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Celtic are thought to be interested in young Irish forward Sinclair Armstrong, according to Goal.

The Lowdown: Armstrong links

Armstrong is 18 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward currently on the books with QPR in the English Championship.

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He spent part of the current campaign on loan at National League side Torquay United, scoring twice in eight appearances, with Gulls manager Gary Johnson describing him as ‘quick’.

The Hoops were linked with a move for the teenager when Neil Lennon was still in charge last year, and it appears that he is still of interest to Parkhead chiefs.

The Latest: Hoops name-checked

Goal name-checked Celtic with an interest in Armstrong in their live transfer blog (17/01, 10:02).

They suggested that the Hoops have been tracking the forward for a long period of time, with the likes of Brentford, Southampton and Hoffenheim also keen.

However, Manchester City are thought to be leading the race for his services, with the Premier League champions keen to loan him out to one of their City Football Group clubs for a few years.

The Verdict: Another Irish addition?

Ange Postecoglou has already signed three Irish players in James McCarthy, Liam Scales and Johnny Kenny.

Young forward Kenny was the most recent of the three to move to Celtic Park, and you’d expect that Armstrong is also viewed as a future star by Celtic scouts.

He is clearly held in high esteem with a hugely successful club in Man City extremely keen on him, so if the Hoops could somehow win the race for his services, it could be an excellent piece of business in the long run.

In other news: Journalist drops big development on ‘tremendous’ ace as Celtic trigger clause

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has asked the ICC to step in and make the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) mandatory for all Test series

Sidharth Monga in Colombo12-Jul-2010Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has asked the ICC to step in and make the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) mandatory for all Test series, following India’s refusal to use it for the upcoming series. Sangakkara also said the ICC should perhaps pay for the technology needed to implement the system successfully, because it is something the ICC wants to introduce and the broadcasters have usually paid exorbitant monies for their rights and might not be able to afford extra costs for sophisticated tools such as Hot Spot.”I was under the impression that the ICC has set the standards on this by saying that everyone should use the DRS system,” Sangakkara said, suggesting he was not aware of the results of the latest discussion on UDRS at the ICC’s annual conference. “I think last year in India also, the entire team felt a little hard done by when we came to know that we couldn’t have the DRS.”The ICC’s directive, too, was as ambiguous as the body’s role is in international cricket. “The host member would determine whether to use DRS in home Test series (following consultation with the visiting country),” said the ICC release, in one sentence giving the home board the power to “determine” whether the UDRS should be used, and also empowering the visiting team to contest it.”The role that ICC has to play here is to make sure that all boards are bound to have the DRS,” Sangakkara said, “Rather than when one side refuses, the other side can’t enforce the DRS, as is under the current playing conditions.Sangakkara reiterated how the absence of DRS hurt his side on its tour of India (“It cost us close to 500 runs and lots of wickets”), and also how the presence of the same system proved to be an advantage when they hosted India in 2008. Then, Sri Lanka successfully challenged 11 decisions as opposed to India’s one.”There were of course complaints by the Indian team, which led to – I think – subsequent series’ being played without the review system,” Sangakkara said. “Having reviewed all the matches, there are flaws. You need Hot Spot and all, but even with the existing technology in place, we can still have a very fair DRS.”MS Dhoni explained his side’s decision with what has been a genuine concern with the UDRS: why challenge decisions when the best available technology is not being used? “DRS is still not a 100 % correct system,” Dhoni said. “We have seen that, in spite of having the DRS, not everything goes correct. Most of the teams have played a series under the DRS, so it is important now to come up with a foolproof plan. See what exactly works. In a bat-pad scenario, Hot Spot really works, it is close to over 98 % correct. Even on LBW decisions, we need to have something like that.”Which brings us to the present conundrum: Several broadcasters pushed themselves to the commercial brink to secure telecast rights, and they obviously hadn’t budgeted for the extra cost to make the UDRS successful. Which is what makes the ICC’s role important, because essentially the DRS is its baby. “That’s another option [paying for the technology] maybe the ICC should look at,” Sangakkara said. “Provide the technology, make everything standard, if the costs the exorbitant, subsidise the costs. These are all the things we can look at. Maybe the broadcasters – they of course pay such a lot for cricket, but they also make sure they earn almost as much – maybe they could work out ways of subsiding it.”

