Phillip Hughes' tragic death still haunts David Warner

David Warner was extremely close to Phillip Hughes before his tragic death  

Melbourne, Dec 24 - Australian opening batsman David Warner says the tragic loss of Phillip Hughes still haunts him every time he sees a batsman struck on the head by a cricket ball.
Warner was standing at gully when Hughes was felled by a bouncer at the SCG in a Bupa Sheffield Shield match last month, with the 25-yeA scare went through the Australian camp on Wednesday when all-rounder Shane Watson was hit on the helmet by a James Pattinson bouncer in the MCG nets. Watson was visibly shaken up, as was fast bowler Pattinson, and both players immediately left the nets.
The blow brought back memories of Hughes' fatal blow, and Warner says the incident will remain with him for the rest of his career and beyond.
"I know myself 100 percent as I was real close with Phil and I was out there the day of it," Warner was quoted as saying by the Cricket Australia (CA) website.
"I was on the medi cab (when Hughes was taken off the ground), so it's going to be in the back of my mind every time I play.
"Every time I sit at home (I'm) thinking (about) nothing but that. For us we've got to keep pushing on, he would want us to do that. "
I know when I go out in the middle he's always going to be there at the other end."
Watson batted on Wednesday in the nets but didn't face any of the Australian pace bowlers who are vying for a Boxing Day Test spot, but Warner says that isn't out of the ordinary.
"A lot of us like to prepare differently. I'm the first person to put my hand up to say I don't face our quicks as much," said Warner.
"It's about feeling bat on ball and getting your feet right for the game. He's practicing as well as I've seen him. He'd like a bit more runs than he has been (scoring).
"It's going to happen here and there. That's part of cricket," Warner said on the rising number of training injuries.
"You go 12 months without someone getting hit in the nets then all of a sudden you have three or four in one net session and that's cricket."ar-old passing away two days later.

Australia vs India 2014/15: Shaun Marsh latest injury scare for Australia ahead of Boxing Day Test

Shaun Marsh is the latest injury doubt for Australia

Melbourne, Dec 24 - The Australian team received a fresh injury scare when middle-order batsman Shaun Marsh was struck on the hand at a practice session on Wednesday.
This was the second injury scenario for the home team ahead of the commencement of the third Test on Boxing Day against India after all-rounder Shane Watson was hit on the helmet at the nets on Tuesday by a vicious bouncer from James Pattinson.Watson has returned to training on Wednesday without any complaints as reported by the Herald Sun.
Marsh was hit on the left glove by a rising delivery from fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
He was immediately escorted into the dressing rooms by a concerned team doctor Peter Brukner for assessment.
But the left-handed No.5 returned to bat a few minutes later, and his injury is believed to be minor.

Humor: Rohit Sharma seeks Swamiji's help to end run drought

He holds the record for the highest score in an One-day international (ODI) innings. He is the first batsman to score two double centuries in ODIs. He is not short of talent, but Rohit Sharma is struggling to find his feet in test cricket after an impressive debut at home against the West Indies. What explains this dip in form? Should he be persisted with in the middle order? Is it time to get rid of the flat track bully? The nation wants to know!
Rohit decided to do something about all the criticism that is directed at him over the past few days. The Mumbai Indians skipper went to a Swamiji in search of answers. Here’s a sneak peek of what happened when Rohit met the Swamiji.Note: This is a fake conversation and should not be taken seriously. This was done with due respect to veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty.

Ranji Trophy: Abhimanyu Mithun fashions Karnataka victory, Harbhajan Singh leads Punjab to full points

Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa had scored a 97 in the 2nd innings

New Delhi, Dec 24: Karnataka pacers Abhimanyu Mithun(5-31) and Vinay Kumar (2-37) shared seven wickets among them to bowl out Railways for a paltry 114 in their 2nd innings to set up a 136-run victory for their team in a Ranji Trophy Group B match here.
Chasing 251 for victory, Railways were never in contention to chase the target, losing wickets at regular intervals to lose by the huge margin.In another match here, seamer Navdeep Saini (4 for 48) and off-spinner Shivam Sharma (3 for 40) helped Delhi beat Rajasthan by an innings and seven runs. Opener Siddharth Saraf's valiant effort (88) wasn't enough to make Delhi bat for the second time as he didn't get the necessary support from his team-mates.
At Kanpur, Mumbai beat Uttar Pradesh by eight wickets owing to superb bowling spells from medium pacers Wilkin Mota (4/30) and Shardul Thakur (3/70). Their bowling efforts helped Mumbai dismiss U.P. for 161 in the second innings. Mumbai lost two wickets to reach the target of 98. Suryakumar Yadav (47 not out) led his team across the line.
At Pune, veteran Harbhajan Singh scored a quickfire half century (50 off 61 balls) to give Punjab a win over Maharastra by three wickets in a close contest.
Chasing 205, Punjab were in trouble at 68 for four but the experienced player Harbhajan Singh teamed up with Gurkeerat Singh (73 not out) to bail out Punjab.
Brief Scores

