All posts by h716a5.icu

Though Barisal have under-achieved as a division, their BPL franchise could surprise because the coach Sarwar Imran and the team consultant, national selector Akram Khan, have put together a balanced team

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2012Big PictureBarisal are not the most glamorous side in Bangladesh’s domestic circuit. Alif Group bought the team for $1.01 million, a fraction above the base price for a Bangladesh Premier League franchise. Though Barisal have under-achieved as a division, their BPL franchise could surprise because the coach Sarwar Imran and the team consultant, national selector Akram Khan, have put together a balanced team, which includes icon cricketer Shahriar Nafees.The 18-man squad costs a little over $1.4 million and it has seven batsmen. Brad Hodge is the most experienced of them and will have the responsibility of guiding the likes of Mominul Haque and Farhad Hossain. The expectations from Chris Gayle, who will be available for the first four matches, will be sky-high. The Burners also have two wicketkeeper batsmen: the in-form Mohammad Mithun and Phil Mustard.The pace attack has international firepower, with Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat and Australia’s Shane Harwood, but the spin attack comprises locals – Suhrawadi Shuvo, Sohag Gazi and Nazmul Islam.Star AttractionThe fact that Chris Gayle was playing the BPL raised the profile of the tournament, and when his name came up for auction at the Radisson Blu Water Hotel, the bidding for him was intense. The Burners eventually bought him for $551,000 after they and Duronto Rajshahi had both bid the maximum price. Gayle will be leaving after four matches to play for Dolphins in the South African domestic T20s so his performances could be critical in helping the Burners stay afloat, when the league gets tight later on.Top playerFor a young team like Barisal Burners, Brad Hodge, who has 132 matches worth of Twenty20 experience, will be invaluable. His role will be to keep the innings steady after the initial burst from Gayle or Ahmed Shehzad, and to push for the 150-plus mark in the final five overs. Hodge’s IPL experience with Kolkata Knight Riders and Kochi Tuskers Kerala will give him an edge in the BPL because of the similar nature of pitches in both tournaments.Under the radarThe Burners made some smart choices while signing up local players. Mohammad Mithun is in the form of his life in domestic cricket while batsman Mominul Haque, allrounder Alauddin Babu and fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain are developing into good cricketers. But the bowler who has impressed with a discipline that is rare in Bangladesh is offspinner Sohag Gazi. His rapid rise to the Bangladesh A side hasn’t had much effect on his bowling, which can be quite hard to score off in Twenty20 matches. Sohag is as Barisal as a Burner can get, so local pride will be running high.

India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has called the tax exemption of Rs 45 crore granted to the ICC for the 2011 World Cup “unjustified and devoid of merit”, and recommended that the Department of Revenue review the exemption

Tariq Engineer30-Nov-2011India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has called the tax exemption of Rs 45 crore (approximately US$8.67 million) granted to the ICC for the 2011 World Cup “unjustified and devoid of merit”, and recommended that the Department of Revenue review the exemption.In a report tabled in India’s Parliament on Tuesday, the committee said, “regarding tax exemption of about Rs 45.00 crore granted to International Cricket Council (ICC) on the revenue generated from the recently concluded World Cup cricket tournament, the Committee are not convinced about the tenability of the tax exemptions given to the ICC, as the World Cup received huge sponsorships and was patronised by the corporate sector in a big way.”Therefore, the Committee are of the considered view that the tax exemption granted to ICC using discretionary powers under the provisions of general exemption for international sporting events was unjustified and devoid of merit. The Committee recommend that the tax exemption granted to ICC be reviewed by the Department of Revenue.”The recommendation was one of several recommendations/observations contained in the committee report, which was tabled by sports minister Ajay Maken in response to a question about the inquiries into the various allegations against the BCCI, most of them over the running of the IPL.The committee was also scathing in its criticism of the Income Tax Department, saying it had been inconsistent in taxing the BCCI and called for a probe of the department. “The inordinate delay and gross inaction in finalising assessment cannot but reinforce the Committee’s desire seeking a thorough probe into the whole gamut of this issue, bringing out clearly the culpability of the tax officials concerned with granting exemptions and finalising assessments in this case.”The BCCI was not spared either. The committee stated that the Indian board needs to improve its functioning so that it can preempt the kind of controversies and allegations that have arisen out of the IPL, and recommended that an investigation into the awarding of media rights for the tournament be instituted.”With regard to reported irregularities in award of media rights and commercial contracts executed in the course of the IPL, considering the serious irregularities and offences, the Committee would like the investigating agencies to look into all matters relating to breach of law, and identify and punish all those persons responsible for the same without further loss of time.”The board has already been sent 19 show-cause notices over foreign exchange violations involving amounts totalling approximately Rs 1077.43 crore, and been asked to pay Income Tax aggregating Rs 375.16 crore. Service tax show-cause notices totalling Rs. 159.12 crore have also been sent to a number of stakeholders and service providers of the IPL.

