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Confusion of the timing of the IPL auction made Kieron Pollard miss the bidding war over him in Mumbai as four franchises placed maximum bids of $750,000

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Jan-2010Confusion of the timing of the IPL auction made Kieron Pollard miss the bidding war over him in Mumbai as four franchises placed maximum bids of $750,000, forcing the Trinidad allrounder’s sale into a silent tiebreaker. After five silent but eventful minutes, Lalit Modi revealed that Mumbai Indians, the richest franchise owned by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, had secured Pollard’s services for the 2010 season.”I had finished my practice when the auction started but I got the timings wrong. But one of my [South Australian] team-mates told me about it,” Pollard told Cricinfo from Adelaide, where he is representing the Redbacks in the Twenty20 Big Bash and will be one of main draws in the final on January 23.For the moment he is “very happy, very excited” to have been bought by Mumbai and is looking forward to the opportunity to play with “Sachin Tendulkar and all the other guys in the League.”Pollard and New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond were the only two players bought via the tiebreaker and their final price was never revealed. That information was privy only to the franchise that placed the winning bid and the IPL. When asked whether he was curious how much Mumbai actually shelled out for him, Pollard said he was not sweating about that. “At the end of the day I’m a young player. Going by the cap price I am pretty excited. Whatever happened after that was not in my hands,” Pollard said.The IPL’s decision to keep silent tiebreaker bids confidential has led to speculation that Pollard’s worth is anywhere between $1 million and $2.5 million. Pollard, however, is not bothered about what amount Nita Ambani wrote on the cheque during the auction. “I am not really surprised by it [the price]. There has been a lot of talk that has been going but it doesn’t matter what exactly transpired. I just want to come out and play.”Pollard is perhaps not fussed about whether he went for one million or two because he is already a millionaire. He was part of the most lucrative cricket match ever and raked in a million dollars after the Stanford Superstars beat England in a winner-takes-all contest in Antigua. But Pollard did not get lost in all those riches and has polished his trade with every subsequent tournament.He is the only player to be involved in four Twenty20 championships in different continents. In addition to playing for his home side, Trinidad & Tobago, South Australia and now Mumbai, Pollard has also been signed by Somerset for their domestic Twenty20 campaign this summer in England.There have been questions about whether Pollard is worth so much, considering he has never scored even a half-century in ten Twenty20 internationals. But he’s been considered a tremendous talent in the West Indies ever since he started hitting towering sixes with a straight bat.Pollard’s abilities caught global attention during the Champions League Twenty20 in India last year because of immense performances against champion sides like New South Wales. He sported a funky hairstyle, hit the most sixes in the tournament, propelled T&T into the final and had desperate agents from various IPL franchises knocking on his door.”A couple of franchises had spoken during the Champions League. But I was pretty tired and I hadn’t spoken to [my] manager as well. So I wasn’t sure what exactly and who exactly I was going to speak to at that time,” Pollard said.Incidentally, Pollard did not find any buyers at the 2009 IPL auction where his base price was 60,000$. A year later that figure was $200,000. Pollard, while not bitter about being ignored last year, admitted he was slightly hurt. “Obviously I was a bit disappointed. But there were some circumstances that I don’t wish to disclose,” he said. “I did not really allow that to affect my game because I knew I could always come the next year.”And he has, with the loudest of bangs. “Since the Champions League, life has changed,” he said. “I’ve concentrated on my cricket and worked hard to get the best out of my abilities and it has been good.” Though he has already tasted success in India, Pollard is wary of the expectations, which he says will pose the biggest challenge for him. “The biggest challenge would be to sustain what I’ve started as there would be big expectations of me. But cricket is a funny game, it can go anyway. I’m just going to go there and play my best.”

With six defeats in their previous seven Premier League games, it’s safe to say that Everton are in a dreadful run of form at the moment.

Their latest match saw them lose 4-1 against their Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park, which ended with one particularly disgruntled fan expressing his frustrations at Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, one way that the Dutchman could help to get some of the more dismayed Everton fans back on his side and add some positivity around the club again would be to get rid of Cenk Tosun.

So far this season, the Turkish striker, who is currently picking up £69k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has made just one appearance. That came during the recent defeat against Liverpool, where he played a mere six minutes off the substitutes’ bench.

In fairness to the attacker, he had been suffering with a patella rupture and only made his first league bench appearance in their 2-1 defeat against Wolves.

Everton signed Tosun back in the 2018 January transfer window from Turkish club Besiktas in a deal worth a reported fee of £27m. Since then, the 30-year-old has had loan spells at fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace and a temporary return to Besiktas last season.

Overall, Tosun has made 59 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in the process, which probably isn’t the return that the club would have been hoping for when they splashed out so much cash on him.

Moving forward, with recent reports claiming that Besiktas are looking to free up their wage bill so that they can make a move to sign Tosun in January, perhaps this would be the right time for Brands to call time on the striker’s spell at Everton and get his wages off their books.

Also, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin hopefully returning to action soon after being out injured since August with a fractured toe, his return and the presence of Richarlison and Salomon Rondon would seemingly serve to merely push Tosun further down the pecking order and make his chances of getting regular minutes incredibly slim.

In other news: Report reveals latest update on Benitez’s future, Everton fans could be excited

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Sky Sports in Italy reported on Wednesday night that Inter Milan are in advanced discussions to sign Southampton defender Cedric Soares – and Saints fans have been quick to react to the rumour on Twitter.

Despite being one of the south coast outfit’s more senior players and a Euro 2016 winner, the Portugal international has often found himself behind the likes of Yan Valery, Matt Targett and Kayne Ramsay in the pecking order following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s arrival at St Mary’s last month.

That certainly suggests the Austrian doesn’t fancy the 27-year-old and is keen to move him on if the deal is right – as he has done with Manolo Gabbiadini and Wesley Hoedt already during this transfer window – and if Sky Sports in Italy are to be believed then a deal could soon happen.

Cedric has made 119 appearances in all competitions for Saints, scoring two goals and providing a further 10 assists, as per Transfermarkt, and while he was a reliable performer in his debut campaign at St Mary’s in 2015/16, he has struggled over the course of the past couple of seasons with his attacking impact in particular not being up to scratch.

Southampton supporters have been quick to have their say on the story via social media, and while one said “I think Cedric leaving has been on the cards for a while”, another said “Cedric hasn’t looked like he’s wanted to be here for ages”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has now revealed some news involving reported Newcastle United target Nico Schlotterbeck.

The Lowdown: January target

It was reported that the St. James’ Park faithful were eyeing up a move for Schlotterbeck in the January transfer window, but a move from Freiburg never materialised in the end.

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Instead, they signed Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion, but could be in the market for another central defender in the summer, as per 90min.

The Latest: Dortmund bound

Sharing his article on Twitter, Bailey has revealed that the North East club will now ‘miss out’ on signing Schlotterbeck this summer, as he is set to sign for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga:

“Newcastle miss out on signing of Nico Schlotterbeck,” the journalist said.

“Outstanding young German international did have interest in moving to Tyneside, but Borussia Dortmund were a bigger lure at this point.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that the Magpies have seemingly missed out on one of their targets in Schlotterbeck.

The 22-year-old is clearly a top prospect, having broken into the Germany national team last month, and his performances in the Bundesliga have merited a move to a big club like Dortmund.

He currently ranks as Freiburg’s best performer in the Bundesliga so far this season, and is high among his teammates in terms of average aerial duels, tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks won per match (WhoScored).

Schlotterbeck would have been a shrewd signing for Eddie Howe and his team, but it looks like they will have to advance further in the long-term project if they are to beat big clubs to their respective targets.

In other news, find out which ‘special, special’ ex-Magpie NUFC are now targeting here!

Kieron Pollard, the West Indies batsman, has been fined 25% of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Kieron Pollard, the West Indies batsman, has been fined 25% of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during his team’s one-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in Antigua. Pollard was charged with a Level 1 offence under article 2.1.8 of the code which relates to conduct contrary to the spirit of cricket.The incident took place in the 18th over of West Indies’ innings when Pollard ran towards the non-striker’s end in such a way that he impeded the bowler’s – Dale Steyn – path to the ball. Pollard pleaded guilty to the charge.”A competitive attitude is to be promoted and cherished on the cricket field but players must also remember at all times to play within the spirit of the game,” Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, said. “On this occasion Kieron has overstepped the mark and I have fined him 25 per cent of his match fee, a penalty that he has accepted.”

Paul Pogba has spoken out following Thursday's announcement that the Juventus star would be banned for four years after being found guilty of doping.

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Pogba banned from football for dopingReceives four-year-long banBreaks silence on the decisionGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

Earlier on Thursday it was announced that the French World Cup winner had been hit with the ban after originally failing his 'Sample B' doping test back in September 2023. The 30-year-old was found to have excess levels of testosterone in his blood at that time. After investigations in which his entourage failed to prove that Pogba had not known what he was putting into his system, the four-year suspension was handed out.

AdvertisementWHAT POGBA SAID

In an Instagram post, the French midfielder spoke out on the ruling shortly after it was made, criticising it as "incorrect" and vowing to appeal. He wrote: "I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect. I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me. When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.

