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Habibul Bashar, the former Bangladesh captain, has informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that he has severed all ties with the unauthorised ICL and would like to return to official cricket

Ajay S Shankar17-May-2009Habibul Bashar, the former Bangladesh captain, has informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that he has severed all ties with the unauthorised ICL and would like to return to official cricket, according to a senior official. The BCB’s doors are now open for other ICL cricketers from Bangladesh to return, Mohammad Jalal Yunus, BCB board member, said.”Bashar has written to the BCB president that he wants to come back,” Yunus, who heads the BCB’s media committee, told Cricinfo. “We are happy to welcome him back once it is confirmed that he has severed all ties with the ICL.”Bashar was captain of ICL’s Dhaka Warriors, which is the only foreign team in the league apart from the Lahore Badshahs, and has informed the BCB that he has sent a notice to the ICL seeking to scrap his contract with the league.”I have already sent a notice to the ICL terminating my agreement and sought the amnesty offered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” Bashar told AFP. “The board has said they are happy that I have applied for a comeback. I think I’ve two more years to give to the country and I don’t want to stay out of mainstream cricket anymore. There is no doubt the ICL is very lucrative, but money is not everything.”The ICL had given its players time until May 15 to sent in their release requests after many national boards under the official ICC umbrella announced amnesty offers for their ICL players over the last month. At least 40 Indian cricketers are believed to have applied for a release from the league after the Indian board announced its amnesty offer on April 29.The BCB decided to allow Bangladesh’s ICL cricketers to participate in domestic cricket, subject to the termination of their contracts with the unauthorised league by June 15. These players will be available for international selection from December 31, 2009, the BCB said.The BCB had last year announced 10-year bans in its ICL players, including Bashar and other internationals such as Aftab Ahmed, Alok Kapali, Shahriar Nafees, Farhad Reza, Dhiman Ghosh and Mosharraf Hossain.”We hope that more Bangladesh players will now return to the official fold,” Yunus said. “We want them to return. Our doors are open and we will welcome them back. As far as Bashar is concerned, he will first have to prove his match-fitness and perform in domestic cricket before he is considered for the national team.”Bashar, 36, was captain of Bangladesh for three years from 2004 before joining the ICL in September 2008. Under him, the Dhaka Warriors finished fifth in the 2008 edition of the league, and he also captained a Bangladesh XI that won one match in the ICL world series which was cut short by the fallout of the Mumbai attacks.

Queensland’s hopes in the Sheffield Shield final have been dampened after rain ruined the second day

Cricinfo staff14-Mar-2009Victoria 6 for 281 (Hussey 113, Rogers 105, Symonds 3-34) v Queensland
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsQueensland’s hopes in the Sheffield Shield final have been dampened after rain ruined the second day and increased Victoria’s chances of achieving the draw needed to lift the trophy. The Bulls fought back late on the opening afternoon to have the hosts 6 for 281, but the wet weather interrupted their momentum and they must get quick wickets on Sunday morning to improve their chances.The umpires abandoned the day at 2pm local time and play will start half an hour early on the third. However, the after-effects of the rain may cause further problems on a club ground that does not have the same drainage as the international stadiums. When play resumes Cameron White (21) and Matthew Wade (2) will attempt to push Victoria further forward.

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing over some contract news involving Adama Traore.

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Telegraph, John Percy has now revealed that the Midlands club are currently in ‘advanced talks’ over a new deal for the Spain international, and that its signing will be a ‘formality’.

Traore is understood to have ‘remained professional’ throughout the process, and has been left ‘impressed’ with the vision for the future and ‘bought into’ the new philosophy under Bruno Lage.

There is no doubt that the winger is a key player for the Molineux faithful, as exemplified when he gave Manchester United a torrid time earlier on in the season, winning no fewer than 12 of his duels in the game, more than any other player on the pitch, and also ranked highest in terms of successful dribbles (eight) and key passes (four) (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, tying him down to a new deal will be vital for WWFC in terms of planning for their future.

Wolves fans on Traore news

These Wanderers supporters buzzed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that it is ‘great news’:

“Awesome. And when @JPercyTelegraph is reporting it, it’s as good as fact”

Credit: @andyroden

“Weekend’s started well”

Credit: @andyturnock

“Class!!!!!! Sanches and Botman in Jan boooooooooooom!”

Credit: @BushellGareth

“What superb news !!! Adama”

Credit: @RobDew8

“Great news!!”

Credit: @WolvesGriffin

“Beautiful sights”

Credit: @sophiaeclayton

In other news, find out whose display against Brentford was blasted here!

