All posts by h716a5.icu

A number of West Ham fans have panicked at the latest transfer news linking Jarrod Bowen with a move to Liverpool.

According to The Athletic (relayed by Anfield Watch), Liverpool have continued to monitor Bowen’s progress since their interest last summer.

It has been revealed that Bowen is represented by the same PLG agency as Liverpool full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

In 22 Premier league appearances this season, Bowen has netted six times and has produced nine assists. This illustrates just how important the 25-year-old is to the Hammers, supported by his average Premier League match rating topping West Ham’s squad.

These West Ham fans panic at the Bowen transfer news

Anfield Watch relayed the Bowen transfer news reported by The Athletic on their Twitter account. West Ham Transfers proceeded to share their opinion on the matter, claiming that: “I have a feeling this’ll be our last season with Bowen.”

This sparked a number of Hammers fans to flood the comments with their reactions, with many fans reacting to the prospect of the Englishman’s departure.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“Said it before, don’t really see Liverpool meeting the ludicrous price we’ll put on his head. All depends on how Kretinsky wants to run the club by summer, but 60m+ for a Mo Salah backup is mental for a traditionally sell to buy club”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Fail to secure European football for next year and we could be in a bad place for sure. Fail to show any ambition to strengthen and doubly so. Plenty of time left in this window and season to head off potential trouble though.”

Credit: @GrazaWhu

“No European footy next year and we will lose Rice and Bowen defo. Areola will probs be on his way out too. Krals leaving already by the looks of it. Noble retires. I only see a downwards trend from here. Same old West Ham”

Credit: @HR_whuFC

“If we don’t improve our squad then I fear that he won’t be the only one.”

Credit: @neil_mccarthy

“Probably, let’s enjoy while he still with us”

Credit: @manelsaurio

“If he tries to chest it in from 1 yard again, we’ll have him for a few more seasons. It’ll be a shame to see him go. He’d be a bench warmer for LFC”

Credit: @mb7468

MS Dhoni knows full well that India’s first encounter, against Afghanistan, has the potential to be a little uncomfortable

Cricinfo staff29-Apr-2010Though India come into the third installment of the ICC World Twenty20 as heavyweights, their leader MS Dhoni knows full well that their first encounter, against Afghanistan, has the potential to be a little uncomfortable. Afghanistan, ahead of their first major tournament featuring the game’s top sides, are coming off two consecutive warm-up wins and that was enough indication for Dhoni to rule out complacency on India’s part.”If you ask me, I would not consider our opening match against Afghanistan as a practice game,” Dhoni told reporters in St Lucia. “I don’t take my opponents lightly. At the end of the day you have to win whichever team you play. I don’t know much about them. It is good in a way because if we know too much about a side then you are thinking too much about them. However, our preparation will remain the same as if you are playing the best opponent in world cricket.”We can’t really relax against whichever team you are playing. At the end of the day you are representing India and you have to be at your best when you turn up on the field.”India will be without Virender Sehwag and a few players are short on match practice but Dhoni was his normal, collected self when addressing the matter. “It is part and parcel of cricket that people get injured. But at the end of the day we have replaced them with the best possible players available,” he said. “We are just hoping that we won’t miss them on the field. We are hopeful that people who have come as replacements would step up to the occasion and perform.”Yuvraj Singh had a disastrous IPL but Dhoni defended his explosive batsman, whose status as a Twenty20 bully was cemented in the first World Twenty20 during which he hit Stuart Broad for six successive sixes in an over. “He bats at number four and the individual he is, he can easily play the big shots. There aren’t enough grounds in the world that are big enough for him not to clear,” said Dhoni. “These big hitters have a big impact on the game. Somebody like Kieron Pollard or [Andrew] Symonds are the kind of players who can take the game away from the opponents in three or four overs. It is a big stage for him [Yuvraj] and, as we have seen of him, he loves challenges.”Dhoni’s focus was not on the past – India were knocked out of the last World Twenty in the second round – and he said the team was eager to get off to a winning note. “Rather than thinking too much of the past and into the future, it is very important to be in the present. We have a couple of days before we play the first game. It is important to get the most out of it. We have to adapt to the conditions here and be prepared for the matches ahead,” Dhoni said.”Right now we are keen to play the games here [St Lucia]. We are not looking too far. It is the not first time that we are touring West Indies. So we know what the conditions would be like and are mentally prepared for it.”After Afghanistan on Saturday, India will play South Africa the next day.

