Chelsea ready to kick-start Sarri era after frantic deadline
0Shares0000Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has work to do after a busy transfer deadline © AFP / Ian KINGTONHUDDERSFIELD, United Kingdom, Aug 10 – A frantic 48 hours in the transfer market provided Chelsea with a timely lift after last weekend’s Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.The 2-0 loss left new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri to rue the difference between the two teams, with Pep Guardiola’s champions looking sharper and fitter than the Italian’s side. Sarri has been in post for less than four weeks and the last thing he needed was to go into the first game of the new season at Huddersfield on Saturday against the backdrop of a protracted stand-off between the club and keeper Thibaut Courtois.Courtois’s decision to stay away from the club this week in a bid to force a move to Real Madrid could have had a negative impact at Stamford Bridge, reviving memories of the dispute with Diego Costa 12 months earlier.But Chelsea moved quickly to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6 million – a world record for a keeper – on a seven-year contract, triggering Courtois’s exit to Real.As part of the deal for the Belgian, Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic moved in the opposite direction on a season-long loan.For a club desperate to progress after a fractious campaign that was marred by a rift between coach Antonio Conte and the club and ended with a disappointing fifth placed finish, it was good business all round.Now, Sarri must do all he can to prevent Eden Hazard following his international team-mate to Madrid, although the current signs are the Belgium star has been convinced to stay.Courtois, though, did little to restore his already damaged reputation at his former club when he expressed his hope Hazard would join him when he was presented at the Bernabeu Stadium.“Eden congratulated me,” he said. “He knows it is a dream for me to be here. I would like to be always by his side.“He is a great player and if he could come here, it would be fantastic.”Sarri, the former Napoli coach, can continue his efforts to introduce the 4-3-3 system he used so successfully in Serie A after two seasons of 3-4-3 under Conte.– Focus on Kepa –The Wembley clash against City confirmed there is plenty of work to do and it may be some time before Sarri finally settles on his two central defenders.David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger appear to be his first choice right now, but Luiz in particular looked shaky against City.And in midfield, Kovacic is likely to join Jorginho and N’Golo Kante to strengthen an area that was overrun by the champions.This weekend, though, the main focus will be on Arrizabalaga if, as expected, the 23-year-old takes his first steps in English football.Kepa’s compatriot David De Gea took time to settle when he first arrived at Manchester United and the former Bilbao man acknowledges he will need to adapt.“This is a great challenge for me and it means a lot for my career and also in my personal life,” he said.“It is a great step forward for my career. It is also very brave for the club to take me in.“In terms of the price, me being the most expensive goalkeeper in the world, it is something I just don’t think about.“I am just going to be myself, the same I have always been and try to give my best for the club.”The speed with which Kepa settles in will be just one of the factors that determine how Chelsea progress under Sarri’s new regime.0Shares0000(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)
Some of the guests at the launch of the Bealtaine Festival last night.Culture was an area of life that everyone can be involved in and benefit from.That was the message from Donegal County Council cathaoirleach, Cllr John Campbell when he officially opened the 18th annual Bealtaine festival last night.The event, which took place at the Central Library in Letterkenny, attracted guests from various parts of the county and a number of councillors too. Councillors and guests at last night’s lunch of Bealtaine.Bealtaine is organised by the Regional Cultural Centre and Donegal County Library, in association with a wide range of partner organisations. The range of events contained in the programme has something to suit everyone.Events include exhibitions, talks, reminiscence, computer classes, knitting, crochet, music, dancing and storytelling. The vast majority of events are free of charge, with special Bealtaine concessions available for others.Introducing this year’s programme of events Frances Crampsie from the Central Library said this year’s event invited everyone to become involved with arts and cultural activities and provided a chance to reignite the flame of creativity and unlock hidden talents through a variety of hidden talents.Shaun Hannigan of the Regional Cultural Centre outlined how over its 18 years Bealtaine had gone from eight to over 180 events and offered an ever widening variety of positive events for older people throughout the county. Cathaoirleach Cllr John Campbell, who launched this year’s event, said he would encourage everyone to attend the diverse programme of events and join in celebrating creativity in older age.