Shane Watson will play as a batsman for Queensland in his return to high-level action after another bout of stress fractures

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2009
Queensland will look to Shane Watson for runs at the Gabba from Thursday © Getty Images
Shane Watson will play as a batsman for Queensland in his return to high-level action after another bout of back stress fractures. The Bulls will be hopeful of a big contribution from Watson against New South Wales at the Gabba, starting on Thursday, as they attempt to jump from third place.There are two rounds remaining in the Sheffield Shield and Queensland are two points behind Tasmania in the race to join Victoria in the final at the Junction Oval next month. Watson was on target for more Test action in December when he was diagnosed with the injury and will delay bowling until the end of the local season.He has been having sessions at the Centre of Excellence under Greg Chappell, the head coach, to improve his shot-making. “I have been working with Greg on simplifying my technique over the last two weeks to ensure there is no inhibition on my game,” Watson said in the Courier-Mail.”I’m feeling great – I am looking forward to getting out in the middle. I won’t be bowling until after the season finishes. The Ashes are the big goal.”Ben Laughlin, the medium-fast bowler, has also been recalled for what is Martin Love’s final first-class appearance at the Gabba. Laughlin was part of Queensland’s one-day final win over Victoria on Sunday.The match will be Andrew Symonds’ 100th first-class contest for Queensland. “I’ve had a lot of fun and enjoyed a bit of success in what has been a golden era for the game in Queensland, and I reckon we’ve got the makings of another good run after seeing the way the young blokes went in winning the title on the weekend,” Symonds said. “People probably wrote them off at the start of the season so I’m really pleased to see them enjoying themselves and giving it a shake.”Symonds has had a poor season with the bat, scoring 118 runs in five Sheffield Shield fixtures, but said he was “reasonably happy”. “I’m really looking forward to these next two games because there’s still a bit of life in the season for us. The confidence is bubbling along nicely in the group and we’ll see whether we can enjoy a bit more success and have a bit more fun this summer.”Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, has come into the New South Wales squad for Aaron Bird, who has been suspended for an illegal action. Starc holds a rookie contract with the Blues and was due to fly to Brisbane on Wednesday.New South Wales have rejected the chance to give David Warner, the Australia limited-overs international, a first-class debut due to his unimpressive club and second XI form. The fifth-placed Blues are unchanged despite an innings defeat to Victoria last week and must win their final two games to have a chance of reaching the final.Queensland squad Chris Simpson (capt), Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Ben Cutting, Chris Hartley (wk), James Hopes, Nick Kruger, Ben Laughlin, Martin Love, Chris Swan, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson.New South Wales squad Dominic Thornely (capt), Beau Casson, Burt Cockley, Peter Forrest, Moises Henriques, Phil Jaques, Usman Khawaja, Grant Lambert, Greg Mail, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith (wk), Mitchell Starc.

Helder Costa has received criticism from former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan after his loan move to Spanish side Valencia.

The Lowdown: Failing to impress

After emerging onto the scene with Wolves, Costa signed for Leeds after impressing on loan in the 2019/20 season, when he contributed to 10 goals in 43 Championship games to help the club return to the Premier League after 16 years.

Costa then made 22 appearances in the top flight, scoring three times – with two of them coming in the opening two games – before missing the final five games of the season.

Following the arrival of Dan James from Manchester United on transfer deadline day, Costa received a career lifeline as La Liga side Valencia signed him on loan.

The Latest: Expected to leave

Whelan, who now works for his old club after leaving his role at the BBC, has told Football Insider he believes Costa could reinvigorate his career in Spain, but admitted his unhappiness at the winger’s time in Yorkshire.

A source also told the outlet that Costa is expected to depart permanently next year whether Valencia exercise their permanent option in the loan deal or not, meaning he will likely never again don a Whites shirt.

“I think he needed that change,” Whelan said.

“He’s got everything in his makeup. He’s got all the ability, the pace, the skill, but we just didn’t see it enough at Leeds.

“That inconsistency in his performances was frustrating for a lot of the fans because we know what he can do on his day.

“When you’ve seen it in one game, and then don’t see it in the next couple of games- everyone wonders why he can’t replicate that former across a string of games.

“He’s got an opportunity to stake a claim out there in Spain now and really lock a position down at Valencia.

“We might see the best of him there, and it could help him when he comes back if he rediscovers that confidence and belief.”

The Verdict: Chance for Costa

Returning to the Portugal national squad seems far fetched for Costa after only making one appearance in 2018, but he is capable of helping Valencia return to the European places in the Spanish top flight.

