All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham United are currently sitting pretty in fifth position in the Premier League table as David Moyes’ charges aim to upset the odds once again this season by finishing in a European qualification spot.

A strong start to the campaign saw the Hammers lose just one of their opening nine fixtures in all competitions, but their recent form has been in sharp contrast.

Following the latest international break back in November, West Ham have won just one top-flight game – albeit a thrilling 3-2 victory over Champions League holders Chelsea – seeing them drop out of the top four.

Injuries to first-choice centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have significantly undermined the capital club’s efforts, yet it’s their issues at the other end of the pitch that will be giving Moyes the most cause for concern.

Star striker Michail Antonio started 2021/22 in remarkable form, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in his opening 11 games of the season in all competitions.

However, since then, the Jamaica international has looked a shadow of his former self. In his subsequent eight outings, the 31-year-old has failed to find the back of the net, adding just one assist to his tally.

Antonio’s woes have heavily contributed to the east London outfit’s current goal drought, spanning over 270 minutes of football, meaning Moyes must add further reinforcements up front over the January transfer window.

Since Sebastien Haller departed the London Stadium last winter, the former Nottingham Forest ace has been the only recognised striker in West Ham’s first-team squad.

As a result, an over-reliance on Antonio as a source of goals has developed and Moyes currently has no alternative options to call upon in order to rest his star man as his nightmare in front of goal continues.

But the solution to their attacking woes could be an obvious one after the capital club were linked with a move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), the Irons are keen on launching a bid for the 22-year-old talisman in January, although they are set to face extensive competition for his signature.

The 6 foot 1 beast has been sensational for the Primeira Liga table-toppers this term, bagging a sensational 14 goals in 19 appearances, taking his tally up to 28 for the Eagles.

Darwin’s eye-catching performances saw talent scout Jacek Kulig laud his “world-class potential” last year, and now he’s beginning to fulfil it.

Therefore, Moyes must move for the Uruguay international in order to get West Ham’s season back on track, providing some much-needed cover and competition for Antonio along the way.

This is well and truly a signing that could end the Jamaica international’s misery in offensive areas. They have to sign him.

And, in other news…Moyes can seal West Ham masterclass with move for “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated “monster” 

Aston Villa’s youth will have ‘an opportunity to shine again’ in the injury-enforced absence of Leon Bailey. 

That’s according to the former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Bailey, a goalscorer in the 3-0 win over Everton last weekend, will miss at least two matches with a thigh strain.

Manager Dean Smith hopes he’ll be ready to return for the first game after the international break, but can’t be sure just yet.

With Trezeguet, another winger, out long-term, Dean Smith’s options include Anwar El Ghazi, Bertrand Traore and Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

19-year-old Philogence-Bidace is awaiting a full Premier League debut after making two substitute appearances.

He was handed a 26-minute run-out in the Carabao Cup defeat against Chelsea in midweek and ‘impressed’, according to Shropshire Star journalist Matt Maher.

The latest

Whelan has backed Villa to cope with the blow of losing Bailey by turning to their pool of talented youngsters.

“A month is quite a long time,” he said. “It’s not ideal but Aston Villa are another team that play a lot of young players.

“They’ll look at them and go: ‘We have got back up. It’s an opportunity for them to shine again.'”

The verdict

Philogene-Bidace has been directly involved in eight goals (scoring five and assisting three more) in 18 appearances at Premier League 2 level, and Smith has now deemed him ‘capable of competing’ in the men’s top-flight.

He’s still a little way down the pecking order, and Villa face two of the trickiest away fixtures before the break, travelling first to Manchester United and then to Spurs.

Will Smith look to him to inspire the team if they’re trailing? It may be a little early for that, but what a show of faith it would be.

In other news, fans react to images that have surfaced pre-United. 

Taking to Twitter, reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared news on Aaron Ramsey and his future at Juventus as West Ham reportedly keep tabs.

The Lowdown: West Ham make contact…

As per a recent claim, both West Ham, and by extension new recruitment chief Rob Newman, are supposedly eyeing a move for the Wales international.

It appears the midfielder is a target for manager David Moyes with a report from Italy suggesting West Ham are well in contention for his signature.