"As a professional athlete, I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against. As a consequence of the decision announced today, I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Given that the Frenchman turns 31 next month, there is speculation that this could be the end of his remarkable career. Pogba, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, rejoined Juventus in the summer of 2022 after a disappointing second stint at Manchester United. In August 2016, he had returned to Old Trafford for £89 million ($113m). With 226 appearances in all competitions and 39 goals scored, Pogba helped his former team win the Europa League and Carabao Cup.

However, he has endured a nightmare spell since coming back to Turin, appearing in just 12 games throughout two seasons for the Serie A giants.

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WHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

The former Manchester United midfielder will have the opportunity to contest the decision made by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal. However, unless the player and his party can present new facts regarding the elevated levels, it is likely that the ban will be upheld, although there is a possibility it could be reduced depending on the defence presented to the prosecutors.

England’s Twenty20 captain, Stuart Broad, envisaged his side playing the “perfect game” in this World Twenty20

David Hopps in Pallekele29-Sep-2012England’s Twenty20 captain, Stuart Broad, envisaged his side playing the “perfect game” in this World Twenty20 after Luke Wright calmed the jitters about their top order in a six-wicket defeat of New Zealand with seven balls to spare in their Super Eights tie in Pallakele.Things change quickly in T20. Only New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, as the match finished, was ahead of Wright in the leading run-makers for the tournament. After all the talk of their batting frailties, England had three batsmen – Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales also – in the top five.Broad, visibly uplifted after the torment of England’s misconceived batting displays against India and West Indies, said: “Today’s result means a lot. Although it wasn’t perfect we put in a lot of strong performances. I genuinely believe that we will get that perfect game and I think we will be pretty unstoppable when that happens.”That perfect game might have to happen on Monday. England face Sri Lanka at Pallakele and will have to win to be assured of a place in the semi-finals. “It will be an electric atmosphere for us on Monday and it will be important for us to keep our composure,” Broad said. “It will be loud, it will be hectic and there will be a lot of fans shouting for Sri Lanka but that will be exciting for us.”Wright paced his innings to perfection, stroking 16 from his first 16 balls but then scoring 60 from his next 27 with five sixes, including four in the space of seven balls faced. New Zealand’s emphasis upon spin, with Rob Nicol’s part-time offbreaks also called up for three overs, was logical enough in view of a dry pitch and England’s reputation, but it failed to bring dividends.The rate got up to nine an over midway through the innings and stubbornly remained there for quite a while. England needed 54 from the last six overs before Wright’s six-hitting spree settled the game, with Tim Southee also punished as he failed to hit his yorkers. Wright took the Man-of-the-Match award, suggested that Steven Finn’s three wickets should have won it, and praised Eoin Morgan’s influence at the non-striker’s end for the pacing of his innings.Stuart Broad believes England are close to playing to their full potential•ICC/Getty”It is easy to start panicking then and sat in the dugout you look out to the middle and get a bit nervous but the guys showed a lot of calmness to get us over the line as they did,” Broad said. “If we can really keep our wickets intact you will see the power we have. The key for us is to express ourselves but also to have the skill to pack that last 10 overs full of batsmen.”Wright, who made 99 in the group stage against Afghanistan, banished the memory of his first-baller against West Indies, an attempted leave which he steered to slip, a shot that had added to the uncertainty surrounding England’s top order. Against New Zealand, he played naturally, not trying to be something he isn’t, a strong hitter who allowed himself time to get in and then reaped the benefit.”It was just nice to get past the first ball after the last innings,” he said. “After that I was able to chill out a little bit and build a partnership. In the last game I tried to leave it and I found myself out so it wasn’t as if I was going at it too hard. One thing you find is that if you do have a batter in, people can bat around you and it’s amazing how much you can catch up and score.”

Goal rounds up 70 of the most interesting tidbits about the iconic former Argentina and Napoli star

Diego Maradona was an Argentine professional football player and coach, widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. In 2000, he was voted the FIFA Player of the Century, jointly with Pele. Maradona was known for his incredible dribbling skills, speed, and precise ball control, as well as his controversial off-field antics.

In 2005, Maradona was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to Italian football during his time with Napoli. In that same year, he was also inducted into the International Football Hall of Champions.

In 2008, Maradona became the head coach of the Argentine national football team, leading them to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. However, his tenure was also marked by controversy, including a suspension for verbally abusing journalists and failing a drug test.