Karnataka vs Railways - Karnataka 1st innings 247 all out (Kunal Kapoor 53, CM Gautam 64; Krishnakant Upadhyay 7/98) Railways 1st innings 171 all out (Abhishek Kaushik 59; Sreenath Aravind 4/43, Abhimanyu Mithun 3/53) Karnataka 2nd innings 174 for five declared ( Robin Uthappa 97, Karun Nair 63; Anureet Singh 3/67) Railways 2nd innings 114 all out (Anustup Majumdar 26; Abhimanyu Mithun 5/31, Vinay Kumar 2/37)
Karnataka won by 136 runs
Rajasthan vs Delhi - Rajasthan 141 (Rajesh Bishnoi 57; Parvinder Awana 4/15) Delhi 10/1 (4.0 ov) Delhi 1st innings 380 for six declared (Unmukt Chand 146, Virender Sehwag 64; Aniket Choudhury 3/81) Rajasthan 2nd innings 232 all out ( Siddharth Saraf 88, Navdeep Saini 4/48, Shivam Sharma 3/40)
Delhi won by an innings and 7 runs
Vidarbha vs Haryana - Vidarbha 1st innings 154 all out (Faiz Fazal 46; Asish Hooda 3/40, Joginder Sharma 5/46) Haryana 1st innings 156 all out (Abhimanyu Khod 38; Ravikumar Thakur 4/38, Swapnil Bandiwar 3/65) Vidarbha 2nd innings 23 for 2.
Match Drawn
Hyderabad vs Kerala - Hyderabad 1st innings 270 all out (Hanumana Vihari 76, Ibrahim Khaleel 65; Perumparambath Anthaf 5/61) Kerala 1st innings 447 for seven (Sachin Baby 200, KS Monish 61;Ashish Reddy 3/76) Hydrebad 2nd innings 249 for one ( Tanmay Agarwal 110, Akshath Reddy 104)
Match Drawn
Madhya Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu - Madhya Pradesh 1st innings 432 (Jalaj S Saxena 144, Devendra Bundela 104; Malolan Rangarajan 7/81) Tamil Nadu 1st innings 248 all out ( R Prasanna 74; Ankit Sharma 5/103, Jalaj Saxena 4/74) Tamil Nadu 2nd innings following on 369 all out (Dinesh Karthik 129, Baba Indrajith 63; Sarash Jain 5/50, Jalaj Saxena 3/109) Madhya Pradesh second innings 112 for four ( Naman Ojha 59; Rahil Shah 3/32)
Match Drawn
Jharkhand vs Tripura - Jharkhand 1st Innings: 142 all out in 54.5 overs (Kumar Deobrat 75; Rana Dutt 5/64); Tripura 1st Innings: 362 all out in (Rakesh Solanki 67, Bishal Ghosh 76; Shahbaz Nadeem 4/64, Samar Quadri 3/100) Jharkand 2nd innings 409 for eight ( Ishank Jaggi 201, Kaushal Singh 71; Manisankar Murasingh 4/107) Tripura 2innings 12 for no loss.
Match Drawn
Uttar Pradesh vs Mumbai - Uttar Pradesh 1st innings: 206 all out (Tanmay Srivastava 67, Prashant Gupta 41; Shardul Thakur 6/53, Kshemal Waingankar 2/64) Mumbai 1st innings 270 all out (Shardul Thakur 87, Shreyas Iyer 75; Amit Mishra 4/63, Praveen Kumar 3/77); Uttar Pradesh 2nd innings 161 all out Umang Sharma 60, Praveen Kumar 47; Wilkin Mota 4/30, Shardul Thakur 3/70) Mumbai 2nd innings 98 for two ( Suryakumar Yadav 47; Ankit Rajpoot 2/34)
Mumbai won by 8 wickets
Jammu & Kashmir vs Baroda - J&K 1st innings 497 all out (Parvez Rasool 136, Ram Dayal 124 not out; Swapnil Singh 6/152, Sagar Mangalorkar 3/89) Baroda 1st innings 370 for seven (Saurabh Wakaskar 172, Kedar Devdhar 58; Samiullah Beigh 2/66) J&K 2nd innings 147 for nine ( Ram Dayal 39; Sagar Mangalorkar 6/46)
Match Drawn
Goa vs Himachal Pradesh - Goa 1st innings 357 all out (Darshan Mishal 97, Robin D Souza 67; Vikramjeet Malik 2/55, Raghav Dhawan 2/55) Himachal Pradesh 1st innings 381 all out(Ankit Kalsi 115, Rashmi Parida 88; Gauresh Gawas 3/75) Goa 2nd innings (Sagun Kamat 58, Darshan Mishal 51; Gurvinder Singh 3/46, Karanveer Singh 3/66)
Match Drawn
Maharashtra vs Punjab - Maharashtra 1st innings 210 (Rahul Tripathi 56; Siddharth Kaul 3/46); Punjab 1st innings 391 all out (Yuvraj Singh 136, Jiwanjot Singh 68; Anupam Sanklecha 3/88, Samad Fallah 3/78) Maharastra 2nd innings 384 all out (Kedar Jadhav 109, Rahul Tripathi 103; Siddarth Kaul 4/57, Sandeep Sharma 4/74) Punjab 2nd innings 205 for seven (Gurkeerat Singh 73, Harbhajan Singh 50;Samad Fallah 5/60)
Punjab won by three wickets
Saurashtra vs Gujarat - Saurashtra 1st innings 207 all out (Sheldon Jackson 48; Axar Patel 4/72); Gujarat 1st innings 248 all out (Smit Patel 105; DA Jadeja 5/74) Saurashtra 2nd innings 364 for five declared (Sheldon Jackson 156, Arpit Vasavada 88; Akshar Patel 2/101) Gujarat 2nd innings 130 for two ( Priyank Kirit Panchal 75 not out)
Match Drawn
Andhra vs Services - Andhra 1st innings 234 all out (Srikar Bharat 47, AG Pradeep 59; Deepak Punia 4/60, Roshan Raj 4/77) Services 1st innings 286 all out (Rajat Paliwal 72, Yashpal Singh 57; DP Vijaykumar 3/67, CV Stephen 3/62) Andhra 2nd innings 19 for 1.
Match Drawn

India lack belief away from home: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden feels the Indian team does not believe that they can win away from home and have gone “missing” during key moments of the ongoing Test series.
“India’s biggest weakness is they don’t believe they can win away from home. Whether it’s starting the day badly or not finishing an innings like they should, they seem to go missing at key moments.


