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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, August 24, 2017
We’re going to beat Rooney-England’s record-breaker who fell short at tournaments Suriname at home – Jones By Neil Robinson
(REUTERS) - Wayne Rooney made the announcement of his retirement from the national team within hours of another England great Gary Lineker saying that he felt the country’s leading goalscorer was “under appreciated.” As a 17-year-old prodigy, Rooney was the last of a particularly talented generation of players, who included Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Together they were expected to win England back respect, if not honours, as the country that always considered itself a major footballing power struggled to emulate its solitary tournament success at the 1966 World Cup. When Rooney burst on to the tournament scene by scoring four goals at the 2004 European Championships, his impact was even compared to that of Pele. Already the youngest player to be capped by England, Rooney was seen as the totem who could do his country what his outrageously talented predecessor had done for Brazil. But while Rooney achieved every honour in the club game, eclipsing Bobby Charlton as Manchester United’s leading scorer, his career with England was always more problematic, even though he ended as their most prolific goalscorer and most capped outfield player. With the goals came injuries - like the broken metatarsal that blighted his 2006 World Cup campaign - and occasional
flashes of temper as England’s talisman struggled to drag an inferior side up to his superior standards. “[England] went through a time of being bereft of worldclass talent - it was just him,” said Lineker. “He’s gone to play in tournaments, sometimes not fully fit, sometimes fit, in a team that’s not really good enough, and he’s suffered a little bit from that.
naments was poor after 2004: he scored just once in 11 games at three World Cups. But he was an automatic first choice for six England managers until Gareth Southgate omitted him from his squad earlier this year when his United career had come to a standstill. It means Rooney played his final appearance for England against Scotland last November, a game that was followed by an
Wayne Rooney
ELITE GROUP When asked whether Rooney was under-appreciated, Lineker said: “He probably is. He’d be [one of Britain’s] top 10 ever.” Like most of the others in that elite group, Rooney experienced the frustration of tournament football when England underwhelmed rather than overcame. Some observers believe that, like England, he was found out by the game’s top level when his record at tour-
apology after Rooney appeared drunk at a subsequent wedding party at the team hotel. Rooney reacted to last season’s many disappointments with good grace, never dodging questions about his future and suggesting that he wanted one last hurrah with England at next year’s World Cup in Russia. Ironically, the 31-year-old’s recent club form suggested that he might be able to achieve it, with two goals in as many matches since returning to
Everton last month. The latest of those came against Manchester City on Monday, when he bided his time before ghosting into the area to score almost unnoticed. In an instant he showed what the older Rooney might contribute, as the wise attacker profiting from younger legs around him. At his peak Rooney was capable of outrageous skill, a striker to pluck goals from anywhere. But as his pace slowed, England toyed with playing him in midfield, an experiment that ended in failure when England were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland in the second round. That led to the departure of manager Roy Hodgson, but not Rooney, who said he was simply happy to play anywhere. Nothing showed that more than the night he beat Charlton’s England record by scoring his 50th goal against Switzerland in 2015. Back in the dressing room after the game, he was presented with a commemorative shirt, with 50 on the back. Close to tears, Rooney addressed his team mates with a speech full of humility and pride outlining how much the “huge honour” of playing for England meant to him. For all the might-have-beens, that sense never left him even if his powers were beginning to diminish. Charlton’s goal-scoring record had stood for 45 years; perhaps Rooney’s will last even longer.
AB de Villiers reveals playing future … steps down as ODI captain; ready to play all three formats of the game
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - Batsman AB de Villiers has stepped down as captain of South Africa’s One-Day International team but has said he is ready to play all three formats of the game after a self-imposed exile from Test cricket. de Villiers sat out South Africa’s recent 3-1 Test series defeat to England amid speculation that he was ready to ditch the five-day game having not played in the format since January 2016 through a combination of injury and personal reasons. But with series to come in the 2017/18 season at home to India and Australia, de Villiers, 33, says he is now available once more. “Following this recent break, I really do feel refreshed and revived,” de Villiers said in a statement released on his behalf by Cricket South Africa (CSA)
yesterday. “I want to get back on the field and I have today assured the national selectors that I will be available for selection in all three formats of the game during the coming
given up on his dream of captaining his country at the 2019 World Cup. de Villiers led South Africa in the Champions Trophy in England in June when they failed to make the last four.
AB de Villiers averages more than 50 in Test cricket.
season.” de Villiers averages more than 50 in Test cricket and his return will bolster a batting line-up that struggled for runs against England. de Villiers has however
“Faf du Plessis has proved to be an outstanding captain of the Twenty20 and Test teams, and bearing this in mind, I have informed Cricket South Africa that I would like to step down as
captain of the ODI team,” he said. “It has been an honour to lead the team for the past six years, but it is now time for someone else to take the ODI side forward,” he added. de Villiers, who has two young children, had been stung by accusations that he was picking and choosing his matches and maintains there was an orchestrated plan with CSA to extend a career that has become beset by injury in the last few years. “This strategy has prompted some people to say I am picking and choosing when to play for the Proteas, and even to suggest I am somehow putting myself before the team,” he said. “That is simply not true. That has never been true. Playing for South Africa is, and will always be, the greatest privilege of my life,” he added.
