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AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn last played Test cricket in 2016, while Vernon Philander made a return after an injury lay-off that had ruled him out of the Bangladesh series

Firdose Moonda19-Dec-20175:39

Cullinan: I wouldn’t select Dale Steyn to play against Zimbabwe

AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn have returned to South Africa’s Test squad for the inaugural four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe, which starts on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth. De Villiers last played a Test in January 2016, while Steyn has not played international cricket after suffering a shoulder injury in Perth last year.

South Africa Test squad

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn

The duo were joined in the squad by Morne Morkel, who has recovered from a side strain that has sidelined him since late October, and Vernon Philander, who is fully fit after a back problem sustained in England. Captain Faf du Plessis, who is in the final stages of recovery from a shoulder operation, has also been named.Chris Morris, who bowled Titans to victory in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge final, has not been included. Morris suffered a slight groin strain in that match and has also been withdrawn from the South African Invitation XI to play Zimbabwe in a three-day warm-up match in Paarl from Wednesday. De Villiers was initially due to participate in that match but will no longer play because of a lower back strain. De Villiers remains available for selection for the Test but there is no confirmation that du Plessis is guaranteed a start. ESPNcricinfo understands the Test captain may be granted an extra week’s rest to ensure he is ready for matches against India, which begin in early 2018.”It is a very exciting moment not just for South Africa but for world cricket to have Dale and AB, two icons of the game, back in the multi-day format,” Linda Zondi, CSA’s convener of selectors said. “AB and Dale bring loads of experience to the side apart from being two of the South African all-time greats. It is also good to have Vernon back and it is very encouraging that our four premium fast bowlers – Steyn, Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel – are all back in the selection mix.”South Africa’s pace pack will use the Zimbabwe match to find rhythm ahead of a summer which includes seven more Tests – three against India and four against Australia.With all the premier quicks available, there was only room for one more seam bowler – allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo – as neither Duanne Olivier nor Wayne Parnell were included.The squad is also heavily stocked with batting options. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram will open the batting, with Hashim Amla to follow. But, if South Africa stick with the same team balance they employed against Bangladesh, there may only be space for two out of Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn, with Quinton de Kock at No.6, followed by the bowlers. Against Bangladesh, South Africa used six batsmen, two allrounders, two seamers and a spinner.They may, however, revert to a seven-batsmen strategy, which would likely see Phehlukwayo miss out completely and leave the selectors with a choice between three of the four seamers and Maharaj. The possibility of an all-pace attack, especially on green Highveld pitches, against India, cannot be ruled out.

How do you celebrate skittling the opposition out for 62? If you’re Wellington’s Michael Papps and Luke Woodcock, you put on the biggest opening partnership in your country’s first-class history. The pair added 432 together, a record in New Zealand first-class cricket, and the second-highest stand for any wicket in the Plunket Shield. In the process, Papps, at 38 years 114 days, became the oldest player from New Zealand to score a triple-century.Following his marathon 316 (553 minutes, 435 balls, 51 fours and a six), Papps said forget records, he was just hoping to avoid bagging a duck – like five out of the top seven from Auckland did. “I was just hoping to get off the mark and anything else was a bonus, to be honest,” Papps said at stumps on day two, according to . “Our guys bowled really well yesterday, and, certainly, there were periods where their guys got it right and it was difficult.”It was kissing through, there was some good pace in it, particularly Lockie Ferguson, but it’s a good wicket. If you [bowlers] don’t get it right, it’s good for scoring.””I’m obviously pretty pleased, but pretty knackered now, to be honest. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I was in a pretty clear mind most of the innings. We got ourselves in a good position and I just wanted to keep pushing that on for the guys.”Batting with a familiar partner helped, Papps said. “Woody and I know each other pretty well. We’ve batted together a lot over the past couple of years. It’s always good to keep feeding off each other and keep the momentum going.”Wellington eventually declared on 553 for 3. Auckland did better in their second innings, closing the second day at 73 for 1, but the deficit still stood at 418.

To say that Lionel Messi has got off to a quick start to life at Inter Miami would be an understatement. Ever since scoring a last-minute free-kick to end his new side’s agonising winless run, the Argentine has not looked back, scoring in every game that he has played.Most recently, Messi continued his impressive form for Inter Miami by netting a brace against Orlando City, as his side came out 3-1 winners in the Leagues Cup. The two goals against Orlando City means that the Barcelona legend has scored five goals in just three games. If there was somehow any doubt that Messi would not dominate MLS, then that has quickly been shut down.We’re even seeing Messi’s fiery side for the first time since his Barcelona days. The Argentine got into his first confrontation in America, which carried on down the tunnel with Cesar Araujo taking the brunt of his anger.