Newcastle United have reportedly made an official offer to sign Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Looking likely

Writing in a recent piece for The Telegraph, journalist Luke Edwards revealed that the St James’ Park club are closing in on signing Trippier and are hopeful that they can strike a deal with Atletico Madrid soon.

The January window is now open, so that transfer can be made so long as both clubs can come to an agreement.

It looks set to be a busy month for the Magpies as they look to bring in the players who will help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Bid made for Trippier

As per Craig Hope on Twitter, Newcastle have now made a ‘formal bid’ to sign Trippier, and there has been ‘significant progress’ in talks between the two parties.

The Daily Mail journalist added that there is ‘expectation’ that the deal ‘will be done’ soon.

The Verdict: Great start

Bringing in Trippier would be a great start to the window for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, and it should mean that other quality players could follow.

The 31-year-old has experience of playing in the English top flight before during spells at both Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, while he has also played at the highest level in the Champions League.

He should certainly improve Newcastle’s defence – after all, England manager Gareth Southgate described him as a ‘defensive animal’ last June – while Eddie Howe will likely know how to get the best out of him, having coached him at Burnley.

Trippier would certainly be a statement signing from the new owners at St James’ Park and could give the Magpies a good chance of staying up.

In other news, NUFC are also ‘keen’ on signing this ‘unreal’ talent

Pakistan chief selector Mohsin Khan believes that Mohammad Yousuf, who announced his retirement from the game following the ban imposed by the PCB, has a Test future and should reconsider his decision

Cricinfo staff30-Mar-2010Pakistan chief selector Mohsin Khan believes that Mohammad Yousuf, who announced his retirement from the game following the ban imposed by the PCB, has a Test future and should reconsider his decision.”Pakistan still needs him in Test cricket and we have him in our plans for our upcoming tour of England,” Khan told Reuters, after Yousuf’s announcement.Yousuf was banned indefinitely by the PCB earlier this month as a part of the large-scale cull of the national side, following the diastrous tour of Australia when the team returned defeated in every single game.Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, echoed Mohsin Khan’s views and believed Yousuf had more to offer. “Yousuf is a world-class batsman and can still play Tests for Pakistan,” Abbas told AFP. “Everyone knows the reason behind his decision, so he should decide on his future and we must respect that.”Yousuf has served the country for 12 years and deserved a better end to his career. It’s now a catch-22 situation for him, but he will have to think about his future himself,” Abbas said.Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq doubted whether his long-time team-mate Yousuf would reconsider his decision.”I don’t think he will change his decision this time because he is extremely hurt at the way the board has made accusations against him and banned him,” Inzamam said. “You don’t treat senior players like this, there is total confusion and contradiction in the charges made against Yousuf by the inquiry committee.”Ramiz Raja, another former captain, blamed the torrid happenings in recent times for Yousuf’s retirement. “For the last six months controversies have followed him and forced him to take this decision”, Raja said.

West Indies’ batsmen struggled on the first day of their tour match against a Sri Lanka President’s XI at Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010Stumps
Scorecard
Brendan Nash top-scored with 62 in West Indies’ first innings•AFPWest Indies’ batsmen struggled on the first day of their tour match against a Sri Lanka President’s XI at Colombo, an 81-run stand between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash – who went on to make 62 – the only partnership of note as they were bowled out for 176. Kemar Roach and Nelon Pascal, who took the new ball for the tourists, removed both openers early, while new captain Darren Sammy struck in the final over of the day as the Sri Lankans finished on 59 for 3 in reply.The West Indians will have been hoping for more time in the middle after Sammy won the toss and opted to bat, as this is their only warm-up game ahead of the first Test at Galle on November 15. But left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara got past both openers, Chris Gayle and Adrian Barath, early and Thilan Thushara bowled Darren Bravo as West Indies slipped to 29 for 3. Chanderpaul and Nash then came together for just over 25 overs of obstinate occupation of the crease, taking the score to 110 before Chanderpaul feathered an edge behind to be out for an 83-ball 33.In comparison, Nash was rather more attacking and struck seven fours before he too was caught behind to give legspinner Malinga Bandara his first wicket. In the very next over Dwayne Bravo was pinned lbw by Welegedara to reduce West Indies to 134 for 6, and the President’s XI spinners ensured there would be no lower-order fightback as Bandara shared the last four wickets with Ajantha Mendis to bowl the visitors out in the 56th over.President’s XI then lost both Tharanga Paranavitana and Dimuth Karunaratne in the space of three overs before Lahiru Thirimanne took advantage of some loose offerings from Roach and Pascal in a boundary-laden cameo that pushed the score past fifty. He was caught behind off Sammy in the final over of the day, however, and West Indies will be hoping for another breakthrough early on day two to keep them in the match.

