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Placed at the centre of the PSL spot-fixing scandal, Nasir Jamshed is threatening to take the PCB to court for maligning his name

Umar Farooq17-May-2017

Placed at the centre of the PSL spot-fixing scandal, Nasir Jamshed is threatening to take the PCB to court for maligning his name.In a video message posted on his Twitter account – the second he has posted since being implicated in corruption allegations – Jamshed challenged the PCB’s anti-corruption unit to place whatever evidence they had in public domain. He also alleged that the board was pressurising players to testify against him.The PCB believes Jamshed is a central figure in the corruption allegations stemming from the second edition of the PSL. He was arrested by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) on the same day that he was provisionally suspended by the PCB, though he was later released on bail.”PCB is being unfair with me as they are pressurising players and and asking them to testify against me,” Jamshed said. “Rather than maligning my name, I urge PCB to offer the evidence and I challenge them to bring all the evidence in public. There is something called professionalism and with all this my personal life is being affected. I have already consulted my lawyer and we want to challenge this and are willing to take PCB to court over this.”Earlier on Wednesday, the PCB banned left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz for two months after he admitted to the charge of failing to report a suspect approach. Nawaz was the seventh Pakistan player to come under the PCB’s scanner during the ongoing investigation. Six others are either facing charges of corruption, or have been banned, or were questioned by the PCB. Proceedings against Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Jamshed and Shahzaib Hasan are underway; Mohammad Irfan was suspended for a year; and Zulfiqar Babar was questioned.Days before the day-to-day hearing of the trio – Sharjeel, Khalid and Hasan –  began, audio messages allegedly between Khalid and Jamshed were leaked. The messages, heard by ESPNcricinfo, seem to focus on a bat deal one player is arranging for the other. The PCB believes the conversations are code for corrupt deals.Jamshed, who is based in Birmingham, had previously informed the PCB through his lawyer of his inability to travel to Pakistan because his passport had been confiscated by the NCA. Jamshed said that once the NCA investigation in England was over, he would present himself as and when required by the PCB.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, as the Villans join the queue of Premier League clubs eyeing the 26-year-old.

Unai Emery has enjoyed a successful summer so far, with a swoop for the Moroccan having the potential to be another marquee deal in addition to the arrivals of Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby.

Could Aston Villa sign Sofyan Amrabat?

As reported by news in Italy, Villa have joined the race to sign the midfielder, who is wanted by Manchester United and Tottenham.

Speaking yesterday to the media, relayed by UtdPlug on Twitter, the player’s representative Mahmoud El Boustati confirmed the interest surrounding Amrabat:

“There are quite a few clubs interested in Sofyan. Now it’s a matter of making the right choice.”

Valued at €30m (£26m) by the Serie A side, the club that seals the deal for the Moroccan could complete a steal for a player that is highly rated in Europe.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

Playing a pivotal part in Morocco’s World Cup heroics, the midfielder earned the praise of former Spanish national team manager Luis Enrique following his side’s defeat to the Moroccans.

The newly appointed Paris Saint-Germain coach labelled the 26-year-old as “extraordinary” for his performances on the big stage, making the surrounding noise this summer unsurprising.

For Villa, the interest in Amrabat comes at an interesting time, when speculation rises regarding the future of defensive midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian has been linked with a move to north London, with both Spurs and Arsenal said to be eyeing the Villa ace.

A swoop for Amrabat could be a strong move for Emery, particularly with the rumours surrounding his star man this summer.

In the Fiorentina gem, the Spaniard could obtain a player of a similar calibre to the 25-year-old, lauded for his defensive contributions and energy in the engine room.

Hailed as a “monster” and “the best central midfielder” at the World Cup by journalist Carlo Garganese, the 26-year-old could be the perfect successor to Luiz should he depart, or alternatively the ideal figure to challenge the Brazilian should he stay.

While Amrabat’s performances at the World Cup were emphatic, the midfielder displayed his levels of consistency in Serie A, averaging 1.76 tackles per 90 for Fiorentina, as per FBref.

Despite making a higher average of tackles with 2.24 per 90 in the Premier League last term, Luiz fell short of the other areas in the Moroccan's game that make him so highly regarded in Europe.