Lionel Messi has heated exchange with Cesar Araujo

The incident initially started when Messi shoved Araujo off the ball. Reacting to the challenge, the Orlando City man made his mark on Messi with a fairly late challenge. Angered by the challenge, the Inter Miami star complained to the referee, asking for a yellow card.

The exchange didn’t stop there, either, as the two could be seen exchanging words down the tunnel, though neither player turned the exchange into something physical, merely going back and forth in what looked like a heated argument.

In the end, it was Messi who had the final word, scoring a brace as his side won 3-1. His close-range volley was particularly impressive, as he starred once more for his new side.

Even at 36, the Argentine’s passion for the game doesn’t look like dying down anytime soon. If anything, his move to Inter Miami has reignited the fire in his stomach to battle for every ball.

How many goals and assists has Lionel Messi got for Inter Miami?

Scoring five goals in three games so far, Messi has also formed quite the partnership with his teammates – particularly Robert Taylor, who he has assisted once.

So, as things stand, Messi has six goal involvements in just three games, making a rate of at least two goal involvements per game. Meanwhile, Inter Miami are yet to lose with the former Paris Saint-Germain player in the squad.

Speaking on the refereeing performance, Orlando coach Oscar Pareja was left frustrated, suggesting that Messi was given special treatment by officials. He said, via Goal: “Tonight was a circus. There was a second yellow on Messi [that wasn’t given]. I don’t care if he’s Messi.

“The penalty kick calls and others, they were ridiculous. We were very frustrated and tried to regain our composure. There were some circumstances in this game that shouldn’t happen.”

It’s certainly interesting to see Messi taking things so seriously in the US, when many may have expected him to be taking a far more relaxed approach to football now that he’s playing for a club outside of Europe for the first time in his career. No doubt, David Beckham and co will be delighted to have the World Cup winner apparently fully invested and ready to fight for the Inter Miami cause.

As his MLS career continues, there’s no doubt that Messi will continue to produce special, and perhaps fiery moments. You can see the highlights of his performance against Orlando City below:

Celtic would find it 'tough' to finance a deal to sign Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi this window, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Will Celtic sign Wilfried Ndidi this summer?

Last month, The Daily Mail reported that Celtic were interested in making a move to sign Ndidi this summer following Leicester City's relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

In 2022/23, Ndidi made 30 appearances for the Foxes in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt; however, he couldn't help to prevent Leicester City's slide into the English second tier despite his best efforts.

According to WhoScored, the 26-year-old still got through plenty of work in the engine room, making around 2.3 tackles per match in the Premier League.

Brendan Rodgers left Leicester City by mutual consent back in April and has since taken over at Celtic, bringing in Marco Tilio and Odin Thiago Holm as his first two additions of the window.

The Scottish Sun understand that the Irishman has a transfer kitty of around £30 million to play with between now and the close of play in the market, signifying that some high-profile signings could be likely to walk through the door at Parkhead.

Nevertheless, transfer insider Jones thinks that Celtic would struggle to finance a deal for Ndidi to bolster their midfield despite his obvious links to Hoops boss Rodgers.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "Tough deal to do, in the best of times. I think financially and just through the links to Rodgers and Leicester being too obvious for me. I haven't heard anything that actually properly stands the story up. So again, it's one I'm holding with caution right now."

Who could Brendan Rodgers look to recruit at Celtic?

Given that Ndidi earns around £75,000 per week at Leicester City and would likely cost a significant transfer fee, Celtic will probably shift their focus to alternative targets as Rodgers looks to keep the Hoops at the top of Scottish football.

Names linked have been few and far between as the 50-year-old coach examines his squad in a pre-season training camp in Portugal; however, Celtic will surely spring to life in the next few weeks and start adding quality in key positions.

According to Ukrainian outlet Sport Novyny via 67 Hail Hail, Celtic are among the leading candidates to land Shakhtar Donetsk winger Tete, who spent last season on loan at Leicester City, as he intends to leave the club due to fears over his safety in the region.

Young Boys midfielder Fabian Reider has also been tentatively linked with a move to Celtic this summer; nevertheless, it is unclear how much these rumours have been substantiated as excitement over potential new arrivals reaches fever pitch in the Scottish media.

