All posts by h716a5.icu

All three Pakistan teams and New Zealand qualified for the fourthInternational Double Wicket Cricket Championship semi-finals at theGaddafi Stadium Tuesday night

26-Apr-2001All three Pakistan teams and New Zealand qualified for the fourthInternational Double Wicket Cricket Championship semi-finals at theGaddafi Stadium Tuesday night.In the first match, Pakistan Blues mauled Sri Lanka Greens by 61 runs.Wasim Akram and new partner Yasir Arafat, who replaced the grievingShahid Afridi, scored 89 with two dismissals to get net total of 69.Yasir hit an unbeaten 56 off 20 balls while Akram scored 33.The Sri Lanka Greens duo of Russel Arnold and Mahela Jayawardenascored 27 and 19 runs but were dismissed four times to get just 8 runsfrom a total score of 48.Pakistan Greens pair of Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood worked hard tobeat New Zealand pair of Chris Harris and Craig McMillan by four runs.However, the Kiwi pair entered the semi-finals as Group ‘B’ runner-up.New Zealand scored 94 but their seven dismissals gave them a net totalof 24. Abdur Razzaq tool five for 42.In reply, Azhar Mahmood and Abdur Razzaq scored 58 with threedismissals to make a net total of 28.Pakistan Whites (Imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik) faced tense momentsbefore defeating Zimbabwe (Craig Wishart, Paul Strang) by one run.Chasing a target of 41, Pakistan Whites were only two runs away withlast three balls to spare. Pakistan Whites scored 61 with twodismissals.Zimbabwe scored 60 also with two dismissals for a net total of 40.In the fourth match, Sri Lanka Blues beat Kenya by three runs.Batting first, Kenyan pair of Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo scored anet total of 36.In reply, the Sri Lankan pair scored 59 with two dismissals to obtaina net total of 39.In the semi-finals, Pakistan Blues were scheduled to face New ZealandWednesday night followed by the all-Pakistan clash between Whitesand). The winners are scheduled to play the final later the samenight.

Leeds United have been handed a major boost over summer transfer target Matthew Sorinola.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of a number of interested Premier League clubs in the versatile left-winger, and that they have made checks on him since the start of the campaign.

Now, TEAMtalk have provided a major update on the situation, saying that the 20-year-old has rejected the offer of a new contract and is set to leave the League One club.

Bielsa’s new Kalvin Phillips

While Sorinola doesn’t play the same position as Kalvin Phillips, he is the kind of young starlet that Bielsa may feel he can mould into a fully-fledged England international just like he has done with Leeds’ main man.

Sorinola appears to have all the tools in his locker to grow into a first-class player, and what Bielsa will be most impressed about is the kind of mentality he possesses even at such a young age.

His manager at MK Dons, Russell Martin, spoke highly of the teenager’s impressive aptitude for defending despite it not really being his natural strong suit. He said: “He’s technically right up there with anyone in the squad – he wants to play. I love his calmness too – for a young lad, he’s so composed. He defended really well.

“People may question his size but when you’re as brave as he is to play with the ball and get in people’s faces and shut them down, he has so much ability and potential.”

That fearlessness and intent to give everything for the cause will be music to the ears of Bielsa, who has worked his magic in turning a promising Phillips into a star at international level.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

Sorinola has got the versatility – he can play at left-back and out wide on the right too – to be a real weapon for the Leeds boss, and quite crucially, has the attitude to buy into Bielsa’s methods and workings.

