolves defender Dion Sanderson on loan, according to comments from Lee Bowyer which were shared by Birmingham Live.

What’s the story?

Sanderson has been attracting significant interest during the summer transfer window after catching the eye with a number of impressive performances whilst on loan with Sunderland in 2020/21. The likes of Sheffield United and the Black Cats are just some of the clubs who are rumoured to have been interested in a deal to sign the defender permanently.

The 21-year-old made 27 appearances in total for the Wearsiders last term and has been hailed as a “superb player” by former Blues striker Kevin Phillips, although his efforts weren’t quite enough as they missed out on promotion into the Championship after defeat to Lincoln City in the play-off semi-finals.

Birmingham seem to have won the race to sign him this summer though, with Blues boss Bowyer confirming that an agreement is close. He told BBC WM: “It’s something that I think has been agreed but he is just coming back from an injury so we are just making sure everything is right on the medical side of things.”

It’s somewhat of a coup for the Blues

Signing a player of Sanderson’s quality is likely to leave Birmingham fans buzzing ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, as they don’t seem to be wasting any time in strengthening their squad this summer.

You don’t attract interest from the likes of Sheffield United and Sunderland for nothing, and it would be something of a coup for the Blues to land his signature ahead of other suitors.

The Blues are likely to be able to offer him regular minutes, though, and if Sanderson can replicate the performances that he put in for Sunderland last season, then Birmingham will have a fine young player on their hands with a point to prove in senior football.

Sanderson has been unlucky not to have been given a chance to impress with the Wolves first team, but a move to Birmingham could give him the perfect opportunity to prove his worth in the Championship after looking the part in League One in recent months.

His match average of 2.7 clearances last season was bettered by just four players at St Andrew’s, while of those who featured regularly for Birmingham in 2020/21, only Ivan Sanchez (81.8%) posted a better passing accuracy rate than Sanderson with 81.6%.

The Blues finished 18th last season but they seem to be serious about challenging higher up the table this time around, with the likes of Chuks Aneke, Ryan Woods and Tahith Chong already arriving at St Andrew’s this summer, and Sanderson seemingly now set to join them on loan.

With Sheffield United having just been relegated from the Premier League and arguably better placed for promotion than most in the second tier, for Birmingham to sign him ahead of the Blades could have Blues supporters thrilled ahead of the big kick-off in three weeks’ time.

In other news, Birmingham are interested in another Wolves player, fans would be buzzing if it comes off.

Celtic and Ange Postecoglou look set to miss out on Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Hoops’ promise

Celtic were linked with a move for the Australia goalkeeper just three days after Postecoglou was confirmed as Hoops boss, with Ryan the 54-year-old’s number one at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asia Cup.

The Hoops were readying a long-term contract package for the ‘keeper who Graham Potter called ‘fantastic’, as well as the promise of the number one shirt at Parkhead.

However, it now seems as if Ryan won’t be reuniting with Postecoglou in Glasgow, despite being a top target.

The Latest: Sociedad move

According to The Scottish Sun, Real Sociedad are set to win the race for the 29-year-old. The La Liga side look set to bring Ryan to Spain on loan with a view of a permanent deal next year.

The report claimed that they’ve stolen a march on Celtic, with a move set to go through this week.

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The Verdict: What will Postecoglou do now?

Postecoglou will now have to decide whether or not to stick with what he has or target a new first-choice shot-stopper.

Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard are the options Postecoglou has at his disposal, with the latter of the three wanted by Dundee on loan.

Neil Lennon gave all three ‘keepers the chance to make the position their own, chopping and changing throughout the previous campaign.

If Postecoglou doesn’t pursue a new number one, hopefully he can get a good look at all three options prior to the campaign beginning and will then put his faith in one man, which could then form the base of a solid defence under his leadership.

In other news: Newspaper claims Celtic have now made a £3.4m bid for ‘quality’ ace days after Urhoghide deal, find out more here. 

With just 24 hours remaining before an International Cricket Council (ICC)ultimatum, the row over ICC contracts appeared no closer to a solution inSri Lanka as its cricket board claimed it was unable to meet the demands ofits players

Saadi Thawfeeq29-Aug-2002With just 24 hours remaining before an International Cricket Council (ICC)ultimatum, the row over ICC contracts appeared no closer to a solution inSri Lanka as its cricket board claimed it was unable to meet the demands ofits players.The Board of Control for Sri Lanka (BCCSL) is adamant that demands putforward by the Sri Lanka Cricketers Association (SLCA) on behalf of thenational cricketers ahead of next month’s ICC Champions Trophy areunrealistic given the current cash flow situation of the boardThe SLCA demanded 30 percent of guarantee money paid by the ICC to the BCCSLfor hosting the ICC Champions trophy. This was in addition to the monthlypayments the contracted players received.”We are currently not in a position to meet the demands put forward by theCricketers Association because financially it has not been a good year orus,” said a BCCSL spokesman.”I think it unfair by the cricketers to make such a demand. They are tryingto capitalise on a situation. I don’t think they are seriously affected bythe conditions laid down by the ICC,” he said.The BCCSL recently published their statement of accounts which showed adeficit of Rs. 48 million and sources said that with hardly anyinternational cricket being played in Sri Lanka this year, there was barelyany revenue being accrued to meet the demands the players are making.He said whatever revenue the BCCSL receives from the ICC Champions trophyhas to be channelled into the development of the game and basic operationalcosts.Sri Lanka hosted only a two-Test and three-match one-day series againstlowly rated Bangladesh for the current year.The present ICC contract prevents players from endorsing products from rivalcompanies of the ICC’s sponsors 30 days before or after major ICC events,including next year’s World Cup.So far, the 14 Sri Lanka cricketers picked to play in the Champions trophytournament have not signed the ICC contracts.”We don’t see any major confrontation with the SLCA over this issue,” saidthe Cricket Board spokesman.Sri Lanka are due to meet Pakistan in the tournament opener on September 12.All 10 Test playing nations plus two associate member countries areparticipating in the 18-day event which is a forerunner to next year’s WorldCup in South Africa.