Football Scotland understand that Celtic have agreed a fee with Gangwon for talented winger Yang Hyun-jun, though they are keen to hold on to him for now due to being embroiled in a relegation battle and want to retain his services until later this year.

Working under the radar, it wouldn't be surprising to see Celtic announce some big arrivals in the not-too-distant future as they prepare to defend their Scottish Premiership crown in 2023/24.

Cheteshwar Pujara, the India batsman, has confirmed his return to Trent Bridge for the final four Specsavers County Championship games of the 2017 season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2017

Cheteshwar Pujara, the India batsman, has confirmed his return to Trent Bridge for the final four Specsavers County Championship games of the 2017 season, as Nottinghamshire look to seal their immediate return to the top flight following last season’s relegation.Pujara recently returned from India’s Test tour of Sri Lanka – he made 309 runs at 77.25, including two centuries, in their 3-0 series win – and will be available for the home and away fixtures against Northamptonshire, as well as the matches against Worcestershire (at Trent Bridge) and Sussex (at Hove).He has already played an important role in Nottinghamshire’s march to the top of the Division Two table, scoring 223 runs at 44.6 in four matches at the start of the season, including 112 in the victory over Gloucestershire in late May.”The great thing is that he has already been in the squad this season and he fitted in so well both on and off the field,” said Peter Moores, Nottinghamshire’s head coach.”He is a fantastic player, and since he has been away he has had a great time of it in the Test matches for India. So we are getting a guy who is coming back in form and for the team spirit, Pudji coming back in is a huge boost for everybody.”We have got two really big home games against Northants and Worcester, because it is a chance for us to put pressure on two sides that are up there with us.”Runs on the board at Trent Bridge is always a big influence and having a player of Test-match quality in Pudji is a real bonus.”

Bangladesh begin their final preparations for the Champions Trophy by facing an Ireland side hoping to build on an improved performance in the second ODI against England

Preview by Mohammad Isam11-May-2017

Match facts

May 12, 2017
Start time 10.45am local (0945 GMT)William Porterfield will hope his team continue the improvement they showed at Lord’s•Getty Images

Big picture

The last time Bangladesh and Ireland met in an ODI, the stadium vibrated to the tune of a 25,000-plus crowd trying hard to back their faltering home team. It was during the 2011 World Cup when the Bangladesh team truly captured the emotions of 140 million people. Despite making 205 batting first, they managed to beat Ireland by 27 runs and kick-start their home World Cup campaign that was shaken by India in the first game.More than six years on, and they are two teams at very different stages of their development. Bangladesh have been No. 7 in the ICC ODI rankings since 2015, after ODI series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa that year. They progressed further in the 2016-17 season with Test and ODI wins over England and Sri Lanka.Bangladesh are now breathing down Sri Lanka’s neck in the ranking table and if they can beat Ireland twice and New Zealand at least once during this tri-series, they will enter this year’s Champions Trophy as the No. 6 team in the table. Even three years ago, such a stature was a pipedream.Under Mashrafe Mortaza – who will miss the opening match due to an over-rate suspension – Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and coach Chandika Hathurusingha, Bangladesh have put together a really strong line-up that is a blend of experience and skilful youth. The likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Mehedi Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain are tipped as the leaders of Bangladesh’s future.During the same period Ireland won 23 out of 60 ODIs, once each against England and West Indies. They have lost their standing as the leading Associate nation to Afghanistan in recent times, but are in line to gain Test status in June.Similar to Bangladesh, Ireland have a core group of players who have now topped 50 ODIs. Ed Joyce, William Porterfield, Paul Stirling and Kevin and Niall O’Brien have the experience required to help nurture a team through a rebuilding phase. The addition of Tim Murtagh has been helpful while the left-arm spinner George Dockrell remains an important cog in their wheel although question marks remain over the new talent coming through.Bangladesh will be under pressure to beat a lower-ranked side while Ireland will hope that home conditions give them a chance to build some confidence.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Ireland LLLWW
Bangladesh LWLLL

In the spotlight

Ed Joyce hasn’t hit a 50 in his last five ODI innings, but Ireland will keep relying on the experienced top-order batsman, particularly against a tricky bowling line-up. He also would like to improve on his sub-par performance in ODIs in Malahide.Sabbir Rahman warmed up well against Ireland A, hitting an 86-ball 100. He is steadily establishing himself at No. 3 in Bangladesh’s ODI batting line-up, with stiff competition always around the corner. Sabbir will want to start off well against Ireland, to cement himself in the top-order.

