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West Bromwich Albion have now expressed an interest in an “insanely talented” manager, who could be brought in as a replacement for Ryan Mason.

Mason under pressure after Bristol City defeat

West Brom came up short in a 2-1 defeat at home against Bristol City on Boxing Day, which was their fourth loss in the last five Championship games, meaning they now sit just six points above the relegation zone.

In fact, the Baggies are now closer to the bottom three than they are to the top six, with sixth-placed Bristol City moving eight points clear courtesy of the result on Friday, and Mason has made it clear he understands the supporters’ anger.

Speaking after the latest defeat, the manager said: “I am not going to sit here and ask for patience. It’s normal. That’s football. I understand the emotion and the passion.

“If we score three of our five opportunities then the feeling, the momentum and the energy is different. We’ve lost too many games and with that comes frustration.”

Time may now be running out for the 34-year-old, with a report from Football Insider revealing he is under increasing pressure, which has led West Brom to search for alternatives, and they have now expressed an interest in appointing former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick.

Carrick was dismissed by Boro back in the summer, but he is now on the radar of two Championship clubs, with Birmingham City also keen, given that Chris Davies is also fighting to keep his job.

The 44-year-old has experience transforming struggling sides into promotion chasers, taking over at Middlesbrough when they were just one point above the drop back in 2022, before going on to lead them to the play-off semi-final.

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Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson "Insanely talented" Carrick could be solid Mason replacement

Indeed, the ex-Boro boss did a fantastic job in the 2022-23 campaign, and he now has plenty of experience in management, winning 47%, drawing 18% and losing 35% of the games he’s overseen, including a three-game spell as caretaker manager of Man United.

Michael Carrick’s record as a manager

Games

139

Wins

65

Draws

25

Losses

49

Points per game

1.58

Former players have also spoken very fondly of the Englishman, with ex-Boro man Lukas Engel lauding him as “insanely talented”, while Tommy Smith has sung his praises.

Mason looks set to be given Monday’s game against Queens Park Rangers, but if he is unable to turn things around in the near future, Carrick could be a solid replacement, and West Brom should move swiftly to secure his signature before Birmingham.

Mark Boucher felt a bit sad breaking Ian Healy’s Test dismissals mark this week, but the former record holder is now excited to see how far South Africa’s wicketkeeper can take it. Healy, who held the prize until Wednesday with 395, said Boucher could add another 200 and achieve a tally that might never be passed.”He has been a great, solid performer who is held in the utmost respect by his team-mates,” Healy said in the Courier-Mail. “He has been a great competitor and now it will be interesting to see how far he can take it. That record may never be surpassed if they decrease the amount of Test cricket played.”Healy, who appeared in 119 Tests, had a bottle of champagne ready to give to Boucher, but the record “snuck up on me a bit”. Instead he sent a note of congratulations via the umpire Simon Taufel, who is standing in the match in Karachi.Boucher moved ahead of Healy when he stumped Umar Gul in Pakistan’s first innings and had mixed emotions about the achievement. “In a way it’s a great feeling, but it is also sad to break such a good keeper’s record,” he said.”Ian Healy is someone I used to watch on television as a schoolboy and I used to love the way he kept.” While Boucher is only 30, Adam Gilchrist, who is the closest current gloveman with 381 dismissals, is 35 and nearing the end of his wonderful career.

Ajit Agarkar has passed a fitness test on his left thumb and been cleared for India’s forthcoming tour of South Africa, starting in a week’s time.Agarkar, who injured himself while fielding during India’s Champions Trophy game against West Indies at Ahmedabad, was tested in Mumbai under the supervision of Dr Anant Joshi, the Indian board’s doctor, and John Gloster, the Indian team physio.”Agarkar has been declared fit. He has been practising with the Mumbai team for the last two days,” Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s Chief Administrative Officer, told , after Gloster submitted the fitness report.Agarkar’s injury forced him out of India’s virtual quarter-final against Australia at Mohali. The selectors had named VRV Singh, the Punjab fast bowler, as a standby in case Agarkar was unfit to travel.Agarkar said that he felt “perfectly alright” and that the pain had reduced considerably. “It was a bit painful in the first week and then it subsided,” he said. “I was doing some fitness work and bowling was not a problem. Fortunately it [the injury] was not in my bowling arm. It did not stop me from bowling but it was painful to grip the bat or even take catches.”Agarkar has been one of India’s most consistent bowlers in one-dayers in the last year, leading the inexperienced pace attack. In 28 matches since November 2005, he has taken 40 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 4.67, an improvement from his career rate of 5.03. Following an impressive showing in the five one-dayers in the West Indies earlier this year, his omission from the Test squad was questioned, especially with Irfan Pathan struggling for form, and the likes of Sreesanth, Singh and Munaf Patel with barely any experience at Test level.