Meanwhile, Leeds United handed a huge boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

Unable to counter England’s bowling at its devastating best, Pakistan laid down their arms for 203 in the 1st innings, accepting to follow-on, 188 behind

Rafi Nasim20-May-2001Unable to counter England’s bowling at its devastating best, Pakistan laid down their arms for 203 in the 1st innings, accepting to follow-on, 188 behind. With a fantastic haul of 5 for 61 Darren Gough was the one to cause the rout of Pakistan’s lower order while Andy Caddick’s 4 for 52 took care of the rest. Scoring an enterprising 58 with 9 boundaries Younis Khan was the only one to defy England’s crusade.With wickets tumbling one after the other the 2nd innings was as horrible as the 1st. Abdur Razzaq kept England at bay for a while with a fighting 53 while the rest dangled their bats around irresponsibly to be mostly caught behind the stumps. The whole team was bundled out for 179 runs in only two sessions conceding defeat by an innings and 9 runs. Probably the most hopeless batting performance by Pakistan in recent times.Earlier, Pakistan resumed on a disappointing note, losing Yousuf Youhana at his overnight score of 26. Younis Khan and Azhar Mahmood did look like bringing some stability but it was not be.While Younis Khan showed tremendous courage facing the England’s tirade and hit a sparkling 50, Azhar left after scoring only 14. He mistimed a short-pitched delivery from Caddick and skied the ball offering an easy catch in the slips.Younis Khan , the `lone ranger’ held on but misjudged Cork and was bowled through bat and the pad gap. He played a heroic innings of 58 hitting 9 boundaries. Pakistan’s hopes were alive as long as he was at the crease but at 167 for 7 it was all over bar the shouting.Former captains Wasim Akram and Rashid Latif got together, pooling their skill and energy to take Pakistan partly out of the woods. With a blistering square cut boundary off Cork, Wasim hoisted 200 of Pakistan’s innings raising hopes of survival. However, a little later Rashid flicked at one off Gough into the safe hands of Alec Stewart for his 200 victims in test cricket. At lunch Pakistan was 203 for 8.Bowling at their devastating best, the pair, Caddick and Gough gave no quarter to Pakistan’s errant batsmen. Except for Younis Khan (58) the others showed neither skill nor wisdom to neutralize their pace, troubling bounce and measured accuracy.Snapping up Waqar and Shoaib for ducks immediately after lunch, Darren Gough booked Pakistan for a total of 203, ending up with a marvelous figure of 5 for 61. Pakistan had failed to avoid follow-on, 188 behind England’s 391.Pakistan’s 2nd innings was as miserable as the first, Saleem Elahi (0) stuck his bat out, away from his body to be caught in the slips with only one run on the board and was soon followed by Saeed Anwar (8) again offering an easy catch to Graham Thorpe at gully. Caddick had reduced them to 30 for 2 and the writing was on the wall.Fighting for survival, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdur Razzaq tried defending hitting boundaries on loose deliveries only. They got to 67 when Inzamam was given caught behind off Cork after scoring a defiant 20. Since the ball appeared to have scraped the pad instead of bat the decision became a subject of debate among the commentators.Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan also made their exit in quick succession and at 87 for 5 little hope was left. A courageous Abdur Razzaq (47) carried on trying to achieve the impossible.Though England’s bowling was not quite as unplayable as in the 1st innings the procession continued mainly due to the batsmen’s lack of application and the psychological ghost of English conditions. The odd controversial umpiring decision further reduced their morale.Razzaq the hero of Pakistan’s 2nd innings was out in typical fashion, offering a catch in the slips after playing a gallant innings of 53. Azhar (24) followed suit immediately after. Andy Caddick had struck again. Pakistan was 147 for 8 when Gough made short work of Wasim Akram (12). Pakistan had no hope of preventing the inevitable except for a prayer for heavy rain.Rashid Latif departed after scoring 20 cheeky but solid runs at 167. Last pair of Shoaib and Waqar was in and it was a matter of touch and go. As suspense grew, light fading, Waqar Younis delighted the crowd by hitting a consolation 6 off Cork. But in an effort to square up the deficit he tried to pile up quick runs, losing his wicket in the process after adding 20.Pakistan was all out for 179 and lost the 1st npower test to England by an innings and 9 runs. Andy Caddick was the chief wrecker with 4 wickets while Gough and Cork shared 3 apiece. Debutante Ryan Sidebottom bowled well but was unlucky not to take a wicket. The England fielders took some aweinspiring catches. Andy Caddick was deservedly declared Man of the Match.Seven batsmen caught behind the stumps and the rest in the slips proved to be an abject lesson to only strengthen common belief that Pakistanis were hopeless when confronted with bouncy wickets and excessive movement of the ball. Certainly food for thought, not only for the PCB but for the touring party and coach as well.