“The noise around the team isn’t great either. Putting the food issue aside (which I think is embarrassing for Australia because grounds should be making an extra effort to provide the food the visitors require), you feel like India are searching for an excuse,” Hayden said.
“Dhawan’s decision in Brisbane confused the Indian camp”

India have no chance of winning the Test series now as they trail Australia 0-2 in the four-match series.
Hayden said the controversy generated by Shikhar Dhawan’s refusal to come out to bat earlier on the fourth day in Brisbane was a reflection of India’s approach.
“Shikhar Dhawan not coming out to bat on day four in Brisbane speaks of his mindset. Fear of failure is more often than not a powerful motivator and the great players like Steve Waugh use that to their advantage.”
“Dhawan’s decision clearly caused confusion in the Indian camp and his troops, including M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli, couldn’t rally revealing the fragility of this powerful Indian team,” noted Hayden.
Australia’s bowling is better than India’s but both are equal in batting

Hayden also took a dig at the Indian team’s attempt to sledge the Australians, a move which backfired badly.
“They’ve got a false sense of what aggression means as well. I think they’ve got the talent in their bowling unit to get us out but they’re inexperienced and can’t bowl consistent Test level spells.
“Australia definitely has the edge when it comes to bowling but talent-wise the Indian batsmen are on par. Virat Kohli is world class – there’s an edge to his game, and Murali Vijay has gone to a new level.
“He’s patience personified blended with conventional and destructive stroke play and if Australia had him opening the batting with David Warner it would be an incredible partnership. But the rest are vulnerable,” he said.

Temba Bavuma to become first black batsman in history to play for South Africa

Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw while playing for South Africa ‘A’ against Australia ‘A’ in August 2014

Temba Bavuma is set to replace the injured Quinton de Kock when South Africa face off for the 2nd Test match against West Indies on Boxing Day at St. George’s Park. Quinton de Kock has been ruled out for the remainder of the 3-match Test series, and if the selectors continue to opt for a 7-batsman side, the 24-year-old Bavuma is the most logical choice.
Despite the fact that almost 80% of South Africa’s population is black, only 5 black African players have been fielded by the Proteas since their re-admission in 1991, and none since Makhaya Ntini’s retirement in 2009.Ntini was the only one among the 5 to have had a long international career, taking 390 wickets in 101 Tests. The fast bowlers Monde Zondeki, Mfuneko Ngam and Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile managed a combined total of 17 Tests.
Bavuma’s international debut a significant landmark in a long racial history

“I’ve come to realise that there are a lot of people out there that I represent – I’m not just playing for myself,” Bavuma said on Wednesday. “I am aware, but it doesn’t really change the ball game for me.”
The young man has had a successful first-class career, and the highlight of his career as of yet has been a score of 162 against the Australia ‘A’ team on a South Africa ‘A’ tour in August.
Temba Bavuma will be the first black specialist batsman to ever play for South Africa. We have come a long way since 1960 when South Africa’s apartheid laws had forced talented batsman Basil d’Oliviera to emigrate to England in order to have an international cricket career.

Ryan Harris back in Australia XI for Boxing Day Test; Joe Burns to bat at No. 6

Steve Smith

Australia have made two changes to their playing XI for the third Test against India, which is starting on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Queensland batsman Joe Burns, who was drafted into the squad after the Gabba Test in place of injured all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, will make his debut in the game. Fast bowler Ryan Harris, who missed the last match at Brisbane, also returns to the playing eleven in place of Mitchell Starc. Australian captain Steve Smith told reporters on Thursday that Burns will bat at No. 6.
Smith said: "Joe Burns gets his opportunity on Boxing Day and it's going to be a very special week for him. Yes, it is a big occasion. You've got to try to get that out of your mind. You've got to enjoy it.
“It's just another cricket game for him. He's been hitting the ball really well. I'm looking forward to seeing him come out here and hopefully score a few runs in this Test match.”
"Shane Watson's best suited at the top of the order ... Joe will slot in at number six," he added.
Smith also expressed his disappointment on Mitchell Marsh, who injured his hamstring while bowling in the second Test, missing out. "It is tough. Mitch Marsh has been playing some pretty good cricket. He played beautifully over in the UAE, and was starting to find his feet. It's disappointing for him to be out through injury,” the 25-year-old said.
Watson’s fine, I have to manage him well: Smith

