Barcelona vs Real Madrid who will win: 29 November 2009

Tomorrow, Real Madrid and Barcelona are going to play in a very crucial match in La Liga 2009-10. At this moment, the two teams are very close in the title rase with just one point separating them. Real Madrid is the leader but I have just told you that they are leading by just one point and tomorrow’s match is a home match for Barcelona. So, Barcelona fans are expecting that their team will win the match and go at the top of La Liga table this season.

If we look at the performance of the two teams then it is very difficult to say who will win the match. Barcelona has played 11 matches and scored 29 goals whereas Real Madrid scored 27 goals from same amount of matches. Here, I like to mention that in England, Arsenal has scored 36 goals from 12 matches. So, you can understand that Arsenal is even better conditioning in scoring goals this season. Anyway, there is one good news for Barcelona. Their top striker Lionel Messi is going to return in this match after recovering from an injury that kept him out for the last few matches.

The come back of Messy will give the club Barcelona a lot of boost and his presence is always dangerous for the opponent side. If Messy returns to form then he will be a very big headache for defense of Real Madrid club.

If Barcelona has Messy then Real Madrid has Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was also injured for long time and in the previous match, he just played twenty minutes for Real Madrid. So, Real Madrid fans are also expecting that Ronaldo will be in good form tomorrow and he will cause the same kind of problem for Barcelona that depends like Messy. I think that Barcelona has a very strong midfield and quality attacking option. Henry is in good form and also there are some quality midfielders. Real Madrid are also a very strong and solid team.

You can find a good analysis of the match here:

Barcelona vs Real Madrid Preview, Live Score: La Liga 2009-10

I think that the match will be draw or Barcelona win because it is a home match for Barcelona and in their home stadium, Barcelona is always very strong. Anyway, I have noticed in the last few years then El Clasico happens then the player two sides suffer from nervous stress. As a result, the matches do not become very dutiful and the players all the time under pressure. I hope that tomorrow the same thing will not happen and we able to enjoy a very good match. 

Valencia Could Sell David Villa to Manchester United for £35m in January

David Villa has been a target of a number of European football giants. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all were interested to acquire his service in Summer transfer window. However, Valencia was not keen to sell their best player, but the club is now looking to capitalize on the heavy demand for the player by making some quick cash in. Valencia is now under a huge debt of £450million and it is trying to decrease its debt ahead of January transfer window by selling some of its best players like David Villa and Juan Mata.

Manchester United is now reportedly ready to shell out £35m from their purse to get David Villa signed in January and there is every possibility Valencia would not mind letting Villa move to Old Trafford. Manchester United would like to get someone like Villa as a replacement of Cristiano Ronaldo who left for Real Madrid last Summer.

Well, it is true that Manchester United has a very good offer and Valencia is also in need of money, but the thing is that the departure of David Villa, besides Silva and Mata, could have a clear impact on the overall performance of Valencia who has been doing very well over the last few seasons. At this moment, Valencia is now in the fourth position with 24 points, just 4 points behind leader Real Madrid. So, they are very much in the title race. However, the departure of the star trio could result in the fall of their performance in the second half of the season.

Anyway, La Liga fans are going to experience the first el classico of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid on Sunday. The result of the match could bring out some changes in the top four of the standings. Now, it is yet to see if the result of the match lets Valencia move up in the point table.

Ruud van Nistelrooy Looking to Join Liverpool in January Transfer Window 2009

Real Madrid’s Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy is now interested to join Liverpool in January transfer window. Reports also claim that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is also interested to sign the player. However, given Arsenal current forward line up, it is less likely that Ruud van Nistelrooy will be able to get enough first team football at the North London club.

The Netherlands international is now looking to get more first team football as he has his sight on getting into next year’s world cup squad of Netherlands. That is why, he now wants a move to Liverpool who are struggling for form both in Champions league and Premier league. In fact, Liverpool is currently without their prime striker Fernando Torres who is currently out of action with injury. So, Liverpool is also interested to get the service of an experienced striker like Nistelrooy.