As per FBref, the dominating midfielder averaged a pass completion rate of 88.8%, as well as making a monstrous 7.93 progressive passes per 90, highlighting the danger he can cause in the middle of the park.

For context, Luiz averaged just 4.45 progressive passes per 90 for Villa last season, suggesting just how strong the attributes of Amrabat are, and the talent that Emery could integrate into his ambitious side at Villa Park.

Whether the Moroccan would be deployed alongside Luiz or in place of him, the Fiorentina gem could be a dazzling acquisition for the Spaniard to chase this summer.

وجه جاك جريليش، لاعب فريق مانشستر سيتي، رسالة قوية إلى زملائه عقب الخروج من دوري أبطال أوروبا، يوم الأربعاء الماضي.

وودع حامل اللقب المنافسة الأوروبية عقب الخسارة من ريال مدريد، في إياب ربع نهائي البطولة، بركلات الترجيح.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي، مساء السبت، مع تشيلسي في إطار منافسات نصف نهائي بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على ملعب “ويمبلي”.

وقال جريليش في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية: “لحسن الحظ بالنسبة لنا أننا سنخوض مباراة كبيرة أخرى في غضون ثلاثة أيام حيث يمكننا المضي قدمًا وتصحيح الأمر”.

وأضاف: “في بعض الأحيان يكون الأمر أفضل عندما يكون هكذا، أعتقد أن الكثير من التعب يدور في ذهنك”.

وواصل: “عندما تتحدث إلى الأشخاص الذين تقاعدوا، سيخبرونك جميعًا أن الأمر يتعلق بالفوز بالأشياء، هذا ما تنظر إليه مرة أخرى، أريد الفوز بأكبر قدر ممكن قبل الاعتزال”.

وأردف: “الناس يتذكرون الأشياء الجيدة، سيكون الفوز بالثنائية أمر جيد (الدوري الإنجليزي وكأس الاتحاد)، الفوز بكليهما سيكون موسمًا ناجحًا للغاية”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريليفو: شكوك حول بقاء جوارديولا في مانشستر سيتي

واستمر: “إذا تمكنا من تقديم العروض من الآن وحتى نهاية الموسم، فيمكننا إنهاءه بنجاح”.

وعن لاعب تشيلسي كول بالمر، الذي يقدم أداءً جيدًا مع النادي اللندني منذ رحيله عن مانشستر سيتي، قال: “لقد كنت دائمًا ما أهتم به، لقد قلت دائمًا كم كان جيدًا”.

واستأنف: “أستطيع أن أرى ذلك كل يوم في التدريب، أنا سعيد للغاية من أجله لأنه ذهب إلى مكان ما وهو يلعب لأنه رجل جيد حقًا، وهو فتى لطيف أتعامل معه بشكل جيد”.

واختتم: “أنا سعيد لأنه واصل اللعب بشكل جيد ويلعب بانتظام، أعتقد أن هذا هو السبب وراء مغادرته عن هنا لأنه أراد اللعب، أنا سعيد من أجله، وآمل فقط ألا يقدم أفضل مباراة يوم السبت”.

The Bangladesh captain accepted luck played a role in them earning one point against Australia but said that his players were excited at the prospect of having an outside chance of getting a semi-final spot

Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff08-Jun-2017Bangladesh only have positive thoughts going into their match against New Zealand even though they know they are lucky to still have a chance to qualify for the semi-finals and could still go home even with victory in Cardiff.The captain Mashrafe Mortaza admitted they had reacted negatively to their warm-up collapse against India, when they were skittled for 84 at The Oval, by picking an extra batsman for the opening England fixture. He promised, however, there would be no repeat, despite struggling against Australia except for Tamim Iqbal’s defiant 95.”We have to think positive for sure,” Mashrafe said. “For that we need to pick five bowlers – we normally play with five bowlers all the time. In the first match we were maybe thinking of the India practice match, but we can’t just go the negative way. We have to score as well as we have to get them all out.”We knew before the tournament that we had to produce something special, otherwise it wouldn’t be easy to beat teams like England and Australia. But we are a team that wouldn’t let go of a chance, so if one comes up tomorrow we will have to make sure we don’t let it slip.”Bangladesh are certainly familiar with New Zealand’s style of cricket, even if the side they faced in Ireland – and beat in their most recent meeting – did not contain some of the senior players. Among those they did not meet last month was Kane Williamson – who has been in magnificent form in the opening two matches – but, like Tamim, he too has very little to show for his efforts so far.’We can win from a really bad situation if Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur and Shakib are around’ – Mashrafe Mortaza•AFP