When asked how Shane Watson has been coping up with the blow sustained on his head while practicing at the nets on Tuesday, Smith said that the all-rounder was shaken up a bit, but recovered and trained well the next day.
"Watto's okay. He was a little bit shaken up with the hit the other day, but he trained well yesterday and he's going well so I'm sure he'll be fine. I've just got to manage him right.
“If we've got to go in to bat, I've got to make sure he hasn't bowled too many overs at the end there so he's fresh when he gets out there to bat. That's the most important thing to me. I certainly think he's a top-three batsman," Smith said.
On Starc not finding a spot in the eleven, Smith said that it’s tough on fast bowlers to play consecutive Tests, before indicating that the left-armer could return for the final Test, at Sydney.
"He'll go back and play a bit of Big Bash and keep his loads up.You never know [when his next opportunity may come]. Three back-to-back Test matches is pretty heavy on our fast bowlers so we might see him back in the team next week,” he said.
Australia XI: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steve Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Darren Sammy replaces Kemar Roach in West Indies ODI squad

Darren Sammy 

Bridgetown (Barbados), Dec 25 (IANS) All-rounder Darren Sammy has replaced Kemar Roach in the West Indies' 15-member One-Day International (ODI) squad to face South Africa next month, in another twist in the ongoing selection saga.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced the move on Wednesday, even as allegations of victimisation regarding Sammy and fellow all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, continued to swirl around the region, reports CMC.Sammy, Bravo and Pollard were all left out of the initial 14-man squad announced on last Saturday, prompting the players' attorney Ralph Thorne to accuse the WICB of victimisation, stemming from their roles in the abandoned tour of India last October.
"It becomes cynical, it is an insidious form of victimisation. It doesn't make sense to include them in the 30-man squad for the World Cup - three very, very senior players - and then relegate them to mere T20 participation. It doesn't make sense," the prominent Queen's Counsel complained in a recent radio interview here.
"It seems to me to be a mild form of ruthlessness that has been visited on these three players, because it really disqualifies them from any meaningful opportunity to get into the World Cup squad next year."
However, with Roach ruled out of the Test series after failing to recover from an ankle injury sustained on the opening day of the first Test in Centurion, selectors have turned to Sammy again.
The 31-year-old, sacked as captain last year in favour of Bravo, has played 115 ODIs but boasts a modest record. He averages of 23 with the bat and 44 with the ball but can be a powerful lower-order batsman and a steady medium pacer.
He joins a unit led by 23-year-old fast bowler Jason Holder who was announced to replace Bravo as captain, in a shock move by the Clive Lloyd-led selection panel.
Despite missing out on the ODI squad, Bravo and Pollard have been named in the T20 squad for the three-match series against South Africa which precedes the ODI tour.
The T20 series runs from Jan 9-14 with the five-match ODI tour bowling off two days later in Durban.
Squad: Jason Holder (Captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Narsingh Deonarine, Leon Johnson, Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Satire: 5 blunt tips to Rohit Sharma from a frustrated fan

Rohit Sharma

Dear Rohit Sharma,
I am writing to give you some advice as you prepare for the important Boxing Day Test match. I promise I will be gentle here in offering advice, as I know that you have had a tough tour Down Under. Now, you may wonder: “Why would I want advice from you? You never played cricket.” Well, I'm an amazing critic and you need to listen to me. I know a lot of stuff. If I didn't know stuff, would I just be allowed to write things about cricket on the internet? Yes? Unlikely, right? Right. And do you want to know who else never played international cricket? Harsha Bhogle. That guy throws cricketing theories all the time. If a chemical engineer can, why can’t I?
Most of us have seen your innings in ODIs; not merely the bubble of talent but the desire to lift the game, lift the performance. When you transcended the sum of what the other 10 players in the team could achieve, I applauded. You have done it so many times; the moment when your feet project, your shot soars, your balance screams, your spirit takes over the inning. But what about your Test performance, dude? 43, 6, 32 and 0 in the first two Tests? Really? Unacceptable.
So, as you know, a lot of people are going to be watching you on Friday (#MAGGI); therefore, it makes sense to take some advice from well-wishers like me:
Here’s a list of 5 things to do, to make things go well for you, Rohit:
1) Be a student of the beautiful game. Test cricket requires perseverance, just like sitting through the 6-hour long IIT-JEE exam. You need to up your usual game, spend hours analysing role models. You have to understand the game better than everyone around you because your talent sets you apart. Look at Rahul Dravid. He studied cricket like a scientist analysing the calorific value of rocket fuel. Retrospect. Perceive. Introspect. This is the key to a successful career. Be like Rahul Dravid.
2) Never ever lose the passion and fire in your belly. Sometimes, legends have to hold their teammates accountable, even if it’s during a game. If an opponent needs to be cursed, do it. If something isn't working out and yelling aimlessly at the sky is all that will get that fire back, yell. Look at Virat Kohli. It doesn't matter if anyone sees you, this is your time, your moment. Give that splurge of BC MC all across the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Quoting NIKE: Just Do it! Be like Virat Kohli.
3) Sunny G talks about your talent 200 times a day. It is now almost as synonymous as bread and butter and rum and coke.. Rohit and talent!? But wake up and stop basking in the glory of your ODI double hundreds at home. When your game breaks down, you can buy time with your invisible talent or just take off and run and pick up the pieces all by yourself. If your talent is your greatest gift, prove it! Without that overseas ton, you’re just an average batsman at best. Prove your talent. Be like Virender Sehwag.
4) Don’t rush into it. This isn't the IPL. Hitting around like crazy won’t work in Test cricket, unless you are Chris Gayle on LSD, which, let’s face it, you're not. You're just a talented piece of underperforming guy in the squad. Remember, the defensive players are faster here. Even if you succeed with your stupid attitude, it won’t last. If you don't listen to me, your Test career will be over faster than that of Shiv Sunder Das. Set your eyes in. Be defensively aggressive. Be like VVS Laxman.
5) Listen. Cricket is a sport, after all. It’s unpredictable, always changing. Do not completely rely on your role models and set rules. The great ones play instinctively. Learn to differentiate between ODI and Test Cricket for heaven’s sake! Watch and react. Quick, almost subconscious decision-making. Look at Sachin Tendulkar. Do not let teams judge exactly what they have seen you doing. It is foolish to believe that there is a mathematical relation between ODI and Test cricket and apply the same ideas that have made you successful in limited overs cricket. Be unpredictable.
Forget the pressure, just play. Be like Sachin Tendulkar.
Well, there you have it.
Looking forward to a Boxing Day century, right?

