Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, says his team will not sit back on its 1-0 lead and will aim for a 2-0 result when the Test series concludes in Port of Spain from Thursday. “It is important that we go for a win in the second Test,” Jayawardene told . “This is the way we play cricket. We want to win every match in which we play. This is the attitude with which we play whether we are playing at home or away.”Sri Lanka won their first Test in the West Indies with a 121-run success in Guyana and Jayawardene said the desire to succeed had helped his team post overseas triumphs in recent years “This is the attitude that has helped us in the last few years, and this is why we have been winning Test matches away from home, and we will not move away from this attitude,” he said.”We want to get accustomed to the conditions in Trinidad. We’ll make sure we do all the hard work and challenge West Indies, and see if we can win this Test series 2-0.”A victory would make Sri Lanka the first visiting side to complete a cleansweep in the West Indies. Australia came close five years ago when they won the first three Tests, but a record-breaking chase in the final match in Antigua ended their hopes of a whitewash.Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, said his side needed to be optimistic and tougher than in Guyana. “I believe that if we can remain positive and focus, we can win the Test,” Gayle said. “It’s a must-win situation for us to square the series. We’ll try and see what Sri Lanka has to offer a second time around both in the batting and bowling, so it is just for us to return to the drawing board, and come up with a plan, and come prepared to play a tough Test.”Jayawardene said there would be no let-up in intensity from his side. “We are going to pay attention to all areas of our game, and see where we can tighten-up,” he said. “This is how we work. The first Test is finished, and the next venue is totally different, and conditions will be totally different.”The visitors will be boosted by the familiarity of the Queen’s Park Oval, which reminds them of Muttiah Muralitharan’s home ground. “It is definitely Kandy,” Jayawardene said. “We always enjoy playing in Kandy because the bowlers have a little bit of help, but once the batsmen put up the initial hard work it’s going to be a good batting surface.”Sri Lanka are expected to make one change with Prasanna Jayawardene likely to be forced out with a hamstring injury. “He is struggling, he’s probably 80% fit but he’s a wicketkeeper, he needs to do a lot of work in a Test match, so we have to make a decision,” Mahela Jayawardene said.”We’ve got an adequate replacement. Kumar is a wicketkeeper who can do the job for us, so I don’t think we need to take too many risks in that department. We’ve got the extra batsman, Chamara Silva, who has been scoring runs, it’s a bit unfortunate to leave him out of the first Test team. He will get his opportunity to play and I’m sure he is looking forward to that.”
Amidst the euphoric scenes which greeted the Scottish Saltires’ heart-stopping victory over Lancashire at Old Trafford on Monday, it was easy to forget that, once again, as on so many occasions during the last five years, the bowlers had stepped up to the mark, where the batsmen had previously failed. In three Friends Provident Trophy outings this, ahem, spring, the Saltires have managed totals of 73, 169 and 155; one doesn’t exactly have to be Stephen Hawking to deduce that these kind of scores are never going to win you more than perhaps one match in every ten, which begs the question of why there exists such a glaring discrepancy between the practitioners of the two disciplines.The statistics simply serve to reinforce the dearth of truly first-class batsmen in these parts. Fraser Watts has amassed more than 125 appearances for Scotland, and averages less than 23. Gavin Hamilton, an allrounder who no longer bowls, accumulates less than 30 an innings as well. Ditto the rest of the Saltires line-up with not one single person higher than 28 and 29, whilst, in England, only one Scottish player – Durham’s Kyle Coetzer – is currently performing regularly on the 1st XI stage. By contrast, Ireland are exporting an increasingly rich seam of ability to the counties: Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce are at Middlesex, Niall O’Brien at Northants and Boyd Rankin at Derbyshire, and the Irish boast an exceptional future star in 17-year-old Paul Stirling, who struck a massively assured 70 in the FPT last weekend. There has to be a reason why the Saltires have deep bowling resources, yet struggle to post competitive targets with the bat. What is it?Craig Wright, the former Scotland captain, has no doubt that the pitches in his homeland offer a compelling answer. “It is far easier for us to produce bowlers than batsmen up here, purely due to the conditions which young players grow up experiencing. Indeed, it will always be difficult for us to produce confident, technically assured batsmen when they grow up playing on soft, seaming wickets, on which