“He is in great form but we cannot focus only in on Williamson,” Mashrafe said. “They have some players like [Martin] Guptill who can change the game. So we have to think about all of their batsmen as a bowling group. And also if you look on our side, I think Tamim is in great form. It doesn’t mean that Tamim will come in to score tomorrow, as well. So you never know what’s going to happen.”Bangladesh are yet to see in this tournament how their batting fares if Tamim fails to post a significant score, although even with his contributions, the middle and lower order has not offered much beyond Mushfiqur Rahim’s 79 against England. In that match, they struggled to accelerate during the closing overs while in the Australia game they collapsed from 122 for 3 to 182 all out after the dismissal of Shakib Al Hasan. But Mashrafe said that Bangladesh’s batting depth should not be disregarded on the basis of their recent performances.”Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur and Shakib are players who can change the course of a game. We can win from a really bad situation if they are around. I am hoping that they will rise on the big situation, which is coming up tomorrow.”Everyone is excited. We knew that these three matches would be difficult for us. We know our limitations and strengths, so we are basing our game on those lines. We were lucky against Australia to get a point; we didn’t play too badly against England. We are still in the tournament, with a game in hand. I can feel it in the dressing room. We want to have a positive end to this tournament.”

Newcastle United have been considering a swoop for Stuttgart central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer, but will now need to move swiftly to prevent rival Premier League interest.

Who wants to sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?

According to the Sun, the former Arsenal prospect is a target for Eddie Howe's Magpies, though West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers currently lead the race to sign the Greece international.

The report claims that while Newcastle – who are in the market for a right-sided centre-back – are monitoring the situation, they do have other targets ahead on their shopping list.

It's thought the player has a release clause of €25m (£21m) in his contract.

How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?

The 6 foot 4 "gladiator" – as praised by former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo – did not cut the mustard at the Emirates Stadium and made the move to Germany after playing just eight times for the Gunners, perhaps severing his chances having picked up a red card despite his little time on the pitch.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

But since moving to the Bundesliga, he has gone from strength to strength and now boasts some remarkable metrics to have captured the attention of clubs such as Newcastle and the Hammers, who will both play in European competition this season.

As per FBref, the £13k-per-week titan ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.

The dynamism and aptitude with both his physicality and technicality is discernible through such statistics, and given that he recorded an exemplary average Sofascore rating of 7.26 in the league last season, completing 86% of his passes, making 2.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game, also succeeding with 66% of his total duels, Newcastle would have a dreamy new addition to bolster the backline.

Newcastle have demonstrated an astute and diligent strategy regarding transfers over the past few years, and this would be a continuation of the club's overall growth, and if Mavropanos is tied up, it could be the second time league rivals Arsenal's loss has been turned to the Magpies' gain.

In August 2021, Joe Willock's impressive loan spell with the Toon was made permanent for £25m, and he has since been an integral part of the club's ascent, having made 35 displays in the Premier League last season, scoring three goals and supplying six assists as Newcastle earned a deserved top-four finish.

Hailed for his "stunning" development by Graeme Bailey, the £80k-per-week Englishman has also been lauded for his “limitless" potential by journalist Simon Collings and looks set for a prominent role as Newcastle continue to improve as a European force.

Signing Mavropanos too would really irk Arsenal, if the pair were able to combine and take even higher than last term's fourth-placed finish, or even further than the Carabao Cup finale defeat to Manchester United, ending a 54-year wait for major silverware.

With Mavropanos' robustness as an all-encompassing modern defender and Willock's creativity and directness in midfield, Newcastle might just elevate their imperious squad even higher, and leave the powers that be in north London watching on with a rueful gaze.