Nottinghamshire completed their second victory in as many Division One matches after chasing down a target they would not have wished to be bigger here

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge23-Apr-2010
ScorecardMark Wagh gave Nottinghamshire a solid base to their chase but there were some jitters to come•Getty ImagesNottinghamshire completed their second victory in as many Division One matches after chasing down a target they would not have wished to be bigger here, defeating a game Somerset fightback to win by two wickets after claiming the extra half hour.By dismissing Somerset for 227 in their second innings, Chris Read’s team left themselves needing 250 to win, which appeared to be well within their compass, after the early loss of Neil Edwards, as Bilal Shafayat and Mark Wagh put on 125 for the second wicket. But the pitch here has never been without a touch of menace and Nottinghamshire’s stumbling efforts to rebuild after Shafayat and Wagh had been out in quick session eventually made for a gripping contest that could have gone either way.That the dice eventually rolled Nottinghamshire’s way owed much to the class and technical prowess of Hashim Amla, the South African who is standing in as overseas player in the absence of David Hussey. His unbeaten 64 ultimately proved the difference.Somerset’s bowlers deserve some credit for making for a fascinating final two sessions. Their body language suggested they were losing heart a little as they failed to build on the early fillip of seeing Edwards nick one to Marcus Trescothick at first slip in Charl Willoughby’s opening over.But when Damien Wright’s lbw appeal against Shafayat was upheld in the 45th over, dismissing the opener one short of a half-century, the balance of the contest began to shift. After Wright’s juggling catch at third slip in the next over then halted Wagh’s progress at 70, Nottinghamshire suddenly had two batsmen at the crease who were still to get off the mark.Thereafter the bowling acquired a new conviction and those who hit the right areas found the pitch was not quite as docile as it had seemed. Amla was so ruthless when opportunities did present themselves that Wright found himself hit for 18 in one over, a pulled six followed by three fours. But neither Samit Patel nor Ali Brown survived for long, trapped in front in turn by Alfonso Thomas and Zander de Bruyn, and when Read, looking to be aggressive, edged Willoughby to first slip without adding to the total, Nottinghamshire were six down, still 52 short and running out of reliable batsmen.Happily for them, Amla is as decisive about leaving the ball as he is about hitting it and so long as he remained you felt that the job would be completed. Paul Franks, dropped on 3, went for 12 but when the chance came to stay on for another eight overs only 11 were required. Stuart Broad’s failure brought the unpredictable Andre Adams to the crease but Amla farmed the strike and his hooked four off Thomas in the third of the additional overs saw Nottinghamshire over the line.It was a strange match for Broad, who would have wanted to warm up for England’s World Twenty20 challenge with a similar performance to the one his team-mate James Anderson put together at Chelmsford but instead will set off still some way short of where he wants to be.Broad’s blistering five-wicket burst for Nottinghamshire on Thursday evening reaffirmed his conviction that he has enough pace to put the frighteners even on good batsmen but as an indicator of form it proved somewhat misleading. He had begun to leak runs soon after claiming the fifth wicket and fared no better after a night’s rest, struggling for control again as he had in Somerset’s first innings on Wednesday, when his 19 overs cost 79 runs.This time Somerset’s Wright sensed an opportunity, slipping straight into attacking mode and putting Broad out of the attack before he had time to inflict any more damage. Boundaries off three consecutive balls by the Australian all-rounder persuaded Read that his England all-rounder would be better off reflecting on his troubles in the outfield. Broad’s three overs had cost 25 runs, swelling his analysis to a chastening 5 for 84 from 14 overs, and Somerset, who had been 33 for 5 at one stage, threatened to put the match out of the home side’s reach at 179 for 6.It was just as well, then, that Franks and Luke Fletcher had their radars set more accurately. Fletcher ended Wright’s assault at 78 after 71 balls, including 15 fours, by taking out leg stump – a little fortunately, perhaps, in that the ball kept low – but it was Franks who ultimately spared Broad’s blushes.Trescothick, who had been watchful at first, settled into a more familiar groove and looked to be about to end his quest for a hitherto elusive century on this ground as he moved smoothly into the 90s. However, two runs short of the milestone he fell into a trap set for him when Franks moved Brown into a wide position at slip and fed him a delivery he tried to guide to third man, only to find the fielder in just the right place.Franks mopped up the tail, finishing with 3 for 22 and six wickets in the match to go with his first-innings half-century, leaving Nottinghamshire to chase a target that turned out to be just within their reach.