Pakistan have confirmed that they will host an inaugural women’s Asia Cup of cricket starting in December, amid growing female interest in South Asia’s most popular sport.Pakistan’s arch-rivals India, along with Sri Lanka and possibly Bangladesh, will take part in the tournament in Karachi from December 26 to January 4. “It’s a big honour for Pakistan to be the first host of the Asia Cup and the event will definitely raise the standard of cricket in Asia,” said Shamsa Hashmi, the secretary of the Pakistan Cricket Board women’s section.Pakistan, who will also host the ninth men’s Asia Cup next year, was chosen as the hosts after a two-day meeting in Lahore which was also attended by representatives from India and Sri Lanka.”Bangladesh has yet to confirm its participation,” added Hashmi, “but we are in touch with them and if they do not come, the tournament will be contested by three teams on a double-league basis.”India is the top Asian nation in women’s cricket, having finished runners-up to Australia in the women’s World Cup held in South Africa early this year. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all failed to qualify for the World Cup.Cricket has been drawing a growing female fan base in India while, across the border, the women’s sport got a shot in the arm earlier this year when it was placed under the supervision of the Pakistan Cricket Board.The board hosted Pakistan’s debut national cricket championship for women in March and then invited the Indian Under-21 team for a first-ever women’s cricket series between the rivals, which India wrapped up last week.

The South African board (UCBSA) has asked for assurances that Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje will not be questioned by police investigation match-fixing if the scheduled tour to India takes place later this year.Gerald Majola, the UCBSA’s chief executive, said that he had spoken to Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Indian board (BCCI), earlier today and asked for his assistance. “I realise that the BCCI cannot give any guarantees on behalf of the police authorities, however I have requested that he assist us in finding the right person or persons with whom we can communicate about this matter,” Majola told reporters. “He has given me an undertaking to respond to our request as soon as possible.”We do not, under any circumstances, want to see any of our players putin a position where they have to go through police interrogation when theyare on a cricket tour, we want to sort this issue out quickly.”Majola said that Rev. Makhenkesi Stofile, South Africa’s minister for sport, would be contacted by the UCBSA for any assistance he could provide at an inter-governmental level. He refused to be drawn on whether the players might be left out if no guarantee was forthcoming. “At this stage there is no thought of any of our players being withdrawn from the tour. We will assess thesituation once we have all the relevant information.”However, Ray Mali, the UCBSA president, said at a local meeting in East London that the board would not send Gibbs and Boje to India if there was the slightest chance that the two could be picked up by police. He asserted, “It is very important that there are guarantees in place that the two players will not be arrested.”Meanwhile, in Delhi, the commissioner of police, KK Paul, said that the cases against Gibbs and Boje had not been closed. “The case is obviously open,” he explained. But it’s all too early to give any guarantees that no police action will be taken, especially because no one has bothered to get in touch with us.”

Corey Collymore has silenced an entire country over the last week or so.Written-off by cricket fans as past his best, Collymore’s selection in the Barbados team was questioned since his return from the World Cup in South Africa.The lion-hearted 25-year-old fast bowler from St Peter made everyone eat their words in the semifinals of the Carib Beer International Shield with a five-wicket haul against Trinidad and Tobago.Collymore stepped up to the plate again yesterday when Barbados were struggling to dismantle the strong Jamaica batting side in the final. Back to his incisive best and delivering outswingers at will, Collymore prised out Test scalp Marlon Samuels and the dangerous Ricardo Powell in one probing spell yesterday morning that turned the match on its head.He ended with five for 44 in 21 probing overs and stormed back late in the day to grab the wicket of Samuels for the second time in the match. It was proof that Collymore was really back with a bang.