Suzie Bates clattered an unbeaten 47 as Southern Vipers’ bid to retain the Kia Super League got off to the perfect start by mauling Western Storm with a bonus point win

ECB Reporters Network10-Aug-2017

Southern Vipers 73 for 1 (Bates 47*) beat Western Storm 70 by nine wicketsSuzie Bates clattered an unbeaten 47 as Southern Vipers’ bid to retain the Kia Super League got off to the perfect start by mauling Western Storm with a bonus point win.Bates, currently ranked as the ICC’s second-best T20 player in the world, blew the Storm away with her power hitting – as the hosts chased down 70 inside nine overs.The win, by nine wickets, was played out in front of a packed Ageas Bowl – with 2,300 supporters already in place by the first ball, with more arriving throughout the match.The Storm, who lost the 2016 final to the Vipers, struggled to get going after being stuck in on a slow-looking track but it took until the third over before Natasha Farrant found a tiny outside-edge behind.Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith was one of the breakthrough players of the inaugural Kia Super League and began this year by bowling England captain Heather Knight.Georgia Hennessey only managed eight from her first 24 balls before striking the first boundary of the tournament – a huge six over long on – in a 16-run over off Arran Brindle.But that is where the run-scoring stalled again, as Smith completed her impressive spell, bowling 15 dot balls, to end with figures of 1 for 9.The wickets continued as Hennessey was lbw to Bates’ second ball before Stafanie Taylor drilled straight to a juggling Charlotte Edwards at mid-off.Sophie Luff was run out by an Edwards direct hit, Alice MacLeod was caught and bowled by Bates and then Fran Wilson was caught behind off home-grown fast bowler Katie George.The collapse ended with Jodie Dibble being run out by Brindle, Haley Matthews bowling Claire Nicholas and Freya Davies being caught short by a phenomenal boundary throw from Smith.Chasing 71 to win, the Vipers were given a lucky escape when Bates narrowly managed to make her ground when she charged Nicholas – the first Welsh player in the Kia Super League.The Storm had struggled for boundaries in their innings, only striking three in their 18.5 overs, but the home side seemed to find the ropes much easier.West Indian Matthews hit two fours, after the first over had been blocked for a maiden.At the other end Bates, whose bowling analysis was a stunning 2 for 8, was also clubbing the ball all around the Ageas Bowl – with a dance and flick through the off-side the pick of her strikes.The White Ferns skipper then pinged a straight six down the ground – the Vipers smashing 34 off Huddleston’s second over – almost half of their target. Matthews was caught by Hennessey after looping one into the covers but Bates cleared the ropes for a second time to win the game.

أكد ميكيل أرتيتا، مدرب آرسنال، أنهم لا يمكنهم السيطرة على مانشستر سيتي، في سباق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويلتقي آرسنال مع توتنهام يوم الأحد في الديربي اللندني بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

آرسنال يتصدر ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بفارق نقطة عن مانشستر سيتي الذي يتبقى له مباراة مؤجلة أمام توتنهام، وتحدث أرتيتا خلال مؤتمر صحفي اليوم. 

وقال أرتيتا عن فريقه الذي ينافس على اللقب: “آمل ذلك، عليك أن تظهر في كل موسم، وفي كل مباراة، وفي هذا الدوري، إنه من الصعب للغاية القيام بذلك، عامين على التوالي، لسنا راضين عن رغبتنا في الفوز”.

وأضاف: “سنبذل كل ما في وسعنا للفوز بها، وإذا فزنا بها، فسنحاول الفوز بها مرة أخرى، إذا لم نفعل ذلك، بالتأكيد سنحاول مرة أخرى”.

وعن رسالته للفريق للحصول على اللقب، أفاد: “استمتع باللحظة، حاول توجيه الأمور بطريقة طبيعية، إنهم يتمتعون بقدرة تنافسية فائقة في الوقت الحالي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | سون يتحدى آرسنال قبل الديربي: المباراة المناسبة لعودة توتنهام بعد رباعية نيوكاسل

وأشار: “هناك شيء واحد يجب القيام به في هذه الحالة، وهو التنافس، إنها علامة جيدة حقًا لأننا نعرف ما يتعين علينا القيام به للفوز باللقب وعلينا رفع المستوى كل يوم في التدريب لمجاراة ذلك”.