The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) will not be used during the upcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and India

Sidharth Monga09-Jul-2010The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) will not be used during the upcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and India. “The decision at the ICC meeting was that both the teams should agree with having the DRS system. When we checked with India, they were not happy to have it,” Nishantha Ranatunga, secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), told Cricinfo.In its annual conference, the ICC had decided: “One of the decisions is that the host member would determine whether to use DRS in home Test series (following consultation with the visiting country).” It was during this consultation that Sri Lanka couldn’t achieve an agreement with the visiting team, India.The UDRS, which has courted controversy since its implementation, was first used in the 2008 series between the same teams, and immediately became a key player in the contest. The controversial and impractical Virender Sehwag dismissal aside, Sri Lanka used the challenge system way better than India, securing marginal lbw dismissals for Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis that would have otherwise needed brave umpires to call. Sri Lanka made 11 successful reviews in that 2-1 series win, as opposed to India’s one.On their return tour to India, Kumar Sangakkara lamented the absence of the UDRS. He said it cost his side “over 500 runs and a lot of wickets” during the 2-0 defeat. To add to his frustrations then, the review system was used in two simultaneous series being played elsewhere.When asked if the absence of the review system would be a disadvantage for the home team, Ranatunga said: “Definitely it will be a disadvantage. Not only for Sri Lanka, it’s a disadvantage for India as well. It’s a disadvantage for all the players.”India haven’t really been fans of the system, and haven’t been involved in any series since then that has used the UDRS. Sachin Tendulkar had said he wasn’t won over by the system, largely due to the inadequate technology that has prevented its successful implementation. The Hot Spot, he said, was a better means to establish contact between bat and ball, and ball and pad.The host broadcasters don’t use the required technology, and that could be one of the reasons why India decided not to use the UDRS. However, Ranatunga said the Indians didn’t give any reasons for their choice.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar has recused himself from the three-man disciplinary committee which will consider the case against suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi

Cricinfo staff19-Jun-2010BCCI president Shashank Manohar has recused himself from the three-man disciplinary committee which will consider the case against suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. A replacement for Manohar will be chosen at a special general meeting (SGM) the board has convened on July 3 in Mumbai to discuss Modi’s replies to the three show-case notices sent to him.According to , the SGM was convened by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan on Manohar’s instructions. Modi has repeatedly accused Manohar and Srinivasan of harbouring personal grudges against him, and insisted neither of them should be involved in deciding his case. The reconstituted disciplinary committee will hear the case and then pass its recommendation to the general body of the BCCI, which will vote on the recommendation. The other two members of the committee are board vice-presidents Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, who is also the interim chairman of the IPL.The affiliated members of the board have been sent copies of all the documents in the case, including the three-show cause notices, Modi’s replies and Manohar’s letter recusing himself from the committee.Under the board’s Memorandum of Rules and Regulations, a three-fourth majority of the general body present and voting is needed to pass a resolution. If the general body votes to expel Modi, he will be ineligible to hold any position or office in the board, or in any of its members or associate members, for a minimum of three years. Following the three-year period, an expelled member may be reinstated by the same three-fourth majority present and voting.

If England’s selectors are still wondering who should understudywicketkeeper Matt Prior during this winter’s Test and ODI programme inSouth Africa, then Kent’s Geraint Jones can do little more topromote his own claims this summer, as he reached an unb