Australia mercilessly ripped through a feeble Pakistan at the WACA to keep alive the prospect of inflicting upon the tourists only their second 5-0 whitewash in ODIs

The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin29-Jan-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ryan Harris was named Man of the Match for his second successive five-for•Getty ImagesAustralia mercilessly ripped through a feeble Pakistan at the WACA to keep alive the prospect of inflicting upon the tourists only their second 5-0 whitewash in ODIs. Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz starred with the bat, before Ryan Harris tore through the batting with a second successive five-for to set up a crushing 135-run win. Remarkably, given how poor Pakistan have been in this country, this was Australia’s first win over them in an ODI in Perth.Pakistan’s tour has been one long, dark and miserable spiral since the fourth day of the second Test in Sydney and it continued with another dispirited, stuttering performance. They did battle in the field but let Australia get away at a critical stage once again, and contrasting fifties from Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz then took them to 277.For much of the innings, control was a loose concept. Every time Pakistan struck, an Australian partnership settled. But every time the batsmen threatened to take over, Pakistan struck, so that momentum never rested decisively with either side. The final shift, however, came after the 40th over as an 80-run partnership between Hussey and Hauritz propelled Australia to the kind of total Pakistan haven’t looked like chasing down at any point this summer.Australia were 6 for 190 at that point and James Hopes had just been dismissed by the excellent Mohammad Asif. Hussey had hung around unnoticed from the 22nd over, stealthily keeping Australia afloat. Hauritz frustrated Pakistan with the ball through the Tests and today he did so with bat, swinging four sixes with all the freedom of a man no longer trying to prove himself in a 39-ball 53.Hussey had hit one boundary in his fifty, but timing is everything and as he did in Adelaide, he utilized the PowerPlay beautifully, ensuring that sixty runs came in the last six overs. Death bowling was once Pakistan’s trump card, but on this tour it has cost them.Pakistan had shaded the start, much of the groundwork laid in a fine opening spell from Asif, who immediately hit the length that makes him so dangerous, not allowing batsmen to drive or to defend back with any great ease.Brad Haddin provided Australia with some momentum but just when he was looking dangerous, he went. Michael Clarke was undone in a manner in which he has sent back so many batsmen – a smooth direct hit from cover running him out. Ricky Ponting scratchily tried to soldier on as Pakistan giving him plenty of pulls. It wasn’t convincing and it didn’t last, as Shahid Afridi got one to go across him; now Pakistan were on top.Cameron White initially looked every inch a man averaging 60 in the series when he came in. But as the heat picked up and Saeed Ajmal came in, he had to fight. The doosra wasn’t picked but he didn’t get out to it and there were plenty of singles to keep things moving.Ajmal’s spell through the middle overs was crucial; only two boundaries came between overs 22 and 36, but only one wicket fell. That was White, frustrated despite having sneaked into the 40s. It should’ve been Pakistan’s innings from there, but Hussey and Hauritz had other ideas.The chase was never on. Pakistan have long been renowned for producing fast bowlers, but that assembly line is no match for Australia. They have been without Brett Lee for a while, Ben Hilfenhaus is also injured and they chose to rest both Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger for this game. Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle were their third new-ball pairing of the series and they’ve hardly missed anyone progressing towards, potentially, a whitewash.Harris bustled in Adelaide a few two nights ago and coolly picked up a maiden five-for and he did much the same here. He bowled at the brisk pace all Australian pacemen seem to have, in the mid-140s kmph, and curved the ball considerably away from the batsmen. Salman Butt was fed a few coming in, before the inevitable one angled across him got the edge. Younis Khan has had time off from the game but his form seems no closer to coming back to him and he was soon gone, fishing uncertainly at another outswinger.Siddle was more erratic but carried with him the menace he has done through a luckless summer. If his two wickets were gifts, no one has deserved them more. Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam steadied the ship, as they did in Adelaide, and Afridi swung carelessly, but Harris bulldozed his way through, returning for a double-wicket maiden to essentially finish things off.