His time at Wolves and Leeds was impressive when he was at full pelt, but things eventually come to an end and with the way Leeds are shaping up under Marcelo Bielsa, they really cannot afford to hang on to fringe players who simply don’t have the consistency to perform week in week out.

His contract at Elland Road doesn’t end until 2024, so impressing on loan will be vital for Costa if he is to attract interest and bank a decent fee for Bielsa and co.

In other news, Whites target has expressed his transfer disappointment. Find out more here.

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that West Brom should sign Andy Carroll on a pay-as-you-play contract.

Despite making an outstanding start to the Championship season, which has seen them top the table in the early stages, the Baggies are yet to replace either Hal Robson-Kanu or Charlie Austin and are still desperately looking to add another striker before the window closes.

Meanwhile, Carroll is available on a free transfer following his release from Newcastle earlier this summer having been restricted to just 381 minutes in the Premier League last term.

West Brom wanted the former England striker last January when Sam Allardyce was in charge, but Carroll ended up staying at St James’ Park, where he endured a difficult season.

But under the new regime of Valerien Ismael, who plays a similar direct style to Allardyce, Windass told The Transfer Tavern that the Baggies boss should bring him in:

“I think what you do is what Brucey did and bring him in on a pay as you play. He’ll be chomping at the bit to get fit. If I was the manager, I would take him all day long.

“West Brom are a massive club, and he would thrive on that. If you keep yourself fit and you do well, we will give you a new contract. Dangle that carrot because Andy Carroll would be a great signing.”

Peter English08-Jan-2009
Shaun Tait is back in favour despite his injury struggles © Getty Images
Australia’s selectors have shown they are willing to pick young players in purple patches after the New South Wales opener David Warner was promoted to the national Twenty20 side to face South Africa. Warner, a powerful 22-year-old left-hander, has had a boom start to the domestic season, scoring 343 FR Cup runs at a strike-rate of 133.98, and will be on trial at the MCG on Sunday for further engagements with the one-day team.”Warner has just been eye-catching and for Twenty20 it’s just an exciting option,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “That would extend through to one-day cricket as well. We are certainly looking at him in that form of the game as well.”Since Warner blasted 165 from 112 balls for the Blues in November, he has picked up an IPL contract with Delhi Daredevils and a deal to use a two-sided bat, which he tested against South Australia this week. In three Twenty20 games this season he has 101 runs from 62 deliveries.He is expected to open the batting with Western Australia’s Shaun Marsh at the MCG. “We think it’s a very exciting plan,” Hilditch said. “We’re looking at power hitters at the top of the game, a couple of architects in the middle who turn over the scoring well, and some power hitters at five and six. It is the ideal make-up.”Warner, who has not represented the Blues in a first-class game, said he would not be changing the way he plays. “It would be a great thrill to get the chance to get out there and I’m just going to keep batting like myself,” he told AAP. When he was picked he was so excited he was “jumping around in the pool”.While Warner is starting out, Shaun Tait has returned to the national team for the first time since taking a break due to physical and mental fatigue 12 months ago. Tait is still struggling with his body and is involved in a novel programme at South Australia where he picks the matches he feels he can appear in.”It’s probably not ideal that he’s only just played a Twenty20 game, and has had a hamstring injury,” Hilditch said. “He got a full medical clearance, and bowled pretty well in his last Twenty20. There’s only Twenty20 going on for the next month, so there’s not much opportunity for him to get much cricket. Our view is if he’s fit he’s in our best Twenty20 and one-day sides.”Hilditch said Tait would be restricted to the shorter forms of the game in the near future. “He’s one of our Test-contracted bowlers so we still feel he can play Test cricket,” he said. “The reality though is where he and his body are currently.”

Australia’s newest allrounder Andrew McDonald was organising a new-year surfing holiday when he got a phone-call that immediately changed his plans