Will join 'Clean India' drive, not politics: Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS) Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, on Thursday, accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for his participation in the Clean India Mission, but quashed rumours of joining politics.
"It is a noble cause. When I return, I will get to know what is needed to be done and will act accordingly," Ganguly told a TV channel over the phone from Australia, a day ahead of the Boxing Day Test."India is a large country and problems are there because of the big population. Hygiene is important," Ganguly said.
However, the cricket legend rubbished rumours of foraying into politics. "I have said earlier also that I am not interested in politics."
Modi, on Thursday, nominated more people to the Clean India Mission, including former Indian police service officer Kiran Bedi, Ganguly, danseuse Sonal Mansingh and the famous 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai.

Won't tone down sledging: MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Indian Cricket team Captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that his team won’t tone down sledging ahead of the third Test match starting on Boxing Day.
Dhoni said that sledging had nothing to do with India's loss in the first two Test matches in the series and said he saw nothing wrong with it.India were doing well till Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma began sledging Mitchell Johnson in Brisbane during his innings of 88 runs off 93 balls with 13 fours and one six. A fired-up Johnson shared a ground record 148 runs partnership with Steve Smith for the seventh wicket to turn around Australia's first innings.
Johnson followed up his brilliant performance with the bat with a dynamic spell of fast bowling capturing three wickets for a mere 10 runs in the space of 11 balls to send the Indian top order back to the pavillion in the second innings to set Australia up for victory.
India must win Friday's third Test in Melbourne to keep alive the four-match series to the final Test in Sydney in the New Year.
Dhoni said that unless his guidelines are followed, sledging doesn’t bother him. He said, "I feel a bit of chirping is good on the field.
"That's what makes cricket interesting, if the guidelines are followed, I'm not really bothered.
"The chirping has nothing to do with our performance."

Video: Jose Mourinho reacts to Lionel Messi being linked to Chelsea

Lionel Messi

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has said in an interview that he can’t afford to buy FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi due to the Financial Fair Play rules(FFP) and also because the Catalan giants don't want to let go of the star striker.
There has been news that the 27-year-old Argentian was looking for a fresh challenge in his career and there were rumours of The Blues keen on bringing him to Stamford Bridge. Messi’s ex-teammate at the Nou Camp, Cesc Fabregas returned to the Premier League, earlier this year after being signed by Chelsea for a sum in the region of €33 million on a five-year contract deal and had said earlier that he would be delighted if Messi agreed to come to Chelsea.Mourinho had earlier expressed his displeasure at the way the Financial Fair Play(FFP) rules were benefiting only the bigger clubs.
Here’s the video of Mourinho talking about signing Messi.

Mumbai FC sign Amoes and Reisangmei Vashum

Amoes (L) and Reisangmei Vashum pose with the Mumbai FC shirt.

Midfielders Amoes and Reisangmei Vashum have been added to the Mumbai FC roster.
Vashum  was ecstatic upon signing for Mumbai as he said, “It’s an exciting city. I know there are a lot of football fans in the city and I look forward to seeing them at the Cooperage.”The 26-year-old added, “The club has a fantastic coaching staff and a great set of players. I can’t wait to play with them during the season ahead.”
The Manipuri brings with him invaluable experience in midfield. He has previously played for Churchill Brothers, East Bengal and Pune FC.
Amoes becomes the second player after Sampath Kutty Mani to join Mumbai FC from last season’s I-League champions - Bengaluru FC. The 20-year-old was delighted to have signed for the Mumbai team. “Mumbai FC is a fantastic opportunity for me to showcase my abilities. My aim is to learn as much as I can under the gaffer’s guidance and prove my worth.”
The Bangalorean added, “This will be my first professional stint outside my city (Bengaluru) and I am really really looking forward to it.”
Team Manager Henry Picardo confirmed the signings, “Yes, we have roped in Vashum and Amoes. They are really good football players and provide strength-in-depth to the squad.
Vashum and Amoes have been handed kit numbers 7 and 21 respectively.

Mohun Bagan sign Chennaiyin FC midfielder Devadas

Denson Devadas

Kolkata, Dec 24 (IANS) City football giants Mohun Bagan Wednesday roped in midfielder Denson Devadas on loan from Indian Super League (ISL) club Chennaiyin FC to boost their supply line ahead of their new season.
The 32-year-old Devadas has previously played for I-league teams like United SC. He was released by Mohun Bagan at the beginning of the current season."The registration has been done with the consent of head coach Sanjoy Sen," the club said in a statement Wednesday.
Devdas appeared in as many as 15 games for Chennaiyin FC in the maiden ISL season and had one assist to his credit.