Lalit Modi has reacted to security concerns over the IPL by insisting that the tournament will stay in India, and that he is not concerned by the possibility of a boycott by international players

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2010Lalit Modi has insisted that the IPL will not be moved out of India, despite security concerns raised in an independent report commissioned by the players’ unions in England, Australia and South Africa that led to talk of shifting the event to another country.”We are going to have the tournament in India. I can’t see any reason why we should move it at this point in time. The media is reacting to every fringe group saying security is a problem,” Modi told in reaction to the concerns.The Australian reported the security discussions caused a split between high profile freelance players and Ricky Ponting when the situation was outlined at an Australian Cricketers’ Association meeting in Sydney on Tuesday. The paper said Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, who have supported each IPL tournament, clashed with Ricky Ponting over the way forward.Cricket Australia-contracted players want to follow the ACA’s advice while Warne and Hayden, a Cricket Australia board member, have said they want to go. If players pull out of the tournament they could be banned from future IPL editions, a decision which would cost some of them millions of dollars.The report, written by the England team’s security advisor Reg Dickason, said there was a credible threat to the tournament from terrorist groups, raising questions over player safety apart from talk of a boycott by international cricketers. The Australian Cricketers’ Association has decided to formulate a list of security demands for IPL organisers, following a meeting attended by most Australian players slated to play in the tournament.”The process from here is for all players associated to meet with their player groups and for all of us to feed back the concerns raised from these meetings to the IPL,” Paul Marsh, the ACA’s chief executive said. “This will be coordinated through our peak body the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations. From here we will await a response from the IPL.”Heath Mills, the New Zealand Players’ Association chief, also outlined security concerns. “It’s one thing to have a security management plan, it’s a much different thing to see it delivered and delivered well. It’s quite complex when you consider the IPL is played across 12 cities, 12 police jurisdictions throughout India. There are some real concerns around that aspect,” Mills said.Modi, however, underplayed their concerns. “Nobody in the world can safeguard the safety of the players in any tournament. All we have to do is ensure we are putting on the best security,” Modi said. “Safety is paramount to us and we are working with the national and state governments to ensure we have good security in place.”At the end of the day we have to ensure the safety plans we put in place and the way we conduct them are absolutely top-notch.”Modi also said that he was not overly concerned by the possibility of overseas players withdrawing from the event. “The heavens aren’t going to fall if that happens. This is an Indian tournament; we have the key Indian players and only a few international players.””We have no worries at all. You have to understand that the market for us is India.”The tournament is a huge success – we have a huge credibility, we have the top 200 players in the world. It’s not only dependent on foreign players, although they are part of it, Modi said.

Cricinfo previews the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2009-10

