As reported by The Scottish Sun, France manager Didier Deschamps has singled out Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic as a danger man ahead of their clash with Australia at the World Cup this weekend.

What’s the story?

The two sides are set to meet on Saturday in Russia, with France one of the fancied sides to go far in the competition this summer. Australia meanwhile have a tough task ahead of them if they are to qualify out of group C.

After signing a new contract at the Hoops at the end of last season, star Socceroos man Rogic is well placed to have a big impact on his countries fortunes and has been singled out by French legend Deschamps as a key threat to France.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, Les Bleus’ boss said:

Australia used to be a defensive side, but they have changed that and now have an attacking threat.

I am concerned about their strength going forward – in particular Tom Rogic. They also have Andrew Nabbout, who is an exciting player.

They are well organised and can be an aggressive team.

We have completed our homework on them. It’s a very difficult game against a team who will work very hard indeed.

I have told our players to be careful about the attacking threat Australia undoubtedly pose.

Can the Celtic midfielder show the world why he is so highly regarded by supporters in Glasgow?

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Can Rogic shine in Russia?

While the game against France may be a step up in quality too far for Rogic and Australia this weekend, they certainly have a chance of being competitive against both Denmark and Peru in the subsequent group fixtures.

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Those could be the matches that Rogic steps up and produces something special, as he has done so many times in big matches for Celtic in the past.

Had he not signed a new contract before heading to Russia, that could have been a worry for Hoops supporters, but they can now fully enjoy seeing what he can do against elite competition, knowing he will be at the club for the next few years.

Rolando Aarons is a target for West Brom, and Newcastle fans all agree it’s time to dump the skilful 22 year-old.

According to The Chronicle, West Brom are considering a swoop for Aarons, who spent the second half of last season on loan in Italy.

The report says Newcastle are not actively looking to sell the youngster, but will listen to any “tempting” offers.

The young winger recently plead guilty over a violent incident that occurred in a Newcastle bar in 2016, and that incident combined with injuries have hampered his young career.

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The 22 year-old speedster looked an extremely exciting prospect when he broke onto the scene in 2014, scoring one and assisting one in a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace.

His loan spell with Hellas Verona wasn’t exactly a glowing success though, failing to find a goal during his short stint in Italy.

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Fans all agree they’re better off without the winger, and they like the idea of cashing in on a struggling prospect. You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

When Manchester United announce a new signing, more often not, the fans react with excitement and joy.

On Friday, though, it was a different story as the Red Devils confirmed on their official website that Marouane Fellaini has signed a new contract until 2020, with the option of a further year.

The midfielder is a controversial figure at Old Trafford in that he has divided the fanbase.

The majority of United supporters have grown frustrated with Fellaini’s antics on the pitch, as well as he tendency to throw an elbow.

Is this the best World Cup ever? Give us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

Many assumed that the Belgium international would move on this summer, but manager Jose Mourinho clearly feels that he can still use the midfielder.

Perhaps the Portuguese coach has a point, particularly when considering Fellaini’s performance for his country in Thursday’s World Cup Group G clash against England.

The former Everton player was given the nod to start by manager Roberto Martinez, who made nine changes due to the fact that his team had already secured a place in the last 16.

Fellaini’s role allowed him to showcase attacking and defensive attributes, and in fairness to the midfielder, he had a presence, particularly in the air.

The 30-year-old won more aerial duels than any of his teammates, and he also managed to create two shots at goal and feed the ball through in attacking moves.

Fellaini will not suddenly become a staunch figure in United’s team, but one can argue that he is capable of making an impact off the bench.

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Chris Rogers and Brad Hodge took control on the second day by racing Victoria to 3 for 452 against South Australia

Cricinfo staff31-Oct-2009Victoria 3 for 452 (Hodge 169*, Rogers 149) lead South Australia 292 by 160 runs

Scorecard
Loud message: Chris Rogers started the season in strong form with a century in Adelaide•Fred Kelly

The opener Chris Rogers followed his verbal reminder to the selectors with an on-field one as Victoria took control on the second day by racing to 3 for 452 against South Australia. Rogers deflated the home bowlers in posting 149 while Brad Hodge stepped in with an unbeaten 169 as the Bushrangers collected a strong lead of 160.During the week Rogers said he was disappointed that he wasn’t considered for the Ashes Tests and it is unlikely this innings will change the selectors’ minds, but it kept the pressure on the preferred New South Wales trio of Simon Katich, Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes. Rogers, who grabbed 22 fours as well as a flicked six off Peter George, added a run after tea before driving at a wider ball from Dan Christian and being caught by Aaron O’Brien in the gully.It was Rogers’ first chance, with the dismissal ending his stay after 187 deliveries and stopping the dominant partnership with Hodge of 181, which was achieved at a run-rate of 4.8 an over. Hodge continued to torment the Redbacks despite losing David Hussey, who hit Cullen Bailey to short cover on 46.Hodge had started nervously, surviving a first-ball lbw appeal, and was dropped on 54 by the stand-in captain Daniel Harris, but he showed few concerns once he got going. He lifted three sixes – one brought up his 150 – and found 24 fours during his 221-ball occupation that helped push the Bushrangers to 450 runs in a day.Christian (2 for 101) collected the first breakthrough when Nick Jewell was lbw shortly before lunch following an opening stand of 102. The Bushrangers have had no trouble adapting to the Sheffield Shield format following their Champions League Twenty20 experience and will look to add to their first-innings points over the next two days.

