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Robin Martin-Jenkins, the Sussex allrounder, has announced that he will retire from first-class cricket this summer

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010

Robin Martin-Jenkins, the Sussex allrounder, has announced that he will retire from first-class cricket this summer. The current County Championship match against Worcestershire will be his last four-day match at Hove, his home ground.Robin, 35, is set to embark on a new career as a Geography and RS teacher at Hurstpierpoint College, when the new term begins this September. He won’t be available for selection after July 19, when Sussex and Worcestershire meet at a Pro 40 match at Hove.The son of leading cricket journalist, author, and cricket correspondent Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Robin made his first-class debut in 1995 and has scored 7174 runs and taken 378 wickets. He had a better career as a bowler in limited-overs games, taking 234 wickets and scoring 1996 runs in 228 matches.”I could have carried on, but I didn’t want to get to the stage where I was holding on too long and not performing,” Robin said. “I’m still enjoying it and I’m going out in a period when I’m still playing well, but I’ve been given a fantastic opportunity outside of cricket now and I intend to grab it with both hands. It’s a good time for the club too as there are some excellent young players coming through.”It’s been amazing to play for the club in what has been probably their greatest decade ever, it’s been a great honour. Yes, there were some tough times when I first broke into the team but that made guys like me stronger cricketers, and we reaped the rewards with the countless trophies we went on to win”.Robin was talked of as a potential allrounder for England, but never made the grade. “I have no regrets. I have always given my all throughout my career and I’ve been very proud to play for Sussex,” Robin added.Sussex chairman Jim May said Robin was a fantastic servant to the county over 15 seasons. “He has played a vital role in our sustained success and has certainly been an unsung hero of our three County Championship winning sides,” May said. “Not only is he an excellent allrounder, but he is also one of the genuinely nicest guys in the game. All of us here at Sussex are disappointed that Robin is leaving us whilst he is in the form of his life, but at the same time we are delighted that he has planned the next phase of his career, and we wish him well”.

The windy city
The first three days didn’t feature the windiest of Wellington’s conditions but come day four, the weather was wild. Extreme wind and blowy rain delayed the start of play by half an hour and getting the covers on was a hassle. Worse came for the groundstaff when the rain stopped. The big cover used for the square was carried to the boundary before blowing away, and only one tenacious man managed to hang on to it and prevent it flying over the fence and out of the ground, although he was dragged quite a few metres in the process. Meanwhile, a member of the groundstaff was standing on the smaller cover still on the pitch. The cover blew out from under his feet and he landed with a thud on the pitchAll Black support
The north-westerly wind gusts of up to 120kph also blew the roller over before play and later in the day the helmet sitting behind Brad Haddin rolled away to fine leg. It caused problems for the fans sitting on the grassy hill, where only a few hardy souls braved the conditions. One of the most prominent amongst them was Jason Eaton, the lock for the All Blacks. Eaton has the protection of some magnificent facial hair and was hiding under a tarpaulin, but showed his toughness by wearing shorts under the covers. The Met Service called the wind a gale but advised that only one layer of clothing was required, so tough are those New Zealanders. The Australian fielders, shivering in their shirts and vests, didn’t agree.Six and out of the ground
The Basin Reserve feels like a small-town ground and the match started to seem like a club game with all the comical events of the day. It all culminated in Nathan Hauritz leaving the premises and venturing out onto Rugby Street to look for the ball after Brendon McCullum hooked a six off Mitchell Johnson. Hauritz might have been risking life and limb on one of the busiest roads in Wellington and he came back empty-handed. The ground announcer casually told the spectators “well, we’ve lost the ball,” but soon afterwards a fan found it and play resumed. “It crashed into a van,” Hauritz said. “So I thought it would have been still around there but it was nowhere to be found. I don’t know where it went. The traffic wasn’t beeping at me or anything like that.”Mitch uses his head, again
Johnson’s head-clash with Scott Styris sparked up the one-day series and he used his noggin again today, though not deliberately. When the players were walking out after a short bad-light delay – another farcical element as it lasted about ten minutes just after lunch – the umpire Ian Gould bowled the ball to Johnson, who was starting up for Australia. Unfortunately, Johnson wasn’t watching and the ball hit him in the head. Two balls later, Johnson missed a caught-and-bowled chance off Daniel Vettori and nearly copped another blow to the skull.Visiting the ref
Daniel Vettori’s journey up the grandstands to the match referee’s room on the third day caused a tense Q&A between Mark Greatbatch and a New Zealand reporter. However, Javagal Srinath cleared up the issue the following day and said that Vettori’s visit was nothing out of the ordinary. “He wanted to clarify something,” Srinath said. “Look, I go down and talk to them all the time. It was just that he wanted to understand the way the caught-behind was working. That’s it. There was nothing really serious about it. It was not unusual. The problem was that he had to walk through the public to come all the way up here to talk to me. But it is not a new thing that has happened. It has happened several times.”

The BCCI has suspended Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, for “alleged acts of individual misdemeanours”

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2010The BCCI has suspended Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, for “alleged acts of individual misdemeanours”, bringing down the curtains on one particularly unsavoury episode in the BCCI’s history but very possibly leaving the door open for more twists in this saga. Modi’s three-year reign was effectively ended moments after the conclusion of the tournament final in Mumbai on Sunday and he responded in melodramatic fashion with an emotional speech at the awards ceremony.The suspension notice was served on him by Rajeev Shukla, a BCCI vice-president, at the conclusion of Sunday’s game, with N Srinivasan, the board secretary, sending an email to the same effect. It followed a day of negotiations with interlocutors attempting to persuade Modi to resign but pre-empted a potentially flashpoint at Monday’s scheduled IPL governing council meeting, which Modi had said he would attend. He is now officially barred from participating in the affairs of the Board, the IPL and any other committee of the BCCI and has 15 days to respond to the charges levelled at him.The public confirmation of his suspension came in a statement from BCCI president Shashank Manohar issued shortly after the end of Sunday’s final. “Alleged acts of individual misdemeanours of Mr Lalit K Modi, chairman IPL and vice president BCCI, have brought a bad name to the administration of cricket and the game itself,” it said.”I have waited for IPL 2010 to conclude in order to respond to the situation as I did not want the event to be disrupted in any manner. Immediately after the conclusion of the IPL final, the secretary, BCCI Mr N Srinivasan has in consultation with me issued a show cause notice to Mr. Lalit K Modi under Rule 32 (iv) calling upon him to show cause within 15 days why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. Simultaneously, in exercise of the powers vested in me under Rule 32 (vii), I have suspended Mr. Lalit K Modi from participating in the affairs of the Board, the IPL, the working committee and any other committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.”Modi had apparently received that notice by the time he went up to the podium for the post-match presentations, and it prompted an emotional, lengthy speech. “We have had some off field unpleasant dramas only based on innuendo, half truths and motivated leaks from all kinds of sources,” he said. “I assure you all decisions have been taken jointly by the governing council and approved by the general body… Still, as the leader of the team, if there is any flouting of rules or any other financial irregularity, I will take full responsibility.”Earlier, before he received the notice, he had taken a similar combative stand while talking to . Informed of the imminent suspension, he said: “”Good for them. Are they so scared of me attending? Are they so scared of the truth?”His allusion was to the growing perception that Modi alone was not responsible for the alleged misdemeanours, that there were other, possibly more powerful forces at play as well. Those forces would have preferred Modi to resign, resulting in a swift and clean break, rather than be sacked, which would necessitate a formal inquiry and the production of potentially damaging documents.In any case, Modi’s suspension rules him out of Monday’s IPL governing council meeting. The meeting had been convened by Srinivasan but Modi had, on Sunday evening, sent out an agenda that included “a discussion on any complaints received in writing from members of the governing council against the chairman, other members of the council and/or the BCCI.”It also said members of the governing council “had been requested to give all such complaints in writing with the requisite supporting documents”.The agenda is now likely to focus more on life after Lalit: picking an interim IPL chairman and working out a plan for the future. BCCI sources say for the moment Manohar will himself take charge of the IPL sub-committee. The first few weeks are likely to be spent in a clean-up operation and a scrutiny of the Modi-era transactions.The actual management of the league is likely to be handed over to a CEO – probably appointed from outside – with reduced powers but greater assistance. He could be assisted by department heads for marketing, finance, logistics and the like.