Mick McCarthy’s star loanee signing at Cardiff City, Harry Wilson, has been tipped to make a move to Scotland this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to the former Rangers defender Michael Ball, who, speaking recently to This is Futbol, claimed that Steven Gerrard’s relationship with the Liverpool winger could see him make a switch from Merseyside to Ibrox in the upcoming transfer market.

He said: “Steven’s got that connection with him. He knows of him, so that personal relationship could be a bonus. The money, we’re not too sure what they have to spend, so it all depends if any players move out as well at Rangers. If [Alfredo] Morelos moves on, the big money that they’ll get would give Rangers the opportunity to bring Harry, and maybe a few others, in.”

Tan must move

While Wilson himself has recently spoken out regarding his desire for a shot at first-team football with Liverpool, in addition to the fact that Mick McCarthy has claimed he believes it would be unlikely that the 24-year-old will return to the club this summer, on top of the winger’s links with a move to teams such as Rangers, there is no reason why Vincent Tan should not put a considerable amount of effort into bringing the Wales international back to Cardiff ahead of next season.

After making the temporary move to the Bluebirds last October, the £14.4 million-rated man was in exceptional form over his 37 Championship appearances, scoring seven goals, providing 11 assists and creating 11 big chances, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.20 – ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the second tier.

And, with the £15,000-per-week Welshman’s returns helping the Bluebirds to an impressive eighth-place finish in the Championship standings, there would appear no real reason that, with the addition of a couple of new signings in the summer, Wilson could not achieve his ambition of playing at the highest level with Cardiff – albeit after a season in which the winger could prove to be the difference in the club’s push for promotion.

As such, Tan should be doing all he can to convince Wilson of a move back to the Cardiff City Stadium this summer, as, if the owner really wishes to see McCarthy guiding his side back to the Premier League, Wilson – whom current Rangers coach Michael Beale dubbed as “outstanding” – would undoubtedly prove a crucial part of the 62-year-old’s side.