Cricinfo staff31-Dec-2008
Andrew McDonald is a tall man who extracts surprising bounce and can nip the ball around off the seam and in the air © Getty Images
Australia’s newest allrounder Andrew McDonald was organising a new-year surfing holiday when he got a phone-call that immediately changed his plans. It was Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket operations, Michael Brown, telling McDonald to get ready for a trip to Sydney, where he was in the 12-man squad for the third Test.Injuries to Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson opened the door for a new allrounder to be trialled and McDonald, who has been a consistent contributor for Victoria over the past two seasons, was the beneficiary. McDonald was in Geelong preparing for a relaxing few days with his wife and friends when the call-up came.”I’d just got out of bed and was shocked and over the moon. I’m really excited about the prospect of being able to play for Australia,” McDonald said. “A few of my mates were organising some new year’s plans. We weren’t sure what we were doing yet, but I’ve had to tell them they’re on hold now. They said, ‘You selfish so and so’. No, they didn’t really. They’re rapt. It’s fantastic.”A tall man at 194 centimetres, McDonald is a medium-fast bowler who extracts surprising bounce and can nip the ball around in the air and off the seam. A versatile player who often bats at No. 6 for his state, McDonald has made four half-centuries and averages 46.28 this season.”I feel confident in my ability,” McDonald said. “Obviously to have been performing for Victoria I think we are probably the benchmark of the domestic competition at the moment and I think that is going to hold me in good stead.”I have held down the No. 5/6 spot when Cameron [White] has been away for Victoria so I have batted in the top five and six in shield cricket. I think that is going to hold me in good stead if I do get the No. 6 spot for Australia, or wherever that position may arise.”A red-head whose hair and surname have earned him the nickname Ronnie, McDonald averaged 49.54 with the bat last season and 57.69 the summer before. He has 15 wickets at 23.93 this Sheffield Shield campaign and although he has not been told he will be in the starting XI for Sydney, the balance of the squad means he must be a certainty.The fast bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger will vie for the remaining spot, which became available due to Brett Lee’s foot injury, and Bollinger is the favourite to debut on his home ground. A left-arm fast man who went on the tours of the West Indies and India this year, Bollinger has five five-wicket hauls at the SCG in the past 13 months.”The SCG is a pretty good place to bowl,” Bollinger told the . “I like to bowl as straight as I can and swing the ball as much as I can because it goes Irish quite a bit. You’ve got to bash the wicket at the SCG, it’s not the quickest of wickets but I enjoy bowling there.”

Leeds United would reportedly be able to sign Rangers winger Ryan Kent for £20million, due to a release clause in his contract.

The Lowdown: Kent linked with Leeds move

The Whites have been linked with numerous players during the summer transfer window, in order to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s options.

Kent is one individual who has been linked with a move to Elland Road for a long time however, having impressed under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox, scoring 27 goals in 132 appearances for the Gers.

The Scottish Premiership outfit even rejected a Leeds bid for their star winger last summer, so it’s clear Bielsa and co have been eyeing a move for some time.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Release clause revealed

A key update has now been provided on the former Liverpool man, with The Athletic claiming that he has a £20million release clause in his current deal.

Leeds have been rumoured to be willing to pay £12million for Kent’s services, so they’ll need to up that by another 66 per cent if they want to get the job done.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-13/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Not worth it?

Kent is a good player who has flourished in Scotland – he has been hailed as ‘frightening’ by teammate Scott Arfield – but it would be reckless for Leeds to pay such a big amount for his services.

The winger has never played in the Premier League and ultimately didn’t cut the mustard at Liverpool, making just one solitary appearance for them.

If Leeds were able to sign Kent for around half that amount, it could be worth a punt, but it is hard to see him ousting Raphinha or Jack Harrison and justifying that price tag as a back-up.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing a Premier League player – find out who it is here.

The England international forward burst onto the scene in 2023-24, and is enjoying an excellent sophomore season under Sonia Bompastor

When Emma Hayes departed Chelsea last summer after 12 remarkable years at the helm, it was only natural for there to be some trepidation about the club’s next chapter. As Sonia Bompastor arrived from Lyon, where she won the Champions League as a player and a coach, fans sat and wondered whether she would be the right fit. The squad, too, shaped entirely by Hayes, had a new face to impress.

As Aggie Beever-Jones, the 21-year-old academy product who enjoyed her breakout season in Hayes’ final year, pondered what the change could mean, her mother had done some “research”. “She was like, ‘Oh, she’s known for developing young players’,” the forward tells GOAL with a laugh. So far, Bompastor has lived up to that billing, while also having not yet tasted defeat as the Blues’ boss.

Along with youngsters such as Wieke Kaptein and Maika Hamano, Beever-Jones has played a growing role in that success, already surpassing her minutes and starts from last season while having a best-ever goal return well within her sights. She has won high praise from Bompastor and made her first England start back in December, with a place in Sarina Wiegman’s squad for this summer’s European Championship well up-for-grabs.

"She has a lot of quality, she is able to score and help the team to possess the ball,” Bompastor told earlier this season. “She just needs to trust herself more sometimes.” It’s a message that is getting through to Beever-Jones as the business end of the season approaches and she looks to produce big moments for a club she admits she still has to “pinch” herself at times to believe she is representing.