Mark Cosgrove’s century set up South Australia’s highest one-day total and guided them to a morale-boosting 49-run win over Victoria

Cricinfo staff15-Dec-2009South Australia 7 for 339 (Cosgrove 104, Borgas 72, Cooper 71) beat Victoria 290 (Rogers 140, Weeks 4-54) by 49 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMark Cosgrove blasted 104 in South Australia’s record-breaking total•Getty Images

Mark Cosgrove’s century set up South Australia’s highest one-day total and guided them to a morale-boosting 49-run win over Victoria. The Redbacks were intent on revenge after they dominated their hosts in the Sheffield Shield before losing on Sunday, and Cosgrove’s 104 from 81 deliveries swung them to 7 for 339. They had to survive a spirited reply that was controlled by Chris Rogers’ 140 off 116 balls, but held on and secured the victory with 6.1 overs remaining.Cosgrove, who thumped 10 fours and five sixes, gained excellent help from Tom Cooper, who chipped in with 71, before the batsmen took off at the end of the innings. Cameron Borgas slapped 72 off 39, with four sixes, as the Redbacks flooded 112 runs in the final 60 balls. Jon Holland, the left-arm spinner, was taken for 22 in an over by Borgas in a return of 2 for 61 while Rob Cassell, who was playing his first game in seven summers, went at more than nine an over.Rogers dwarfed his highly-qualified limited-overs team-mates in the chase, but the task was too tall after they dropped to 5 for 67. Brad Hodge (6), David Hussey (0) and Cameron White (1) were part of the slump before Rogers found some striking help from Matthew Wade (48) and John Hastings to give them some hope.However, when Hastings went on 41 to Jake Haberfield it ended a stand of 106 off 71 balls, the chance was gone and they were all out for 290. It was unfair on Rogers, who brought up his second FR Cup century, and showed rare power by lifting three big legside sixes. He was unfortunate to go gloving an attempted pull to a wide delivery from Matthew Weeks (4 for 54) and was caught behind by a diving Graham Manou. Despite the success – their first at the MCG in 13 years – South Australia remain in last while Victoria stay in third.

Australia’s series against Pakistan is not yet finished but Ricky Ponting’s men are already looking ahead to next summer’s Ashes

Brydon Coverdale in Hobart13-Jan-2010Australia’s series against Pakistan is not yet finished but Ricky Ponting’s men are already looking ahead to next summer’s Ashes with “a lot of excitement”. Australia have not suffered a Test defeat following the loss at The Oval last year and with only four more five-day games between this week’s Hobart match and the start of the Ashes in November, Ponting is already challenging his side to keep improving so they can regain the urn.”If we don’t want to keep pushing ourselves and improving then we won’t get any better,” Ponting said ahead of the final fixture against Pakistan. “We’ll just keep looking forward to that Ashes series. We’re already talking about it this morning – that’s a good sign, because there’ll be a lot of excitement around. There’s certainly a lot of excitement around for the players already but we’ll make sure we finish off this summer in the best way we possibly can first.”Between the two Ashes series, Australia’s only Test opponents will have been Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand, so it might be hard to gauge how they will fare against Andrew Strauss’s men. England, on the other hand, are in impressive form having saved two nail-biting Tests in South Africa, where they hold a 1-0 lead, and any fans who hope for another Australian Ashes clean-sweep are naively optimistic.”It will definitely make for a great summer next year,” Ponting said. “In three of the last six or seven Tests they’ve played they’ve managed to hold on for draws like that, the first one against us [in Cardiff] and then two over there [in Centurion and Cape Town]. Little things like that, although you’re never in the position to win a game, they can still be the difference between winning and losing a series, as we saw with our Ashes series.”They’re definitely playing some good cricket. I think overall their bowling attack has come together really well. Anderson and Onions and Swann have done a great job for them of late. Collingwood and those guys have held their batting together pretty well, so they’re playing some good cricket at the moment. I must admit, I thought South Africa might have been a bit too strong for them over there.”The pain of losing the Ashes in England for a second time encouraged Ponting to think about returning on the 2013 tour. He may not make it that far, but he certainly will be in charge when the first opportunity for revenge arrives at the Gabba in November and he wants his men to continue in the way they have attacked this summer.”We’re trying to make a statement every day,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. Whether it’s our training or our game and our play, we’re trying to make as many statements as we can as a group. The statements we’ve made over the last few weeks have been pretty loud and pretty clear.”