However, it seems that Real Madrid is not interested to let him move in January, even though the club is not giving him enough chances in the regular squad. However, a desperate Nistelrooy could force a move in January transfer window because he needs to perform regularly to claim his place back in the Netherlands squad and for that he needs to play regularly.

Related article:

Telegraph

Gabriel Agbonlahor going to Arsenal: Transfer rumor January 2010

Now, there is just one month left before the transfer window of 2010 to start. Arsenal is suffering from a lot of injuries and the latest casualty is Kieran Gibbs. It seems that Kieran Gibbs will be out of action at least two or three months and that is why Arsene Wenger seriously needs a good replacement for him. Anyway, now there is a rumor that Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa is heading for London.

It is bad news for Aston Villa because they are trying their best to be in the top four positions in the last few seasons. They need to keep this kind of player.

Related article:

guardian.co.uk

Kolo Toure goes on public about his reason to leave Arsenal

Kolo Toure has spoken publicly about the reason behind his leaving Arsenal this summer. When he decided to do it then it was like a shock and he joined Manchester City for a good amount of money. Of course he is a good player and he has a lot of talent but hardly anyone could think that he would leave Arsenal for City. He has stated that there was a certain player who did not like him. He did not mention the name of the player but it is assume that the player is William Gallas. Kolo Toure has said that particular player always complain to the coach that there was no good understanding between him and Toure. As a result, he lost the good will of Arsene Wenger and this reason forced him to leave the club. Kolo Toure also said that he dreamt of playing Arsenal for a long time and finishing his career but he felt forced to leave. Well, we do not know the reality that what has happened. I think that Arsene Wenger should say something and give a reply to the accusation of Kolo Toure. This way, it will help other players. And in a club, the coach has to take care of all the players. He should not take side of anyone and he should just them only on performance. I am saying these things because although I am a big fan of Arsene Wenger but in management, you should not be biased about anyone. This does not help you as a manager in any field.

Related Article

Telegraph

Robin van Persie injury is a good opportunity for Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela is still considered to be a young striker and he is mainly considered for league cup. In league cup or Carling cup, Arsene Wenger always tries the young players and Carlos Vela gets the opportunity in that part. However, since Robin Van Persie is injured now, he will have perhaps more match experience in English Premier League and even in UEFA Champions League. Yesterday, he came as a substitute in the Sunderland match and his performance was not that good. However, he is a young player and we have to remember that he is yet to get any adequate opportunity to play in Premier League. Arsene Wenger has stated that because of Van Persie’s injury Vela will get the opportunity from now and will be featured in the first eleven in some of the upcoming matches.

Now, it is upto Vela to impress the supporters and Wenger. He has to produce some special things if he wants to become a regular member of the first eleven in English Premier League. Well, I think that he is a very good player and he will be a good prospect for the club in future.

Related Article

Daily Mail

Debt Burden: Is Liverpool Becoming Another Leeds United?

Liverpool is suffering a lot this season both in English Premier League and UEFA Champions League. They are out of Carling Cup already. I guess that many of their fans are almost sure that they are going to be without a trophy this season. Right now, the club has nearly £245 million debt. This is a huge amount of money and things are perhaps only getting worse for the club. Liverpool is in serious danger of not finishing in the top four and that would result in not being able to play in UEFA Champions League Next season.

Next season may seem to be some far. Even in this season, they are facing the threat of elimination in the group stage. In fact, on Tuesday night, they can be out of the competition:

“Liverpool will be eliminated from the Champions League if they fail to beat Debrecen OR if Fiorentina defeat Lyon”

Well, it is too early to say whether Liverpool is facing the same fate of Leeds United who was among the top 5 teams a decade ago but is now playing in League One. Leeds United suffered because they had massive loan and in the end could not continue. They had to sell their star players. I guess that if Liverpool fails to qualify for Champions League next season then things can really go ugly thanks that debt burden. 