وعن جاهزية فريقه لمواجهة توتنهام، أكد: “بالتأكيد، سنكون جاهزين، لقد كان لدينا القليل من الوقت للتعافي والاستعداد من مباراة تشيلسي وأنا متأكد من أن فريقهم سيكون جاهزًا تمامًا للعب مرة أخرى يوم الأحد”.

وسُئل أرتيتا عن الحاجة إلى أن تكون مثاليًا من الآن وحتى نهاية الموسم لتحدي مانشستر سيتي، الذي يتأخر بنقطة واحدة ولديه مباراة مؤجلة بعد فوزه يوم الخميس 4-0 على برايتون.

وأجاب: “إنها مباراة أخرى تمكن مانشستر سيتي من الفوز بها، بطريقة مقنعة، وهو أمر لا يمكننا السيطرة عليه، دعونا نفعل ما يتعين علينا القيام به”.

Things got rather more difficult for India’s slow bowlers after they enforced the follow-on, as Sri Lanka delivered on their promise to use the sweep more

Sidharth Monga05-Aug-20171:27

Dasgupta: Hardik should have been brought on earlier

The third day’s play at SSC was a good illustration of how difficult winning Test matches can be. You nip an opposition out in under two sessions, you ask them to bat on because you suspect the pitch will slow down quickly, and then the opposition batsmen come with a game plan, attack you, have some luck running, and at the end of the day you have two wickets to show for 60 overs’ work. The effort to win looks that much bigger because India didn’t do too much wrong with the ball. They erred with the selection – Hardik Pandya ahead of Kuldeep Yadav on a turning track – but even he produced the breakthrough at the end of the day.The cause of what unfolded on day three was quite predictable. Sri Lanka spoke of sweeps and reverse sweeps even coming into the Test, Ajinkya Rahane in a press conference on day two said he anticipated sweeps and that they were a risky option, and history suggests India spinners don’t like being swept as Andy Flower, Matthew Hayden and Younis Khan among others have shown.The effect fluctuated wildly. Dinesh Chandimal delivered on his promise to play these shots but he found square leg first thing in the morning. Niroshan Dickwella continued sweeping and said at the end of the day that losing the captain early in the morning to that shot didn’t deter them. “Chandimal is only one wicket,” he said. “We are in a good position in the second innings because we kept sweeping.”At the forefront of it was Kusal Mendis, who scored his third Test century. In the second innings, Sri Lanka swept or reverse swept 35 of the 240 balls of spin they faced, a healthy 15%, for 63 runs and no wicket. In the morning, Dickwella swept or reverse swept 15 of the 37 balls of spin he faced, much higher 40%. The impact was there to see, especially on the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja, who went at close to five an over in the second innings. Neither he nor R Ashwin had a wicket to show for it.The sweep carries a bit of risk so you need top-class execution and a bit of luck. Ashwin complimented Sri Lanka for that. “I thought Mendis batted beautifully,” Ashwin said. “He put Jadeja off his length very quickly. Kept on sweeping him, and he was lucky, he got away with it, but credit to him, he batted beautifully.”R Ashwin: ‘A batsman who’s sweeping against me, I don’t really mind it, it gives me a good chance’•AFP