“As a Council, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of the public through general education, information and recreation, to support the quest for knowledge and to meet the public’s interest in reading and the arts. Culture is an area of life that everyone can be involved in and benefit from. Donegal County Council’s Cultural Services have been a proactive agent for community development, lifelong learning and social inclusion throughout the county,” he said.Special guest Peter Kavanagh from Active Ireland said their vision was that of a society of all ages, free from age discrimination and stereotypes and based on solidarity, co-operation between generations where everyone was empowered to play an active part in their community and to enjoy equal rights and opportunities in all stages of life regardless of age, sex, race, ethnic origin, religious belief, social or economic status, sexual orientation, physical or medical conditions in need of care.He urged local and national politicians to take a lead in ensuring more awareness of the contribution older people had made to the nation over the yearsThe launch concluded with music from Tanya McCole and Dave Wintour and some impromptu dancing from the elderly and not so elderly guests. The event was sponsored by the Europe Direct Information Centre, Central Library, Letterkenny.For more on what’s happening during the Bealtaine festival visit www.donegallibrary.ieBUSY MONTH AHEAD AS BEALTAINE FESTIVAL GETS OFF TO A FLYING START was last modified: May 1st, 2015 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:Bealtainedonegalletterkenny
The Lord Mayor of Letterkenny said he fears many more housing estates across Donegal could end up in the same predicament as residents of College Park.Residents of College Park were left with an ESB bill of more than €4,000 after the developer of the housing estate went into liquidation.The bill, which was mainly due to the management of the sewage pumping system on the estate, has been deferred by the ESB. However Mayor Gerry McMonagle told Donegaldaily.com he fears this is only the tip of the iceberg.He said the fact that numerous developers have gone bust means there cold be a raft of such problems facing householders.“The bottom line is that there has been a vacuum left by many developers going under.“The College Park situation was a prime example and thankfully that would have appeared to have been sorted. “But I fear there are many similar situation around the corner. The bottom line is that there is nobody overseeing the running of these estates,” he said.He added that he had now sought a meeting with the County Manager to assess the overall situation and to find ways of moving forward.“There’s no doubt it’s going to be an issue. I am hoping to meet with the County Manager about the issue.“I’m sure there are all sorts of issues facing residents on a lot of housing estates across Letterkenny and Donegal which nobody is taking responsibility for,” he said.Meanwhile a spokesman for the ESB said they had never intended to pursue the residents in College Park for the outstanding bill. “It was never intended that we would pursue the residents over the outstanding bill. That was never the case.“But we had to reach an understanding that the bill-payer would come to an agreement with us. We are grateful that the Mayor has intervened and hopefully we can move forward with a clean slate in relation to the residents and the local authority,” said a spokesman.MANY MORE HOUSING ESTATES FACING HUGE PROBLEMS – MAYOR was last modified: November 18th, 2011 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Tags:COLLEGE PARKgerry mcmonagleletterkenny
There is no doubt 2014 was a bad year for airline safety with some of the most tragic and bizarre incidents in modern history but the numbers can be deceiving.Certainly 21 fatal accidents with 986 fatalities — higher than the 10-year average — sicken. However, the world’s airlines carried a record 3.3 billion passengers on 27 million flights.Flashback 50 years there were a staggering 87 crashes killing 1597 globally when airlines carried only 141 million passengers — 5 per cent of today’s number.And the A320 in the Indonesia AirAsia crash has a crash rate five times better than the Boeing 727 that was the new kid on the block in 1964.Another twist is that fatal accidents for 2014 were at a record low 21 — one for every 1.3 million flights. Most of those accidents were in Third World nations.Though the statistics paint a reassuring picture, the public is nonetheless nervous, with almost 60 per cent of travellers having some fear of flying.Read: Who are the top 10 safest airlines?Crashes last year, however, were different.The two major ones involving Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 777s were freak events with total loss of life. And MH370 has not been found and investigators battled for months to recover wreckage of MH17. Global media attention has been intense, reflecting natural public interest and that is going to continue this year.And finding it will only be the start of an extremely difficult