they cannot trust the bounce of the ball,” said Wright. “In addition, our wickets up here do not bounce, so our batsmen never learn to play off the back foot. Therefore, when our lads have to go and bat against professional bowlers who are operating at 85-90mph, on surfaces which bounce waist high and above, we tend to be found out.”This is why we need to ensure that our youngsters train in facilities which have even bounce, an also that they play enough cricket at a young enough age against good opposition. That’s why we have arranged the tours [to South Africa] and put in place two-day games for the under-17s against English opposition.”On the other hand, it is much easier for us to produce bowlers because the conditions have much less influence on how a bowler goes about his business. Whereas, when one of our batsmen faces a Scottish club bowling attack on a poor wicket, he is virtually playing a different sport from the one facing Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson & co in Manchester.”Wright makes several valid points, but that still doesn’t properly explain how somebody such as Watts can look so stylish for short spells and then depart in anti-climax so frequently. One might also wonder why the Scots should seem to rise to the occasion on their away journeys without being able to replicate the same standards at the Grange.”It’s a mystery,” says Wright. “Conventional wisdom would say we should do better in home conditions where the ball seams around more, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I can’t speak for the other guys, but I’m not sure there is anything in the theory that they are inspired more by the surroundings down south, I don’t buy that. But maybe some of them feel under less pressure than when in front of an expectant home crowd.”Wright and his confreres will strive to maintain the momentum established by the defeat of Lancashire. But until the foundations are laid more adequately by their top order, the majority of supporters will forever be fearful a collapse is just around the corner.
Lancashire 96 for 4 v Essex ScorecardNews that Tom Smith’s back operation promised to be a success lifted a grey Manchester day•Getty Images
As the clans gathered at Cardiff and Yorkshire ran through Warwickshire quicker than stomach trouble on a campsite, one did not have to be a cricketing paranoid to think that the main action was taking place many miles away from Emirates Old Trafford this damp Monday.The only optimistic note of the grey afternoon was struck when it was reported that Tom Smith ‘s back operation had been a success. Smith was appointed Lancashire captain in February but has been able to lead his team in just one championship game this season.Yet the 25.4 overs that were possible on the first day of Lancashire’s Division Two match against Essex were important to players in both teams. By common agreement Lancashire produced their worst championship cricket of the season in last week’s grimy draw against Northamptonshire. Glamorgan, third, may trail by 50 points but they have a couple of games in hand and still have to play Lancashire twice. Ashley Giles will be on the lookout for the least speck of complacency among his players.And as Glamorgan fought their own battle against the weather in the urban pastoral of Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, they may have been heartened to hear of Lancashire’s struggle to a very moderate 96 for 4 against Essex on a day when James Porter added Paul Horton and Karl Brown to the 15 opening batsmen he had already sent packing this season.Porter bowls with a commendably high action and he is not scared to pitch the ball up. Those qualities may have led to him being milked for a few boundaries as the openers added 48 in 8.2 overs on the first morning but they also helped him achieve his successes.The first of these came when Horton pushed forward at a ball which moved enough off the seam to catch the outside edge and fly to the safe hands of Jesse Ryder at first slip; the second arrived just two balls later as Porter’s bounce surprised Karl Brown with the resulting nick being safely cupped by second slip Liam Dawson.If that catch helped Dawson feel that he belonged in the first game of his one-month loan from Hampshire, what happened over the next 15 overs may have turned him into an adopted son of Southend. Summoned into the attack by James Foster in the 16th over of Lancashire’s innings, the slow left-armer’s third ball had Alviro Petersen leg before for 14 when he played back to a delivery to which he might have gone forward.Having lunched on a moderate 92 for 3, the home side’s innings trespassed into outright mediocrity when Ashwell Prince tried to pull the first ball of the afternoon session to the boundary but only bottom-edged it onto his stumps. That gave Dawson his second wicket of a day which was soon to be cut short by the weather. A typically pugnacious clout over mid-on by the new batsman, Alex Davies, was the last scoring shot before a shower sent the players back to the pavilion just before two o’clock.