However, the idea that batsmen are sweeping him excites Ashwin. “You can try and vary your pace,” he said when asked what adjustments are required when batsmen sweep so much. “For me, the best option is to try and vary the pace and try and find the top edge, because as it is, I’m a tall bowler. To try and get underneath the bat is a bit of a no-no as far as I’m concerned because you start darting the ball in and you start bowling faster.”I did try a lot, I went wider, I went straighter. I didn’t give him a lot of boundaries in terms of sweep, which he did yesterday. So that was my plan, basically try and get him to play a sweep and… one run is a good trade-off for a top edge, that’s how I look at it. As a batsman who’s sweeping against me, I don’t really mind it, it gives me a good chance. But having seen him for the first time, probably the next time I will try and come in with a different plan.”The other important statistic for the second innings was the number of times the spinners beat the bat without getting the edge: 37 times, one in six balls. This was a little reminiscent of how India kept missing the edge in Pune against Australia earlier this year where the ball turned a lot, but a look at the pitch map will show that they did try to bowl fuller here but with no luck. There was also one big difference here. For Ashwin, the ball didn’t turn from the straight here, only from wide outside off, which worked for them if they were turning it back in, but not when taking it away.”You can change the angles, which I tried from over the stumps,” Ashwin said when asked of the adjustments spinners can make when they are missing the edge so often. “It’s pretty difficult because from the straight there is not a lot happening. It is only a kind of a visual mirage that you’re trying to create, try and turn the ball out from the left-hander and get him miss one that’s coming straight. Obviously that didn’t happen. With the technology improving more and more, the batsmen are pretty adept at covering their stumps and then probably playing inside the line for ones that are turning away. You do try everything in the middle; some day it works, some days it doesn’t.”The other challenge for India will be the dying bounce in the SSC pitch. “I think this wicket will get slower and slower,” Ashwin said. “It is not going to be easy work tomorrow for sure. We will have to be really disciplined. I thought we gave a few runs more than ideally we should have given today. Tomorrow we can probably try and squeeze them out and try and nip a few wickets up early. It is going to be very very important. Mind you, it is not going to be easy. Because it is slowing down at a very, very quick pace. Edges aren’t carrying. So that means we will have to stick to our guns and try to prise a few wickets out.”India were tested on day three – “Test teams are allowed to bat well,” Ashwin said – but how they respond to it will reveal a lot about them. If they do come back well, they will savour the win much more.

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly close to signing Josh Maja on a free transfer.

What’s the latest West Brom transfer news?

It has been a relatively quiet summer so far ahead of Carlos Corebran’s first full season in charge at The Hawthorns. Attacking midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento has been the only arrival prior to the new Championship campaign, but there have been a number of departures.

Dara O'Shea has left to join newly-promoted Burnley, whereas Jake Livermore has signed for Watford on a free transfer. Tom Rogic was also let go and Karlan Grant and Zac Ashworth have joined Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers on loan.

Corberan previously admitted that he wanted two players in every position by the end of the window, saying last month:

"If in the Championship you don't have 22 players and two players in every position, it's going to be difficult.

"The number of substitutes we can make is the same as last year – five – but we can now have two more players in the bench than last year. The squads with more good players are going to have some advantages. They'll have good players to cover all the needs of the games."

Further reinforcements in attack therefore are seemingly needed, with Daryl Dike currently injured leaving Brandon Thomas-Asante as the only fit striker, and it looks as if the manager will get his wish when it comes to a move for Maja.

According to The Express and Star, West Brom are close to signing Maja on a free transfer, with the player even undergoing a medical on Monday.

An announcement is thought to be imminent, with The Express and Star’s Lewis Cox taking to Twitter, describing it as a boost for the opening game of the new season on Saturday against Blackburn Rovers.

“Albion closing in on free transfer Josh Maja. Excitement at Hawthorns at netting long-term target, who Bordeaux wanted to keep and also had interest from Boro & Sheff Wed. Good goal return last term & only 24. Boost for Sat.”

Who is Josh Maja?

Maja is 24 years of age and has previously been on the books of Sunderland and Bordeaux, with loan moves at Fulham and Stoke City also on his CV.

An out-and-out striker, the Nigeria international scored 46 goals in 142 appearances for Sunderland and Bordeaux, netting on five occasions in total during his time with Fulham and Stoke.

He has been praised by Jermain Defoe in the past, who played alongside the player at the Stadium of Light, describing Maja as a player with "electric pace".

“When he trained with the first team he showed such great awareness – he knew when to pass it, had a great touch – and although he’s not got electric pace, he’s two steps ahead of everyone which means he’s got an immediate advantage.

“The gift Josh has is rare and if he builds on it, the sky’s the limit.”

Maja has only played against the Baggies once, where he produced an assist for Stoke in a 3-1 win after a brilliant run and pass, and by the looks of things, he’ll soon call The Hawthorns his home.

