ISL as it happened: FC Goa 1-2 Atletico de Kolkata

October 24, 2014

Margao, Oct 24: Atletico de Kolkata is all set to consolidate their position at the top of the table when they take on hosts FC Goa in their fourth Hero Indian Super League encounter at the Fatorda Stadium on Thursday.

Fikru-islIt will be an ideal Diwali gift for the growing number of Atletico fans, who would want their team to again display attacking brand of football against Robert Pires and co.

Atletico has seven points from three games courtesy their twin victories against Mumbai City FC and NorthEast United FC and a draw against Delhi Dynamos.

It will be their second away match in the cash-rich league and the team will miss their inspiration skipper Luis Garcia. In all likelihood, it will be his compatriot Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, who will be in the starting XI.

Coach Antonio Habas is also planning to start with East Bengal medio Cavin Lobo in place of Rakesh Masih, who got the marching orders during the last match for his stud show while trying to tackle Alessandro del Piero.

The good news for Atletico is that Borja Fernandes, who scored with a stunning volley in the ISL opener, will be back after having served his one-match sentence due to double yellow against NorthEast United.

For Atletico, their go-to man will be Ethiopian striker Fikru Teferra Lemessa, who has already earned a sizeable fan following with his goal poaching abilities.

For Goa, a lot will depend on how Ranti Martins fares upfront. Someone, who is among the all-time top scorers list in the I-League, one expects a better show from the Nigerian frontman.

It will be too much to expect from Pires to turn the clock back to his days at Highbury but a bit of inspiration won't be too bad for the likes of Afghanistan captain Fakhruddin Amiri, young India U-23 players like Narayan Das, Prannoy Halder not to forget the old guards like Clifford Miranda.

"We are working very hard trying out various plans during training and are desperate to break the unbeaten run of the visitors," FC Goa manager Zico said on the eve of the match.

On the assessment of his boys' performance in the first two games, Zico said,"The boys played well in both the matches and also created chances but were not able to score.

"Hope they don't miss those chances tomorrow against Atletico, who are very good in defence as well as attack. We can't always depend on defenders to score for us in every game," Zico stated referring two goals scored in two matches by defender Gregory.

Zico downplayed Garcia's possible absence in tomorrow's game.

"We are still playing against their 11 players! If they were playing with a 10-member team, then it is an advantage! He (Garcia) is avery good player and it is a loss for the Kolkata team that he is injured," the Brazilian legend said.

Looking for their elusive win, 'White Pele' further added,"A win is very important and even for the tournament. We need to win the games on home ground since we lost the first match in Goa. A win against the Atletico, who are unbeaten so far, will increase our confidence and balance everything out."

Zico also defended his decision to play Andre Santos as an attacking midfielder, he reasoned:" Santos was always a forward and a very offensive player. He knows how to play in that position and because of that I used him in that position."

Zico also downplayed the rivalry issue between traditional teams from Goa and Kolkata stating that superiority is decided on the pitch.

"Its football and we don't need to be worried of rivalry and things like that. Who is superior, can be witnessed on the pitch. Challenges like this are always a motivation for the players. A lot of the foreign players don't know about this rivalry. But in this league, everyone is a rival."

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News Network
February 11,2020

Dubai, Feb 11: Two Indian players-- Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi -- and three Bangladeshis have been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for involvement in the quarrel just after the U-19 cricket World Cup summit clash in Potchefstroom, South Africa on Sunday.

Akash and Bishnoi and three Bangladeshi players -- Md. Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan -- were found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct after a few players from both sides nearly came to blows after Bangladesh beat India by three wickets to win their maiden U-19 World Cup title.

"Five players have been found guilty of a Level 3 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Support Personnel ... (they) were charged with violating Article 2.21 of the code, whilst Bishnoi received a further charge of breaching Article 2.5," the ICC said in a statement.

"All five players have accepted the sanctions proposed by ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Match Referee Graeme Labrooy," it added.

A near brawl broke out after Bangladesh’s historic win over India in the final. The Bangladesh players were aggressive during the Indian innings with lead pacer Shoriful Islam frequently sledging the Indian batsmen.

As soon as the match ended, Bangladeshi players rushed into the playing area.

"India's Akash accepted the charge of breaching Article 2.21 and has received a sanction of eight suspension points, which equates to six demerit points, which will remain on his record for two years," the ICC said.

Compatriot Bishnoi accepted the charge of breaching Article 2.21 and has received a sanction of five suspension points, which equates to five demerit points.

"Bishnoi also accepted a level 1 charge of breaching Article 2.5 for a separate incident during the match, where he used language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter following the dismissal of Avishek Das in the 23rd over," said the ICC.