After an impressive start to life as Aston Villa manager, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard returned to Anfield on Saturday, looking to build on his side’s recent run of three league wins from four.

Despite a battling performance, the Villans left Merseyside empty-handed as Mo Salah’s 67th-minute penalty separated the two teams.

With the Reds the league’s top scorers with 44 goals prior to the match, the Midlands club were always going to need their front men to perform if they were to come away with a result, particularly Ollie Watkins. However, the striker had a quiet afternoon at Anfield.

Starting in a front three alongside Ashley Young and Jacob Ramsey, Watkins struggled to make any sort of impact, with the centre-forward failing to get a single shot away.

Furthermore, according to SofaScore, the 25-year-old lost possession 14 times alongside making just 36 touches, meaning that he lost the ball every 2.57 touches. There was a lack of physical presence up front from Villa’s talisman too as Watkins lost 75% of his duels.

The £44k-p/w forward has made a good start to life under Gerrard, scoring against Brighton and Manchester City under the 41-year-old since he replaced Dean Smith, and there is still little doubt that Watkins is the club’s best striker, his four league goals the most of anyone in Villa’s squad so far this season.

However, fellow forward Danny Ings returned from injury on Saturday, having not played for three games, which will increase competition in the attacking department once again. The two started alongside each other in Gerrard’s first game against Brighton, with Ings playing as a centre-forward and Watkins playing on the left of a front three.

It’s plausible that this could happen again, but if both were to purely play in their preferred centre-forward role, then one would have to miss out. This must be used as an incentive for Watkins has his place in the starting line-up is at greater risk after today’s soporific performance, especially with the renewed availability of Ings.

In other news: Aston Villa can start January with a bang by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated machine

Wolves’ Premier League clash with Chelsea this weekend is still going ahead ‘as things stand’, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers, but it’s ‘definitely not nailed on’.

The Lowdown: Wolves take on Chelsea

Wanderers picked up an important 1-0 victory away to Brighton in midweek, with Romain Saiss’ goal earning them all three points.

Next up for Wolves is Sunday’s visit of Chelsea, with the Blues’ form dropping in recent weeks, having looked like title favourites at one point.

It is a chance for Bruno Lage’s side to record a significant victory, as they look to show they can finish in the European places season.

The latest: Spiers gives key update

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers said Sunday’s game is still going ahead currently, but warned the fixture is not set in stone due to the issues within the Blues’ squad:

“Nope definitely not nailed on, as things stand Wolves are fine but Chelsea have a number of cases so it depends how bad their situation is today/tomorrow.”

Spiers’ update went under the radar somewhat – just one of his nearly 60,000 followers saw and liked the tweet.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

The weekend clash is an exciting one on paper and a chance for Wolves to clinch a huge scalp, so the hope is of course that it still goes ahead.

Lage’s men are arguably facing Chelsea at an ideal time, with Thomas Tuchel’s side only winning two of their last five Premier League games, while they will want to avoid a fixture pile-up further down the line.

That being said, it is still a huge challenge for Wolves, who will be desperate to go one better and improve on their narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool and Manchester City.

In other news, Luke Hatfield wants Wolves to make a move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa and Leicester City have approached Rangers over midfielder Joe Aribo, according to Fichajes.net, with the clubs hoping to complete a deal before he plays another game at Ibrox.

The lowdown

25-year-old Aribo is in the final 18 months of his £14,000-per-week contract at Ibrox.