recovery. And the search for answers will probably go on for years.Aside from these extraordinary crashes, there is a mystique to flight fuelled by social media and the advent of platforms such as the iPhone with pictures or videos of the slightest aviation incident going viral.The impact of social media on reporting events is staggering. Ten per cent of all pictures taken in history were shot last year and half of those on mobiles. Passengers have even taken pictures of incidents in-flight and broadcast them on their phones.The fear of flying is also fuelled by the popular Air Crash Investigation or Air Emergency series. As good as the series is, it is not always accurate, and does not in many cases explain what has changed in aviation to prevent a reoccurrence of the tragedy.But there is no question flying is safer and one of the reasons is the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit introduced in 2003. Since 2003, 402 airlines have completed the comprehensive audit and those airlines’ crash rate is 77 per cent lower than airlines that do not do the audit. Completing IOSA every two years is a condition of joining IATA, the leading industry body.An IOSA audit examines every aspect of an airline’s safety — on the ground and in the air — and ensures it has industry best practice with a continuous expert safety review process. It also ensures the airline has the systems to keep up with the latest safety developments. Many airlines that are not in the IATA take part in the audit.But AirAsia is one of the big airlines that have not taken part.Passenger jets are divided into four broad categories related mainly to cockpit technology.In the first generation were early jets such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 of the 1960s, followed by the 747 with analogue cockpits crammed with dials. The next generation was led by planes such as the Boeing 767, where some analogue functions gave way to the digital age.But the big breakthrough was pioneered in the mid-80s by the Airbus A320, which introduced the “glass cockpit”. Hundreds of analogue dials were replaced by five video screens, slashing pilot workload up to 70 per cent in some cases.Safety rates improved dramatically. The fourth generation takes in planes such as the A330, 777 and 787.For those who want the ultimate in cockpit technology, the 787 and new A350 have the entire bells and whistles as standard.Previously aircraft manufacturers would offer some of the more sophisticated cockpit technology as options that would then be at the whim of an airline accountant’s pen.But there is no whim about personal safety, and there is no question that the three major crashes of 2014 will have travellers looking at options more carefully.WORLD’S TOP TEN AIRLINES
Ever wanted to make your footage look more cinematic? Learn how to create a film look in After Effects with this free 5 part video tutorial series.Understanding the image qualities that go into adding a film look to your project, all while staying inside of After Effects, can help make your project look more cinematic. In this free five part tutorial series, Ben Brownlee from Curious Turtle, demonstrates how to add contrast, color, lens effects, grain and grime to your image to craft the perfect film look in After Effects.You can pick up a huge number of tips and tricks to use in all your After Effects projects in the nearly 70 minutes of free training on offer here.Adding Contrast for a Film Look in After EffectsAdjusting Colors for a Film Look in After EffectsLens Effects for a Film Look in After EffectsAdding Grain in After EffectsAdding Grime in After Effects
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death after he intervened in a fight that broke out on the dance floor of a marriage function in Sunlight Colony on November 19. The accused have been arrested, the police said on Wednesday. The police said that a PCR call was received at 11 p.m. on Monday. The victim was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his serious injuries on Tuesday morning at AIIMS.Mohit, a resident of Hari Nagar in Ashram, had come to attend a marriage function in Sunlight Colony. An argument broke out between two men — Himanshu and Arthur — after their hands brushed against each other while dancing. The argument turned ugly after which Mohit intervened. However, Himanshu and his friend Gaurav got into an altercation with Mohit, following which Himanshu stabbed Mohit in the chest. They fled after stabbing him.
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel was killed and 34 others were injured Monday when a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, police said. Five of the injured ITBP personnel are in a critical condition, a police officer said. The vehicle was part of a Jammu-bound convoy and the accident occurred near Khuni Nallah in Ramban district around 8.45 am, a police officer said. An ITBP personnel was killed while 34 others, including a civilian driver and conductor, were rescued and rushed to the district hospital in Ramban, the officer said. Trees prevented the bus from falling further down in the gorge, the officer said. Around 35 people were travelling in the bus.