"For this he received a further two demerit points meaning seven demerit points will remain on his record for the next two years."

Bangladesh's Towhid Hridoy accepted the charge of breaching Article 2.21 and has received a sanction of ten suspension points, which equates to six demerit points, which will remain on his record for two years.

Shamim Hossain accepted the charge of breaching Article 2.21 and has received a sanction of eight suspension points, which equates to six demerit points, which will remain on his record for two years.

Rakibul Hasan accepted the charge of breaching Article 2.21 and has received a sanction of four suspension points, which equates to five demerit points, which will remain on his record for two years.

All charges were levelled by on-field umpires Sam Nogajski and Adrian Holdstock, third umpire Ravindra Wimalasiri as well as fourth umpire Patrick Bongni Jele. Level 3 breaches carry a minimum penalty of four suspension points and a maximum penalty of 12 suspension points.

The suspension points will be applied to the forthcoming international matches the players are most likely to participate in at either senior or U-19 level. One suspension point equals a player being ineligible for one ODI or T20I, U-19 or A team international match.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Melbourne, Jun 20: If 15 teams can be allowed to enter Australia for the T20 World Cup then fans will not be stopped from watching live action from the stadiums, Cricket Australia's interim CEO Nick Hockley said on Saturday.

Hockley replaced under-fire Kevin Roberts, who recently got the boot from Cricket Australia, which is grappling with financial woes.

Different possibilities are being worked out for the T20 World to go ahead as scheduled later this year and one of them is to host the tournament before empty stands in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Hockley said crowds will be allowed, though, hosting 15 teams with players, officials and support staff is "complex" as of now, hinting that probably the ICC flagship event could be pushed back.

"The reality is, and we've got much more understanding about this in recent weeks, is crowds are most likely to come back before international travel. Our biggest challenge is getting 15 teams into the country," Hockley told cricket.com.au when asked if he would like to see the World Cup proceed without fans.

"If I compare it with the prospect of a bilateral tour, you're talking about bringing one team in and then playing individual matches. But the prospect of bringing 15 teams in and having six or seven teams in one city at the same time, it's a much more complex exercise."

When specifically asked whether crowds would be permitted by the time borders have opened to the point that 15 teams will be allowed to travel to Australia, Hockley replied in an affirmative.

"That's the current thinking, yes."

Hockley said it came as a shock when he was asked by Cricket Australia to replace Roberts.

"I've had very mixed emotions. I was very shocked to be asked. I didn't see it coming at all, so I probably haven't had time yet to process it. I feel very sad for Kev (Roberts). On the other hand, I feel this is a massive privilege to be asked, it's a massive responsibility and a massive opportunity even if it's only for the next few months," he said.

Hockey did not commit when asked if he would like to assume the role full time, but he did say that he would quit as CEO of the T20 World Cup Organising Committee.

"My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I've been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I'll continue the same approach.

"That's (T20 World Cup) been a real priority over the last 48 hours. We're reasonably well progressed and we will be appointing an interim because you just can't do both," he said.

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan deeply regrets his "silly mistake" of not reporting a corrupt approach by an Indian bookie to the ICC, leading to his one year suspension from the game.

Shakib was banned for two years, one year of it suspended, for failing to report corrupt approaches during an IPL edition by an alleged Indian bookie named Deepak Aggarwal.

"I took the approaches too casually When I met the anti-corruption guy and told them and they knew everything. Gave them all the evidence and they knew everything that happened," Shakib told Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"To be honest, that's the only reason I was banned for a year, otherwise I'd have been banned for five or 10 years," he added on the ICC's investigation.

The 33-year-old, who was in brilliant form before the ban, amassing 606 runs in the 2019 World Cup in the UK, said he regrets how he went about the situation.

"But I think that was a silly mistake I made. Because with my experience and the amount of international matches I've played and the amount of ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct classes I took, I shouldn't have made that decision, to be honest."

Lesson learnt, Shakib's advice to all young criceters is to never take any such message lightly.

"I regret that. No one should take such messages or calls (from bookies) lightly or leave it away. We must inform the ICC ACSU guy to be on the safe side and that's the lesson I learnt, and I think I learnt a big lesson," he added.

The all-rounder, whose ban ends on October 29, said he became a bit arrogant and never felt he was doing anything wrong by not reporting the bookie's approach immediately.

"Because you do most things right in your life, you tend to get arrogant with some decisions. You may not realise but you're doing wrong by the books. It never came to my mind that I am doing something wrong

"It was just a feeling of 'okay, what's going to happen, leave it' and I continued with my life. But that's the mistake I made. And that happens," Shakib said.

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