NatWest Series 4th Match Report from Rafi Nasim

Rafi Nasim12-Jun-2001The 2nd contest between England and Pakistan in the NatWest Series was crucial for both teams. England needed a victory to break the string of 7 successive losses that equalled their worst sequence in ODIs from back in 1993. A victory for Pakistan would take them closer to the finals.In front of packed house at the Lord’s, Pakistan defeated England by 2 runs in a nail-biting thriller that dragged on to the last ball. This game too, like the last match, that Australia won over England in the last over, deserves a mention in the list of one-day cricket’s most exciting contests.
Youhana plays to the off side as he helps rebuild the Pakistan innings
Photo © CricInfo
Picking up the strands midway, after a dismal start, Pakistan did end up with a competitive score of 242. With a superb innings of 81, Yousuf Youhana was the star of Pakistan’s innings and was given excellent support by Younis khan (41), Shahid Afridi (30) and Azhar Mahmood (27*).Pakistan had high hopes of winning this tough encounter but there stood Marcus Trescothick, who almost single handedly caused the delay, thrill and excitement. He opened the innings and almost carried the bat had he been not out in the last over. He played a magnificent innings of 137 with all the intentions of denying Pakistan the great victory.Had Trescothick not shown the determination to stay at the wicket, Pakistan could have demolished England much earlier and for a much smaller total. He played like a giant and dragged the game to the last ball.
Afridi flicks a ball to leg in his innings of 30
Photo © CricInfo
With Saeed Anwar absent due to a family problem, Pakistan opened with Shahid Afridi and Saleem Elahi who departed after scoring 15 leaving Pakistan with a poor start of 28 for 1. Afridi, however, continued with his `hit out – get out’ style, hitting a mighty six off Mullally over long on in the 12th over. Trying another one a little later he flicked Andy Caddick to Trescothick at slip after collecting 30 crisp runs.Bowling a magnificent line, Andy Caddick struck again, shattering Inzamam-ul-Haq’s stumps, out for a duck and clinching 2 quick wickets in one over. One cannot help but criticise the way Inzamam left his stumps fully exposed, certainly not expected of a batsman of Inzamam’s class especially after his irresponsible performance in the last game against Australia. At 60 for 3 Pakistan was not in a happy position.The team now depended entirely on Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan, who did perform to the task thrust on them. With a formidable 80 runs partnership between them they raised Pakistan’s score to 140 when Younis made his exit. He skied one to Knight in the covers off Cork after scoring invaluable 41 runs.Youhana in full command completed his 50 in 89 balls and joined by a resolute Rashid Latif was now trying to speed up the unsatisfactory scoring rate. The spectators were finally entertained to a flurry of shots to the boundary. But, in the process Latif was bowled by Ealham for a useful 23.With only 7 overs left in the kitty, the effort was to pile up maximum runs. Razzaq, playing a sky-high wild shot to long on, was caught by Gough off Mullally reducing Pakistan to 195 for 6. The 200 of the innings had consumed 44 overs and Pakistan was not anywhere near a commanding position.Youhana, the chief architect of Pakistan’s innings was gradually running short of balls to complete his century. With no choice but slog, he offered a high catch to Owais Shah off Mullally after playing a magnificent innings of 81.The end in sight, it was now the tail enders’ show. With a breezy 27 not out by Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan ended at 242 for 8. The trio of speedsters, Caddick, Gough and Mullally shared 2 wickets each.It looked as if Pakistan was 20-25 runs short of a competitive total but to its good luck England started dismally. Except for Trescothick, who held on grimly after being dropped at 5 by Youhana, we saw Nick Knight (1), Alec Stewart (4) and Michael Vaughan (0) back in the pavilion with the score board showing only 26.Extremely tight and tidy bowling by Pakistan put England under such tremendous pressure that they were only able to score 79 in 25 overs.
Knight is run out for one by a throw from Shoaib Malik
Photo © CricInfo
All of a sudden the game changed. Brakes that the speedsters had applied on the batsmen were released when the spinners came in to bowl. A series of fours and sixes hit both by Trescothick and Shah brought England back into the game. Scoring at the rate of more than 10 runs per over they inflicted heavy punishment on Shoaib Malik and Afridi.With England collecting 150 runs in 33 overs, the tables were almost turned on Pakistan. While Trescothick hoisted his fabulous 100, Shah also completed his fighting 50. Both of them were in such command of the game, the bowlers almost looked helpless. The fielders who had looked perfect in earlier part of the innings started fumbling and shoulders dropped.The anti-climax came for England when Owais Shah was run out after a brilliant innings of 62. Ben Hollioake who came in next, was out in a peculiar manner. After dabbing a ball down he went for a run but the ball bounced off the pitch high and came back into the stumps. England was 196 for 4.The game now took a crucial turn-about again. Except for Trescothick holding one end, a procession started from the other. Ben Hollioake, Dominic Cork and Mark Ealham having departed in quick succession England was down to 206 for 7. It was a cruel battle between bat and the ball.Trapped lbw by Razzaq, Gough brought England down to 218 for 8. Caddick was now keeping Trescothick company at one end and was the last hope for England. With excitement rising with every act in the field England required 24 runs in 18 balls and then 19 in 12 balls getting closer with every ball. The turning point came when in the last over, Trescothick trying a big hit, was caught at mid-wicket by Shahid Afridi and England down to 137 for 9.The last pair, Caddick and Mullally needed to score 6 runs in 4 balls to win. A comedy of errors occurred when the tension even got to the umpire who gave England the advantage of a wide ball that had hit the gloves. A heat of the moment decision appealed against by the Pakistan team and even criticized by the commentators. The Pakistan fielders were on a high and continued with their magic of restricting the batsmen from scoring runs.The game melted down to the last ball with Andy Caddick needing to snatch 3 runs off Saqlain Mushtaq. The option for him was either to hit a six or pierce through the defensive field. In attempting such a shot, he was stumped by Rashid Latif. A nail biting finish that Pakistan won by 2 runs. Waqar, Saqlain and Razzaq shared 2 wickets each.