Juventus, Fiorentina and AC Milan Show Interest in Nani

Portugal international Nani’s Manchester United future now seems to be in jeopardy following his harsh comments about United manager Sir Alex Ferguson while revealing his frustration for not being selected in the starting line up in last week’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea. Later on, though, he said that he had accepted the coach’s decision. However, there has been an intense speculation in the media that the Portuguese winger could move away from Old Trafford in January.

Three Italian clubs have so far reportedly shown their interest to acquire his service. The 22-year-old joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in a £14 million deal in 2007. Since the move, the youngster could not yet cement a regular place in Manchester United squad and failed to live up to the expectation so far. AC Milan, Juventus and Fiorentina are all interested to sing Nani, but none of the three clubs has made any official bid for the player yet.

Juventus could make a £15million bid for Nani as has been reported in the media, while AC Milan would not make any quick move for the player as they have recently made a loan deal for Los Angles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham for 6 months. Meanwhile, Fiorentina wants to sign Nani and is ready to make a swap plus cash deal for the talented winger who can play in both flanks.

West Ham United: No Transfer for Carlton Cole

West Ham United has made it clear that English striker Carlton Cole is not for sale, not even for any price. The West London club is currently going through a financial crisis, and so there are reports out in the media suggesting that the club could sell some of its best players to deal with the financial problem. However, a spokesperson of West Ham United has recently declined all those reports and confirmed that the club would like to keep all the best players. Cole scored 6 goals so far this season.

A number of clubs are now interested to sign Carlton Cole, but West Ham seems have no intention of selling the seemingly future star of England. Manchester United has been linked with a £20 million bid for Carlton Cole in January transfer window. Untied boss Sir Alex Ferguson could come up with a bigger offer to clinch the service of the 26-year-old former trainee of Chelsea academy.

Related article:

AFP

A £14m Chelsea Offer for Jack Rodwell Rejected by Everton

After Fifa put a halt to Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban, the West London club for the first time made a serious bid to sign a new player. However, Chelsea’s £14m bid for young English central midfielder Jack Rodwell has been turned down by Everton. No doubt, the Merseyside club does not want to let him go as they handed a five-year deal to the highly talented player last February.

The 18-year-old Rodwell has already established himself in England U-18 side. In his 18 appearances for Everton so far this season, he has impressed all despite Everton’s poor run of form. Started as a central defender, Jack Rodwell has gradually grown up as an excellent central midfielder or holding midfielder at the youth academy of Everton. At one point, he was considered as the next Rio Ferdinand in England. So, Jack Rodwell can play both in central defense as well as in the central midfield.

Besides Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have already shown their interest in the youngster. Though Everton declined the Chelsea offer, it does not mean that the West London club would give up on Jack Rodwell yet. In fact, Everton could get few more offers from the Blues camp during January transfer window. Chelsea would be temped to get the acquisition of the player, considering the fact that they would miss two important African midfielders early John Obi Mikel and Michel Essien early next year as the duo would be out with international duty during African Cup of Nations.

Related article:

Independent

Bacary Sagna Declined Real Madrid and Juventus Offers?

Reports out in the media suggest that Arsenal’s French right back Bacary Sagna has played down offers from Real Madrid and Juventus in his bid to continue his job at Arsenal. The French international has bee in superb form so far this season with the Gunners. Sagna did not take much time to show his talent and skill after his move to the North London club from Auxerre for a transfer fee of £6 million in 2007, and soon after joining the club, he became a regular in the right back position.

A source close to Bacary Sagna recently revealed that Spanish giants Real Madrid kept Sagna in their shortlist while looking for a right back. Moreover, Italian side Juventus also showed interest in him. However, Sagna displayed his loyalty for the club as he decided not to leave Emirates stadium. In fact, he did not even go into any negotiation with the two clubs as he is not interested to leave Arsenal.