Three persons were killed and as many injured after the boiler of a plant exploded in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Saturday, police said. The incident took place when the boiler of the plant of an NGO at Bangra Nagar panchayat area exploded while workers were preparing mid-day meal to be supplied to schools, Sugauli Police Station SHO Rohit Kumar said.Sugauli Circle Officer Gyan Prakash said the NGO was engaged in supplying mid-day meal in government schools, after preparing the food at its centralised plant. The injured have been admitted to the local primary health centre, Mr. Prakash said, adding one of them was later referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital.
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox – subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what’s happening in the world around you – in real time. Charlotte Flair at the age of 33, is already a 10-time WWE world champion. She is a second-generation professional wrestler, who made her WWE main roster debut five years ago. Known by the nickname ‘The Queen’, Flair has proved her in-ring acumen over the years. The wrestling royalty walked out of the shadow of her father Ric Flair and went on the justify her sobriquet.CNN-News18 had a chance to catch up with Charlotte during her 3-day visit to India. Here’s an excerpt from the interview where she talks about the rise of women’s wrestling, ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch and her relationship with WWE Superstar Andrade among other things. Question: This is your second time here in India. How does it feel to come back?Answer: Well, I’m honored to be here but what’s crazy is that it feels like yesterday, although it has been 3 years and how much I’ve changed, the industry has changed, how much the women’s division has achieved but also the warm welcome that I received. I definitely feel like my presence is more known here. I got the feel how excited everyone was.Question: You joined the main roster some 5 years back and that was around the same time #GiveDivasAChance movement started. Since then a lot has happened for female wrestlers. Personally, for you, you headlined WrestleMania, Hell In A Cell and then there was Evolution. That must feel brilliant?Answer: Yes, the last time I was here (India), I was the Divas Champion. I wrestled Summer Rae. It feels great but you know sometimes I don’t think I take the time to really reflect on, what has happened. Like, I made it to the WrestleMania, that happened, but it still hasn’t sunk in. People ask me to take the time to appreciate what’s happening. I’m sure 10 years down the road, I’ll be like, ‘Oh! I did that.’ But to have the opportunity to talk about WWE’s brand and come to India and reflect on the history that I’ve made with the women in the division and what women’s wrestling means to me and to the WWE Universe as a whole, there’s nothing that I love doing more. Actually, being here and interacting with fans feels awesome.Question: As WWE superstar wherever you go, you are worshipped as superheroes, especially by the kids. How does that feel?Answer: I feel like a superhero when I’m in the ring. But while casually walking from the gym to my room, I’m not like, ‘Yes, I feel like a superhero.’ You forget that sometimes how much you mean to people but like meeting the contest winners and certain individuals here, all of them telling me ‘I’m such a huge fan.’ You never want to take that for granted.Question: In these 5 years you have gone on to become the most successful female wrestler with 10 championship titles, now if someone were to ask the best moment so far, what would that be?Answer: It’s so hard to pick one fight because every talent brings out something different. Like when I faced Becky in Evolution it was different from when I was up against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series. It was again different when I faced Sasha Banks at Hell in A Cell. Every fight is so different for me, I think that’s what keeps me always in the picture because I’m able to adjust depending on the storyline. But I think the most pressure I’ve had in any fight was wrestling Asuka at WrestleMania 34 because she didn’t have anything to prove and I felt like this was my one opportunity to show what I’m made of and I’d had many history-making moments before that, but that was a defining moment in my career.Question: There are rumours that you are going to team up with Becky Lynch against the Kabuki Warriors at the TLC. What do you have to say about that?Answer: How do you feel about that? You don’t think Becky and I make better enemies? You know, it’s one of those things when it comes to Becky, we will come together to face a common enemy. The enemy, for instance, the Kabuki Warriors. If we have to get along for those 20 minutes, I think we can make that happen.Question: We have seen storylines where you and Becky have been friends and then turned into fierce rivals. What is your relationship with her in real life?Answer: I just couldn’t be more proud of her. She deserves everything and more and to see her rise to the top the way she has and be the face of the company, I’m so proud of her.Question: India is known for its spicy food and peppy music, have you had the chance to try either of those?Answer: Yes, yesterday I had a real lunch and I just kept thinking I can’t eat all these carbs. I have to be on Raw on Monday, but the food is delicious, it really is and believe it or not, I love the spices. I love spicy food, my boyfriend (Andrade), who I’m not shy to talk about, is Mexican and he is so intrigued and loves the fact that I love spicy food.Question: Now let’s talk a bit about you and Andrade. What do you guys talk about when you get home? Do you guys still talk shop?Answer: What do we talk about? Oh, what do we not talk about! You know, what’s so special is having someone with you that understands what you do. His grandfather was a wrestler, his dad was a wrestler, his uncles are wrestlers. Being in the industry, liking the same things, understanding the pressure, understanding