According to The Sun, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Reading’s Josh Laurent this summer.

The Lowdown: Rangers planning ahead

With this season now wrapped up, the Gers can fully concentrate on 2021/22 and beyond. Ross Wilson has already been busy, bringing in Fashion Sakala on a free transfer from Oostende (rangers.co.uk).

There are likely to be a few more new arrivals over the coming months, though, as the Ibrox outfit prepare for a Champions League campaign in the late summer.

The Latest: Gers eye Laurent

One name who has popped up on the Gers’ radar is Reading midfielder Laurent.

He only signed for the Royals last summer, but the deal was just two years in length, meaning he would be out contract next year. According to this report, Brighton are also in pursuit, with a potential bargain fee of £8m mooted.

The Verdict: Top target

While Laurent may be a relatively unknown name outside the English Championship, he has enjoyed a fantastic season at the Madejski Stadium.

The 26-year-old was almost an ever-present in Reading’s midfield, playing 45 out of a possible 46 games in the Championship (Transfermarkt) as his side narrowly missed out on the play-offs. His performances even earned him the club’s Player of the Season award, while Reading manager Veljko Paunovic described him as “fantastic” (readingfc.co.uk).

A fee of £8m would be a considerable one for the Gers to pay, but a new central midfielder should be high up on the list of priorities. Steven Davis recently signed a new one-year contract (BBC) but, at the age of 36, he is unlikely to be able to play every week, while Ryan Jack remains injury-prone.

Therefore, Laurent – who has 14 career goals to his name – could be an astute signing for the 55-time Scottish champions if they beat Brighton to the chase for him. Indeed, £8m may even seem like something of a bargain if he were to replicate his Reading form at Ibrox.

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this journalist’s comments.

An old ghost returned to haunt Tasmania, and two of Queensland’s most seasoned campaigners reversed the trend of previously mediocre seasons, as déjà vu and a break with custom were delicately intertwined on the opening day of the 2001-02 Pura Cup