The Serie A giants are eager to rid themselves of Ramsey and his sky high €7 million-per-year (£5.9m) salary wages and it is believed by Calciomercato, as also shared by Sport Witness, that the Hammers have made tentative contact over a move.

Once aiming to recuperate a fee of around €20m (£16.9m) for the player, Juventus may have to settle for less as both West Ham and Everton lurk (Calciomercato via Sport Witness).

The Latest: Romano drops Twitter update…

Taking to Twitter, another Italian source in Romano has shared the latest on Ramsey and what the future holds for him.

According to the journalist’s sources, the Wales international is indeed ‘out of the plans’ at Juventus with the Old Lady ‘planning to find a solution’ to sell in January.

“Juventus are still planning to find a solution to sell Aaron Ramsey in January. He’s out of the plans and looking for a potential new challenge.…while Juan Cuadrado will soon extend his contract with Juventus – and Paulo Dybala too.” Romano explained on social media.

The Verdict: Time to swoop?

Given Juve’s desperation to offload the 30-year-old, we believe this could put West Ham in a fairly strong negotiating position if they maintain their interest by the winter window.

Out of contract in 2023, time is arguably running out for the European heavyweights to make any substantial fee off Ramsey’s sale and their eagerness to cut his salary off the books could also be an advantage to West Ham.

The question remains, though, can he really add another degree of quality to Moyes’ high-flying Hammers?

Lauded as a ‘world class’ by international teammate Joe Allen, the former Arsenal star certainly has Premier League pedigree – having netted 65 goals and a further 65 assists during his time at the Emirates Stadium (Transfermarkt).

He also impressed in flashes at Euro 2020, indicating the ability is still there, but Ramsey’s lofty salary may point to a real stumbling block for West Ham given their highest earner is currently Kurt Zouma on just £120,000-per-week (spotrac).

Priorities debatably lie elsewhere for Moyes as concerns still linger over striker Michail Antonio’s fitness record and their lack of a natural striker alternative.

Resultingly, we believe other transfer targets who can fill that void, like Andrea Belotti and Adam Hlozek, are far more crucial to get through the door than Ramsey.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham move for ‘world class’ 32-goal striker could now be on the cards, find out more here.

An update has emerged regarding a possible move to Newcastle for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Frenchman’s agent has been in contact with the Magpies over a potential transfer in 2022.

The report claims that his representatives are speaking with both Newcastle and Juventus as his Barcelona contract continues to wind down. Both clubs will be able to secure a pre-contract agreement with the forward in January, as his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Could be a dream deal for Newcastle

PIF must take advantage of this situation with Dembele and strike a January deal for his services. They are in talks with his agent and that suggests there is a realistic chance of something happening between the two parties, as otherwise they would be wasting their own time.

The biggest stumbling block could be the challenge of Juventus, but Newcastle could tempt him with the prospect of regular first-team football and an opportunity to play in the Premier League. In Turin, he may not be a regular first-choice starter ahead of the likes of Federico Chiesa, Paulo Dybala and Dejan Kulusevski.

Bringing Dembele to St James’ Park could be a dream deal for Newcastle as he has proven himself at the top level whilst still having plenty of room to develop even further. The forward has scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in his last 42 starts for the Spanish giants in La Liga, showing that he can provide quality in the final third.

Former Barcelona icon and current PSG forward Lionel Messi once lauded the French attacker as a ‘phenomenon’ whilst playing alongside him. The Argentine said: “On the pitch he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best. He’s young and he is adapting.”

If Messi rates the £45m-rated wing wizard highly, that says a lot about the talent he possesses. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner believes that Dembele has a very high ceiling and Newcastle could help him get there by offering a platform to excel in the top-flight in England.

Therefore, PIF must ensure that they can pin him down to a pre-contract agreement in January by negotiating terms with his agent. He could improve the current squad with his goals and assists whilst still holding the potential, at the age of 24, to increase his value and improve further in the future, which is why it would be a dream deal for the Tyneside club.

AND in other news, “Comfortably spend…”: Chris Waugh drops big Newcastle claim which should delight fans…

Aston Villa will be looking to start Steven Gerrard’s tenure with back-to-back victories when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Villans secured all three points against Brighton and Hove Albion last time out thanks to two late goals from Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins, but Gerrard’s charges are set for another tricky test when they come up against an in-form Palace side currently enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run.