EPL: Manchester United vs Newcastle United – Preview and Prediction

The end of calendar year 2014 is fast approaching, and it brings with it a congested run of fixtures. Manchester United is all set to host Newcastle United on Boxing Day – 26th December.
Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils seem to have finally found their form; winning 6 games and drawing 1 since their loss in the Manchester derby early in November. With tricky matches against Tottenham and Stoke City to follow, van Gaal will be looking to win all 3 points to keep the momentum going.
Alan Pardew had resurrected his team’s fortunes in November, but has seen it all go pear-shaped again after conceding 4 goals each against Arsenal and Tottenham in the league and Capital One Cup respectively, before losing to rivals, Sunderland at home on Sunday.
Venue

Old Trafford has seen home team Manchester United winning 7 and drawing 1 this season after a 2-1 loss to Swansea in the first gameweek. "We want to build a fortress at Old Trafford," said van Gaal. "We have made it that already because we have won a lot, and with great results.
Newcastle was one of the seven away teams to win a BPL fixture at Old Trafford last season, but it won’t be as easy to repeat the feat this time.
Team News

The Reds have had a horrid time this season when talking of injuries. For the Newcastle game, there have been no positive updates on the same front. Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind are still out of contention. Chris Smalling will be subject to a late fitness test but is expected to start.
They will also be without the services of energetic midfielder Marouane Fellaini due to illness. Louis van Gaal will have his work cut out in rotating his squad in the hectic run of matches coming up. On a positive note, Angel Di Maria made a substiture appearance against Aston Villa and could very well start against Newcastle.
The visitors have some problems of their own. 1st and 2nd choice keeprs, Tim Krul and Rob Elliot are both out along with the likes of Siem de Jong, Gabriel Obertan, Rolando Aarons, Ryan Abeid and Ryan Taylor. Steven Taylor suffered a nasty facial injury in the previous match, but could make it in time for the game.
Cheick Tiote is sidelined too, but through suspension. Cancer survivor, Jonas Gutierrez made a return to football and played for the U-21 side. However, it is highly unlikely that he will return to the first team squad so soon.
Possible Starting Line-ups

Manchester United (3-4-1-2): De Gea; Smalling, Evans, Jones, Valencia, Carrick, Di Maria, Young; Rooney; Falcao, van Persie
Louis van Gaal has enjoyed some great success with his favoured 3-4-1-2 formation after he reverted back to it in the past few matches. With 3 CB’s and 2 WB’s, it gives him the flexibility to switch from attack to defence on the fly to try and control the game.
Carrick in the midfield is the heartbeat of the team. He makes the most passes, and the team hasn’t lost a game this season since his return to the first team. Di Maria though traditionally a winger will provide the creativity from midfield with a free role.
Rooney will play in the hole as the ‘enganche’ – a target man in the midfield and will dictate the attacking plays. With Robin Van Persie and Radamel Falcao as the strikers, there is a lot of firepower in the side.
Falcao hasn’t enjoyed a lot of time on the field so far; with youngster James Wilson, or Juan Mata preferred over him. However, he scored the only Manchester United goal in the previous game and could see his name on the team sheet again.
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Alnwick; Janmaat, Dummett, Coloccini, S.Taylor; Sissoko, Colback; Ameobi, Cabella, Gouffran, Perez
Alnwick has some big shoes to fill in till the expected return of Krul and Elliot. Janmaat has probably been the best player for Newcastle this season, putting in work both on the attacking and defensive front. Coloccini will have a big say, being the imposing centre back he is.
Sissoko and Colback will play as the double-pivot in midfield. Sammy Ameobi and Gouffran will play on the wings. Remy Cabella would well be the replacement for suspended Tiote. He is fast and agile with a sound creative brain and will be a good support behind striker Ayoze Perez.

Predicted XIs for Manchester United and Newcastle United

Key Facts and Stats

The last time these two teams clashed on Boxing Day s seasons ago, Manchester United emerged victors with a 4-3 score at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have won 17 of the last 18 games and been victorious in the last 10 in a row on Boxing Day at Old Trafford.

Manchester United has lost only one of 20 Barclays Premier League matches they have played on Boxing Day (W17 D2 L1).

The Magpies are the only team in the BPL yet to score in the opening 30 minutes of a match this season.

Robin van Persie has scored six goals and assisted three more in his last eight BPL starts against Newcastle.

Key Battles

Ashley Young vs Daryl Janmaat: While Young will be deployed as the LWB, Janmaat will play as RB. Young is traditionally a winger and has the tendency of going forward. He is also a little dicey in defending. Janmaat could exploit this to get behind Young and deliver some of his deadly crosses into the attacking third.

Wayne Rooney vs Fabricio Coloccini: Wayne Rooney may be playing in the hole behind the 2 strikers, but he is easily the most potent attacking threat United possess. He will get forward to partner van Persie and Falcao and it will be up to Coloccini to try and counter the threat. The imposing Argentine defender will have to be at his best to neutralize Rooney’s capabilities, especially at Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick vs Moussa Sissoko: Both Carrick and Sissoko have the herculean task of taking hold of the midfield for their respective teams. While Carrick prefers to sit deeper and dictate play, Sissoko is more energetic, playing as a box-to-box midfielder. It is often said that a game is won if you can gain hold of the midfield. Who wins this battle could well determine the outcome of the game.