John Polack22-Mar-2002An old ghost returned to haunt Tasmania, and two of Queensland’s most seasoned campaigners reversed the trend of previouslymediocre seasons, as déjà vu and a break with custom were delicately intertwined on the opening day of the 2001-02 Pura CupFinal here in Brisbane.By their own high standards, Andrew Symonds (91*) and Stuart Law (62*) have weathered frustrating summers. Symonds wasaxed from the national one-day team last month, Law has experienced the frustration of a recurring break in a finger on his righthand, and neither had scored in excess of 200 Pura Cup runs for the season before today.Between them, they had scrounged a total of only two half centuries from 18 first-class matches.Quite a time, then, for them to produce an outstanding, unbroken 155-run stand for the fifth wicket that extricated the Bullsfrom trouble at 4/98, carried them to relative safety at 4/253 by stumps, and defined the hard-fought, opening passages of themost important domestic match of them all.Symonds was more restrained than normal, largely abandoning his characteristically aggressive mindset to play an innings thatmatched hard work with discipline. His defence was solid, his cutting (even though the ball often seemed too close to the bodyfor the shot to be played with comfort) was particularly accomplished, and his driving down the ground was just as significant afeature.Law’s batting was also impressive in a display which offered no sign of lasting duress from his injured digit, and whichunderscored his regular capacity to frustrate rival teams in finals matches. His pre-match verbal assault on the Tasmanians(which had included everything from a suggestion that a total of 300 might be enough for Queensland to win by an innings to aninference that summer temperatures in Tasmania rarely exceed 15 degrees) spilled over into an innings that was full of snarlingdefiance.Yet the day also hinged on umpire Steve Davis’ controversial rejection in mid-afternoon of an imploring lbw appeal from ShaneJurgensen (3/64) and 10 other equally convinced Tasmanians as Symonds faced the very first delivery of his innings.Jurgensen, in the midst of a superb post-lunch spell that had already netted two wickets and given the visitors a clear earlyedge, trapped Symonds on the back foot with a ball that appeared to pitch on or just outside the line of off stump andstraighten.But deafening cries met with a mute response from the man in white.And it was impossible not to overlook the eerie similarity with an incident in a match between the same teams in Brisbane twoyears ago.Then as now, a first-ball reprieve for Symonds set the scene for a crucial partnership that restored health to Queensland ‘scause after potential crisis had threatened. And, then as now, Queensland wriggled expertly off the hook and into a position ofcommand by day’s end.”The guy’s 90 not out, that’s how critical it was. But that’s part of the game, isn’t it?” mused Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox.”It could have been a different day, and it could be a different day tomorrow. Maybe we had our luck early today.”It’s something we have to be good enough to overcome.”Tasmania’s frustration, in the closing half of a day that had featured a spate of lbw and caught behind appeals (many optimistic,but a handful eminently reasonable), was also fuelled by the absence from the field of injured left arm spinner Daniel Marsh.Marsh damaged his right knee in a freak accident that added insults from the ‘Gabba outer to a serious injury and a droppedcatch at first slip. Opener Daniel Payne (17) cut off a top edge at Jurgensen and the ball travelled at waist-height to thenormally sure-handed Marsh. Two bites at the catch on shifting turf were required and his right leg buckled awkwardlyunderneath him in the process.Later examinations revealed a strained medial ligament, guaranteeing that the Tasmanian vice-captain is unlikely to field again inthe match and that he will probably need to bat with the aid of a runner.When Gerard Denton (1/55) forced Payne into shovelling a catch to square leg with only five further runs against the batsman’sname, and Jurgensen lured Brendan Nash (12) into thick edging to wicketkeeper Sean Clingeleffer, compelled Lee Carseldine (29)into directing an outswinger to third slip, and trapped Martin Love (34) on his crease, it appeared that the Tasmanians may havebeen able to overcome the blow.But, by the end of the day, the sudden lack of variation in their attack had clearly conspired against them.Two fine batsmen, a rarely misbehaving pitch, and the ghosts of seasons past also had major roles to play.

PSV Eindhoven have asked Aston Villa for information on striker Wesley Moraes ahead of a possible swoop.

The Lowdown: Wesley’s Villa Park struggles

It’s safe to say Wesley hasn’t exactly made the impact he would’ve hoped after joining from Club Brugge in 2019 for £22.5m.

He scored just six goals in 22 appearances before suffering a serious injury against Burnley on New Year’s Day 2020.

The Brazilian missed the rest of the 2020/21 season and the majority of the current campaign, making three brief substitute appearances in recent weeks.

Villa are looking to loan out the 24-year-old in the summer, and it seems as if they have a potential suitor for the £35,000-a-week man.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a Dutch source, PSV have made an enquiry and are looking at a year-long loan.

The Dutch heavyweights, who have two European Cup triumphs in their history, want to be sure Wesley is over his injury issues before committing to a possible deal.

The Verdict: A good move for all involved?

Should guaranteed game time be offered by PSV, we feel as if a temporary move to the Netherlands would be good for Wesley.

It would give him the chance to get back to his best in a competitive league, while also possibly playing Champions League football.

PSV will be getting a forward capable of scoring plenty of goals, with Wesley netting 17 times in Belgium in the 2018/19 campaign prior to his move to the Midlands.