the travel. But the one thing that he has been able to do I felt like when we met, I was kind of going through a rougher time in my career I just ended the rivalry with Becky and I felt like I had lost that confidence in the ring and that’s one thing that he has been able to do is bring out a different level of confidence inside the ring. We both try to teach each other things, I mean he knows everything there is to know about wrestling but little nuances or camera work or you know, just being a star. I mean he is a star in his own right, but we just come from such different backgrounds but at the same time it’s very much similar. So, we’re able to help each other that way.Question: Survivor Series is the next big Pay-per-view event for WWE and this is the first time that NXT will be a part of it. Since you yourself came through the ranks of NXT, how big is this for that roster?Answer: Oh, it’s huge! It’s an opportunity for the male and female talents to make a name for themselves. Yes, all of them have made, I mean the current roster who is actively on NXT, but this is another opportunity for them to stand out and make a name for themselves. Becky LynchCharlotte FlairIndiaric flair First Published: November 16, 2019, 1:15 PM IST
Advertisement AdvertisementNBA legend Michael Jordan and U.S. athletes rallied to LeBron James’ defense on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump questioned the star player’s intelligence in a tweet.“I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community,” Jordan, now an owner of the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Hornets, told NBC News through a spokesperson.The retired Chicago Bulls star was dragged into the argument after being name-dropped by Mr. Trump on Twitter, apparently referencing the popular debate over whether Jordan or James is the greatest basketball player of all time.The president hit out after James told CNN anchor Don Lemon in a televised interview last week that the president had “kinda used sport to divide us”.Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan’s official statement, via spokesperson, in wake of Donald Trump tweet referencing him and LeBron James: “I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community.”— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2018Even the president’s wife was supportive of James’ work with children.“It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation and just as she always has, the First Lady encourages everyone to have an open dialog about issues facing children today,” Melania Trump said in a statement issued by her spokeswoman.Also Read-NBA: President Trump insults LeBron James’s intelligence
New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Sharmila Nicollet put her name in the golfs history books by becoming the first professional golfer, male or female, to be ?voted? into a professional golf tournament. The 26-year-old six-foot tall golfer got an entry into the USD 1.5 million Shoprite Classic in New Jersey after garnered 39 per cent of the 27,652 votes polled globally on the social media platform Twitter. The ShopRite Classic will be held June 2-5 on the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway Township. While Sharmila will be given a sponsors spot into the event, India?s Aditi Ashok already has a limited status on LPGA and she is likely to make the start list, too. Aditi, two-time winner on Ladies European Tour in her Rookie season in 2016, has already played three LPGA events this season. If Aditi also figures in the start list, it would mark the first time ever two Indians will feature in an LPGA event. Sharmila, who has also played as a full member on the LET in the past, now has limited status on the same tour. She is one of the six Indians, lead by Aditi Ashok, who have playing rights in Europe. Sharmila received 39 percent of the votes cast in the weeklong poll and she finished nine percentage points ahead of Golf Channel host Blair O?Neal. Scottish golfer Carly Booth was third with 25 percent, followed by Bolivia?s Susana Benavides with six percent. In the initial stages of the poll, Blair led the numbers, but over the last three-four days, boosted by the golf fraternity of India, Sharmila slowly but steadily surged ahead to win by a very comfortable margin. The four golfers had been chosen from data compiled by MVPindex, which follows social media platforms of sports and entertainment figures. Sharmila thanked her fans on Twitter and later she was overwhelmed by the support she got from fans and supporters. The media savyy golfer, who has nearly 358,000 followers, said in a statement, “I would like to thank the sponsors ShopRite for conceiving the brilliant idea of having fans vote their choice.” “In a small way, the poll has helped boost awareness of the game in India, where it is still a niche sport.” PTI Cor AT ATadvertisement
Seventh seed Marin Cilic swept into the fourth round at Wimbledon with a 6-4 7-6(3) 6-4 win over American Steve Johnson on Friday to end an imperious opening week with a third consecutive straight sets victory.The big-serving Croat took his aces tally to 63 for the tournament as he ended Johnson’s Wimbledon run and underlined his own status as one of the main challengers to the established favourites.Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, is one of only two people, alongside Stan Wawrinka, to have won a grand slam in the last seven years outside of the game’s dominant quartet of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.Having reached the final at Queen’s in the traditional Wimbledon warmup, his grasscourt game is in good shape and he eased past Johnson with minimum fuss.The Croat took the first set when he broke in the 10th game and claimed the second in a tiebreakAfter both players struggled to hold serve at the start of the third, Cilic took control before wrapping up the contest when the American dumped a forehand return into the net.Next up for Cilic is Roberto Bautista Agut, who reached the fourth round with a shock victory over Japanese ninth seed Kei Nishikori.