On a frustrating day in the field England were given cause for concern over James Anderson who needed treatment for back and side stiffness

Andrew Miller at Cardiff27-May-2011James Anderson will not bowl for the rest of the first Test in Cardiff, after scans revealed he had sustained a Grade 1 side strain, having left the field for treatment during the second day’s play against Sri Lanka.Anderson was the pick of England’s pace attack on Friday and produced a superb spell of swing bowling during the morning session to remove Mahela Jayawardene, but spent time off the field during the afternoon and was only able to bowl one over after tea before heading back to the dressing room.”It’s a huge concern for us,” said his new-ball partner Stuart Broad, who was himself ruled out of the latter stages of the Ashes after sustaining a side injury during the Adelaide Test in December. “He felt a bit of tightness in the back and side, and I know what side injuries are all about after this winter. If you do get a little bit of pain it’s not great, so we’re being pretty cautious.”Anderson came into this match having completed 71 overs for Lancashire in the build-up to the first Test following a winter where he was the stand-out bowler during the Ashes and claimed 24 wickets.Although Anderson was dropped during England’s World Cup campaign, and missed part of the one-day series in Australia to return to the UK, he was the only one of England’s quicks not to pick up an injury throughout the winter. However, he did suffer a serious stress fracture of his back in 2006 which forced him to miss all but the final match of the home season.There was encouragement for England when Anderson emerged from the pavilion as nightwatchman after Andrew Strauss’s dismissal in the final over of the day’s play. However, Broad explained that the requirements for batting and bowling are entirely different when it comes to side strains, and that his fitness should not be taken for granted as a result.”With my side injury I could do anything but bowl, so it’s one of those frustrating ones as a bowler,” he said. “Hopefully it will just be a bit of tightness and [the scan] won’t show a huge amount, but Jimmy’s not feeling pain when batting, so hopefully can have one of those frustrating hours for us tomorrow where he wears a few, but gets some away.”Anderson’s injury compounded a difficult day in the field for England, as Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene belied a career average in the low 30s to produce a doughty third Test century. Nevertheless, having experienced the placid nature of the Cardiff wicket against Australia two years ago, Broad was confident that a first-innings total of 400 was not insurmountable.”We got 420-odd against Australia in 2009 and we were under the pump for last 120 overs,” he recalled, after Australia had posted a post-war Ashes record of 674 for 6 declared. “That has got to be the mindset, to do what Australia did to us – bat big, bat once, and then hopefully Swanny will be in the game on last day.”But that doesn’t come about by focussing too much on that game,” he added. “Tomorrow is going to be the key day in the game. The ball moved about a bit in the morning, and they could easily have nicked a few more than they did, so it’s important we get through that session tomorrow morning and build big partnerships. Having watched the guys in Australia we can do that.”On a personal note, Broad reached a notable milestone in the evening session when he had Thisara Perera caught at mid-on to bring up his 100th wicket in Test cricket. At the age of 24 years and 337 days, he was the second-youngest Englishman to do so after Ian Botham, although the moment had been a long time coming. He had been limited to just two scalps in Australia before injury curtailed his Ashes campaign, and then had to wait a further 105 overs in Cardiff before finally breaking through.”I felt in really good rhythm,” he said. “The rub of the green didn’t go my way with a few decisions and nicks, but that happens in Test cricket from time to time, and our percentage of runs to third man was pretty frightening to be honest, so that’s something we might look at for the rest of the series.”It was hard work out there. We bowled pretty well and stayed together. It would have been quite easy to get quite ragged this afternoon but I thought we actually bowled pretty well, and created chances. We’re still in a decent position in this Test.”