Chappell: Disgrace to see West Indies slip to this stage
At 10am on a greenish pitch, Jason Holder lost the toss but didn’t mind that Steven Smith chose to bat. “Hopefully we can exploit the conditions as best as possible and get into their middle order,” he said. By 12.30pm they had done so; Australia were 3 for 121 and wobbling. It turned out getting through that middle order was the hard part, for by 6pm Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh had cruised to centuries, had a triple-hundred partnership, and Australia were 3 for 438.The only consolation for Holder was that he hadn’t sent Australia in, though he said he would have done so if given the chance. Apart from one crowded hour when they claimed all three of their wickets – the hour leading up to lunch – West Indies were lacklustre. And such was their awful over rate that Holder declined the new ball late in the day so his part-time spinners could race through a few overs. It was quantity, not quality, and they still fell one over short.Perhaps only in outer space could Voges and Marsh have been surrounded by less pressure than they were by the close of play. Still, their contributions should not be under-valued. They came together before lunch with Australia in danger of being embarrassed. But Voges especially turned that on its head in the second session, moving to a run-a-ball century, his third in Test cricket. He had solid support from Marsh, who scored slower but also raised his third Test hundred.At stumps, Voges was on 174 and Marsh had 139, and their partnership of 317 was Australia’s third-highest of all time against West Indies, for any wicket. Australia’s run rate had hovered above five an over nearly all day, and only as they blocked out the final few overs before stumps did it dip down into the high fours. Boundaries flowed for most of the day as West Indies served up half-volley after half-volley. Rarely has the term “attack” been more inapt for a Test bowling group.The 50th boundary of the day came when Denesh Ramdin failed to grasp a Kemar Roach delivery that dipped on him in the 79th over of the day and it ran away for four byes. It rather summed up a day of utter disappointment for West Indies, who also faced the prospect of possibly being without Shannon Gabriel, the only fast bowler to take a wicket. Gabriel bowled only 10 overs for the day before leaving the field to have scans on a troublesome left ankle.Amongst it all, Voges and Marsh piled on the runs. Voges made the West Indians pay for too often straying onto his stumps, scoring heavily through the leg side. He moved briskly to a 55-ball half-century and turned that into a 100-ball hundred, his second Test ton against West Indies, who by stumps had dismissed him only once in Test cricket for an aggregate of 341 runs. It was his second century of the home summer after he posted 119 against New Zealand in Perth.Marsh spent the second half of the Perth Test wondering if he would be the beneficiary of Usman Khawaja’s hamstring injury and on his recall helped Australia to victory in Adelaide with 49 in the chase. But he knew that he needed a big score to justify the faith of the selectors and he could hardly have asked for a better opportunity; he faced two dot balls before lunch then came out after the break to face Jomel Warrican with three men back on the boundary.Marsh was content to let Voges drive the partnership but he certainly played his part. His cover-driving especially was exquisite, and more than half of his 12 boundaries came through that region. His century came with a pull through leg for four off Roach. He had taken 50 more balls than Voges to reach triple figures but it mattered little. Finally, more than four years after he scored a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka, Marsh had made a Test hundred at home.He had come to the crease with West Indies apparently having the momentum, having got rid of Joe Burns and then Australia’s two best batsmen, Steven Smith and David Warner. The first hour had brought 75 runs, 64 of which came in boundaries, as the bowlers struggled to find the right lengths against Burns and Warner, and when Gabriel nipped one back in to bowl Burns for 33 it was completely against the run of play.Warrican, chosen for his second Test ahead of the more established legspinner Devendra Bishoo, claimed his first wicket when he slowed his pace and turned one enough to catch the edge of Smith’s bat; he was well taken at slip by Jermaine Blackwood for 10. But Warner remained at the crease and was a significant danger, having raced to a 40-ball half-century that featured 10 boundaries.However, in the last over before lunch Warner tickled a catch down leg side off Warrican and was caught by Ramdin for 64 off 61 balls. Ramdin had earlier put down Warner on 4 when he dived low to his left in an attempt to snaffle an edge off the bowling of Roach. Holder may have thought that when Ramdin rectified the error by taking Warner before lunch, West Indies might run through Australia. In fact, the middle order was about to exploit them.