Under Patrick Vieira, the south London outfit have already seen off the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City this season, and they’ll be confident of sealing another positive result on home territory. However, Villa will have a potentially lethal weapon in their armoury when they take on the Eagles.

Summer signing Danny Ings has settled well into life at Villa Park following his £25m move from Southampton, and he brings with him an enviable goalscoring record against Palace.

In his last 10 outings when facing the Eagles, Ings has notched up an impressive five goals, showcasing his ability to get the better of Vicente Guaita and co on a regular basis.

The £19.8m-rated striker put in a disappointing display in Gerrard’s first game in charge, though, and was replaced by Leon Bailey after just 66 minutes of action.

However, with the Jamaica international still settling into his new surroundings, becoming accustomed to his new teammates and getting back to full fitness, he may be best suited to a place on the substitutes’ bench once again.

On his day, Ings can be an unstoppable force in the Premier League. His remarkable 22-goal haul in the 2019/20 campaign was evidence of that, leading to talkSPORT pundit Clinton Morrison calling him “first class”.

A return of three goals and two assists in his first 10 games for Villa is further evidence of the diminutive forward’s clinical nature, and Gerrard must keep faith in the 29-year-old’s ability.

Ings is a predator who can win a game in an instant, and the 41-year-old tactician would be wise to allow his fellow Englishman another opportunity to showcase his true potential against Palace, especially considering his previous form when facing the Eagles.

In other news… Gerrard could be heading for his first AVFC disaster over £31.5m-rated “absolute joy” 

Just when Australia thought they had a chance for a modicum of Ashes revenge, rain thwarted a fiery start by Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson at Old Trafford

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford30-Aug-2009Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outCameron White starred with the bat in conditions that were not ideal for Twenty20 hitting•Getty ImagesJust when Australia thought they had a chance for a modicum of Ashes revenge, rain thwarted a fiery start by Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson at Old Trafford. The pace pair ripped out England’s latest Twenty20 opening duo – Joe Denly first ball on debut and Ravi Bopara – to reduce them to 4 for 2 in the second over chasing 146. Australia’s total was better than it appeared on a tricky, two-paced surface where only Cameron White excelled with a powerful 55 from 36 balls. However, after seven balls of the run chase, rain, which delayed the second innings, returned with vengeance and didn’t relent.When it had done, for a brief period, the Australians looked primed to make their mark. Lee steamed in from the Stretford End and claimed Denly with his first ball at England’s new opener. It was a short ball, something the tourists had been practicing, and Denly could only splice a catch to square leg. At nearly 90mph, it was considerably quicker than anything he’d faced against Ireland. Denly had a poor day after also dropping White at backward point on 12.Lee followed the wicket with a no-ball to Jonathan Trott, but the free hit was edged towards the slips and Trott could barely get bat on ball for the rest of the over. At the other the end the pace was no less extreme from Johnson and Bopara’s poor international form continued when he flayed loosely outside off and sent a high catch to first slip. Both openers will get another chance on Tuesday – weather permitting – and England need to settle on a first-wicket combination. This is their 13th pair in 21 Twenty20 innings – it was certainly unlucky for Denly and Bopara.But that was that, as far as this match was concerned. A dull, cold, wet day in Manchester can be a fairly grim place and even during the action that did take place the Twenty20 atmosphere was subdued. That was partly down to the scoring-rate, as Australia laboured at around a run-a-ball for three quarters of their innings before White’s 55 increased the rate in the last five overs.In total Australia managed just six fours in their innings alongside White’s three sixes as England exploited a two-paced surface with clever changes of pace. The final five overs brought 52 thanks to White’s hitting and some scampering, although the last two only cost 14 and Michael Clarke finished on a very un-Twenty20 27 from 34 deliveries.Stuart Broad made the initial breakthrough with the first ball of his second over when Watson spliced a pull to midwicket where Bopara – not always the safest fielder – took the catch on the edge of the circle. Paul Collingwood rotated his seamers in short spells, but it was the introduction of the captain himself that had the biggest impact. Operating in cutter mode, and finding considerable turn, Collingwood trapped David Warner leg before as he swung across the line, although the batsman was unlucky as the ball pitched outside leg stump. Two balls later David Hussey, who slammed 111 against Scotland, had a charge at his second ball and was smartly stumped by the increasingly impressive Matt Prior.White finally added to the boundary count when he drove Collingwood inside-out through cover and he was given a life in the next over as Denly, on debut, spilled the fairly straightforward chance at backward point off Anderson. White was the only batsman to look comfortable in the conditions and began to open his shoulders during the final five overs.A powerful pull over deep midwicket off Broad brought up the 100 with the first six of the innings and he followed that by depositing Graeme Swann over long-on. He saved the sweetest of his strikes to reach a 33-ball half-century as he flicked Ryan Sidebottom onto the committee balcony.Sidebottom produced an excellent final over, but didn’t hide his annoyance when Luke Wright missed the simple catch at long-on off Adam Voges from the penultimate ball. His anger towards team-mates’ mistakes has been an issue before, and time away from the team hasn’t dulled his passion. The real frustration, though, was the weather. Everyone will try again in two days.