Kennedy Otieno, the former Kenya wicketkeeper-batsman, has been appointed as a national selector by Cricket Kenya

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2011Kennedy Otieno, the former Kenya wicketkeeper-batsman, has been appointed as a national selector by Cricket Kenya. An official release said Otieno, who played for Kenya as recently as 2009, would join former team-mate Alpesh Vadher and new Kenya coach Mike Hesson on a newly-constituted three-man selection panel.Collins Obuya, Otieno’s brother, who was recently named Kenya’s new captain, and Cricket Kenya’s panel of elite coaches would also have a role in selection, the release said. The new selection panel will be in charge of naming the national team, the A team and the Under-19 team, and will also recommend players for national contracts.Just a year ago, Otieno was at loggerheads with Cricket Kenya over his non-selection and the board’s rules for selection. He was one of the players behind a strike that led to Kenya’s withdrawal from a short tour of England.Otieno’s appointment is the latest step in an effort by the board to completely revamp Kenyan cricket after a disastrous World Cup campaign in which they lost all their matches. After the tournament, the board conducted a comprehensive review into the team’s performances which included a study of the selection process for the national team. Vadher, the former Kenya batsman, was named chairman of a new selection panel in June, Hesson was announced as coach on July 19, and now Otieno has become the third member of the panel.A tough task awaits Otieno; five Kenya players recently refused national contracts and were left out of the squad for the Intercontinental Cup fixtures against the United Arab Emirates. Kenya had to select an inexperienced squad and ended up losing the second of two fifty-over matches against the UAE before being thrashed by 266 runs in the four-day game.Otieno played 90 one-day internationals for Kenya and was part of three World Cup campaigns: in 1996, when they upset West Indies, 1999 and 2003, when they reached the semi-finals. He said the aim for the selectors was to see Kenya rise in the ICC ODI rankings, in which they are currently 13th. “This is an exciting time for Kenyan cricket with a lot of talent coming through as we look to build a squad capable of taking Cricket Kenya back up the rankings,” he said.Cricket Kenya chief-executive Tom Sears said Otieno’s involvement in coaching was one of the reasons he had been appointed selector. “Kennedy has a wealth of knowledge and experience which he can offer and is still very much involved with senior league cricket in Kenya,” Sears said. “With his knowledge of the players coming through and his coaching background he is an ideal national selector.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore

The Preview by Nikita Bastian28-Sep-2011Match factsSeptember 29, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Will Yusuf Pathan flex his muscles against Royal Challengers?•AFPBig PictureRoyal Challengers Bangalore lost a close match to the Warriors in the tournament opener and, if they are to make the semi-finals without net run-rates and other favourable results coming into the equation, a win here is a must. Their task has become tougher, with AB de Villiers ruled out of the tournament with a broken finger, fractured during practice on the match eve. Despite the extra pressure to win and de Villiers’ absence, they go in as favourites against the underperforming Kolkata Knight Riders.The Knight Riders’ semi-final chances already seem bleak. They have lost consecutive games, and compounding their problems is a poor net run-rate of -0.624. To progress, they would have to produce two convincing wins – here and on October 1 against Warriors – and then hope for the results of other Group B games to go their way.The Royal Challengers were on top at several stages in their opener, but let the game slip each time. If their batsmen get starts, like most of the top order did against Warriors, they will need to drive the advantage home better. If the bowlers manage to knock over most of the opposition’s batting, they will need to finish them off without allowing the sort of partnership Ashwell Prince and Johan Botha produced in that game.The Knight Riders’ batting has faltered repeatedly, even after Gautam Gambhir’s return. Batting first, they managed a total of just over a run-a-ball against Auckland in the qualifier, and looked on course for another poor score against Somerset in the main draw until a late Yusuf Pathan blitz. While chasing, the top order has failed, leaving the like of Ryan ten Doeschate with too much to do at back end of the innings. They have problems on the bowling front as well. The spin trio of Iqbal Abdulla, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan haven’t had the impact they had in IPL 2011.Watch out for …Ryan ten Doeschate has looked the best of the Knight Riders’ fielders and batsmen so far. They must play him higher up the order, possibly at No. 3, to make better use of his ability.Daniel Vettori has the second-best economy rate in Twenty20 cricket (200 overs minimum) and bowled a typically effective spell against Warriors – 2 for 26 off four overs. If would be interesting to see how he fares against the big-hitting Yusuf and ten Doeschate.Team newsTillakaratne Dilshan is likely to replace the injured AB de Villiers in the Royal Challengers’ XI, and could be asked to keep wicket. Their other wicketkeeping option is Arun Karthik, who, if used, would probably come in for Mohammad Kaif. Current form dictates the Knight Riders should strengthen their batting. Brad Haddin might get a look-in, in place of Shakib Al Hasan.Stats and trivia Rajat Bhatia, surprisingly, has been the Knight Riders’ most effective bowler, conceding 6.20 runs per over, while averaging 20.00 The Knight Riders’ biggest win ever came against the Royal Challengers – a 140-run win in the IPL curtain-raiser. However, both teams are virtually unrecognisable from that matchQuotes”When you have to win against a good opposition, you need to click as a team. The batting and bowling have to complement each other. We have not done that in the competition.”