Team news

Using more pace bowlers is usually what home teams do against Bangladesh, and Ireland should try a similar plan. As a result, the likes of Stuart Thompson and Craig Young could be considered alongside Tim Murtagh, Barry McCarthy and Peter Chase – the latter two having impressed in the recent ODIs against England. Newcomer Simi Singh may have to wait for his chance for an ODI debut.Ireland (probable) 1 Ed Joyce, 2 Paul Stirling, 3 William Porterfield (capt) 4 Andy Balbirnie, 5 Niall O’Brien (wk), 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Kevin O’Brien, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Barry McCarthy, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Peter ChaseBangladesh are likely to pick their successful batting line-up that has Mahmudullah at No. 7 with Mosaddek Hossain earning a promotion into the top five. Mashrafe Mortaza is suspended for the match due to an over-rate penalty. Shakib Al Hasan will captain.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mosaddek Hossain, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Teams batting first in the last three ODIs at the Malahide ground made in excess of 300 runs, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka piling up 337 and 377 in the last two games. Runs may not be quite as easy to come by in relatively early-season conditions. There’s some chance of rain in the Malahide area which may influence the side winning the toss.

Stats and trivia

• Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh’s highest run-getter against Associate nations, having made 737 runs in 18 ODIs. Mashrafe Mortaza is the highest wicket-taker against these opponents, with 43 wickets from 25 games.
• Six members each from the Bangladesh and Ireland squad played in the two teams’ last encounter in 2011.
• Kevin O’Brien needs three wickets to become the first Ireland bowler to claim 100 in ODIs.

Financial expert Kieran Maguire has been reacting to a Leeds United update involving the 49ers Enterprises and Elland Road.

What’s the latest Leeds news on the 49ers?

It was confirmed earlier this month that the 49ers Enterprises have completed a full takeover of Leeds from Andrea Radrizzani. The investment vehicle, which have links to NFL side the San Francisco 49ers, are now full owners of the Whites after previously having a 44% stake in the club.

A takeover was valued at £170m and includes the ownership of Elland Road, something which Maguire has been giving his thoughts on.

Talking to Football Insider regarding the news, Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, believes that “Leeds fans will love” the fact that the stadium and club are in the hands of the same party.

“I think there is an inevitability in regards to the 49ers’ investment in Leeds United that has been mooted for some time.

“I think it is a very good idea to have continuity of ownership of both football club and stadium and I’m sure Leeds fans will love this.”

What did Andrea Radrizzani try and do with Elland Road?

Radrizzani has moved on from Leeds, heading back to his native Italy with a takeover of Sampdoria. However, the former Leeds owner and chairman recently explored the prospect of offering to use the club's Elland Road stadium as security against a £26m bank loan, doing so without informing the 49ers.

That was before a Leeds agreement was reached with the 49ers, so it is good to see that Elland Road has been included in the takeover and is not still on the books of a company run by Radrizzani.

The new owners are now looking to take the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and are on the search for a new manager, and who knows, should they succeed, they may look into plans to redevelop Elland Road over the coming years.

The PCB is looking to build upon the momentum of the Pakistan Super League by hosting a T20 series in the country against a team of foreign players in September this year

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2017The PCB is looking to build upon the momentum of a successful and incident-free Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore on Sunday, by hosting a T20 series in the country against a team of foreign players in September this year.It is unclear currently what the nature of the touring side will be. A senior PCB official said it would be a “commonwealth XI” but a report in the Guardian referred to a World XI.Giles Clarke, the ECB president, and head of the ICC’s Pakistan Task Force, is a driving force behind the venture. He visited Pakistan in January and was given briefings on security arrangements for visiting sides. It was his first visit to the country as head of the Pakistan Task Force and he met with senior officials of the Punjab government to assess the security arrangements. He then gave a presentation on his visit at the ICC board meeting soon after.On Monday, he congratulated PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan on the “successful staging” of the PSL final, calling it a “tremendous achievement”. Referring to the series, he said: “Very well played. We will be there in September.”According to the Guardian, the team that will visit Pakistan is expected to assemble in Dubai on September 17 before flying to Lahore for the matches on September 22, 23, 28 and 29.Among the international players to play in the PSL final were Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Chris Jordan and Morne van Wyk, who travelled in bullet-proof buses to the ground amid high security.Sammy, who captained Peshawar Zalmi to a 58-run win in the final, spoke in glowing terms about the experience.”To me it was more than just a game,” he said after the match. “When you have not been in a place you always have your doubts. You get different views, different opinions. But I spoke to Javed [Afridi, the Peshawar team owner] and Shahid Afridi and they influenced my decision to come here.”The fans here deserve to see their players playing as they haven’t seen it for quite a while. I am glad I came here. Being here felt like playing in St Lucia, playing in India or anywhere else in the world. And like I said at the toss, today I felt cricket was the winner.”