The technical committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI), meeting in Baroda on Saturday, will discuss the format forvarious domestic cricket tournaments as also the playing conditions inSouth Africa, chairman of the technical committee and former Indiancaptain Sunil Gavaskar said on Friday.”The report on playing conditions in South Africa has been receivedby the board and it will be discussed at the meeting,” Gavaskar toldPTI. He said due to different playing conditions in various countries,some difficulty was being experienced and there should be the sameconditions for the Tests and other three or four day matches.Gavaskar said that another topic for discussion is the format fordomestic matches and added that several members want changes in itwhile some cricket associations are opposed to it.Gavaskar, chairman of the selection committee Chandu Borde, formerBCCI chief Raj Singh Dungarpur, BCCI joint secretary Sharad Diwadkararrived in Baroda from Mumbai tonight.”Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and K Srikkanth, members of thetechnical committee will not attend the meeting,” BCCI secretary,Jaywant Lele told PTI. “Kumble is busy with some domestic matcheswhile Srikanth is on a tour of USA and Tendulkar is under treatmentfor a hairline fracture on his toe,” Lele said, adding that the othermembers of the committee are expected to reach the city by Saturdaymorning.

Michael Papps will replace Jamie How at the top of New Zealand’s order for their Test tour of South Africa in November. Kyle Mills has been named after recovering from his knee injury and Ross Taylor is in line for his Test debut but there was no space for Lou Vincent or Craig McMillan in the 15-man squad.Mathew Sinclair was also overlooked despite playing New Zealand’s last two Tests, against Sri Lanka in December. Combined with the retirement of Nathan Astle, the changes mean the line-up that faces South Africa will be a very different one to that which drew the Sri Lanka series.James Franklin, the left-arm fast-medium bowler, was left out as he continues to recover from a knee injury, although the selectors hope he will be available for the one-day series that follows the two Tests. Mills has not played since the CB Series in Australia in January and will be thrilled with the call-up after resigning himself to a comeback through Auckland this coming season. Mark Gillespie has been recognised for his strong first year of ODI cricket and could make his Test debut.Craig Cumming has retained his spot despite not earning a national contract this season, while Papps pushed in front of How after an outstanding domestic campaign for Canterbury in 2006-07 when he led the State Championship run tally with 1005 at 91.36.”The selectors are looking to form a quality opening partnership,” New Zealand’s coach John Bracewell said. “Cumming is the incumbent and is acknowledged as a quality player of pace, while Papps is being rewarded after an excellent domestic season.”Daniel Vettori will be leading the side for the first time in Tests, while Stephen Fleming has been included in the unfamiliar role of batsman only.The players depart on October 18 and have two warm-up matches before the two Tests at Johannesburg and Centurion, the first of which starts on November 8. A Twenty20 international and three ODIs follow but the limited-overs squad will not be announced until after New Zealand A’s practice matches against Australian state sides in Queensland next week.Squad Craig Cumming, Michael Papps, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Kyle Mills, Shane Bond, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel, Michael Mason, Chris Martin.

Epyllion Group, a leading textile manufacturer, will sponsor the Bangladesh team for the Champions Trophy in India, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced yesterday.The company confirmed that it would pay Tk 15 lakh (approx. US$ 22,388) for the first three qualifying matches. The BCB stated that the amount would be increased if Bangladesh make it to the group stages of the tournament. The logo of Epyllion Group would be carried on the players’ jersey and practice kits.Mahbub Anam, BCB general secretary, welcomed the new sponsors, given that the board had struggled to find a suitable sponsor who wouldn’t clash with the official sponsors of the tournament.”Here these companies are the largest sponsors and it was a daunting task to find a sponsor,” Anam was quoted in , a Dhaka-based daily.Anam added that the BCB will invite open tenders for television rights for the next five years within a week and an agent would be appointed to handle the deal.”The deadline to submit tenders would be October 31,” he said. “It would be a two-folder tender with technical evaluation and financial offer. The tenders would be opened in front of the BCB officials and the media.”

Scorecard

Just as Australia thought things could not get much worse, their second string players suffered a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat on the third day of their opening tour match against Pakistan A.Mohammed Sami was the catalyst for Pakistan’s victory as he tore through the Australian top order in their second innings. He removed Mike Hussey, Brad Hodge and Dominic Thornely in his opening burst and returned to dismiss Brad Haddin, the top scorer, for 34.Pakistan had stretched their first innings into a slender of 17 before Shane Watson wrapped it up to finish with four wickets. Australia were quickly in deep trouble with Sami’s opening burst and two wicket for Umar Gul reducing them to 33 for 5.Haddin and Nathan Bracken fought hard but Shahid Nazir and Mansoor Amjad completed the demolition job, leaving Pakistan with a target of 114. Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik put them on course with an aggressive stand of 76 and despite three wickets for Cameron White they completed the chase in under 20 overs.