Rivals Ajax have scored 28 more goals than PSV this season, so the acquisition of Wesley could help them table a stronger challenge next season.

As for Villa, should things go well, they would then be getting a forward back full of confidence for the 2022/23 season, which may prove to be a shrewd move by Villa officials.

In other news: Villa linked with move for £5.1m-rated defender, many AVFC fans happy, find out more here. 

Steven Gerrard will reportedly block Rangers winger Ianis Hagi from representing Romania at the Olympics this summer, which could well force the 22-year-old out of Ibrox considering the interest being shown in him.

It was revealed earlier this month that the Gers were planning to deny Hagi the opportunity to represent his country in Tokyo this summer, as it will clash with Champions League qualifying fixtures.

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills has recently slammed this decision when speaking to Football Insider, saying: “[Lionel] Messi played in it, [Sergio] Aguero played in it.

“If you sign a talented under-23 player who’s possibly going to be in the Olympics, if the Olympics goes ahead, then you’ve got to be prepared for that.

“You can’t sign a player that plays for one of the African Cup of Nations teams and then go ‘I don’t want him to be away in January.’

“Surely you have to do your due diligence and know that’s going to be a possibility. If your player’s good, he’s going to get called up. I get that they’re trying to persuade their players and say ‘Do you really need to go?’

“But it’s the opportunity to play in an Olympics. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Why would you not want to go and represent your country?”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Rangers transfer rumours and news!”]

Hagi is already a fully-fledged Romania international, with 16 caps to his name, and is eligible for the squad as he is an under-23 player, so it was no surprise that Mirel Radoi was keen to call him up for Tokyo.

However, Rangers have refused permission, which might not sit well with the former Genk winger, who has been linked with a move away ahead of the summer transfer window, with the likes of Lazio and Sevilla reportedly interested.

Given that the “outstanding” Hagi won the Young Player of the Season award at Rangers this season after contributing seven goals and 10 assists in all competitions, it is no surprise that Gerrard is desperate to have him available.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

However, as Mills suggests, Rangers should have planned in advance for this situation, and a refusal to let Hagi play in the Olympics could well prove a factor in whether or not he is still at Ibrox at the end of the summer transfer window.

In other news… Forget Ferguson: Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “top player”, he won’t cost a penny

The Mercantile Cricket Association Division A tournament starts this weekendwith defending champions Hatton National Bank once again favourites toemerge victorious in the six-week competition

CricInfo03-May-2002The Mercantile Cricket Association Division A tournament starts this weekendwith defending champions Hatton National Bank once again favourites toemerge victorious in the six-week competition.HNB have dominated the tournament in recent years and this year looks nodifferent, especially with their main competitors having been hit hard bythe absence of national players because of the current tour to England.They have a whole host of players with international experience, includingTillakaratne Dilshan, Avishka Gunawardene, Chamara Silva, Kumar Dharmasenaand Aklanka Ganegama.Seylan Bank, last years runner-up, have been hit particularly hard by SriLanka’s tour of England, losing Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, DilharaFernando and Thilan Samaraweera. They still, however, could be a force witha strong batting line-up led by Pradeep Hewage and Ian Daniel.Apart from the non-availability of star players, the other headache faced byMCA officials has been the weather. With play set to start on Saturday, thethreat of widespread disruptions grow, as heavy monsoon rains continue topound the city of Colombo on a daily basis.Match officials will, at least, be relieved by the organisers decision touse the “Parabola System” when making adjustments for lost time rather thanthe “Duckworth Lewis Method” which is more complicated, both conceptuallyand logistically.Singer and Access have pulled out of this year’s tournament, allowingCommercial Bank promotion from Division B.Sri Lanka Telecom, who signed up a number of first class players from ChilawMarians, requested entry straight into Division A in their first season ofMCA cricket but this was refused by the MCA executive committee.This leaves a total of seven sides, who will play 21 games in the groupstages before the top four progress to a knockout round that includes asemi-final and final.Singer are the main sponsors of the tournament.