ScorecardMolly Strano picked up 5 for 15 to restrict Melbourne Stars Women to 9 for 85•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
This game had been identified as ‘the one’ for the Women’s Big Bash League. It was the tournament’s first fixture at the MCG, its first on Channel Ten’s flagship channel – all on a Saturday afternoon at the end of the holiday season. Central to the fixture’s sporting appeal was the presence of Meg Lanning, captain not only of the Melbourne Stars, but Australia’s national side too, and the world’s best batsman. But she was on the wrong side of the result as Sophie Molineux anchored a low-scoring chase that Melbourne Renegades won quite comfortably.On a number of levels, things didn’t start terribly well. The MCG naively decided a single general admission gate would be adequate, leaving many – perhaps 2000 – punters outside for the start of the match. Only the quickest to their seats would have seen Lanning, who fell caught behind prodding half-forward to Molly Strano’s spin in the second over of the match. She had made just 2, on what was supposed to be her day.By the second ball of Strano’s next over, the Stars had lost three more wickets. Natalie Sciver was bowled off the penultimate ball Shabnim Ismail’s second over. A ball later, Emma Inglis fell in almost identical fashion, castled by a full, straight, skiddy delivery from the diminutive South African – fresh off the plane and playing her first game of the competition. Then came the scalp of Katie Mack – the only Star besides Lanning with more than 100 runs in their eight WBBL matches to date – who was trapped by Strano.In the blink of an eye, the Stars, having chosen to bat, were 4 for 8. The only saving grace was that Mignon du Preez safely defended the hat-trick ball from her compatriot Ismail. It was largely thanks to du Preez that those queuing outside got to see a game at all. \\She nudged and hurdled her way through the middle overs, first in the company of Kelly Applebee, then Kristen Beams. The first boundary only arrived from the innings’ 64th ball, a du Preez edge off Briana Binch, and only two more followed (the innings also contained 63 dots).Having cleaned up the top order, Ismail and Strano returned to lop off the Stars’ tail. Hayley Jensen was caught and bowled by Strano, then Ismail had du Preez caught at mid-on. Strano bowled the last over and got the wicket of Beams, with a tossed up delivery as she was caught well low down at mid-off, and then struck with the wicket of Gemma Triscari, who was trapped plumb in front as Stars managed just 9 for 85 in their 20 overs. Strano was rewarded for her accuracy with remarkable figures of 5 for 12.Defending a paltry total, Lanning’s Stars did just about everything right. Seamers and spinners alike bowled tight, probing lines, the team were energetic and vocal in the field, Lanning set aggressive fields and they fielded like demons, led by their wicketkeeper, Inglis, who claimed two excellent stumpings. Sciver’s second ball was full and wide, and Dane van Niekerk – who had just sliced the parsimonious Triscari over point for four – advanced and was smartly stumped by Inglis.Kris Britt never got going, and when Beams gave one some flight, she was also stumped. 17-year-old Sophie Molineux – opening, having batted No. 11 in her previous WBBL knock – stuck about and looked increasingly fluent, but after 13 overs, the Renegades were still not halfway there, and the Stars, improbably, were on top.Then the pressure began to tell. 11 was taken from Beams’ last over, including a beautiful lofted drive for four from Danielle Wyatt, while Alana King’s following over cost eight, including a pair of missed run-outs. With the running increasingly suicidal, those two run-outs happened in the following overs; Molineux was carelessly caught short as she failed to pick up Wyatt’s tip and run, while Sarah Elliott simply set off when there was never a run on offer.Wyatt’s stay at the crease began eventfully, when she was hit on the back of the helmet by a full-blooded Molineux drive, but she kept her composure to see the Renegades home when requiring a run-a-ball. She hit a stunning cover driven four and was joined by Ismail, who thrashed around briefly before being run-out in the final over. But Wyatt’s push into the off-side off the innings’ penultimate ball, and another, final scampered single saw the Renegades home.
Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the ODI series against England as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.A call will be taken on Steyn’s availability for the T20s at a later stage, with the aim to have him fit for the Australia T20s in March and the World T20 which follows that. Kyle Abbott, who suffered a hamstring niggle in the Centurion Test will also miss the first ODI against England with Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada likely to be rested for some of the matches.”They definitely won’t play all five games,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, said. “We will look to bring one or two new fast bowlers in.”That means South Africa are likely to add to their one-day squad, which currently only has Chris Morris as back-up to the bowlers. Wayne Parnell, and Hardus Viljoen, who are playing for the A side in a warm-up match against England on Saturday, could come into contention. Vernon Philander, however, will not.Philander tore ankle ligaments in the warm-ups for the second Test against India in Bangalore in November and has missed seven Tests as a result. He was expected to recover by mid-January but is still “two to three weeks away from competitive cricket”, according to Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager . Philander is unlikely to make an international appearance this season.Moosajee is more optimistic about Steyn, even though the exact nature of the shoulder injury, which followed a groin strain, has not been discovered. “All initial scans were clear but when symptoms did not improve, we discovered a reaction in the bone itself,” Moosajee said. ‘This is very rare in fast bowlers as it is usually caused by trauma. We are treating it conservatively because he is a fast bowler and we know we have the World T20 coming up.”Steyn is still receiving treatment in a hyperbaric chamber and is being monitored every two weeks. Moosajee is “confident he will make a full recovery” and that in “six, eight or 10 weeks when he is fit, will be bowling as well as he ever has”. He also emphasised that Steyn’s current niggle is “not career-threatening.”