Opening batsman Mark Stoneman has been selected to make his debut for England in their first day-night Test match against the West Indies, starting at Edgbaston on Thursday.The Surrey left-hander, who will become Alastair Cook’s 15th opening partner for England, was named in the side on Wednesday, the first of the three-Test series, in place of the struggling Keaton Jennings.It is the only change to the side that wrapped up a 3-1 series win over South Africa in the fourth and final Test as England still seek to find a regular partner for former captain Cook before the Ashes series against Australia this winter. (From Indoor ODI to Day-Night Tests: Innovations in cricket)Seamer Chris Woakes and spinner Mason Crane miss out on a place in the starting XI from the original 13-man squad.Captain Joe Root welcomed the inclusion of Stoneman, an experienced 30-year-old with 19 first-class hundreds to his name, telling Sky Sports: “He’s obviously got a huge amount of runs under his belt this season and in previous seasons as well.”He’s got a very well-rounded game and he’s a bit more experienced having played a lot of county cricket.”I’m excited to see him and I’d like to think he’ll get a very good opportunity and some good game time with England. This is a great opportunity for him to go out and prove how good he is.”
The second ODI between India and New Zealand will go ahead as per scheduled, sources have confirmed India Today. BCCI’s neutral curator has inspected the Pune pitch and given the go ahead to the match.India Today’s sting operation on Wednesday caught the Pune curator Pandurang Salgaonkar revealing details about the pitch and agreeing to doctor the wicket as per requirement to our reporters, who were disguised as bookies.This happened just hours before the first ball is to be bowled in the second ODI.Salgaonkar has since been barred from entering the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium and an investigation will take place against him and all those responsible behind this scandal.In what was a savage blow to the ICC and the BCCI’s stiff codes on corruption and on restrictions over outsider access to the field before matches, Salgaoncar not only accompanied India Today’s undercover reporters to the Pune pitch but also allowed them to tap it.Worse, he revealed to the reporters, posing as bookies, the wicket was a belter.”It is very good. I guess it will garner 337 (runs),” Salgaoncar disclosed.”Are you sure?” probed the journalist.”Sure and 337 will be chase-able,” the curator replied a day before the ODI. “There’s no doubt about it.”If he’s to be believed, Pune’s wicket was definitely a big-scoring paradise – a bonanza for hard-hitters on the field and for the bookies gambling on them off it.Salgaoncar, himself a former cricketer, also permitted the investigative reporters to take a test walk on the pitch and stamp it with the feet.advertisement”It’s not allowed. Still, we did it. The BCCI observer is also sitting around,” he confessed. “If someone asks me tomorrow, I’d say no one came. I don’t know.”Now, the curator guaranteed doctoring the pitch to favour one of the teams.”Two players want some bounce on the pitch. If that can be done,” asked the reporter.”It will be given,” he agreed. “I told you this is a 340-run wicket, either way,” Salgaoncar added.”That’s fine. That can be bet on. But we want (a team) to be favoured,” demanded the journalist.”That will be done good. I told you,” the pitch curator promised.