“Unless you have someone like Malinga in the side you can never rely on anyone bowling the death overs, you can’t pre-plan it.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their transfer interest in Brighton central midfielder Yves Bissouma…

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, the Seagulls gem is one of the players PIF are plotting a deal for this summer as they look to bolster Eddie Howe’s side.

The report claims that sponsorship deals could give the Saudi Arabian consortium the ability to strengthen the squad in the upcoming transfer window and Bissouma has been named as a player who may come through the door.

Supporters would love him

The Magpies supporters would love him at St. James’ Park as he would be a sensational addition to Howe’s Toon team ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bissouma is a tenacious, hard-working, midfielder who also has the quality on the ball to progress his team up the pitch. He can operate in a box-to-box role or in a deep-lying position and has proven that he can perform to a high level on a consistent basis in the Premier League.

Journalist Richie Mills dubbed him a “Rolls Royce” and he has been labelled as an “exceptional” gem previously by Gary Lineker. These comments illustrate how highly rated he is by pundits and reporters as he has impressed since moving to England. 

In the top-flight this season, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 across 23 appearances, proving that he is a reliable performer – competing at a high level throughout the campaign. He has made a whopping 5.2 tackles and interceptions per game as he has shown that he is able to consistently win the ball back off the opposition to regain possessison for his team.

Bissouma has also completed 89% of his attempted passes and 1.4 dribbles per game at a success rate of 68%. This shows that he has the ability on the ball to make things happen after he makes a tackle or interception, which makes him a well-rounded, quality, midfield player at Premier League level.

Therefore, the fans would love to see him playing in black and white next term as they would enjoy seeing him throw himself into challenges and take opposition players on with the ball at his feet, as his statistics suggest that he would be able to do. It is now down to PIF, however, to ensure that the supporters get that opportunity by snapping up the £50m gem in the coming months.

AND in other news, “NUFC want..”: Mark Douglas drops big Darsley Park transfer claim that’ll delight Howe…

The 14-man squads for all six teams competing in the World Cricket League Division Seven tournament have been named