Crystal Palace are interested in Manchester City teenager James McAtee, according to The Athletic’s Sam Lee. 

The lowdown

McAtee made his senior City debut as a substitute in last month’s 6-1 EFL Cup victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

Pep Guardiola deployed him at left-back that day, but he’s predominantly a central midfielder.

He boasts a seriously impressive record at Under-23 level, with 33 direct goal contributions (19 goals, 14 assists) in 35 appearances (via Transfermarkt). Across all youth levels for City, he has bagged a remarkable 35 goals and 24 assists.

City under-18s Head Coach Carlos Vicens issued a glowing endorsement of McAtee, hailing him a ‘winner’.

Pep Guardiola has apparently ‘earmarked’ him as one of five young talents ‘who will feature around the first team this season’, and so City rebuffed ‘several loan approaches’.

The latest

The report from Lee states that Palace and West Ham United have been ‘keeping tabs’ on McAtee.

However, it’s the Eagles’ rivals, Brighton, whose interest is most advanced. They’ve seen an £8million bid rejected by the reigning champions.

Brighton believe an ‘expedited route to first-team football’ could tempt the player, but City’s stance is robust: ‘he is not for sale at any price’.

The verdict

Even though City are doing their best to ward off any interest – no surprise given McAtee’s outstanding record – Palace, Brighton and West Ham shouldn’t give up on this one.

Is there a team in world football more difficult for a youngster to break into? Will he really displace the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva?

And if McAtee doesn’t see a path, perhaps he will look to his force his way out, while Palace have already shown to be a good home for young and dynamic midfielders making their way from mega clubs – just look at Conor Gallagher.

In other news, fans flocked to Matt Woosnam’s post on Eberechi Eze. 