Mark Pennell at Derby02-Sep-2009
ScorecardGeraint Jones was unbeaten on 107 before the rain fell•Getty ImagesIf England’s selectors are still wondering who should understudywicketkeeper Matt Prior during this winter’s Test and ODI programme inSouth Africa, then Kent’s Geraint Jones can do little more topromote his own claims this summer than he has so far this summer.Jones has let his bat and gloves do the talking for him this year and the impressive results led to a fifth century for the summer on the opening day of Kent’s promotion dogfight with Derbyshire. When rain arrived at tea, Kent had reached 232 for 5 after 64 overs with Jones unbeaten on 107, with Alex Blake, the rookie allrounder, chipping in with an unbeaten 30.Jones, who is clearly enjoying his new batting role at No. 3, saw threeof his team mates go before lunch under leaden skies at the OldRacecourse Ground after Kent had been invited to bat. Ironically, it was ‘Jones the ball’ – Derbyshire’s on-loan seamer Steffan – who did much of the damage in two spells either side of the lunch break, picking up figures of 3 for 29.After teenage opener Sam Northeast (seven) spliced an attempted hookto square-leg from a Tom Lungley bouncer, Jones duly bamboozled Rob Key (30) with an off-cutter that nipped back sharply to trap him leg-before as he worked around his front pad. With his score on 4, Martin van Jaarsveld fell right into Jones’s trap by pulling a slow bouncer straight into the hands of deep square-leg to make it 68 for 3.While his team-mates looked hell-bent on self destruction, Geraint Jones set out his stall for a longer stay in his second hundred of the summer against Derbyshire and his fifth of the Championship campaign in all. Driving fluently and pulling with great power, Jones reached an 87-ball 50 with a straight six, after Graham Wagg had decided to switch mid-over from left-arm seamers to bowling spin.Kent’s slump continued after lunch when Darren Stevens, having already been dropped behind by a tumbling James Pipe when on 14, flat-batted a Lungley long-hop to John Sadler on the ropes at deep cover to go for 16. Then, after a cameo of 19 including a six over midwicket, Justin Kemp followed a leg-cutter from Steffan Jones to Pipe, who this time took the regulation catch to make it 158 for 5.In tandem with left-handed Blake, Jones moved up a gear as the pair went for their shots in an attractive and unbroken sixth-wicket stand worth 74 in 28 overs through to tea. In the process Jones also posted his 1000th Championship run of the season – the first time he has reached the milestone in his career.Wagg was again the bowler when Jones glanced to the fine-leg boundaryto reach his 167-ball century with 12 fours and the six. At the other end Blake, playing only his second Championship match, batted calmly and with poise in driving five fours in an eye-catching 72-ball stay that was only curtailed by tea and then rain,which arrived during the interval to wipe out the final session of the day.

Graham Onions will be travelling with Durham when the county champions play MCC in a floodlit four-day game in Abu Dhabi

Cricinfo staff16-Mar-2010Graham Onions, who was forced to pull out of England’s Test series against Bangladesh with a back injury, will be travelling with Durham when the county champions play MCC in a floodlit four-day game in Abu Dhabi in the opening fixture of the English season at the end of the monthOnions is not expected to play in the match, however, and is making the trip as the first step in his recuperation. It is expected he will be fully fit by the time Durham take on Essex on April 15.”His injury doesn’t seem too bad, so we hope he will have a quick recuperation,” Durham coach Geoff Cook told . “England have asked us to take him to Abu Dhabi to help with his rehabilitation. We will be aiming to have him ready for the first county match against Essex.”Mark Davies, the fast-medium seamer who was called up from the England Performance Squad to the Test squad in South Africa as cover for James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom, will also be going to Abu Dhabi to aid his rehabilitation after he had an operation to remove some floating bone from his ankle earlier this month.In a break from the traditional season opener at Lord’s, MCC decided to transfer the fixture to Abu Dhabi in order to ensure it would not be blighted by poor weather, and to trial the use of the pink ball under floodlights – with a view to paving the way for use of the innovation in Test cricket.”Some counties are forsaking pre-season tours, and we would probably have been in that boat were it not for the MCC meeting most of our costs,” added Cook. “Some people seem to think we have loads of money because we are champions, but for all the counties at the moment making ends meet is quite tricky.”

West Ham have ‘rebuffed’ Leeds United’s interest in Manuel Lanzini, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Lanzini struggles for playing time

The Hammers have enjoyed an impressive season to date but the 28-year-old has failed to force his way into David Moyes’ plans on a regular basis.

Lanzini has only started three Premier League matches so far in 2021/22, scoring twice and registering one assist in that time.

With Leeds looking for potential January reinforcements, it seems as though Leeds are eyeing up a move for the Argentine next month, who scored the Irons’ goal of the season last term with a stunning late equaliser against Tottenham.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds offer rejected

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham have turned down ‘a number of enquiries’ for Lanzini, with the Whites one of the clubs mentioned.

Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Everton and Southampton are all seen as possible suitors, too, with the midfielder’s current Hammers deal expiring in the summer of 2023, meaning they are running out of time to make a significant transfer fee on a sale.

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The Verdict: Strong option for Whites

Lanzini may not be a vital player for West Ham currently but he is someone who could make a big difference at Leeds, adding guile in the middle of the park.

The five-cap Argentina international has chipped in with 25 goals and assists apiece in 177 Hammers appearances, and with the Whites struggling for goals, he can add a sprinkling of magic in the final third.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have only scored 18 goals in as many league games this season, highlighting the need for some creative magic in the middle of the park, and Lanzini can be that man, having been hailed as ‘wonderful’ by Darren Bent in the past.

In other news, Leeds are set to make an offer for one player. Find out who it is here.

Ian Blackwell’s career may be over at the age of 34 after his contractwas terminated a year early by Durham.

George Dobell16-Jan-2013Ian Blackwell’s career may be over at the age of 34 after his contractwas terminated a year early by Durham.Blackwell, who played one Test and 34 ODIs for England, recently underwent thethird bout of surgery on a long-standing shoulder injury and wasthought unlikely to be fitfor the first three or four months of the 2013 season.Despite animpressive first-class record – he scored over 11,000 first-class runsat a fraction under 40 andclaimed 398 first-class wickets at 35.91 apiece – he fell out offavour at Durham during 2012 and did not feature in their Championshipside after May.A destructive batsman and reliable left-arm spinner, Blackwell wouldsurely have won more opportunities for England had he embraced therequisite fitnessethic. He attempted, on various occasions, to lose weight with varyingdegrees of success but, eventually, temptation always got the betterof him.Over thelast few years his increasingly rounded figure provided something of athrowback to a more innocent age in the professional game. He was wellsuited to hissobriquet – The Blacksmith – and the county circuit will be a littleless entertaining for the news that he laid down his hammer and tongs forthe final time.But he could play. His double-century for Somerset againstDerbyshire at Taunton in 2003 is the fastest, in terms of ballsreceived, ever made by anEnglishman. It occupied just 134 balls, with the second 100 coming offonly 41 deliveries. And, with his unostentatious spin, he took 43wickets – 10 more thanany spinner had previously managed in a season for Durham – as thecounty successfully defended their Championship title in 2009.His sole Test came at Nagpur in 2006 – the game in which Alastair Cookand Monty Panesar also made their debuts – and, though he struck atypicallycommanding 82 in his second ODI, he failed to pass 50 in any of hisother 34 matches and, at one stage in 2003, scored one run in foursuccessive inningsagainst Australia.After making his debut for his native Derbyshire, he left the county -largely due to a dislike of Dominic Cork – as part of a widespreadexodus and joinedSomerset in 2000. He spent nine happy seasons at a club that hasalways had a soft spot for big-hitting allrounders but, struggling to fit in with Justin Langer’s less romantic approach to fitness, departed for Durhamat the end of 2008.He may reflect that his career ended on a high. Loaned out toWarwickshire for the final few weeks of the 2012 season, he was partof the side that clinched theCounty Championship title and his last game was the CB40 final atLord’s. A future as an umpire beckons.

The possibility of a Pakistan domestic side participating in the Champions League Twenty20 this year – though bleak – has not been entirely written off yet