Glamorgan bowler Don Shepherd, who took 2218 wickets in a first-class career spanning 22 years, has died at the age of 90

David Hopps19-Aug-2017

Don Shepherd, a giant of Glamorgan cricket and widely regarded as one of the best county cricketers never to play for England, has died, aged 90.Shepherd was one of the great servants of county cricket, a source of huge pride for all cricket-lovers in Wales, as he totted up 668 first-class matches between 1950 and 1972. Born in Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula, he began life as a fast-medium bowler but in his vintage years was highly respected for his slow-medium offcutters.He died only a week after celebrating his 90th birthday after complications set in following a heart operation.John Arlott, the great broadcaster and cricket writer, termed it “inexplicable” that Shepherd never played for England, and, especially on responsive pitches, he would doubtless have made the grade. But he was never seriously considered and was up against some fine practitioners – the Surrey pair of Jim Laker and Tony Lock in the fifties, and by the likes of Raymond Illingworth and Fred Titmus later in his career.At the end of it all, he had 2218 first-class wickets, all of them genially claimed, and the most ever taken by a player who failed to represent England. It left him 22nd on the all-time list. He was a shrewd analyst of a batsman, with deceptive changes of pace and flight and his contentment in his work made him a captain’s dream.The lack of England recognition did not overly bother him. In a BBC interview to mark his 90th birthday, Shepherd recalled: “It never worried me. There were so many terrific offspinners around towards the end – Fred Titmus, David Allen, John Mortimore, Ray Illingworth – and they could bat, while I was a bit of a slogger. I was happy enough doing what I did and what happened to me through my life.”Glamorgan endured many lean years during his career, but there was achievement, too, in the winning of the 1969 county championship, which they finished unbeaten. Shepherd took the final wicket, and, to add to the happy coincidence, had taken his 2,000th first-class wicket earlier in the game. He took five or more wickets in an innings on 123 occasions.Victory against the 1964 Australians at Swansea, when he took 9 for 93 in the match, was quite a turn-up for the tourists who had only lost to one county side, Surrey, since 1912. To swell the outpouring of Welsh pride, the national Eisteddfod – a traditional Welsh festival of music, literature and performance arts – was being held a mile down the road and both teams accepted an invitation to attend one evening. Shepherd and Jim Pressdee, who between them had bowled out the Australians in the first innings on a rain-freshened pitch, were given a huge ovation.Shepherd later recalled: “After going up on the stage, we were so full of that there was no way we were going to lose that match.”Glamorgan followed up with another defeat of the tourists in 1968, this time with Shepherd standing in as skipper for Tony Lewis. Some put the victory down to Shep’s “guile and cunning”, a tribute he would treat with characteristic modesty. No wonder Australia always regarded him highly.He had few pretensions as a batsman, and called himself “a walking wicket”, although his rustic hitting brought much pleasure, and said he was able to empty “bar and beer tent in five seconds flat”. There was nothing better than his 51 in 11 scoring shots against Australia at Swansea in 1961.Glamorgan had collapsed to 94 for 8, undone by the legspin of Richie Benaud and left-arm wristspinner Lindsay Kline, who both benefited from a dry and dusty surface, tailor-made for Shepherd. His 50 came in 15 minutes and off 21 balls, equalling the world record. Famously, Benaud termed it “the greatest bit of sustained hitting that I have ever seen in my life”.Shepherd would often reflect: “Most things used to happen at Swansea”, and, as his home town, that made things all the more pleasurable.As a fast-medium bowler, he took 155 wickets in 1952, winning his county cap, but he lost his form in the mid-1950s, and, after advice from senior players including wicketkeeper Haydn Davies, converted to bowling offcutters as a result. In the first season of this change – 1956 – he took 168 wickets, and he exceeded 100 wickets 12 times in all. Lean and crinkly-haired, canny and persevering, he became one of the county game’s most reliable figures.The nearest he got to an England call-up was a match for MCC against the West Indians at Lord’s in 1957 and a tour of Ceylon and Far East with MCC in 1969-70. He was named one of ‘s Cricketers of the Year in 1970, a tribute he marked by taking 106 first-class wickets that summer, more than any other player in first-class cricket.He was a hugely popular figure on Glamorgan grounds after his retirement, a shrewd and respected bowling coach who acted as a mentor for many years for Robert Croft, a Glamorgan offspinner who go on to play for England.He was also a genial commentator on BBC Radio Wales, where his melodious and affable judgments were much prized, and where his double act with fellow commentator Eddie Bevan was the very essence of cricket in Wales. After the broadcast was over, he would generally lean against the bar and chat about the game some more, in generous and forgiving tones which made him a wonderful representative of the game he cherished.