Prediction

Manchester United 3-1 Newcastle United

Brendan Rodgers: Mario Balotelli does not suit Liverpool's system

Mario Balotelli

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers feels that Mario Balotelli’s game does not suit his club’s high-intensity pressing style.
Liverpool bought Balotelli from AC Milan in a £16 million deal in the summer transfer window to replace the mercurial Luis Suarez. In a recent interview, Rodgers admitted that the Italian’s style is not suitable to Liverpool’s system.Balotelli has scored 2 goals for Liverpool since signing for them, having scored none in the English Premier League.
When questioned about Liverpool and Balotelli’s style, Rodgers said, “I think we’ve seen it’s not really his game. Working with Mario, we see someone who is better around the box.
“That level of intensity and pressing isn’t part of his game but you try and get the best out of the players you have and the qualities that you have.
“So that’s something that we will focus on, but the most important thing is that he’s available after his ban. It adds another player to our squad and another player who is available, especially with Fabio Borini unavailable,” he continued.
Rodgers refused to talk about Torres rumours

It remains a mystery why Rodgers decided to buy Balotelli if he thought that the Italian doesn’t suit the type of game Liverpool play. Rodgers interviews regarding Balotelli have always been strange which may be an indication that the signing of the 24-year-old was forced on him by the transfer committee.
Rodgers remained coy when questioned on rumours linking former Anfield heartthrob Fernando Torres with a move back to Liverpool.
He said, “I won't comment on any player linked to here. My only concentration is working with the group here and if there's a possibility of strengthening in January, we'll take a look at the right type of player."

Kingfisher East Bengal name squad to play in 36th Federation Cup in Goa

East Bengal Logo

Kolkata giants East Bengal Club go into the 36th Federation Cup as one of the tournament favourites in Goa, but they will have to face tough opposition in the group stage in Dempo SC, Royal Wahingdoh FC, Mumbai FC and Sporting Clube de Goa.
East Bengal Club take on local side Dempo SC on December 29 in their Group A opener, then face Shillong-side Royal Wahingdoh FC on December 31, next face Mumbai FC on January 2 and in their final group game they would face another local side in Sporting Clube de Goa on January 6.
EAST BENGAL CLUB

Goalkeepers: Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Luis Xavier Barreto, Abhra Mondal
Defenders: Deepak Kumar Mondal, Abhishek Das, Arnab Mondal, Milan Susak, Gurwinder Singh (Vice-Captain), Raju Eknath Gaikwad

Midfielders: Harmanjot Singh Khabra (Captain), Joaquim Abranches, Shylo Malswam Tulunga, Mehtab Hossain, Leo Bartos, Cavin Lobo, Lalrindika Ralte

Forwards: Ranty Martins Soleye, MacPherlin Omagbemi, Baljit Singh Sahni, Mohammed Rafique

Officials: Armando Colaco (Head Coach), Sujit Chakraborty (Assistant Coach), Alvito D'Cunha (Manager)

Video: Jose Mourinho reacts to Lionel Messi being linked to Chelsea

Lionel Messi

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has said in an interview that he can’t afford to buy FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi due to the Financial Fair Play rules(FFP) and also because the Catalan giants don't want to let go of the star striker.
There has been news that the 27-year-old Argentian was looking for a fresh challenge in his career and there were rumours of The Blues keen on bringing him to Stamford Bridge. Messi’s ex-teammate at the Nou Camp, Cesc Fabregas returned to the Premier League, earlier this year after being signed by Chelsea for a sum in the region of €33 million on a five-year contract deal and had said earlier that he would be delighted if Messi agreed to come to Chelsea.Mourinho had earlier expressed his displeasure at the way the Financial Fair Play(FFP) rules were benefiting only the bigger clubs.
Here’s the video of Mourinho talking about signing Messi.

The history of U-15 football in India

U-15 Coca Cola Cup winners from 2013

36 years ago, a momentous decision was taken to start a sub-junior national championship in India for boys under 15 years of age. This was done to spot and nurture talent at a formative age. The first sub-junior nationals were held in Ernakulam in 1977, and Bengal and Manipur emerged joint champions, with the match ending in a goalless draw.
The rise of the North-East in Indian football can be traced from that tournament in 1977. By convincingly reaching the final and then holding traditional powerhouse Bengal to a draw, Manipur gave ample evidence of the depth of talent in their state. Assam became winners thrice in a row, from 1979 to 1981, providing further proof that football was thriving in the North-east region.
Mizoram also came to the forefront in national football via the sub-junior national football championships. They achieved a hat-trick of triumphs from 2003 to 2005, twice beating Bengal in the final. Shlyo Malsawmtluanga had already become the first Mizo to play as a professional when he joined East Bengal in 2003. But after successive victories in the sub-junior nationals, more Mizo players were selected by the top clubs in India and called to national camps.
The sub-junior national championships were beneficial for India but early in the 21st century they started floundering. The costs of staging the tournament escalated and fewer and fewer state associations volunteered to host these championships.
At that juncture Coca-Cola stepped in a like a Good Samaritan and started sponsoring the sub-junior nationals in a big way. Coca- Cola’s generous financial support has helped the AIFF to expand the concept of the sub-junior nationals and make it even more inclusive.
Coca-Cola has been involved with the AIFF since 2009, when they first sponsored the national U-16 championships. They renamed the tournament as 'The Coca-Cola Cup' in 2012, and this year is the third edition. However, as the tournament has been in existence since 1977, this year's edition is being referred to as the 36th Sub-junior national championships. Coca-Cola’s support to the AIFF also suits their profile as they rightly believe that grassroots level sports training leads to healthy living among people.
In the 20th century, most state associations just held perfunctory trials to select the state team for the sub-junior nationals. Young players were informed of the trials by word of mouth or by newspaper reports. Thanks to Coca-Cola, the selection trials are now much more extensive.
For the Coca-Cola Cup, each state association conducts an inter-school football tournament, which is watched by selectors who choose talented players for the state trials. Thanks to the blossoming of this event, proper identification of talent is taking place and the selection of state teams is not being done in a hasty manner.
All the state teams are divided into five zones. The state teams from each zone play in a tournament at the zonal level, and the top two teams from each zone qualify for the National Finals. At the National Finals, the AIFF identifies and selects talented young footballers who are then groomed so that they could eventually get picked in the official National Under-15 team.
Youth football in India is in the pink of health, and it goes without saying that this is excellent news for the overall state of the game in the country. For the national team to ever find a place in tournaments like the World Cup, the development efforts have to start at the grassroots level. And the Coca-Cola Cup is attempting exactly that.