Well, I think, Sagna has taken the right decision. He has grown up under Arsene Wenger and is still developing his skill and flourishing his talent under the guidance of Wenger. Moreover, he could perhaps understand that a golden era is waiting for Arsenal and he also wants to be part of it. He is now 26, so you can assume that he has his best years ahead of him and could contribute a lot to Arsenal’s successes in the years to come.

Related article:

Goal.com

Nani Put his Manchester United Future in Jeopardy?

Portuguese winger Nani has recently come down hard on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. He revealed it in the Portuguese media and now it seems that his United days are going to be over in the near future. Nani termed Ferguson as a “complicated man” and said that a player can get raving complement from the coach and in a few minutes he could condemn the player.

Well, the Portugal international has now said that he has no problem with the coach and has admitted that he is frustrated for not having enough playing time for United, but he has accepted Ferguson’s decision of not giving him enough first team football. The winger was not in the starting line up of Manchester United against Chelsea. He has also said that he expected a bigger responsibility following the departure of fellow Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.

I think, Nani should not be frustrated because he is still young and is gradually developing. It is true that he could not live up to the expectation yet, but he has been in improvement. So, he should accept what Ferguson decides because at the end of the day it is Ferguson who knows how to manage a team.

Related article:

ESPN soccernet

Arsenal Interested in Barcelona Winger Gai Assulin

Arsenal is reportedly interested in young Barcelona star Gai Assulin. The Israel international has already attracted attention of a number of popular clubs like Chelsea. Now, reports have it in the media that Arsenal is also eyeing on the 18-year-old youngster. He has impressed with his talent while playing for Barcelona B last season, netting 9 goals in 24 games. He debuted for Israel national team at the age of 16, and thus, earning the wonder boy tag at home. He joined Barcelona camp at the age of 12 and grown up there.

However, he was given some chances to prove his talent with senior side in the pre-season, and he did not let the opportunity go down. Though he has not cemented his place in Barcelona’s senior team, it seems to be a matter of time he would be a regular started. His current contract ties him at Nou Camp till the 2011-2012 season. Now, let us see if Arsene Wenger really makes a move for the youngster in the upcoming transfer window.

Related article:

extrafootie

Manchester United to Move for Marouane Chamakh in January Transfer Window

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh attracted interest from Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham United last Summer, but the likely move to England did not happen that time. However, there is now every possibility the player could move to Manchester United in January as his current contract with the French club Bordeaux comes to an end at the end of the season. Manchester United is clearly tracking the Moroccan striker as their scouts watched him playing last weekend.

Marouane Chamakh was instrumental behind Bordeaux’s title triumph in French league last season and it is pretty much clear that many clubs besides Manchester United would try to acquire the service of the young player. The advantage for the interested club is that as the player’s present deal is very close to finish with the French club, there is a possibility that Chamakh could be landed for a small fee.

Related article:
independent

Chelsea Eyeing on Sergio Aguero and Alexandre Pato ahead of Winter Transfer Window

You perhaps already know that the Court of Arbitration has recently postponed Chelsea’s transfer ban awaiting a final decision to come over the matter. However, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out any wholesale investment on the transfer market in January. However, the Blues have already showed their interest in Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero and AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato as the club wants to strengthen its forward line up.

Moreover, the club will miss influential striker Didier Drogba and his fellow Ivorian Salomon Kalou as they will be in international duty with Ivory Coast in African Cup of Nations in January. Naturally, it will not be easy to deal with the situation as Nicolas Anelka will be the only regular striker in the team. That is why, it is pretty much clear that Chelsea would like to land a new striker who can help Chelsea during that difficult phase of the season. Now, let us see if Aguero or Pato joins Chelsea in winter transfer window.

Related article:

Goal.com

Sir Alex Ferguson Declined Offers from Other Clubs

Sir Alex Ferguson has become legend of Manchester Untied football club thanks to his services for the clubs over the last 23 years. No other Red Devils manager could bring the number of titles at Old Trafford as he did during his illustrious coaching career. Recently, Ferguson has revealed that he had offers from overseas clubs during his stay at United, but he was never tempted to leave United to join another club.

Though Ferguson has not revealed the name of the clubs who offered him coaching job, he has said that the names of the clubs are enough to surprise anybody. Well, there is no doubt Sir Alex Ferguson has been loyal to Manchester United, and this, making himself inseparable from the club’s history.

Related article:

Press Association

Robinho Very Near to Move to Barcelona?

Last year when Robinho moved from Real Madrid to Manchester City for a British record transfer fee, there were mixed reactions among his fans. Some thought the move was right as he was not getting enough first team football in Madrid, while some believed that he should have moved to a club like City as the club does not play in Champions League.

Now, reports out in the media suggest that the player could move to Spain to join Barcelona, the arch rivals of Real Madrid. If the Daily Mirror reports has anything to go by, there is every possibility Robinho could play the second half of the season for Barcelona.

Fansfc reported:

It is believed Barca are prepared to pay £3million for an initial loan deal with a balance of £31million to be paid in the summer, or a £34million payment to take the player permanently in January.

Well, nothing is confirmed yet. Manchester City’s Arab owners have spent a huge amount in their pursuit to quality for the Champions League. However, the huge investment has not been reflected on City performance so far this season.

Just Don’t Destroy Cricket with Artificial Money

It is very funny to me that Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke is now some annoyed with the amount of matches his players had to play in the last 6 months. He is particularly targeting ICC Twenty20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy. He thinks that because of ICC tournaments Australian players are too much exhausted. However, when it comes to playing too much cricket against Indian national team, he tries to avoid it by giving some nonsense excuse. We all know that playing against India is profitable because Cricket Australia gets a lot of money from TV rights. It is profitable for BCCI too and now Indian fans consider India vs Australia as same exciting as India vs Pakistan rivalry.

Jack Clarke is also silent about IPL because BCCI arranges it. IPL is a 5-6 week’s event and it makes the players exhausted too. They have to take part in many matches in just 5-6 weeks. He is silent about it because he does not want to make BCCI officials annoyed. Thus, both BCCI and Cricket Australia are eager to get artificial money from the Indian market. They should not forget that if they destroy this sports as an international game then it will someday kill them too.

The best example is the recently concluded Champions League T20 which was a flop in every aspect. Very few fans bought tickets and went to the stadium. TV rating was miserable for majority of the matches.

Related Article

Fox Sports

Arsene Wenger: Fran Merida Agreed a New Deal

Arsene Wenger has revealed that his young prodigy Fran Merida has agreed a new deal offered by Arsenal and it is now just a matter of time he will sign the deal. Arsenal boss also said the new contract would be a two-year deal. Fran Merida has attracted attention of some Spanish clubs following his impressive performance in Arsenal’s recent league cup victory over Liverpool. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are clearly interested to secure the player’s service as his current contract with the club ends at the end of the current season.

Wenger has also accused the clubs of trying to ‘destabilize’ his young student who was brought from Barcelona youth academy in 2007 at the age of 17. Over the last two years, the player has grown up as a top class footballer and is now ready to become the next big thing at Arsenal. Fran Merida is also happy with his life at the North London club.

Related article:

clubcall

Emmanuel Eboue is happy with Cese Fabregas

Cese Fabregas is the young captain of young Arsenal team. Most of the players are very young in this club and Fabregas is leading the team nicely this season so far. All the players respect him and thus, this season, there is some real possibility that the Gunners can get a trophy at last. Emmanuel Eboue has full confidence on the captain and he thinks that this is season that anything is possible. Eboue feels that because the team has an able captain who not only plays superbly but also can inspire others, anything is possible.

Well, perhaps, Eboue is some right. Fabregas is a midfield player but already has scored 8 goals in the season.

Related Article

ESPN

Peter Siddle Going back to Australia with Injury

Australian team that is now in India to play a seven-match ODI series against the home side has also lost a number of key players due to injury. Yesterday, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed that pacer Peter Siddle would also be heading home with left side stiffness. It was also revealed that the injury was not very serious, but the decision was taken as a precautionary measure.

However, captain Ricky Ponting seems to have a contrasting view regarding Siddle’s injury. Today he has revealed that team management is monitoring the condition of the bowler who has been pretty much successful so far in the series. Ponting says that it is not yet decided if the pacer would be sent home or not. Kevin Sims, the physio of Australian team, yesterday said that Siddle would go back home and board medical staff would monitor his condition.

Now, let us see if Peter Siddle can be able to play today’s fifth ODI or head home with the injury.

Related article:

ptinews

Malayalam Actor Star Mohanlal Looking to Buy an IPL Team

Mohanlal is one of the biggest stars of Malayalam movie industry and he is also know as an ardent cricket fan. The actor wants to follow the footsteps of the Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty who are the owners of IPL franchises. However, nothing has been finalized yet as the actor has just revealed his wish.

BCCI has already indicated that next year’s IPL could feature couple of new teams. So, it seems that Mohanlal could attempt to take part in the bidding for the new IPL franchises. There is every possibility that IPL authority could come up with a new IPL franchise based on Kerala from where Mohanlal hails. He has a huge fan base in the state and IPL authority would like to have him as the Kerala franchise owner because his involvement in the team would create an interest among the cricket fans in the Kerala franchise of IPL.

Now, let us see if Mohanlal really becomes the owner of IPL Kerala team next season and joins other movie stars in IPL.

Related article:

indiaglitz

Stan Kroenke: now Owner of 29.6% of Arsenal Club

Stan Kroenke is now very close to become the owner of 29.9% of Arsenal share as he has got now 29.6%. He recently purchased another 427 shares of the club. He is tight lipped about his intentions about the club. Most supporters of the club are not unhappy about him because they don’t want Alisher Usmanov to become the owner of the club. If Alisher Usmanov becomes the owner then Arsenal will perhaps walk in the road of Chelsea and Manchester City and buy some big players and get under loan. In fact, the club has already got some decent amount of debt because of building the new stadium.

Related Article

BBC

Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI 2009: Preview and Live Score

To get live score and updates of the 2^nd ODI visit the following entry:

Pakistan vs New Zealand 2nd ODI 2009 Live Action Updates

For live score and updates of the match, visit the following entry:

Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st ODI 2009 Live Action Updates
Pakistan and New Zealand are going to play in the first one day international match tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. It is a day night match and it is good for the players because UAE is a desert country. You know that because of security concerns, no foreign team is interested to visit Pakistan and that is why, Pakistani cricket team is playing the matches in UAE and next year, Pakistan will play home matches in England. The security condition in Pakistan is volatile and no one really knows when Pakistan can host a cricket match again. Anyway, it is gong take place on a weekday (Tuesday) 3^rd November 2009 and I am not expecting a huge crowd.

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi is the venue and the match would start at 15:00 local 11:00 GMT and 16:30 IST. It should be 4 PM in Pakistan and that is why, it will be an ideal time for the TV viewers in the country. Both the two teams have a lot to prove. Pakistan was out of Champions Trophy 2009 at the semifinal and they lost to New Zealand. As a result, many people became very angry in the country and even there was an allegation of some kind of match fixing. Cricket is still the most popular sports in Pakistan and the people here are very emotional about their national team.

A series against New Zealand should not have been that much important to the cricket fans in Pakistan. However, because they lost to New Zealand in the semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in October 3, the cricket fans are now dying to see a total demolition of the Kiwis in this series. Of course, it will not be easy because New Zealand players also want to win the series.

The bad news for New Zealand is that Kyle Mills may not play tomorrow. Cricinfo wrote:

"Kyle is a doubt for the game as he's got a side strain or shoulder injury," said captain Daniel Vettori. "I think everyone knows he's the No. 1 bowler in the world in one-day cricket so if he misses out it'll be a big loss for us."

New Zealand came into the series without opener Jesse Ryder, fast bowler Daryl Tuffey and allrounder Grant Elliott. In fact, they may also be without another pace bowler with Ian Butler picking up a knee injury while playing for Otago in the recently-concluded Champions League Twenty20.

Thus, you can see that New Zealand team is suffering from injuries and that can cause a lot of problems for them. In the current series between Australia and India, we have seen team Australia suffering from injury problems and that is why, they have become very weak in every field.

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has perhaps fewer problem than his Kiwi counter part but the main problem is that Pakistan is weak in fielding. Younis Khan has requested all his team mates to focus on fielding. Times of India reported:

Fielding let Pakistan down when the two teams met in last month's semi-final of the Champions Trophy in South Africa, where Younis himself dropped a sitter off Grant Elliott which cost his team dearly.

"We need to field very well, and this is one area where we need improvement as New Zealand have a clear edge on us in this department," said Younis during the unveiling of the series on Monday.

Historically, Pakistan is one of the lower ranked teams when it comes to fielding, and Younis was quick to point out the grey area.

Andy Moles resigned as the coach of New Zealand cricket team recently. As a result, there will be a lot of pressure on the captain Daniel Vettori. Well, recently, Pakistan captain also resigned and then he was reinstated.

BBC reported:

As the 'home' team, however, Pakistan will be under greater pressure, not least because of the row which saw Younus offer his resignation after match-fixing allegations by a member of the National Assembly's standing committee on Sports.

It was turned down by the Pakistan Cricket Board, who insist Younus will remain as skipper until the 2011 World Cup.

He has now turned his attention back to cricket and will lead a squad showing a number of significant changes to that which took part in the Champions Trophy, including the return of all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and opener Imran Farhat.

As for live score, several web sties will provide it:

Cricinfo

action8cricket

Stickiewicket

Cricketworld

Cricket Next

Cricket Updates

Hopefully, it will not be a one sided match.

Robin van Persie: Family Life is the Secret of Success

Football players often come into the media headlines because of their abnormal life style. Sometimes, they go to night clubs and get drunk. This is a common thing and it happens many times. Sometimes, even there is accusation of rape in night clubs or hotels against some players. So, when Robin van Persie says that good and happy family life is the secret of success for him then it really comes as a shock. Robin van Persie is in good form this season and he is the leading goal scorer for Arsenal in this season. It seems that he is on course to score 25 goals for the season and it was Thierre Henry who used to do this kind of thing.

Daily Mail wrote:

Van Persie, 26, recently celebrated the birth of his second child with wife Bouchra and the Dutchman told the Evening Standard: 'My family life is fantastic. The main things in my life are my two kids and my wife and it makes you stable. It gives you a good basis to perform because it is not good to go out all the time.

'When you play at this level - in the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League - you need to recover and get your rest here and there and that is what I am doing.

I wish that other football players could learn from him and understand the blessing of a happy family life. It goes to people in every profession not just in football. Happiness is a very important thing and marriage can be a great blessing for you. 

India vs Australia 4th ODI 2009: Preview and Live Score

For live updates of the India Australia 4^th ODI match go here:

India vs Australia 4th ODI 2009 Live Action Updates

India and Australia are going to face each other in the fourth match of the ongoing ODI series on 2 November at Mohali. After winning last two games, India is now leading 2-1 in the series. India may not have started very well as they lost the first game by 4 runs, but Dhoni boys bounced back strongly by winning the last two games pretty comfortably. What is more worrying factor is that Australia is suffering a lot due to injuries. Pacer Brett Lee and wicketkeeper batsman Tim Paine have already been out of action, and now reports out in the media suggest that  all rounder James Hopes would also  go back home with a hamstring  injury. However, ahead of the fourth ODI, India is also facing some injury woes as two key batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are uncertain for the fourth ODI.

Match: India vs Australia, Fourth ODI, Seven Match ODI Series 2009

Date: 2 November 2009

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Time: 14:30 Local; 09:30 GMT

Live TV: Neo Cricket, Fox Sports, Sky Sports, DD Sports

India’s confidence is now pretty much strong following two dominating performance over the world champions. However, team India knows it very well that Australia has the resources to come back strongly in the series. Specially, Captain Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, two key batsmen in Australian top order, have been in excellent form so far in the series. Their performance did not let the Aussies feel the absence of Ponting’s deputy Michael Clarke. In the absence of Tim Paine, Ricky Ponting came to open for Australia alongside Shane Watson, but he might go back to no. 3 where he regularly bats with Shaun Marsh pairing up with Watson in the opening slots.

Australia would be happy to see some grass at the surface of the wicket, but the absence of Lee may prevent them capitalizing on this advantage. Moreover, the dew factor could play a vital role in the match.

Sindhtoday reported:

The Australians will also be encouraged by the look of the track with a tinge of grass, but the absence of Brett Lee will haunt them. Still, they hope to see Mitchell Johnson Doug Bollinger, who was impressive in Delhi, and Siddle to come good.

Like in Delhi, the dew will be a major factor as the nights are a lot chillier here than in the national capital. Thus the toss will yet again be the key in determining the course of the game.

Indian middle order has also shown excellent consistency so far in the series. Dhoni played an excellent century in the second ODI followed by a half century in the third match. The only worrying factor for India is their opening pair. Indian openers: Sehwag and Sachin, failed to live up to the expectation so far in the series. Moreover, Sehwag and Gambhir are uncertain for the match and would go through a late fitness test to determine if they would be able to play the fourth ODI. Sehwag picked up a knock on his left foot when a Yorker from Peter Siddle hit him during third ODI, while Gambhir was struck by a Ricky Ponting shot while fielding during the third match of the series in New Delhi. So, it seems that neither side can relax ahead of the fourth match.

AFP reported:

"Dinesh Karthik will be joining the Indian team in Mohali," BCCI Secretary N. Srinivasan said in a statement.

"A final decision on the availability of Sehwag and Gambhir for the fourth match will be taken on the morning of the game."

Wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up as the cover for Sehwag and Gambhir. If both of them miss the coming match, Karthik could pair up with Tendulkar to open for India. Indian captain Mahendra Singh could play an extra pacer by seeing grass on the wicket. If India really wants to add an extra pacer, Munaf Patel would be the ultimate choice. Indian spinners have done very well in the last game with Harbhajan Singh getting excellent support from Yuvraj Singh and Ravindra Jadeja.

Australia could take up a different approach in their batting in the fourth ODI. Australian batsmen started off very well in the third ODI as they could successfully save the wickets, hoping to go for attacks in the slog overs. However, Australia’s lower middle order failed to live up to the expectation and I think, that was one of the major reasons behind their defeat in the third match in New Delhi. So, Aussies might not repeat the mistake and may go for attacks from the very beginning of their innings. Australian pacers have done their part pretty well, but Australian spinners failed in the last game. However, the good thing for the visiting side is that they would get a pacer friendly wicket in Mohali.

Online Live Score and Updates

Here, I am giving some live score and update websites from where you can get the live score and updates of the fourth ODI between India and Australia:

Cricinfo

action8cricket

Stickiewicket

Cricketworld

Cricket Next

Overall, India seems to be slightly favorite, but it does not mean that they can afford to take Australia lightly. They must know that Australian side has quality players who could capitalize on the opponent’s lapses. Given the grassy wicket, I think, fourth ODI would be a huge test for the Indian team who are traditionally not very strong against quality pace attack. However, Australia would feel the absence of injured pacer Brett Lee, while India would also wish if they had Zaheer Khan with them.