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has questioned why the ICC doesn’t pay for the DRS technology in international cricket and believes they should use one provider across all matches to avoid the inconsistencies in decision-making that have been evident in the Ashes series.Both Australia and England have expressed frustration at several decisions across the series involving Real Time Snicko (RTS) with tensions boiling over during the Adelaide Test.England had a review reinstated by match referee Jeff Crowe on the second morning after BBG Sports, the suppliers of Snicko, conceded operator error had led to an incorrect reprieve for Alex Carey during his opening-day century.Related
'Snicko needs to be sacked' – Aussies fume in latest controversy
England have review reinstated after technology failure on Carey appeal
Another incident occurred on day two that led to Starc being overheard on the stump mic saying “Snicko needs to be sacked” .The ECB and CA plan to lobby the ICC to review its protocols and systems as a result of the error with the issue of the host broadcasters having to pay for the technology set to be a key a discussion point. Starc believes the process needs to be centralised.”I’m sure it’s frustrating for everyone, viewers, officials, broadcasters no doubt,” Starc said. “One thing I will say … I’m only going to speak for myself here, the officials use it, right? So why doesn’t the ICC pay for it? And why is it not just one [provider] across the board? Why don’t we use the same technology in all different series that’s going to perhaps create less confusion, less frustration? So that’s where I’ll leave that.”The ICC has two approved “sound-based edge detection technology” suppliers: RTS, which is used in Australia, and UltraEdge, which is used in the rest of the world. Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, said during the third Test that umpires “can’t trust” RTS and suggested that UltraEdge is superior.Australia captain Pat Cummins was diplomatic, but did note RTS seemed to be different to UltraEdge.”The one here seems a little bit different to sometimes what you get overseas,” Cummins said. “There’s always a few murmurs. You’re hoping that it matches up if you’re the bowling team. Sometimes you kind of just making sure that it’s all okay if you’re batting, even though you feel like you haven’t hit it. It sometimes doesn’t feel super consistent, but you just crack on whatever the umpire says.”Although UltraEdge is used in the BBL, there is no provision to change technology providers mid-series, with RTS set to be used for the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.
Theo Walcott has again caused a World Cup stir after being left out of the England squad named by Fabio Capello for South Africa.
Walcott found himself sensationally included in the squad four years ago during Sven-Goran Eriksson's reign.
However, the Arsenal forward will not be on the plane to South Africa after being sensationally cut from the provisional 30-man squad named by Capello last month.
Walcott started both the 3-1 warm-up victory over Mexico last week and Sunday's 2-1 success over Japan in Austria.
The 21-year-old failed to impress on either occasion and has found himself omitted at the expense of fellow right-sided midfielders Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon this time out.
Walcott, whose only international goals came via a stunning hat-trick against Croatia during qualifying for South Africa back in September 2008, has started only 12 Premier League games for Arsenal during an injury-ravaged campaign.
Elsewhere, Gareth Barry has been included after passing a fitness test on Tuesday morning.
The Manchester City midfielder missed last week's training camp in Austria after damaging ankle ligaments in the penultimate game of the Premier League season but was given every opportunity to prove his fitness.
Club-mate Adam Johnson has been omitted despite his rise to prominence following a big-money move to the Premier League side from Middlesbrough in January.
Joe Cole has also won a somewhat surprise place on the plane to South Africa, which leaves London Heathrow airport on Wednesday evening.
Cole has more than 50 England caps to his name but his participation this summer was believed to be in doubt following a club season at Chelsea where he was regularly left on the bench.
However, after an impressive substitute appearance against Japan on Sunday, the 28-year-old has been included.
Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone were the other midfielders to miss out on selection. West Ham anchorman Parker was expected to be omitted after sitting out the two warm-up games.