Sriram Veera previews the first Test at Kingstown

The Preview by Sriram Veera09-Jul-2009Match facts Thursday, July 9, 2009
Start time 10.00am (14.00 GMT)
The Big PictureDale Richards will be the key if West Indies are to post competitive totals•The NationTumultuous events have led to West Indies playing a second-string team but it gives Bangladesh a great opportunity to win an away series for the first time. Will they seize the moment? It won’t be easy – Bangladesh aren’t a great Test team and West Indies, however depleted they may be, are playing at home. It could, however, turn out to be an interesting – and closely fought – Test series.The visitors have a new captain in Mashrafe Mortaza and it would be interesting to see if his predecessor Mohammad Ashraful flourishes as a batsman without the responsibility of leading the side. Ashraful’s career has mirrored that of Bangladesh cricket: very talented but ultimately disappointing. They have had some splendid, though sporadic, results in ODIs but as Mortaza himself put it, “Our performance in Tests has been nothing to write home about.” This series against a depleted West Indies team offers a great chance to reorganise and start getting consistent.On the other hand, West Indies have nine uncapped players in the squad and a captain who last played for West Indies nearly ten years ago. Not many are going to criticise this team if it loses the series. In that sense, the pressure is off them and it’s an opportunity for the likes of Kraigg Braithwaite, a prolific 16-year old batsman, and the 32-year old opener Dale Richards to showcase their talent.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
West Indies- LLDDDBangladesh – LLLLDWatch out for …Shakib Al Hasan is arguably the most valuable player in the Bangladesh team. A world-class allrounder, he will be the player West Indies will be most wary of. Shakib’s stellar performance in the Test series against South Africa drew praise from former Australian legspinner Kerry O’Keefe, who said he was the “world’s best finger spinner at the moment”.Dale Richards, the Barbados opening batsman, is the one of the most consistent openers in West Indies domestic cricket. He was slated to make his Test debut against England earlier this year but was sidelined by a foot injury.Team newsBangladesh have already announced their XI, with Test debuts to Mahmudullah and fast bowler Rubel Hossain. Both have played ODIs the the country and Rubel has established himself as among the quickest in the pace attack. Mahmudullah, who bowls offspin, can expect a fair bit of bowling and will partner Shakib Al Hasan.Bangladesh Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel HossainWest Indies (from) Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Floyd Reifer (capt), Travis Dowlin, Chadwick Walton (wk), Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal, Andre Creary, Nikita Miller, Kraigg Brathwaite, David Bernard.Stats and trivia Bangladesh’s average runs-per-wicket of 29.41 in West Indies is theirbest while playing overseas. They drew a Test the lasttime they played a series in the Caribbean, their only such achievementoutside their country.West Indies have played six Test series since the start of 2008 and have only wonone, against England earlier this year, and lost three.The average age of the Bangladesh squad is 22.Shakib Al Hasan has taken more than a quarter – 27.8% – of the wicketsby Bangladesh in the Tests he’s played – 35 out of 126. Mohammad Ashraful averaged just 22.58 in his 13 Tests as captain – thelowest for a frontline batsman who has captained hisside in 10 or more Tests since 2005.Quotes”We would like to play against Chris Gayle, [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul and others. I know they are world-class players but still we want to play them because we can learn so many things when those guys are batting or bowling.”
“It’s going to be an exciting time. We’ll just have to do our best, won’t we? But this is the way it goes in professional sport these days. We’ve got a new group of players, there’s some exciting players amongst them and it’s going to be an interesting series. Bangladesh are not an easy cricket team. They have played some good cricket in the last 12 months, they are an improving team. So we’ll have our hands full to do well against them.”

West Indies didn’t win a Test and failed to regain the Frank Worrell Trophy but the contest was much tighter than the 2-0 Australian victory suggests