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2011The 14-man squads for all six teams competing in the World Cricket League Division Seven tournament have been named. Nigeria, Japan, Norway, Germany, Kuwait and Botswana will take part in the competition, which is being hosted in Botswana in May.The competition, which runs from May 1 to 8, will be played on three grounds in Gaborone – the two Botswana Cricket Association Ovals and Lobatse Cricket Ground. Three matches will be held per day, one at each ground, with rest days on May 3 and 6. The top two sides from the Division Seven tournament will be promoted to Division Six.Botswana: Akrum Chand (capt), Karabo Modise, Omar Ali, Tshepo Mhozya, Mosa Gaolekwe, Segolame Ramatu, Karabo Motlhanka, Waseem Tajbhay, Aslam Chand, Denzil Sequeira, James Moses, Faisal Rana Rasheed, Abdul Patel, Noor AhmadGermany: Asif Khan (capt), Rana Javed Iqbal, Rajeev Vohra, Ehsaan Latif, Farooq Ahmed, Srinivas Satyanarayana, Milan Fernando, Kashif Halder, Rishi Pillal, Shakeel Hassan, Tarun Rawat, Andre Leslie, Ashwin Prakash, Khalid ButtJapan: Masaomi Kobayashi (capt), Munir Ahmed, Gavin Beath, Tatsuro Chino, Patrick Giles-Jones, Takuro Hagihara, Ko Irie, Prashant Kale, Raheel Kano, Naoki Miyaji, Naotsune Miyaji, Satoshi Nakano, Kazuyuki Ogawa, Tomoki OtaKuwait: Hisham Mirza (capt), Saud Qamar, Azmatullah Nazeer, Abdullah Akhudzada, Mohammad Murad, Muhammad Akhudzada, Haroon Shahid, Mohammed Naseer, Saad Khalid, Irfan Bhatti, Sabtain Raza, Jagath Rosantha, Midhun Varma Pakalapati, Abid MushtaqNorway: Damien Shortis (capt), Iram Dawood, Suhail Iftikhar, Sheraz Khalid, Babar Shahzad, Usman M.Saeed, Ehtsam Ul Haq, Shahid Ahmad, Muhammad Shabbaz Butt, Shahid Mahmood, Muhammad Waseem Gill, Adeel Ibrar, Gulfam Butt, Umran ShahzaNigeria: Endurance Ofem (capt), Adenkule Adegbola, Ademola Onikoyi, Saheed Akolade, Olalekan Awolowo, Olajide Bejide, Joshua Ogunlola, Akabogu Okwudili, Segun Olayinka, Temitope Olayinka, Oluseye Olympio, Femi Oduyebo, Ramit Gill, Sean Philips

The England fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been fined 7.5% of his match fee by the ICC for showing dissent towards an umpire during Thursday’s third ODI against India in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2011The England fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been fined 7.5% of his match fee by the ICC for showing dissent towards an umpire during Thursday’s third ODI against India in Mohali.Bresnan was deemed to have committed a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct at the end of the 18th over of India’s innings, when he snatched his cap from umpire Sudhir Asnani after finishing his fifth over.Bresnan pleaded not guilty to the charge, which led to a hearing at the end of the match attended by the player, the umpires, England coach Andy Flower and England team manager Phil Neale.”The umpires deserve the utmost respect not only because they do a difficult job in the middle but also because millions of budding and aspiring cricketers watch every move of the players,” said Roshan Mahanama, the ICC match referee.”This makes all the international cricketers more responsible and accountable for their actions, particularly in their dealings with the umpires in various match situations.”Bresnan’s action came during an ill-tempered performance from England, who failed to defend a total of 298 for 4 and so lost the match by five wickets and the series 3-0 with two games to play.”A bit of chit-chat is fine, that makes the game interesting,” noted India’s captain, MS Dhoni. “You don’t always want a friendly series, as long as things don’t get too personal but I think they should change the plan for the next two games.”

While they are capable of the occasional flash of brilliance, Bangladesh’s problem has been their inability to build on the winning momentum