The midfield maestro, who can also play on the right, joined Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic in 2019 and has gone to make 123 appearances for the club.

He’s now valued at £5.85million by Transfermarkt, a figure that’s soared since the summer of 2020.

The latest

The report claims Steven Gerrard has ‘expressly requested’ the signing of Aribo as he looks to reunite with the player in the Midlands.

Leicester are at a ‘disadvantage’, but their midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is a ‘great friend’ of Aribo and will try and convince his countryman to pick The Foxes.

Both clubs have ‘already contacted’ Rangers but if they’re to do a deal in January, it’ll most likely have to be before Aribo ‘concentrates’ on the Africa Cup of Nations.

UK-based players are expected to link up with the Nigeria squad on Monday, January 3, meaning Aribo has played his last game for the Light Blues if one of the buyers get their wish.

The verdict

Could Aribo have played his last game for Rangers? Well, if Villa and Leicester are wary of losing out to each other, they may well try to fast-track the deal in the next week.

While they would be furnished with the funds to replace him, losing Aribo would undoubtedly be a big blow to Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

He’s started 19 out of a possible 20 Premiership matches and ranks as their second-highest performer according to WhoScored metrics, behind only James Tavernier.

Aribo, who’s scored six goals and provided three assists in the SPFL, has been hailed as a ‘gem’ and the ‘best player in the league’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, so the club must ensure they bank a huge profit if they opt to cash in.

In other news, Rangers have been linked with this Spanish sensation.

تم إيقاف كل من مدرب حراس مرمى ليفربول جون أختربرخ ودان هودجز من نيوكاسل، وفُرضَت عليهما غرامة بسبب أحداث مباراة الفريقين في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز الشهر الماضي.

اشتبك الثنائي في أعقاب فوز ليفربول في الوقت المحتسب بدل الضائع حين سجل فابيو كارفالو الهدف، في 31 أغسطس الماضي.

سجل كارفاليو في الدقيقة 98 بعد “5 دقائق على الأقل” من الوقت الإضافي، الذي أشير إليه، لكن الهدف أثار اشتباك في خط التماس بين الاثنين.

اعترف كل من أختربرخ وهودجز “بسلوك غير لائق”، كما وافق مدرب حراس مرمى ليفربول على أنه استخدم “إيماءات مسيئة ومهينة”. هدف فابيو كارفاليو في مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل

تلقى الثنائي حظرًا لمباراة واحدة على خط التماس، وتم تحذيرهما بشأن سلوكهما المستقبلي، مع تغريم أختربرخ 7 آلاف جنيه إسترليني، وهودجز 6 آلاف جنيه إسترليني، كما أفادت صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية.

واجه المنافسون بعضهم البعض بعد أن سجل كارفاليو آخر ركلة في المباراة، وألقى أحد أعضاء فريق نيوكاسل أشياء في اتجاه المنطقة الفنية للفريق المضيف.

كان يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول وطاقمه غاضبين من إضاعة لاعبي نيوكاسل للوقت بسبب إصاباتهم.

South Africa have discussed how to get on top of Eoin Morgan after feeling the force of his striking during the first Twenty20 international