Malaysia Cup PREVIEW: Five teams vie for two remaining QF spots in Malaysia Cup matchday six Zulhilmi Zainal Last updated 2 years ago 15:15 8/9/2017 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Khairul Hairuddin/CSN Malaysia Cup Kedah v Kelantan Negeri Sembilan v PKNP Kuala Lumpur v PKNS Terengganu v Sarawak Pahang v Terengganu II UiTM v Melaka United Perak v FELDA United FELDA United PKNS Pahang Perak Terengganu Kelantan Kedah PKNP Negeri Sembilan Kuala Lumpur Sarawak Terengganu II UiTM Melaka United Check out the permutations for the Malaysia Cup group stage round six, with five teams vying for their slots, and four teams battling for top spots. BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter The domestic competitions are set to resume this weekend following a one-month international and SEA Games break, with the final round of the Malaysia Cup group stage.Six teams have already secured their places in the quarter-final stage, which means there are two remaining spots up for grabs this Saturday, between five teams in two groups.Group A Editors’ Picks ‘I’m getting better’ – Can Man Utd flop Fred save his Old Trafford career? Why Barcelona god Messi will never be worshipped in the same way in Argentina Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing In Group A, dark horse PKNP FC have secured their top spot with 10 points. Pahang are on six, while T-Team and Negeri Sembilan are on five.Three teams in the group still have the chance of finishing in second place. Pahang host T-Team at the Darulmakmur Stadium, while Negeri Sembilan face PKNP in Paroi. A win for Pahang will take them to the next stage, but if they are held by the Titans they must hope for a Negeri Sembilan defeat or draw. A defeat to T-Team will allow the visitors to pip them to second.T-Team need nothing less than a win against the home team, while the Deers’ situation is a bit more complicated. A win alone may not be enough for Negeri as Pahang have one point more than they do, while T-Team have the superior goal difference. They must defeat PKNP, while hoping that the match between Pahang and T-Team ends in a draw. If Pahang win it’s game over for them, and if T-Team emerge victorious Negeri must defeat PKNP with a margin that will overturn their current goal difference deficit (T-Team -1, Negeri -4).Group BPerak (13 points) and Felda United (11) have both confirmed their quarter-final spots, and what’s left is to decide who finish at the top. This Saturday they will face off at the Perak Stadium, with the Bos Gaurus needing only a draw to stay at the top, while the Fighters need nothing less than a win to snatch the top spot. Both teams’ current forms are almost similar while their last five encounters have ended in two wins to Perak, one to Felda and two in draws, so an entertaining match can be expected when these two sides meet this Saturday.
Felda United vs Perak on July 17. Photo by Perak TBG FacebookIn the other match, Kuala Lumpur will face PKNS FC at the Hang Jebat Stadium, with both sides no longer in contention for qualification.Group CKedah have already secured their quarter-final spot in Group C, and with a goal difference of +10, they are as good as having confirmed a first-place finish. Melaka United are second with nine points and -1 goal difference, Kelantan third with six points and -2, UiTM FC last with three and -7.Kedah host Kelantan at the Darul Aman Stadium, and the Red Warriors have an uphill battle. They need to win against a Kedah side that have rarely lost at home this season, while also hoping that UiTM, who are already unable to advance to the next stage, manage to record a shock win against Melaka. Anything less than that and Kelantan will be out.
Kedah vs Kelantan in 2016. Photo by Khairil Ajhar/Asiana.myFor the Mousedeers, a draw or a win is sufficient to take them to the Malaysia Cup knockout stage for the first time since 2007. They may still qualify even if they somehow lose to the university boys, as long as Kelantan lose to Kedah. They also still have a mathematical chance of pipping the leaders to the top spot, if Kedah lose and they manage to beat UiTM with a margin in the double digits (or if they win and Kedah somehow lose to Kelantan with a margin in the double digits).Group DThe situation in Group D is also similar to that of Group B’s, in that the top two teams, who have confirmed their qualification places, are now left vying for the top spot. Read our JDT vs Selangor preview here.
Selangor vs JDT in August. Photo by Selangor FAThe remaining match is between Terengganu and Sarawak, in Kuala Terengganu.