اضطر المدرب رالف رانجنيك إلى إجراء تبديل في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، الجارية حاليًا في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب الأنفيلد مباراة الفريقين المؤجلة من الجولة الثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي.

ولم يتمكن بول بوجبا من استكمال المباراة، حيث اضطر إلى الخروج في الدقيقة 10 من عمر الشوط الأول، حيث استبدله رانجنيك بزميله جيسي لينجارد.

ويبدو أن بوجبا يعاني من الإصابة حيث خرج وهو يعرج، مع العلم أن مانشستر يونايتد متأخر في النتيجة بهدف دون رد منذ الدقيقة الخامسة بفضل لويس دياز.

Plenty of Celtic fans have hit out at the club’s official tweet over the weekend regarding their away kit.

The Hoops unveiled their new away strip for the 2021/22 season on Thursday morning. The all-green jersey with gold outlining is available to pre-order and will go on sale on June 24.

Celtic are still without a first team manager following Neil Lennon’s resignation back in February. More than 100 days have passed since Lennon’s exit, with Ange Postecoglou appearing to be the man in line to take over at Parkhead.

The club wanted to give one fan the chance to win the new top signed by a player of their choice. To enter the competition, supporters have to compare their life insurance at Celtic Compare.

Celtic fans react

The club shared the competition online on Saturday morning, and it’s safe to say that it didn’t go down well with the majority of fans. Here’s what some had to say in response to the post, with one saying that it drove them ‘mental’.

“Omg”Credit: @AndyMc1888″What?”Credit: @ajlinning”This has to be a wind up surely”Credit: @CelticWalks67″‘Follow and retweet for a chance to win!’ Naw get a quote for my impending funeral cause this club is driving me mental!!!”Credit: @E_lav1967″C’mon Celtic – what has happened to you… This is shameful and embarrassing.”Credit: @KevinMohan1″Embarrassing, delete this tweet”Credit: @DiMarco_Pattaya”Honestly Celtic you are unbelievable. Bought ST last season never seen a game. Bought all 3 strips. Just renewed 3 ST again not knowing if we’re getting in. We have Lawwell still in building No DOF No manager No teams basically yet you’re trying to punt us more gear. SHAMBLES”Credit: @colin72787965

In other news: Coach who had famous clash with Neil Warnock could join Celtic, find out more here. 

A new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s search for their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Spurs are one of three teams who have approached former Lille head coach Christophe Galtier, who left the Ligue 1 champions just days after clinching the league title.

It’s claimed that the 54-year-old has already rejected French rivals Lyon, though the North London outfit will face competition to hire Galtier from Real Madrid, who are looking for Zinedine Zidane’s successor, and Serie A side Lazio, where Simone Inzaghi – who had been linked to the Lilywhites – has left for Inter Milan.

He’ll be replacing Antonio Conte, another name that has mooted to the Spurs vacancy in recent weeks.

Transformative figure

Galtier is an interesting candidate for Spurs.

He’s enjoyed a long and successful career in France, managing just two clubs – Saint-Etienne, where he clinched the Coupe de la Ligue in 2012/13, and Lille, where he has just won them their fourth Ligue 1 triumph and their first in a decade.

During his time at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the Frenchman amassed a 51.3% win-rate across 152 matches in charge whilst this campaign, which rose to 63.2% in the league this campaign as they beat financial heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain to the trophy.

His Les Dogues side have made life difficult for ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has been linked with a sensational return to North London in the past week.

Lille were able to pull off a shock title win, destroying the three-year run of league wins by PSG and Pochettino’s hopes of winning a league title as a manager.

Lille were unbeaten against the defending champions this term, recording a 0-0 draw against them in December before frustrating them again in April, with Pochettino in the dugout.

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Galtier’s men recorded another clean sheet against PSG’s superstars, with the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria all starting.

The 54-year-old’s coaching has earned glowing praise, especially in regards to his development of young players, which is thought to be a key attributed desired by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

As explained by the Guardian’s Adam White, Lille have been one of the most competitive teams in French football since Galtier’s appointment in 2017, all whilst contending with the big budgets of PSG, Monaco and Lyon.

He claims that their current squad cost a little over £66m, a fraction of the price that PSG paid for Neymar and Mbappe.

Galtier has made Lille hard to bypass, conceding a league-low 23 goals, whilst also proving to be dangerous in front of goal, with him seemingly being able to find a solution no matter the problem.

His transformation of Jonathan David has been particularly eye-catching as the summer signing struggled with just two goals in his first 25 matches at the club before ending the season with ten goals in 22 games.

Swansea flop Renato Sanches is another fine example of a player benefitting in abundance from Galtier’s coaching and management.

It’s no wonder Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe dubbed him a “great manager” to Canal+ (via GFFN). “Every day he is there for us, whether it is in terms of football or outside of football, he is a coach who adds a lot from the human side of things too,” he added.

Similarly, Jose Mourinho has waxed lyrical about this to the Ligue 1 official website. He said: “Taking his side to the Champions League, second on the table, with quality football while developing young talent. He is the man of the season.”

Also dubbed “priceless”, it’s evident that Galtier could bring an air of transformation to North London and after destroying Pochettino in the league since the turn of the year, he could be a genuine and attractive alternative.

If Levy wants to revive Spurs then he should look to the 54-year-old guru this summer. He’s now available for nothing and that’ll only make him even more appealing, though he must act quickly.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt crushing blow in bid to bring Mauricio Pochettino back…