Throughout his career, Maradona won numerous awards and accolades, including two Serie A titles with Napoli, a World Cup championship with Argentina in 1986, and a Golden Ball award for being the best player at the 1986 World Cup. He passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60.

Born in Buenos Aires

Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesArgentina appearances

Maradona made 91 appearances for Argentina, scoring 34 goals.

Getty ImagesAppeared in four World Cups

He played in four World Cup tournaments for his country.

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Imago Images Club career

He helped Boca Juniors to the league championship in 1982 before making a move to Barcelona. But in 1984, he transferred to Napoli and helped them win their only two Serie A titles to date – in 1987 and 1990.

Trent Alexander-Arnold thought he had scored a superb free-kick against Fulham on Sunday but the strike has been chalked up as a Bernd Leno own goal.

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Alexander-Arnold sent brilliant free-kick at goalBall struck the crossbar before hitting LenoGoal not given to Alexander-ArnoldWHAT HAPPENED?

The right-back thought he had scored a genuinely fantastic free-kick, shooting at goal from around 30 yards and seeing it smash against the crossbar and cross the line. The ball then hit Bernd Leno, however, and went into the back of the net.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

Because the ball struck the crossbar and then hit Leno, the goal has been taken away from Alexander-Arnold, with the goalkeeper's touch proving decisive. As a result, it will not be added to the right-back's haul for this season. For Fantasy Football players, though, the Liverpool man was at least awarded an assist.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold has been in remarkable form this season and came into Sunday's game on the back of his goal in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City last time out. However, he has been robbed of the prospect of scoring twice in two successive games.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

The right-back will have to stomach the fact that his goal will not count towards his tally. Liverpool are next in action in midweek against Sheffield United.

Real Madrid put four past Barcelona at Camp Nou to blow their arch rivals out of the water and book a place in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.

A second-half masterclass from Karim Benzema combined with a defensive horror show from Barcelona saw Real Madrid rout their Clasico rivals 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final.

Barca were relatively comfortable until the stroke of half-time, when Vinicius Jr gave Los Blancos the lead after a flowing counter-attack.

And Real recaptured some of their signature knockout-football mojo after the break, with Benzema leading the way. The Frenchman bagged a second-half hat-trick — his second in a row — to put Barcelona away. It was all too easy for Madrid, as the usually reliable Blaugrana defence collapsed under the weight of a Benzema masterclass.

Xavi's side will still win La Liga, but this Clasico humbling showed that they still have a long way to go.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (5/10):

Couldn't have done anything about any of the four goals, although he did get sent the wrong way on the penalty.

Ronald Araujo (5/10):

Thrust into another matchup with Vinicius Jr. Made one crucial intervention early, but lost the battle late.

Jules Kounde (5/10):

Tried in vain to divert Madrid's opener, but was caught out of position for Real's second. Doesn't have the best understanding with Alonso.

Marcos Alonso (4/10):

Unsteady for spells, and should have fouled Rodyrgo as he broke for Madrid's opener. Not a centre-back, and it shows.

Alex Balde (6/10):

Terrific going forward, including one wonderful run and cut-back. But was exposed defensively as the minutes wore on.

AdvertisementMidfield

Franck Kessie (4/10):

Started very well, but had a nightmare of a second half. Gave away a penalty for Madrid's third.

Sergio Busquets (5/10):

Up for the fight, but some of his passing was uncharacteristically poor. Completely lost as the game wore on.

Sergi Roberto (5/10):

Lots of energy, unafraid to tackle, but was poor defensively. Picked up a silly booking in the first half. The drop-off from Frenkie de Jong is massive.

Gavi (6/10):

Exchanged some words with Vinicius after a couple of hard fouls. Typically combative and smooth on the ball. Lacked his usual creative influence.

GettyAttack

Raphinha (4/10):

Started brightly with an early effort on target but was locked down by the excellent Eduardo Camavinga thereafter. Tried to do too much, and was hooked after 66 minutes.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

Saw a shot saved by a diving Thibaut Courtois right at the end of the first half. His chances were limited thereafter.

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GettySubs & Manager

Ansu Fati (5/10):

Charged with making something happen over the last 30 minutes. Unable to turn the tide.

Eric Garcia (5/10):

Not the kind of player to be introduced when you're chasing the game.

Ferran Torres (5/10):

Made some poor decisions, got booked.

Xavi (4/10):

Picked his strongest possible side, with Kessie, Roberto and Busquets filling out a physical midfield. Everything seemed to be going very well for 45 minutes, but then the Real Madrid knockout special happened. Barcelona were helpless in the second half and overrun by an experienced side. By the end of it all, Madrid should've had five. Xavi has a long way to go as a manager yet.