Osman Samiuddin13-Feb-2010The possibility of a Pakistan domestic side participating in the Champions League Twenty20 this year – though bleak – has not been entirely written off yet, either by the league or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Pakistan did not have a representative in the inaugural tournament last year, the only Test-playing nation other than Bangladesh to not have a representative in the 12-team league. Sialkot Staliions – then Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 champions – had been invited to participate in the very first Champions League, but that was postponed because of the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.Since then, as ties between the governments and cricket boards of India and Pakistan have become frostier not only have the two countries not had a bilateral series, Pakistan’s players have not participated in the IPL and not been invited to the Champions League.Relations have worsened further following the decision of the IPL franchises this year to not pick any Pakistani players, despite Pakistan being the World Twenty20 champions and having as many as 12 players up for auction. The PCB eventually decided to revoke all NOCs it had given to players hoping to participate in the IPL, but the door may remain open for participation in this year’s Champions League, which is a multi-board venture and may not be played in India.Discussion on a Pakistan representative was expected to take place in the last meeting of the league’s governing council between officials from the Indian board, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. But a senior league official said the number of teams in this year’s tournament – to be held in September – has not been finalised.”No final decision on participating countries/teams has been made for this year’s event,” Dean Kino, the league’s director of business and legal affairs and key member of the core management, told Cricinfo when asked specifically about the possibility of a Pakistan side being invited.No contact has yet been made with the PCB and though the IPL remains off-limits, the Champions League is a possibility. “Nothing has been discussed with us by any of the boards involved in the tournament as yet,” Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo. “The IPL remains persona non grata for us, but if there is some contact about the Champions League we will consider the situation, where it is played and when. We would be amenable to sending a team should we get an invite and the situation is feasible.”Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament has not yet been held this season; it is scheduled to be played between late February and early March. Pakistan’s ODI series with England in September also clashes with the dates of the Champions League, which makes it unlikely that any domestic champion will be able to call on its best players should there even be an invite.

The selectors have announced a 15-man squad for the limited-overs trip which includes five players who have been part of the main tour of South Africa

Cricinfo staff10-Jan-2010Andrew Gale, Yorkshire’s new captain, will lead the England Lions on their tour of UAE next month. The selectors have announced a 15-man squad for the limited-overs trip which includes five players who have been part of the main tour of South Africa.Three players – Michael Lumb from Hampshire, Somerset’s Peter Trego and the Gloucestershire quick Steve Kirby – have been included after impressing in the 2009 domestic seasons even though they have not been part of any England squad this winter. Ian Bell, who has played a key role in the Test series against South Africa, is given a chance to push for a one-day recall.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said Gale had impressed everyone during his time with the England Performance Programme in Pretoria. “Obviously, Yorkshire have seen something in him,” he said. “He’s shown us, in the performance squad, what he’s capable of doing – at Loughborough and out here in South Africa.”He’s ticked an awful lot of boxes, and we’ve given him the opportunity. Good luck to him. It’s the real start of his international career. We’ll see how he goes.”Gale, who was named as Anthony McGrath’s successor at Yorkshire shortly before Christmas, is thrilled by his opportunity. “I am proud to become the England Lions captain and I am excited about the opportunities that the tour will hold for us as a team and individuals.”The series against Pakistan A will give us an opportunity to test our skills against other international cricketers and will be a great way to taste the international arena.”The other eye-catching name is that of Craig Kieswetter, the South African-born Somerset wicketkeeper, who qualifies for England next month. He was added to the EPP squad for the camp in Pretoria and was quick to commit his future to England after Graeme Smith said he’d be keen to have him return to South Africa.James Tredwell, the Kent offspinner who was added to the Test party as cover for Graeme Swann, will be part of the Lions squad for the first four matches before travelling to Bangladesh with the full squad, which could suggest that Adil Rashid’s position is now less secure. The rest of the full squad for the Bangladesh tour will be named after the South Africa series is finished.The most notable omission from the Lions is Ravi Bopara who continues to be overlooked after he was dropped for the final Ashes Test following an horrendous run of form. Bopara is currently playing for Auckland in New Zealand, but still has a lot of ground to make up.”We have an excellent balance of younger players who are just beginning to stake their claim for international honours and players with plenty of experience at full international or county level in this England Lions squad,” David Parsons, the ECB performance director, said. “I have no doubt that every member will gain a huge amount from the three week tour.”We ran a very successful Performance Programme during November and December and I am delighted that six players from this year’s EPP have been selected for this tour. This represents an opportunity for them to test themselves against quality opposition and to press their case for a place in the England side.”The Lions will play matches against UAE, Pakistan A and the full England side during the three-week tour.England Lions: Andrew Gale (capt), Ian Bell, Michael Carberry, Michael Lumb, James Taylor, Craig Kieswetter, Steven Davies, Peter Trego, James Tredwell, Adil Rashid, Sajid Mahmood, Chris Woakes, Steven Finn, Steve Kirby, David Wainwright