Brydon Coverdale at the WACA20-Dec-2009Numbers can be deceiving, as Australia know all too well. They felt as though they were the better team in the Ashes this year, yet lost 2-1. West Indies will fly out of Australia with a similar reaction – they didn’t win a Test and failed to regain the Frank Worrell Trophy but the contest was much tighter than the 2-0 Australian victory suggests.Consider the following: West Indies players scored four centuries in the series to Australia’s none; at the WACA they bowled Australia out for their lowest total in a home Test in almost 13 years; they had a realistic chance of winning on the final day in Adelaide and Perth; and Chris Gayle was the Player of the Series. West Indies are often unpredictable but none of those things could have been expected after they were skittled out in three days in the opening Test at the Gabba.That result was enough to prompt derision from critics and scare Cricket Australia into thinking the summer might be a one-sided dud. The former Australian captain Kim Hughes even called for West Indies to be axed from the Test cricket family. But after a long, frank discussion following the Brisbane debacle, West Indies found resolve, and soon enough gained respect.”I think people look at us now and think a bit differently, based on how we went about this series, even though we lost 2-0,” the captain Gayle said. “I definitely know from Australia’s point of view we’ve gained a bit more respect from them. They know it wasn’t going to be a pushover, and only in the first match did they actually walk over us.”Arguably their most pleasing discovery was that their captain still has the patience for five-day cricket and has not been seduced by Twenty20. Gayle has often been criticised for appearing indifferent to his team’s slumps but his calm and phenomenally controlled 165 not out in Adelaide showed a man who was desperate to see his team improve. Barely a week later, he displayed the other, more familiar side of his game when he made the fifth-quickest Test century and landed a ball on top of the roof at the WACA.There were other positive signs for West Indies, despite the fact they have now won only three of their past 42 Tests. The teenage opener Adrian Barath made a debut century in Brisbane and is a player to watch, while Narsingh Deonarine and Brendan Nash added middle-order starch. Sulieman Benn’s suspension overshadowed a very impressive tour for him, and Kemar Roach displayed speed and talent, even if his wickets tally did not reflect it.West Indies remain eighth on the Test rankings but the gap between them and Australia is more a shallow valley than a canyon. Australia gained a position and jumped back up to third on the rankings, but they were shown to be vulnerable at home. The failure of any player to reach triple-figures was a concern and the fact that West Indies were so competitive led to some ugly moments.Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin were all fined for their behaviour in Perth, while Doug Bollinger was reprimanded in Adelaide. The pressure didn’t always have a negative effect and Gayle admired Michael Hussey for fighting off speculation about his future to average 47 for the series, and the way Bollinger stepped in and finished second on the wickets list.”They’ve been under a bit of pressure, even though they won the series 2-0, there’s no two ways about it,” Gayle said. “Bollinger came in for the second Test, they were missing a strike bowler like Ben [Hilfenhaus] but it’s very complicated, a pressure situation often brings the best out of a player, to actually step up to the plate, and in the Australian team they’ve mentioned Mike Hussey as well, he’s still scoring runs under pressure.”Bollinger was one of the finds of the series for Australia, while all the batsmen made contributions without dominating. The captain Ricky Ponting admired the way West Indies improved after the Gabba defeat, but he was also thrilled with the way his men stuck to their tasks to come out of the series with two wins.”They’ve played better, there’s no doubt about that,” Ponting said of the opposition. “It would have been nice to have performed better in the second innings [in Perth] with the bat and play them completely out of the game but I think they’ve shown a bit of character. Even the young blokes coming in have stood up when they’ve needed to. They’ve played some good cricket over the last couple of weeks and they need to be credited for that.”For Australia the next Test challenge is the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan in six days; for West Indies it’s a home series against South Africa in six months. It’s a shame that we must wait so long to see how West Indies build on their impressive progress.

Checks came after Chris Cairns’ suspension from the ICL

Cricinfo staff01-Jun-2009Chris Cairns’ suspension from the ICL prompted New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to carry out a review of its anti-corruption measures, Justin Vaughan, the board’s chief executive, said. Cairns, along with left-hand batsman Dinesh Mongia, was suspended “on disciplinary grounds” from the league on October 27 last year, and his contract was terminated at the start of this year.The ICL had stated that Cairns didn’t report his ankle injury before participating in the tournament, and Mongia, despite knowing of the injury, did not share the information with the league’s officials. However, the move did fuel rumours of match-fixing, which Mongia, and Cairns’ lawyer promptly denied.Andrew Fitch-Holland, who is representing Cairns, reiterated the denial in the . He described the claims as “unfounded allegations” and said questions over Cairns’ “reputation and probity” were taken seriously.He said that Cairns was a “dedicated competitor” who had decided to “agree a termination of his contract” as a result of the “uncertainty over the league’s future and Chris’ ongoing struggle with injury”. “He has other important activities to focus on, not least his foundation and its active work on rail safety.”Vaughan, though, said the review was confined to NZC’s internal processes rather than a study of past games. “There was some checking of our internal controls,” he told the paper. “I wanted to check around what are the protocols and that we were completely comfortable those protocols were followed [within NZC] – to make sure our own house is in order.”The review also comes in the wake of a realisation that Twenty20 cricket is more vulnerable to match-fixing, given its enormous popularity and the increasing frequency with which it’s being played. Several New Zealand players participated in the ICL and the IPL. Vaughan said “sanctioned and unsanctioned” leagues operated largely outside the ICC’s sphere of control, and had raised the issue of Twenty20 cricket being a “particular risk area.”NZC also runs an ICC-led education programme on corruption for players with each contract clearly stating what was expected of them. “It is important to remind players to be vigilant, especially when they are on their own outside the team environment,” Vaughan said.Heath Mills, manager of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association, stressed that corruption and security were cricket’s greatest concerns. “The game is at risk of problems occurring around the development of these Twenty20 competitions,” he said. But he had “complete confidence” in New Zealand’s players. “In this country they understand issues around match-fixing.”