Cricinfo staff14-Nov-2009For the second time in two internationals against England, South Africa have felt the full force of Eoin Morgan. His swashbuckling 45-ball 85 at the Wanderers followed his crucial 67 off 32 deliveries in the Champions Trophy, as he flayed South Africa around Centurion. Now the home side have promised to come up with new plans to shackle Morgan’s free-scoring, as they aim to level the Twenty20 series.Dale Steyn was taken for 40 in four overs, while Albie Morkel was dispatched for 32 from two, as South Africa struggled to stem the tide. Only Ryan McLaren escaped the worst of the punishment to take 3 for 33 and Jacques Kallis, who sat out the opening game, said the strategy has already been discussed.”He [Morgan] played really well, hit some really big sixes and is quite adaptable as well. He’s quite a tough guy to bowl to, but we have sat down and come up with a few ideas which we will hopefully implement tomorrow and over the next few one day games. Hopefully that works for us.”Although Kallis will return to the South Africa line-up, he won’t bowl – which probably isn’t too much of a disappointment with the form of England’s middle order – as he makes a cautious comeback following a recent side injury.South Africa captain Graeme Smith also praised Morgan after his recent first-hand experience of the left-hander’s power and the injection of life he has given England. “He’s a dynamic player in that middle order,” Smith said. “He’s one of those players that has really transformed England in the shorter formats of the game.”Morgan has embodied England’s new, expansive attitude to limited-overs batting which came about following the depressing 6-1 defeat against Australia in September. It was during those humbling matches that Morgan first showed what he was capable of at the top level with 58 off 41 balls at Trent Bridge, albeit in a losing cause.Despite his success, though, Morgan still insists he is finding his feet at international level. “Again, I think I’m far from cementing my place in the side,” he said. “It’s a building block towards where I want to be, but I was certainly happy with the way I did play. But I’ve only played a handful of games and I’ve still a long way to go.”

With his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023 and after scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions so far this season, it’s been no secret that Liverpool have been trying to tie down Mohamed Salah to a new deal in recent weeks and months.

With this in mind and the matter still unresolved, football journalist Fabrizio Romano had something to share on the current situation, which we think should excite Liverpool fans a lot.

What’s the latest?

Appearing on a recent edition of Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE Podcast (via Empire of the Kop), Romano revealed that Liverpool are “optimistic” about the chances of Salah putting pen to paper on a new deal at the Merseyside club.

He said: “They are negotiating, they are in talks. Liverpool want to do it as soon as possible, not in April or May, they want to do it in the next weeks or months.”

Since joining the Reds back in the 2017 summer transfer window from AS Roma for a fee of £34m, the 29-year-old – who is currently valued at £90m by Transfermarkt – has made 215 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions. In that time, he has comfortably cemented himself as a crucial figure for Liverpool, with 140 goals and 52 assists to his name.

Considering what Romano had to say and what Salah has delivered for Liverpool on the pitch since his arrival at Anfield, it would be safe to assume that Kopites would be delighted to see the winger sign a new deal at the club in the near future.

In our view, given how important Salah has proven over the years and how much of a consistent goalscorer he has been for the Reds, we feel that Liverpool and their owners should be doing all they can to make sure that Salah signs a new deal to keep him at the club and continue doing what he has been ever since he arrived.

If that means offering him more money in terms of his weekly wages, duly making him the highest earner at the club, we feel this is an expense worth taking if it keeps Salah at Anfield beyond 2023.

In other news: Klopp must unleash “important” Liverpool beast on Saturday, he’d terrify Brighton

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, with the Englishman falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

The Lowdown: Barkley out of favour

The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, but since returning, he has struggled to impress Blues manager Thomas Tuchel.

Barkley has played just seven minutes of Premier League action this season and hasn’t made a single start in any competition to date.

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The Latest: Leeds eye up move

According to 90min, Leeds are one of several clubs eyeing up a move for Barkley, with a potential January exit on the cards, and Marcelo Bielsa actually wanted him last year too.

Burnley and Newcastle United are also credited with showing an interest in the 33-time capped England international, who wants to leave Chelsea.

The Magpies may be one to watch with their new found riches, especially as Callum Wilson hailed Barkley as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘unreal’ earlier this year.

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The Verdict: Risky

Barkley has outstanding natural ability – he has ‘magic’, according to Clinton Morrison – but he has never reached his potential as a player, enjoying promising runs of form but ultimately never making the grade at Chelsea.

He could be a superb signing for Leeds, bringing drive and unpredictability in midfield areas, but Bielsa would have a tough job getting consistently strong performances out of him if his recent form is anything to go by.

Given the price the Blues would likely want for what is an English talent entering his prime at 27, we believe this is one the Whites should avoid.

In other news, Gary Neville has mocked Leeds for one key reason. Read more here.