Vinayak Samant, the Mumbai wicketkeeper, has announced he is quitting the domestic side after spending eight seasons with them

Cricinfo staff16-Jan-2010Vinayak Samant, the Mumbai wicketkeeper, has announced he is quitting the domestic side after spending eight seasons with them. Samant, 37, said he still has hopes of prolonging his first-class career with another team.Samant played an important hand in Mumbai’s recent Ranji Trophy title win against Karnataka in Mysore, scoring 67 under pressure in the first innings to arrest his side from a dicey 84 for 4. Mumbai won the title for the 39th time following a nail-biting final, winning by six runs on the fourth day.In an interview to the , Samanth said he had made his decision at the start of the 2009-10 Ranji season. “At the start of the season I informed coach Praveen Amre and skipper Wasim Jaffer that it would be my last year with Mumbai. I had heard rumours about a state selector saying that I am growing old and unfit. So, I preferred to take a call before going through any unpleasant situation.”I will inform the Mumbai selectors about my decision soon. But I will continue playing first-class cricket for some other state maybe.”Though originally from Mumbai, Samant had to compete with Samir Dighe for the wicketkeeper’s place. He moved to Assam and represented them between 1995 and 2001. After an acrimonious stint, he decided to move back to Mumbai, once Dighe retired.”The politics there started getting to me. I was being tossed around in the team and after six years, I said enough is enough,” Samant said. “If I have to face hurdles, let that be for a champion side. After performing at various tournaments in 2001, I finally made my Ranji debut for Mumbai in 2002.”Samant was part of the winning squad five times. During his time with Mumbai, he played 69 first-class matches, scoring 2010 runs at 26.10, taking 225 catches and effecting 29 stumpings. However, his most memorable moments were with the bat.”I scored four 50s and salvaged the team from very bad situations in my debut season. Even my innings of 66 in the 2006-07 semi-final against Baroda, when Mumbai were 0 for 5, is memorable. All were tough challenges,” he said. “Your attitude is very important. Being good at your job is not the lone criteria to cement your place in the squad. Playing for Mumbai is like a competition within a competition because there are so many match-winners in the side.”Among the contenders to replace Samant are Omkar Gurav and Sufiyan Shaikh, the promising wicketkeeper who’s currently with the Under-19 squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.

Corrie van Zyl will continue as interim coach until April 2011, while Jacques Kallis has been appointed vice captain with Graeme Smith remaining captain

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010Corrie van Zyl and Graeme Smith have been confirmed as South Africa’s
interim coach and captain until the 2011 World Cup. The announcement was made
on Friday, following a Cricket South Africa (CSA) board meeting in
Johannesburg, where it was also decided that the restructuring of the organisation, which was due to be discussed, will only take effect after the 2011 tournament.Gerald Majola, CSA’s chief executive, has been given the task of managing the process to put in place the new structures. Majola had called for a change in CSA set-up following the resignation of former coach Mickey Arthur shortly before the tour of India and the sacking of the selection panel led by Mike Procter.A four-member selection panel, consisting of a convener, a high performance representative, the captain and the coach, will be appointed. In the interim, the current selection panel of Majola, who is also acting as the convenor, van Zyl and batting consultant Kepler Wessels will remain in office.Van Zyl has been asked to stay on as interim coach until the end of the World Cup. Speculation was rife ahead of the meeting that van Zyl, who had worked as assistant coach in the past, would be asked to stay on to provide stability as the team prepares for the 2011 tournament. van Zyl was previously the High Performance Coach and he had a five-year coaching stint at the Eagles franchise. He told Cricinfo, prior to the Indian tour, that he would not turn down the role of national coach for a longer period if it was offered to him.CSA also added six players to the list of contracted players for the 2010-2011 season: Loots Bosman, Alviro Petersen, Charl Langeveldt,Ryan McLaren, Roelof van der Merwe and Rusty Theron. Of those players only Theron has yet to debut for South Africa. The Warriors seamer was reported for a suspect action in October last year, during a first-class match, but was later cleared by CSA after undergoing testing. He was the leading wicket taker in this season’s MTN40 with 21 wickets at an average of 18.80.Bosman has been in bruising form since returning from reconstructive knee surgery last year. Petersen had an outstanding debut, scoring a century in the second test against India in Kolkata. McLaren made his Test debut against England in Johannesburg and played five ODIs and two Twenty20s for the country.Thirty-five year old Langeveldt has dipped in and out of national squads, but was recalled to the side for the ODIs against India and van der Merwe’s aggressive left arm spin have made him a feature in South Africa’s one-day side. Makhaya Ntini, who was dropped from the squad during the England series and did not make the trip to India, was also given a contract.