Luis Garcia wants his former club Liverpool to be the first Premier League team to play in India

Atletico de Kolkata player Luis Garcia lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Indian Super League (ISL) finals.

Luis Garcia wants his former club Liverpool to do the unknown and be the first Premier League team to tour India. Liverpool is scheduled to tour Australia for their pre-season tour in the second successive year and are also looking for other options for a friendly match on their return journey. It was reported last month that Arsenal was considering playing a pre-season friendly match next in the world’s second largest country, but Sky has speculated that nothing has been confirmed till now.
Big family of Reds in India and they should come and play here: Garcia

Garcia, who was part of the victorious Atletico de Kolkata of the first Indian Super League (ISL) anticipates the Reds to play in India. In an exclusive chat with Sky Sports, the 36-year-old former Spain international said: “I think it would be very good for Liverpool to play in India,”
“The players already know that across Asia, there is a big family of Reds but I would love to see them play in India,” he added.
Ian Rush, Liverpool legendary forward and the all-time leading goalscorer of the club was also part of the ISL in the concluding stages of the event, also knows about the fanfare and love for the Anfield based club in India. The 53-year-old Welshman said: “We’ve got loads of supporters in India,”
“We have already seen Ian Rush and other players make an appearance but it would be very nice for the team to actually come out so that they can see and feel how much the people care.”
“I’ve visited the supporters’ clubs and they are fantastic. They love their football in India. They really get behind the team and they sing all the way throughout the game. He added.
“Football is going from strength-to-strength in India and if everything was right I’d love to see the club play in India.”
Neil Chheda, the secretary of the official Liverpool Mumbai Supporters Club also repeated Rush’s similar thoughts on the love for the legendary club in the sub-continent.
“Liverpool is a family club and we sing throughout the 90 minutes even if we are losing,” he said.
“We are as loud as anyone. Liverpool fans are known for their passion and it is the same here in India as well.

TEN CARS YOU DON’T WANT TO OWN

Many cars are awesome to look at, drive, and own.  Others only fit into awesome to look at and drive.    The following cars are amazing to drive, but you couldn’t pay me to own.

1: Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG

600HP and 738 Ft/lbs of torque mean that this massive luxury coupe is massively fun to drive. As a GT car its fantastic until the warranty expires. They seem like great deals on the Used market as the depreciate like crazy. If that doesn’t kill it for you the maintenance will. Anything on a V12 Mercedes is crazy expensive to replace.

2: McLaren MP4-12C

These cars are amazing to drive, but because they were the first road car since the F1. There were a lot of teething issues like failing electronics. On top of that, many options weren’t delivered for up to a year after the release of the car. The cars depreciated massively, particularly when McLaren recognized all the problems and released the 650s to replace the 12c with all the problems fixed.

3: Citroen SM

The SM is one of the most Luxurious and comfortable cars ever made. Its also one of the most complicated with hydropneumatic suspension and Maserati motor.

4: Rental Car

Did someone say Average Joe Gymkhana take one? They are absolutely awesome to drive, what least when you don’t have to pay for the tires you inevitably destroy hooning them. Don’t ever buy a former rental.

5:Lotus Elise

Everything that makes the elise great, like the compact lightweight size, and no power steering, make it utterly awful to drive any way but fast. At least the toyota motor is reliable!

6: Ariel Atom

Take everything great about the lotus and multiply by 10. Now do the same with everything bad about it and you have the ariel atom. Do yourself a favor and only drive it on tracks, that you trailer the atom to.

7:Alfa Romeo Montreal

Alfa’s are beautiful to look at and awesome to drive. When they are working.. At least its pretty to look at when its broken, which it almost always will be.

8: Jaguar E-type

This list could be entirely comprised of British cars, but the E-type is by far the worst offender. It was fast in its day, and still is, but only when its working. 90% of the time you own it it will not be working. Even still, every time you see one you want one.

9: Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser

When people talk about how comfortable a Mercedes can be, this is the car they are referring to. However if you break anything, for example the hydraulic window switches,which are $11,500.00 to replace, and just about everything in the car is hydraulic.

10: Bugatti Veyron

Considering that its one of the fastest cars ever made, it is of course fun to drive. However have you seen the maintenance costs? Even considering the cost to buy the car, the maintenance is crazy.

Oil Change: $21,00.00
Tires: $30-40,000.00 (recommended replace every 2500 miles)
Annual maintenance: $20,000.00
Insurance: $2-3,000.00 per month

Even though if you can afford the car you can afford the maintenance. Is it really worth it?