TOP 100 SPORT SITES
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| Prince to the rescue for Portsmouth’s paupers MORE than a year and a half after winning the FA Cup, Portsmouth could muster just 11,214 spectators at Fratton Park and only draw against Championship opposition after going a goal down early in this tie. It does not take any mathematical wizardry to work out that the wages of Premier League footballers cannot be met by such paucity of income. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Patrick Vieira confirms Manchester City move Patrick Vieira is expected to complete his move to Manchester City in the next 24 hours after confirming that he is leaving Inter Milan to join Roberto Mancini at Eastlands. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Barney Ronay: IPL dollars give Morgan the horn The Middlesex batsman is the best-placed of the England contingent to get his hands on the IPL's richesWhen the opening gavel sounds on Tuesday's player auction for the 2010 Indian Premier League season, the items on offer will include nine England-qualified players, freed up to take part by the resolution of a dispute between the IPL and the England and Wales Cricket Board over the overlap between the league's opening fortnight and the end of England's tour of Bangladesh.The auction presents an opportunity for those not already attached to a franchise to gatecrash the most lucrative six-week beano in cricketing history. It is an open bid process with 51 self-nominated Âplayers jostling for an estimated 15-20 places at the IPL's franchises. Players can either see their personal bounty inflated by competing suitors, or find themselves left in the remaindered bin and Âsummarily returned to winter training duties.The nine players involved break down loosely into three categories. The likely lads: Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan and Graeme Swann. The outsiders: James Foster, Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid. And the long-shots with a lottery ticket: Monty Panesar, Anthony McGrath of Yorkshire and Usman Afzaal of Surrey.Morgan has the best chance of Âattracting serious interest after a period of rapid development in international Twenty20 over the past six months that has turned him into a batsman who offers scampering dynamism against spin and also the power to clear the Âboundary. IPL gossip has him linked with the ÂRajasthan Royals, whose chief executive is the former head of the Professional ÂCricketer's Association, Sean Morris. Morgan is keeping an open mind. "You could get carried away and you could have great expectations of yourself," he says. "But actually nothing happens until the day of the auction. It's fantastic that I've been recognised for my achievements over the last year or so."The auction is a rare event for any sportsman, an occasion when values are laid bare and reputations converted into hard cash. "I suppose it is strange to have yourself valued like that," Morgan says. "It's different from anything else and I won't know how it feels until the day. But I feel pretty chilled out about it now. If I do get in and get bid on it will be a fantastic opportunity to play in a great competition."An ability to work the ball around effectively on turning pitches may be Morgan's strongest IPL trading card. "Being able to play spin well is a strong part of my game," he says. "It's one of the reasons I bat in the middle order. It's a Âfantastic opportunity to test those skills against the best in the world in tough conditions. There's a hell of a lot of superstars out there. To rub shoulders with any of them would be really great."Beyond the superstars are the hopefuls with an eye on a bumper payday. Trott, top scorer in last season's English Twenty20 Cup, can expect to receive an offer or two. Bresnan will not let anyone down. Panesar would be very much a long shot. And what of Afzaal and McGrath, who last played for ÂEngland in 2001 and 2004 respectively? ÂPakistan-born Afzaal has contacts in India and dated the ÂBollyÂwood actress Amrita Arora. McGrath has a fine county record in Twenty20 but it would be a surprise if either got a foot in the door.Morgan is a more tempting lot and can approach the auction with the Âscepticism of the quietly confident. The New ÂZealand captain, Daniel Vettori, famously sat in his parked car for 20 minutes Âsounding the horn with glee after hearing he had been signed by Delhi Daredevils for $625,000. "I can't imagine I'll be sitting in the middle of the North Circular beeping my horn if I do get bid on," Morgan says. "There's quite enough people out there doing that already."IPLCricketBarney Ronayguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Longtime Gonzaga coach Dan Fitzgerald dies at 67 Dan Fitzgerald, the coach who built Gonzaga into a national basketball power but resigned before the school began its current run of NCAA tournaments, ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Fans owe a massive debt to Wayne Rooney for reaching summit A one-man team? That is a big question to ask, given that Manchester United, for all their flaws, sit proudly atop the Barclays Premier League this morning. Sir Alex Ferguson, naturally, would bristle at such a suggestion and Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs, among others, might well consider it an insult. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |