There will be no Morkels at this year’s World T20. The brothers, Albie and Morne, do not feature in South Africa’s World T20 squad, making it the first time in nine years and seven tournaments since the 2007 fifty-over World Cup that the family will not be represented at an ICC event.They can consider themselves “unlucky”, in the words of both captain Faf du Plessis and coach Russell Domingo, who explained the reasons for their squad being Morkel-less when it heads to India in March. Albie, who made his return to international cricket last October against India, was sacrificed for David Wiese while the selectors could not find a place for Morne among an attack that is banking on Dale Steyn’s return to fitness and includes Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada.”If you look at it, Albie has done really well but David Wiese has played 90% of the games for us and Albie only played that one game. David has been bowling exceptionally well, he bowls a lot more than he bats and he is a lot more versatile as a bowler. He can bowl at the death, he can bowl in the middle, he has done really well for his IPL team and he hits the ball just as far but Albie can count himself very unlucky,” du Plessis said. “The No.7 role is more a bowling allrounder’s role.”Domingo put it more bluntly: “They are similar players but they are different players. Wiese is more a bowling allrounder. Albie is more a batting allrounder. We decided to go with more of a bowling allrounder.”All that is only half the story. Albie did only play one game on his comeback, when he replaced Wiese, who had fractured his hand and had to sit out the three matches against India, but in that one game, Albie’s performance was with ball in hand, taking a career-best three for 12. While it’s true that at international level, Albie has not had the same eye-catching returns as Wiese, his experience in an otherwise young attack may have counted for something, especially as South Africa are also without Morne.”Morne Morkel has been an integral part of our one-day and T20s for the last couple of years and he has missed out,” Domingo said. “His experience will be missed. He has been an incredible white-ball bowler for us but we can only take fifteen.”Morne fell out of South Africa’s T20 plans when they started resting him for selected series. Since 2013, he has only played eight T20Is, including two at the 2014 World T20 and it seems South Africa have moved on from him, especially in terms of the type of bowlers they want in this format.”For the first time, we’ve got a lot of death options which is something we didn’t have in the past,” du Plessis said. “If you’ve got Abbot, KG [Rabada], Wiese, [Chris] Morris, it gives you so many options. I think that’s why we are such a strong bowling unit.”That may not mean Morne is completely forgotten. Should Steyn not come through the three T20s he is due to play against Australia in March, Morne might be the man who gets called up. “There is a bowler who has been spoken to if Dale is not fit, he will go,” Domingo said. “So there is a contingency plan in place but we are pretty confident Dale will be fine. It’s not for me to disclose who the bowler is.”But that still means Morne’s chances are slim. Both Domingo and du Plessis seem confident Steyn will travel to the tournament, more lethal than ever. ” Dale hasn’t played a lot of cricket lately and I think he is going to be very hungry,” du Plessis said. “He is at that stage of his career where he wants to show to the world why he is such a good bowler. I think we are going to see a great Dale during this World Cup.”According to Domingo, Steyn started bowling this week and will look to a play a club game towards the end of February but his rehabilitation is still progressing on a “day-to-day,” basis.At the other end of South Africa’s XI, they have the opposite problem. Instead of absentees they have an overload with Quinton de Kock returning to bid for one of the opening berths currently occupied by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. When de Kock lost form mid-2015, de Villiers was promoted to the spot in an experiment and it worked. Now that de Kock has regained form, South Africa need to decide what to do with de Villiers.Both Domingo and du Plessis want de Villiers to bat high up, preferably open. “AB will bat in the top three. He has been used as an opener, he will probably be used as an opener when we get to the event,” Domingo said, which may mean Amla is the man to miss out.”We know we have two great openers in Hashim and Quinny but also, it’s really important to try and give AB a go at the top. He is one of those players that can on the day score a hundred and really take the game away from the opposition,” du Plessis said. “My personal thinking is to let AB do that. He is one of the few players in the world that can do it.”For me its really important that those first six overs in India to try and be as positive as possible. The decision becomes who is going to open with AB between Quinny and Hashim.”

Cricket Australia (CA) has been given assurances that the Pakistan players in the BBL will play the entire competition despite a scheduled T20I tour of Sri Lanka in January, while CA has sent a party to Pakistan to finalise plans for Australia’s T20I tour there prior to the T20 World Cup. CA chief executive Todd Greenberg also confirmed that Mackay and Darwin will host Tests against Bangladesh in Australia’s winter with the dates to be announced in January.There had been a concern that the group of Pakistan players playing in the BBL, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali, might be withdrawn to play in a brief T20I series in Sri Lanka in early January that the PCB recently announced.But Greenberg, who held a wide-ranging chat with a group of reporters on the morning of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, said he was confident the players would remain in the BBL. “We’ve been told that if they’ve been signed by the BBL, they’ll play [the whole BBL],” Greenberg said.Dates for Australia’s T20I tour of Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup have yet to be announced but Greenberg said that it was going ahead, with CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association sending delegates to the country for a pre-tour security check.Related

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“We’ve just sent a couple of people to Pakistan to do a pre-tour for the T20I games in February,” he said. “We’re going to have some conversations with the players after the [Ashes] series and explain to them how that will work with security. But I went there with them in 2022 and it was an amazing experience.”The three-match ODI portion of that tour, which is part of the FTP, will be moved to June after the PSL and the IPL have been completed. That will tie in with three ODIs and three T20Is in Bangladesh in the same month.Bangladesh’s visit to Australia later in the year during August will see a return of Test cricket to the Top End for the first time since 2004 with Mackay hosting its first Test match.Meanwhile, CA remains committed to playing at least one pink-ball Test per year until 2031. Greenberg said the success of it as a broadcast product and as an in-stadium experience for fans means it will remain in place despite some recent questions around the need for it.”I’ve just reviewed the numbers from the Gabba, the pink-ball Test was unbelievable,” Greenberg said. “The night session, particularly, has double the number of viewers that we would get from the last session here today. There’s no doubt that it’s a successful opportunity for cricket. It gets more people watching and more people engaged in it.”It’s in our broadcast contracts until 2031 that we will play a pink-ball Test. So it’s not going anywhere. There’s not going to be more of it, I’m not going to be playing five of them over summer. But it has real benefits. I understand that there’ll be people who’ll be critical of it, and I’m not asking for everyone to love it. But this is the evolution of Test cricket.”

Liverpool striker Divock Origi has been linked with a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce this summer, with his exit from Anfield looking almost certain.

The Lowdown: Origi on the move

The Belgian cult hero has found playing time almost impossible to come by this season, with Jurgen Klopp blessed with a plethora of attacking talent.

In fact, Origi has only appeared for 71 minutes in the Premier League during the whole of 2021/22, scoring a dramatic winner at Wolves in that time.

The 26-year-old, who has Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota all ahead of him in the pecking order, has been strongly linked with a move to AC Milan, but now another suitor has emerged.

The Latest: Fenerbahce meetings

According to Takvim [via Sport Witness], Fenerbahce have now entered the race to sign Origi this summer, with it stated that his contract at Liverpool ‘will not be renewed’.

There have been ‘several meetings’ between the Turkish side and Origi’s representatives, as the forward looks to seal a place in Belgium’s World Cup squad later this year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-26/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Milan would be better

It makes total sense for Origi to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, with Jurgen Klopp clearly not seeing him as an important part of his plans moving forward.

Milan would be the better option for the attacker, though, given their prestige and the level they play at, with Fenerbahce feeling like a bigger drop down in standard.

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At 26, Origi could be heading into the best years of his career and he deserves to be starting regularly for a top club – something that Milan certainly are, currently leading Serie A with seven matches to play.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has provided a key Liverpool update. Read more here.

The journey to South Africa has been a long and tumultuous one for 1998 champions France. Raymond Domenech’s charges stuttered through their qualifying campaign which ended in the infamous Thierry Henry handball incident; a microcosm of the problematic and desperate situation France find themselves in with weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off. The much maligned coach who will step down at the end of the tournament is guilty of making some questionable decisions not only in selection and tactics, but with bizarre and counter-productive comments to the media that have left the nation pessimistic that Les Bleus will win their second world title this summer.

Lloris and Mandanda have been Ligue 1’s most consistent performers between the posts for the past few seasons and will fight it out for the number one jersey, though Sebastian Frey, whose form for Fiorentina has been stellar, has been overlooked for reasons unknown to anyone but Domenech. The French have an embarrassment of riches at full-back with Sagna operating down the right and one of Abidal, Evra, Clichy or Cissokho providing threat down the left. In the middle though, the tiring legs of William Gallas may prove a liability against dangerous attackers of group opponents Uruguay (Forlan and Suarez) and Mexico.

Domenech has been widely criticized for his insistence on deploying two holding midfielders in the shape of Toulalan and Lassana Diarra to sit in front of the defence. His reasoning is that it frees up the more creative talents of Ribery and the superlative Yoann Gourcuff further up-field, but results have been far from fruitful; France scored just 18 goals in qualifying, against the likes of Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. Ribery has endured a somewhat inconsistent term at Bayern, with questions regarding his next club perhaps taking precedent over his form on the pitch. If his future is resolved before the World Cup, a focused and undoubtedly talented Ribery will be France’s most potent attacking threat…

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Read the full France World Cup Preview in which the decline of Thierry Henry is discussed as well as the struggles that they’re likely to face at http://topcam.wordpress.com/

Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has urged manager Roberto Mancini to give Robinho a second chance at Eastlands next season.

The Brazil forward has taken the plaudits following an impressive World Cup campaign which was ended by a 2-1 defeat to Netherlands in Friday's quarter-final.

Robinho scored twice in South Africa and admitted during the tournament that he was open to the possibility of returning to the Premier League.

The 26-year-old was allowed to return to Brazil to join Santos on loan during the second half of last season after struggling to live up to the club record £32.5million transfer fee City paid Real Madrid to sign him back in August 2008.

Robinho was similarly impressive back in his homeland and keeper Given is hoping to see the South American back in the City squad next season.

"I don't know what his current situation is but there's no denying he's had a great World Cup," he said.

"The bottom line is he remains a Manchester City player no matter what's been written.

"I'd love to see him back at City, he's gone out and proved a lot of people wrong in South Africa.

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"You forget that he missed a lot of last year through injury and he was coming off the bench. I don't think he had his match sharpness to be honest.

"But going back to Santos and regaining his fitness has really helped. He's shown us why he's rated as one of the best in the world this summer and he's still young."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

It’s about time that John Terry stopped focusing on himself and what he thinks about England’s tactics and instead got behind his manager. Fabio Capello has labelled John Terry’s comments to the media as a big mistake and he is right to say so as Terry has broken the dressing room sanctity and undermined his manager’s authority.

Terry addressed the press as though he was the manger and had the right to discuss pretty much whatever he felt like sharing. The worst thing Terry said was:

“Everyone needs to get off their chest exactly how they’re feeling. If it upsets him [Capello], or it upsets any player, then so be it”

Firstly Terry shouldn’t be telling anybody that a team meeting is occurring unless it was with Capello’s blessing and after the Italian’s comments it clearly wasn’t. Secondly and the most important point, Terry cannot show a lack of disregard to the manager by implying that he doesn’t care if the manager doesn’t like what he or his team mates have to say. Capello is the one that picks the team and is the leader of the group and Terry is acting as though he is in charge, if Capello has a problem with what they think then it is very important.

Capello said on Terry’s decision to speak to the media:

“When you speak, you have to speak privately, not with you [the media]. This is a big mistake. This is a very big mistake.”

He added: “I know sometimes some players want to speak more with you than with the other players. The mistake is you have to speak with the players, with me, with the dressing room. I think it’s only John Terry that’s said this, nobody has spoken with me about problems. My door is always open, if you want to speak with me, you can speak with me. Every time we have a meeting I say to the captain ‘any problems?’.”

The Italian’s comments couldn’t be anymore right, although Terry has possibly tried to act in the best interests of the team, this press conference makes it look like he is bigger than the manager and that is unacceptable. Capello also makes it very clear that he will take on board anything that the players have to say to him and therefore there was no need at all for Terry to speak to the press.

Whilst John Terry wouldn’t have done this to intentionally hurt England’s chances of winning the World Cup he has acted without thinking properly and has selfishly only thought about himself. He for one should know better than anybody just how bad the press can be, so for him to go out and do something like this without his manager’s permission is beyond belief! He had his England captaincy taken away from him for his personal wrong doings and that should have been a massive wake-up call to him. But clearly the message that he can’t do whatever he wants, whenever he feels like it hasn’t gotten through to him.

What do you think about John Terry’s actions?

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Message me on Twitter with your thoughts

Get all the latest World Cup 2010 news on Twitter

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is open to a temporary transfer away from Old Trafford if it sees him gain first-team action.

He enjoyed a loan spell at Championship side Preston North End last season and manager Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to farm him out to another top-flight club to further aid his development, a move the 19-year-old would be more than happy to take.

"My main aim is to be part of the first team set-up but I am happy to go on loan if the manager wants me to. I just want to keep playing games and improving," said Welbeck.

"I feel I have improved a lot over the last couple of years in particular. I have learned so much during that time particularly the importance of mental strength on and off the pitch. I just want to keep improving and striving to show everyone what I can do.

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"I am really pleased with how the tour has gone for me so far and I am happy with my performances. I have got to keep going and continue to get my fitness up."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Premier League managers looking to further their career rarely leave their clubs with the full backing and support of the chairman they leave behind. They are unlikely to be wished ‘all the best’ for the future followed by a warm embrace and a hearty handshake, regardless of their achievements. Some managers are sacked, some resign, while others bring such success to a club they become targets for bigger clubs. Whichever way a manager departs it’s usually a messy affair, where a previously healthy relationship between manager and chairman can turn sour exceedingly quickly.

It was thought Roy Hodgson’s departure from Craven Cottage would be one of the few exceptions to the rule. This was until outspoken chairman Mohamed Al Fayed used a press conference unveiling Mark Hughes as the club’s new manager as an opportunity to take a vicious swipe at his former employee. Al Fayed claims that after giving Hodgson another crack at English football, following a nine year exodus, the experienced coach simply ‘took advantage and left’. The astonishing attack continued, with the former Harrods owner going on to take credit for the revival of Hodgson’s career claiming, ‘we put him where he is now’.

With over 30 years of experience managing at clubs across Europe, including Italian giants Inter Milan, as well as stints with Switzerland and Finland, it is unlikely that Al Fayed’s influence on his career was the reason Liverpool chose to appoint him as their new manager. Al Fayed can certainly take credit for identifying that Hodgson was still good enough to cut it in the Premier League; however the Fulham chairman did not re-ignite a faltering career. Finland were desperate to renew his contract when it had expired in November 2007, yet Hodgson had his heart set on a return to Inter Milan in an ambassadorial role before Fulham made their move. Hodgson was also an outside contender to replace Steve McClaren as England boss.

Al Fayed has every right to be angered and bitterly disappointed after losing his manager to a Premier League rival. His comments have not come in the heat of the moment and the Egyptian clearly feels let down by someone he held a great mutual respect for. Just two weeks before Hodgson’s departure, Al Fayed revealed the pair’s close relationship, before stating he could not see his manager departing for the gates of Anfield. Their close relationship now looks a distant one and Hodgson’s achievements at the club forgotten following Al Fayed’s bitter remarks.

Al Fayed clearly has no problem criticising his former ally in public, yet on this occasion a dignified silence may have been the better option. Fulham fans could argue Hodgson showed a distinct lack of loyalty in leaving southwest London this summer, after the club took a gamble on him following the dire end to his spell at Blackburn Rovers in 1998. In reality, The Cottagers were desperately fighting an anxious relegation battle when Hodgson was appointed and he worked miracles to keep them in the league. He followed this up the following season by leading his side to seventh in the league, the club’s highest ever finish.

Most amazingly of all of course was Fulham’s run to the Europa League final in May after a marathon 63 game season. This was achieved on a minimal budget, playing a patient and attractive passing game along the way.  After turning Fulham from relegation contenders to Europa League finalists and bringing them to unprecedented Premier League heights, many fans view the last two seasons under Hodgson as the most illustrious in the club’s history. Al Fayed may not be thankful now, but after dragging the club out of the bottom three and into their first ever European final; Hodgson has left a legacy at the club which can be enjoyed by Fulham fans for years to come. After such an achievement, surely Al Fayed could not begrudge Hodgson his dream to manage one of the biggest clubs in world football before he finally calls it a day and retires.

Like this article? Read some other articles from this author-

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– Clubs curb summer transfer spending amid fears over debt

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William Gallas is set to make his Tottenham debut against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday after appearing in a reserve team game on Tuesday.

The France international joined Spurs in a controversial free transfer switch from north London rivals Arsenal last month.

Gallas had been allowed to steadily return to fitness during the opening weeks of the season following his World Cup exertions.

However, injuries to skipper Ledley King, long-term absentee Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson on England duty against Bulgaria on Friday night have hastened his arrival on the first-team scene.

The 33-year-old was put through his paces in a second string game against QPR on Tuesday.

Gallas played 70 minutes of the 3-1 victory and impressed watching coach Tim Sherwood.

"It was William's first game for a while and it was excellent for the younger boys to play alongside him," he told the club's official website.

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"He showed how he squeezes play up the pitch, how he uses his body and he manages the game superbly."

Spurs return to Premier League against with a trip to The Hawthorns to face West Brom on Saturday afternoon.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email