A round-up of the seventh round of games from the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 tournament in Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff18-Feb-2010Match abandoned
ScorecardFebruary is often a very wet month in Zimbabwe, and this tournament had been blessed with six days of dry weather, but lightning and rain during the match between Matabeleland Tuskers and Desert Vipers at Harare Sports Club scheduled on the one half-day meant it became the first washed-out game. Desert Vipers reached 147 for 4 thanks to a steady 44 from Raymond van Schoor and a rather more violent unbeaten 48 from Dwaine Pretorius, and Tuskers had reached 23 for 1 in the fifth over when the match was abandoned.After they won the toss and batted, van Schoor gave Desert Vipers a rollicking start, and after three overs they had raced to 30 without loss. Gavin Ewing, Tuskers’ captain, brought himself and Keith Dabengwa on early, and with much less pace to play with from their flighted spinners, the run rate immediately dipped. Craig Williams hit both for a six, but he and van Schoor were out to successive deliveries, as Vipers reached 75 for 3 in the 14th over.From then on, Pretorius took over, but he had quite a lot of ground to make up and not too much support. He used the Powerplay to good advantage, driving and pulling powerfully, and hit Keegan Meth for two successive straight sixes to end the innings. Ewing was Tuskers’ most economical bowler, conceding only 19 runs off his four overs. He did not take a wicket, but his bowling undoubtedly changed the course of the innings.Lightning and rain could be seen approaching during the Vipers’ innings, but the umpires and players decided to ignore the drizzle and the bad light and continue the game. The Tuskers batsmen clearly struggled to see the ball up at the start, and yet another ridiculous mix-up saw Ewing run out for 1 as the rain grew heavier.Charles Coventry was almost run out as well soon afterwards, but he soon began to locate the ball through the gloom and followed up with two boundaries in the same over. But the weather finally closed in and the players left the field in the fifth over with steady rain falling. There was never any likelihood of the match being resumed.

On Saturday, Simon Katich and Michael Hussey will walk out on to Seddon Park each celebrating their 50th Test match, having taken very different paths to get there

Brydon Coverdale in Hamilton25-Mar-2010Simon Katich and Michael Hussey have shared many things over the years, from their days of playing junior cricket against each other as nine-year-olds in Perth to Katich being the best man at Hussey’s wedding. On Saturday, they will walk out on to Seddon Park in Hamilton each celebrating their 50th Test match for Australia, having taken very different paths to get there.Katich debuted at 25 and was considered a long-term Test player until a poor 2005 Ashes tour led to his axing, and it was only through record-breaking efforts for New South Wales that he forced his way back in during 2008. Katich’s last Test before that near three-year break came at the Gabba in 2005-06, and it also happened to mark the debut of Hussey, who at 30 was worried he might have missed his chance.As the two men, both fit at 34 but with flecks of grey hair betraying their years, stood at Seddon Park thinking about their mini-milestone their minds wandered back to their junior days in Perth. They traded banter with the ease of old mates, Katich joking that at 12 he had a full beard and Hussey had a high-pitched voice, while Hussey remembered his Wanneroo boys losing a premiership to Katich’s Midland-Guildford club.”The one thing I remember was playing a grand final, Under-13s against each other and Simon Katich’s mum made a cake for both teams to celebrate after the game,” Hussey said. “That was quite good, both teams got together after the game and we all shared this big chocolate cake. That’s one thing I remember about the Katich family. They won.”Despite the light-hearted repartee, Hussey and Katich both said it was very special to share their 50th Test with each other, especially as five years ago neither thought the day would ever come. When Hussey eventually got his chance at Test level he started with a bang, averaging 86.33 after 14 matches, and it was that drive that helped inspire Katich to force his way back.”Personally probably three years ago I didn’t think I’d play Test cricket again,” Katich said. “It’s different for Huss. He has been a constant in the team for the last four years and he has been outstanding. I certainly got a lot of inspiration out of that, seeing him do so well and he deserves every success he’s had because he has worked so hard to get here and when he grabbed his opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands.”Together, Katich and Hussey’s Test tally on Saturday will add up to the hundred being celebrated by the New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. They might not have Test futures as long as Vettori, who is four years younger, but such has been the success of the Australians over the past few years that Hussey, with half the games, has still played in more Test wins (33) than Vettori (31).Victory in Hamilton would give Australia the series 2-0 and it would be Katich’s 25th Test win. But Katich, who appeared on last year, doesn’t expect a chocolate cake from his Mum this time. “I do all the baking now,” he said.