Cricinfo staff07-Oct-2009Big PictureYusuf Pathan’s form has nosedived in recent months•Getty ImagesIndia’s dismal performance in the Champions Trophy has loosened the grip of some of the regulars on their berths in the national team. The Challenger Trophy, which begins in Nagpur on Thursday in the shadow of the hype and hoopla surrounding the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, provides the perfect stage for fringe players to make their case. Despite the low profile of the Challengers, there’s plenty at stake as an eye-catching performance in it could catapult hopefuls into the national team for India’s next assignment, the seven-ODI series against Australia starting later this month.Besides shifting the spotlight off Nagpur, the Champions League also dilutes the strength of the player pool in the Challengers, as the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag are missing. Also, some perhaps on the verge of being dropped (RP Singh and Dinesh Karthik) and those eyeing a comeback (Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa, Pragyan Ojha) are away playing in the Twenty20 tournament. Some of the sheen is also off due to the absence of the big stars like Sachin Tendulkar (resting), Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan (both injured).This is the 15th edition of the Challenger Trophy, and is a four-day event, kicking off with a round-robin among the three teams, the top two of whom will face off in the final on Sunday.India BlueThey have the strongest batting unit in the competition: captain MS Dhoni has domestic giant Wasim Jaffer, aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, an in-form Abhinav Mukund and a pair of allrounders, Yusuf Pathan and Abhishek Nayar, to back him up. The fast bowling will be spearheaded by Sreesanth, with two players who made an impact in the IPL, Rajasthan’s Sidharth Trivedi and Bengal’s Ashok Dinda, to provide support.Players to watch After muscling his way into the one-day side on the back of some match-turning efforts in the IPL, Yusuf Pathan’s form has nosedived over the past few months. He needs to perform here or risks losing his place to India Blue team-mate Abhishek Nayar, who hasn’t had enough of a chance yet to show off his skills on the international stage. Also, Sreesanth, fresh from being fined 60% of his Irani Cup fee for a verbal tiff with Dhawal Kulkarni, will look to hit the headlines for the right reasons.India RedCaptained by perennial hopeful S Badrinath, this is a side with plenty of bowling firepower. Ishant Sharma will attempt to recapture the pace and form of 2008, and he will have Munaf Patel and the promising Uttar Pradesh seamer Sudeep Tyagi sharing fast-bowling duties. The withdrawal of Yuvraj Singh, though, makes the batting suspect, putting a lot of responsibility on the Tamil Nadu duo of Badrinath and M Vijay.Players to watch The uncertainty over the availability of Zaheer Khan for the Australia series, combined with the inept displays from the fast bowlers in both the Compaq Cup and the Champions Trophy, means virtually none of the quicks can be sure of their place in the national side. After his five-wicket haul in the Irani Cup, Munaf Patel’s comeback bid will gather steam if he is among the wickets in Nagpur. Ravindra Jadeja will also enter the fight for the allrounder’s spot if he builds on the assured showing in the Irani Cup.India GreenThis young side will be led by Suresh Raina, and has two fast bowlers, L Balaji and Dhawal Kulkarni, who dropped off the selectors’ radar after the tour of New Zealand early this year. The batting is their stronger suit, though, with the line-up including Raina, the prolific Ajinkya Rahane, Parthiv Patel, and two members of the 2008 Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, Saurabh Tiwary (seven half-centuries in 12 List A innings) and Tanmay Srivastava.Players to watch A glut of runs in 2008-09 has pushed Ajinkya Rahane up the ladder towards a national spot. This is his third consecutive Challenger Trophy, and a strong showing here could help him make the final leap to the big stage.

Guyana have missed the WICB’s deadline to submit their squad list for the Caribbean Twenty20 that will be held in January 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2012The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has missed the WICB’s deadline to submit its squad list for the Caribbean Twenty20 that will be held in January 2013. The deadline was November 22, but the West Indies board issued a release stating it would approach the GCB once again and ask it to submit its list of players.”The board has directed the WICB management to again request the GCB to provide a Guyana team to participate in the Caribbean Twenty20 and for WICB Management to set a date by which the Guyana team is to be submitted,” the release said. “The WICB Management will set the date and once finalised will communicate same to the GCB and the public.”The issue is part of an ongoing conflict between the GCB and the Guyana government, which began when the Guyana government dissolved the GCB due to a dispute over its July 2011 elections. The elections were boycotted by some of the board’s constituent members, one of which, the Berbice Cricket Board, took the GCB to court, claiming the new administration was not properly established. The Chief Justice recommended that “there may be immediate need for the minister responsible for sports to impose his executive will in the national interest.”Following that ruling, Guyana’s sports minister Dr Frank Anthony appointed an Interim Management Committee (IMC), headed by ex-West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, to run cricket in Guyana. The WICB, however, refused to acknowledge the IMC, in keeping with the ICC’s stance against government intervention in cricket administration, and said the only authority it would recognise was the GCB.Guyana’s participation in this year’s Caribbean T20 had also been under a cloud due to the problem, but they eventually played.The WICB release also said the board’s directors were very concerned about the lack of a breakthrough in the Guyana impasse, and reiterated their backing of the GCB. “The WICB, at a meeting of the board of directors, on Saturday and Sunday, expressed grave concern at the length of time it is taking for a resolution to be had to the situation in Guyana. The board further implores all parties involved to use their best endeavours to ensure that the situation with regard to cricket in Guyana returns to a level of acceptability in the shortest possible period.”The board reiterates its position that it recognises the Guyana Cricket Board as the sole governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket in Guyana.”