By Rawle Toney
A contingent of 155, inclusive of athletes and officials, departed Guyana today for neighbouring Suriname, where they will compete at this year’s Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) from August 25 to 27. The games, a brainchild of former President Forbes Burnham, will be celebrating its ‘Jubilee Edition’ (50 years), having started in 1967 as a means of using sports to foster closer bilateral relations with Suriname. Guyana and Suriname will do battle in track and field, basketball, volleyball, swimming, cycling and football. With the exception of track and field and swimming, the other disciplines will have only male participants. “We anticipate that we should do fairly well since all the disciplines would have been participating at high level both locally and overseas throughout the year,” Director of Sport Christopher Jones told reporters yesterday at his Homestretch Avenue office. Jones said that he was pleased with the handling and preparation of the respective teams by the various associations, adding that he would have also been proud of the anxiousness of the athletes to represent the ‘Land of Many Waters’. “At least the ones at the various camps I’ve visited, they are excited and some of them had participated last year as well,” the Director of Sport said, noting, “their own prediction is they can win. There is hype and excitement amongst the Guyanese delegation to win these games.” Apart from track and field, cycling and volleyball where team Guyana rule supreme, the Dutch-speaking country hold the IGG titles for both basketball and football (male and female). TRACK AND FIELD TEAM: » Girls: Toyan Raymond (100m, 200m), Binka Joseph (100m), Deshauna Skeete (200m, 400m), Kezra Murray (400m, 800m), Joanna Archer (800m, 1500m), Shaquka Tyrell (1500M, 3000m), Leyanna Charles (3000m), Chantoba Bright (long jump, triple jump), Tatyanna Blair (long jump, high jump), Virlyn Gibson (triple jump, high jump), Mian McPherson (shot put, javelin), Jamacia Scott (shot put, discus), Prudence Codrington (javelin, discus) » Boys: Tyrell Peters (100m, 200m), Umkosie Vancooten (100m, 200m), Daniel
Williams (400m, high jump), Samuel Lynch (400m, 800m), Daniel Melville (800m, discus), Murphy Nash (1500m, 5000m), Ronaldo Wishart (1500m, javelin), Rickie Williams (5000m), Anthony Williams (long jump, triple jump), Ronaldo Greene (long jump, triple jump), Tarique Boyce (high jump), Jermine Simmons (shot put, javelin and Lennox Henry (shot put, discus). Kenisha Headley and Quincy Clarke will coach the squad while Nadine Trotz and Carolyn Garraway will act as managers. » BASKETBALL: Andrew Wiggins, Stanton Rose, Jermain King, Akeem Crandon, Timothy Thompson, Shamar France, Nigel Bowen, Jaheel Young, Aton Fileen, Jamal Gilkes, Andrew Johnson and Akil Vaughn. Abdullah Hamid is the team’s head coach, Kirk Fraser assistant coach and Troy Green manager. » CYCLING: Adealie Hodge, Marcus Keiler, Cortis Dey, Jason Cameron, Shenika Barker, Yonka Barker and Deance Welch. » SWIMMING: Andrew Gordon, Antonia Rodrigues, Daniel Scott, Nathon Hackett, Leon Seaton, Alex Winter, Nikita Fiedtkou, Teshana Hunter, Anna Isaacs, Accalia Khan, Kenita Mahaica and Lian Winter. » VOLLEYBALL: Kirstoff Shepherd, Akil Vaughn, Omari Joseph, Hellod Singh, Andy Rohoman, Jaleel Roberts, Samuel Jordan, Ronaldo Bobb, Montel Denny, Daymyon Alahamad, Ronaldo Griffith and Kellon Leitch. » FOOTBALL (FEMALE): Indera Amardeo, Vicky Jonannis, Althea Austin, Odessa Smith, Lendey Adolph, Anastacia Horsham, Shania Riley, Naomi Aaron, Ashana Williams, Stacy Adams, Amanda McKenzie, Tiandi Smith, Latesha Sutherland, Shontel Greene, Jamaica Hunte, Sasha Rodrigues, Anulissa Johnson and Selena Chan. Head coach Akilah Castello and assistant Tricia Munroe » FOOTBALL (MALE): Jervis Cumberbatch, Simeon Hackette, Cecil Jackman, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Padmore, Shomol Smith, Marriheo Eastman, Raushan Ritch, Orin Moore, Ryan Hackette, Ryan Dowding, Nixon Robertson, Chris Macey, Anton Peters, Shane Haynes, Brandon Atkinson, Sherral Daniels, and Lorenzo Miller. Head coach Sampson Gilbert.