Getty ImagesGreater expectations

Last year was huge for Beever-Jones. After loan spells with Bristol City, in the Championship, and Everton, in the Women’s Super League, she finally got her chance in the first-team at Chelsea, the club she joined aged nine. Despite starting just six league games, the young forward bagged 11 goals, plus two more in the cups, helped the Blues win the Women's Super League and concluded her season with a first England cap. As a result, the expectation was raised around her, though it was something that she struggled to deal with at first.

“I think at the start of this season, I kind of realised what I did last year, if that makes sense, and the achievements I made,” Beever-Jones tells GOAL. “While the whole season was going on, I was almost just engulfed in it. I never really took a step back and thought, 'Oh, I've scored 13 goals for Chelsea’, which I never thought would have happened.

“I think I got to the point at the start of this season where I was in my own head a little bit about it all, going, 'Oh, I've got to match those stats from last year or beat them'. And I had the reputation of the super-sub last year, so every time I wasn't starting and I came on, I felt that I had to score.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRelieving the pressure

It was a different feeling to the start of the previous season, when Beever-Jones almost had nothing to lose. Of course, there is the pressure that comes with playing for Chelsea and the pressure that anyone representing the club puts on themselves to perform. But she was a young player looking to break through; the expectation was more on the experienced heads around her.

How, then, did she shake that growing weight off her shoulders this year? “I think it was just almost taking a step back and just relieving that pressure,” Beever-Jones says. “I only put the pressure on myself because I knew what I was capable of and sometimes, inevitably, you do overthink some things. For me, scoring the West Ham goal [in January] was nice, because I felt it was almost a bit of, 'Oh, you still got it'. Sometimes when you get a few games where maybe you haven't scored or you haven't had your best performances, to get a goal back is always a nice little pick you up, almost.

“Sometimes it is just taking a step back and talking – I have such a great support network around me – and trusting those people, that they can help me out. I've been extremely lucky. For me, football is such a confidence sport. I think when you're confident and you have people that you can rely on that can really help you get out of those little ruts… I'm in a good place now and I think it's just continuing that, managing my expectations, managing disappointment, in terms of, if I've made a mistake, how do I react to that? I think that's definitely something that I've improved on massively and that has helped me out.

“I'm in a good place mentally now where it is just making sure I go out onto that pitch and I make the people happy that I need to make happy. I work hard, create things for the team, whether that's scoring or assisting, which is obviously a great bonus, but for me, it is just playing well. I think that's the main thing, focusing on my performance, and everything else will fall into place.”

Getty ImagesGrowing in stature

Things have been falling into place, too. Beever-Jones is becoming a more regular starter for her childhood club and has been included in every England squad since last May. Aiding her ability to compete for spots in two extremely talented sides is her admirable versatility, which has seen her deployed on the right wing, left wing, as a centre-forward and even in the No.10 role this season.

“I think it is just trusting my own ability and what I know in each position and being able to add my own unique bit of flair to it,” she says. “I definitely have developed that side of my game.

“I know, being at Chelsea, it's never straightforward. You have different personnel for different positions, different connections. One that springs to mind is Lauren James. When she plays on the wing, she inverts a lot more, which allows Sandy [Baltimore] or me to get around. So I think it is just creating the connections and I think at Chelsea, we're such a team, we're a team who rotate as well, so it is just managing the rotations and maybe falling out into a different position than usual.”

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Getty ImagesLearning from the best

Fortunately for the 21-year-old, she is surrounded by knowledgeable people who can share nuggets of information to help her adjust, adapt and thrive. Among those are the likes of Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel and Mayra Ramirez, Chelsea’s trio of “world-class” centre-forwards who are teaching Beever-Jones about a role she has needed to understand more in recent times, or the coaching duo of Bompastor and assistant Camille Abily, who have enjoyed the highest of highs both on the pitch and in the dugout.

“For me, it is just making sure I have a good relationship with Sonia off the pitch and then trusting what she needs from me on the pitch,” the Chelsea star believes. “I think she's really helped me with some finer details. Cami as well. I really respect Cami. I think she's technically such a good coach. I know she tells me little details that sometimes might not even be that recognisable, but it's the finer margins which make you a bit different from everyone else.

"They're both so talented as coaches and I feel extremely lucky to be able to work with both of them, and I can see my game is developing. It's always nice to feel that you're developing. I'm still quite young, a 21-year-old at one of the best clubs. Sometimes it is a bit of a 'pinch me' moment. But I am really enjoying it and I think it is just not being so hard on myself and making the right people happy.”