The Preview by Nitin Sundar07-Oct-2010Match FactsFriday, October 8, Mirpur
Start time 9:30am (03.30 GMT)Ross Taylor stands out in an off-colour middle order•AFPThe Big PictureWhile the cricketing world had its eyes firmly focused on the riveting action from Mohali, Bangladesh were quietly adding a chapter to their own history in overcast Mirpur. Their victory against New Zealand in the first ODI was their 13th against top opposition. Seven of those wins have come in the last two years and, though the list includes three wins against a depleted-by-dispute West Indies, it indicates a progressive improvement in Bangladesh’s consistency.While they are capable of the occasional flash of brilliance, Bangladesh’s problem has been their inability to build on the winning momentum. Barring those three games in the West Indies, they have never managed to string two upsets on the trot. The euphoria of their other famous win this year, against England in Bristol, quickly evaporated when they were squarely thumped in the following game. Can Bangladesh buck that trend and hold on to their early lead in this series?Heavy rain is forecast over the next few days in Bangladesh, so much so that the National League matches scheduled to start on Sunday have been rescheduled. Even though Bangladesh haven’t managed to string together two wins on the trot against strong opposition, the weather could help them enter the third match of the series with a 1-0 lead.This is not the first time New Zealand have started a bilateral series in Bangladesh with defeat. In 2008-09, they managed to reverse the scoreline with convincing wins in the two remaining games. This series, being a five-match affair, gives them even more elbow room, but that does not mean Daniel Vettori will take Tuesday’s defeat lightly. Despite his singling out Shakib Al Hasan as a threat, New Zealand seemed without a plan against Bangladesh’s talisman allrounder in both departments. Vettori has said the tour of the subcontinent will give his side an advantage when the World Cup comes, but another defeat here will only create self-doubt ahead of tougher tests in India.Form guide (five latest completed matches, starting with most recent)
New Zealand: LLLWW
Bangladesh: WLWLLWatch out for…Despite their middle order’s stumble against spin, New Zealand were in the game as long as Ross Taylor was at the crease. Bangladesh did well to deny him boundaries, and his dismissal, going for his favourite slog-sweep, tilted the balance in the hosts’ favour. Taylor is unlikely to perish twice on the trot to his pet shot, but can he find a way past the spinners’ stranglehold to make it productive?Shahriar Nafees returned to the ODI side after over two years, but his touch and timing at the top of the order suggested he had never been away. With 1892 runs in 61 ODIs, Nafees is sixth in the list of highest run-scorers for Bangladesh, but of all their batsmen to have scored over 1000 runs, he has the highest average. Bangladesh can do with stability at the top, and Nafees, along with the currently-injured Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, can give them a formidable top three.Team newsBangladesh will be without their first-choice seamers, Mashrafe Mortaza and Nazmul Hussain, who picked injuries during the first match. The squad is, however, not short of fast-bowling options. Left-arm seamer Syed Rasel will expect to make the cut, while the remaining spot could be a toss-up between Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Shahriar Nafees, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Rubel Hossain / Shafiul Islam, 11 Syed RaselGrant Elliott, BJ Watling and Shanan Stewart contributed two runs between them, in a passage of play that cost New Zealand the opening game. Kane Williamson should expect a call-up, but he is coming off a forgettable streak himself. Daryl Tuffey could be in line to replace Andy McKay whose nine overs went for 51 in the opening game.New Zealand (possible): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Grant Elliott, 5, 6 Kane Williamson / BJ Watling / Shannan Stewart, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Daryl TuffeyStats and trivia Mahmudullah has become the 15th Bangladesh batsman to reach 1000 runs Kyle Mills, with 27, has taken most wickets in clashes between these two sides. Vettori comes second with 25. Shakib is the first Bangladesh player in the list, with 17Quotes”We had a reasonable start and to restrict them to less than 230 was a good effort. We expected to win, but we let ourselves down in the second half of our batting effort. “

Aston Villa could be ready to plot a move for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider sources who claim that Steven Gerrard is stepping up to sign a new centre back in the summer transfer window. Gerrard watched Caleta-Car last week as Marseille beat Nantes 3-2 in Ligue 1.

With the Croatia international’s contract expiring at the end of next season and his market value set at £14.4m, then Villa may well grab themselves a bargain if they were to land the defender.

They may face a battle though, as fellow Premier League side West Ham have been linked with him in the past few months.

Better than Mings & Konsa?

Villa have conceded 27 goals in 21 matches under Gerrard since his arrival in November 2021 and these figures are simply not good enough if he aims to take the side into Europe.

The centre-back partnership of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa is clearly not working well enough, hence the interest in Caleta-Car.

Dubbed “excellent” by Alex Crook, it’s clear to see why. The 25-year-old has 22 caps for Croatia, featuring in the squad that was runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and also played in Euro 2020.

Caleta-Car has a 92% pass success rate in Ligue 1, higher than both Mings and Konsa. Showing that he can play out successfully from the heart of defence and build attacks.

He also wins 69% of his duels per game in Ligue 1, again higher than both Englishmen and these performance-related factors could be what Gerrard is looking for in a central defender; someone that is strong and can win both ground and aerial battles, as well as being able to play out well.

Villa may find themselves with a bargain on their hands come the summer.

AND in other news, Aston Villa now plotting bid for £18m-rated “phenom”, he’s the “new Yaya Toure”…