However, Huddlestone of Spurs had appeared to have edged Manchester United's Michael Carrick following cameo appearances in both games on the back of a solid domestic season.
Up front Darren Bent is the fall-guy after Capello decided to take four strikers to South Africa.
The 26-year-old bagged 25 goals for Sunderland last season but still find himself behind the likes of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey in the race to partner Manchester United hot-shot Wayne Rooney.
The other major surprise has come in defence where Stephen Warnock was given the nod ahead of Leighton Baines.
Everton left-back Baines was believed to be heading the queue to prove back-up to Ashley Cole but has lost out to the Aston Villa full-back.
Baines looked shaky during a 90-minute performance against Mexico at Wembley but had been preferred to Warnock during the build-up to the World Cup.
Warnock's solitary England cap to date came as an 84th-minute substitute during a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago two years ago.
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Finally, Ledley King is included rather than Spurs team-mate Michael Dawson.
England's 23-man World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham).
Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa).
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).
Forwards: Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has been catching the eye of many during his side’s World Cup campaign in South Africa and Chelsea are just one of the club’s linked with the Ajax man, could he be the perfect foil for Didier Drogba?
Manchester United has previously had the strongest interest in Suarez, but many feel that at £30+ million the Red Devils have been priced out of the market for him.
Suarez joined the list of top scorers in South Africa after his brace against South Korea in the second round took him to a total of three. It is not just his goal scoring that has impressed, but his relationship with fellow Uruguayan forwards Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani.
It would seem as though Suarez’s performances have caught the eye of Carlo Ancelotti according to reports. Ancelotti thinks that the 23-year-old Ajax forward could be a long term successor for Blues’ hitman Drogba, but there’s no reason to suggest he couldn’t be the perfect foil for the Ivorian considering he isn’t always the main man for his country and performs well with the likes of Forlan.
At Ajax Suarez had been used in a more supporting role for both Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Marko Pantelic, it is only since the arrival of Martin Jol he was made captain and became the focal point of the Dutch club’s attack.
So, he can play a supporting role, but he is also pretty prolific as well scoring an incredible 49 goals in 48 games as well as his three World Cup goals.
However, the Eredivisie can often flatter to deceive and if there is any truth in the links then the Stamford Bridge faithful will be hoping that Suarez is more of an Arjen Robben (a player many Chelsea fans feel they still have not successfully replaced) and less of a Mateja Kezman, who came to west London with an impressive goal record in Holland but failed to make an impact in the Premier League (not for the want of trying though).
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It is thought that Ancelotti believes that Suarez has what it takes to achieve on a bigger stage, rather than just the fairly average Dutch league and that he could operate in either 451 or the former AC Milan chief’s preferred diamond formation. Also, Chelsea will have to start thinking about successors for the likes of Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who are 32 and 31 respectively.
It is not the first time that Suarez has been linked with Ancelotti’s side as there were many rumours circulating ahead of the January transfer window. Many quarters in the Dutch press had suggested that the Uruguayan had signed a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea in December 2009 and was due to move there during the winter transfer window, but the deal never came to pass.
Chelsea may face some competition if they wish to sign the young forward as Manchester United remain in the frame despite financial worries and also Barcelona, who are willing to buy players out of spite if you believe the stories in the press.
Do the Chelsea fans think that Luis Suarez could blend in well with their Premier League and FA Cup winning side?
Can Suarez be the ideal foil for Didier Drogba?
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
Ray Wilkins is confident that Chelsea duo Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel will have recovered from injuries in time for the start of the new season in mid-August.
The Blues' assistant coach Ray Wilkins is pleased with the way the duo's rehabilitation work is going after they were both forced to miss the World Cup finals in South Africa.
Ghana star Essien and Nigerian Mikel missed the tournament because of knee injuries, but an upbeat Wilkins said:"There should be no problem whatsoever.
"Mikel is slightly in advance of Michael Essien but they're both working very well indeed. They've been working double sessions for the last week and we'll get them really firing before the season starts.
"Normally, after a World Cup, you find with those players who come back from the tournament, they hit a wall at about December time.
"It's very important we manage them in the correct manner and we get them to a level where they won't be as fit as we want them to be but, as they creep into the new year, their fitness will come back.
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"We also have to get the players we've got here training now into the right fitness condition so that they're prepared to play, because we might not be able to use the guys coming back from the World Cup for the first couple of games. So these young men have to be primed and ready to perform."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email