Although it was a poor season for Glasgow Rangers, there were a couple of players who performed well. Todd Cantwell shone after his January arrival, registering ten goal contributions across just 16 Premiership matches, while Nicolas Raskin also enjoyed a solid few months, controlling things from the centre of the pitch by averaging 58.4 touches per game alongside holding an 88% pass success rate.

However, it was American attacking midfielder Malik Tillman who perhaps delivered the greatest performances last season, impressing during a loan spell from Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old played 28 league matches for the Ibrox side, registering 14 goal contributions – ten goals and four assists – while creating 12 big chances and averaging 1.6 key passes per game, ranking him fifth, third and sixth in the Gers squad, respectively to underline how effective he was in the final third.

The Light Blues had a chance to sign him for £5m from Bayern, however it doesn’t appear as a deal will happen, and Michael Beale will need to find a solid replacement ahead of next season.

Could Parfait Guiagon – included in the Guardian’s ‘Next Gen List’ back in 2018 – be the ideal player to arrive at Ibrox and continue from where Tillman left off?

Could Rangers sign Parfait Guiagon?

According to Israeli outfit One (via Daily Record), the Gers watched the £3m-rated gem's progress during the most recent campaign as he turned out for Maccabi Tel Aviv, yet they could face stiff competition for his signature, with several Greek sides keen and this could tempt Beale into making a move sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old recorded four goals and two assists across 37 matches in all competitions this term, hardly earth-shattering numbers and some way shy of Tillman’s figures, however, journalist Maher Mezahi claimed that the Ivorian is the ‘creative outlet’ for Tel Aviv, which suggests he could have capabilities to create chances similar to the former Gers loanee should he move to Scotland.

Indeed, Mezahi even stated that the young sensation ‘should be moving to a more prestigious league sooner rather than later’ such is his talent and the Premiership could be an ideal platform for him to take his game to the next level.

Guiagon was even lauded as “one of the most talented youngsters in Israel's premier league” by R.D Football Scout and if given time by Beale, the Gers could soon be forgetting about Tillman.

The 5 foot 7 gem may take time to bed in, especially with the physical demands of Scottish football, yet after a few months, the American managed to get to grips with it and Guiagon should be able to adapt just as easily.

Mitchell Johnson at the WACA. For the better part of a decade, this was one of the most watchable parts of Australia’s home summer. Johnson was quick anywhere, but something about Perth brought his threat to a new level, even in the years when the WACA’s typical pace and bounce suffered a lull. Nowhere did he take more Test wickets than the 45 at 22.77 he claimed in Perth, and his best work there came against South Africa.Johnson was back at the WACA on Wednesday, 50 days out from the ground hosting South Africa for the first Test of the Australian summer. But this year, South Africa’s batsmen will not have to worry about the threat of Johnson running in on a zippy pitch with a breeze to help him swing the ball. And yet another left-arm danger could be just as effective, if not more, when the home summer begins: Mitchell Starc.Johnson’s retirement during last season stripped 313 wickets from Australia’s Test attack, but the transition to a post-Johnson era has been smooth. That is largely thanks to Starc, whose swing, pace and mastery of the yorker have made him one of the most challenging fast bowlers in world cricket at the moment. If Australia’s recent series in Sri Lanka was a disaster it was not because of Starc, who topped Australia’s wicket list with 24 at 15.16.It was the highest series tally ever by a visiting fast bowler in Sri Lanka, and it was followed, in the one-day series, by Starc breaking the world record for reaching 100 ODI wickets in the fewest matches. Australia will be greatly looking forward to seeing what Starc can achieve during the six home Tests this summer, after he missed the second half of last season due to an ankle injury that required surgery and a long recovery.”It was really exciting to see Mitch Starc perform well,” Johnson said in Perth on Wednesday. “I thought he was really close when we went over to England for that last Ashes series, and wasn’t quite there. But he’s shown that after his injury he’s really committed to working really hard and did all the work. I’ve kept in touch with him and he was really positive going into that series. To be the leading wicket-taker in Sri Lanka in those conditions was a real positive and a good step forward.”He can dominate again [at home] on wickets that are going to provide bounce, and with his height, it’s going to be very difficult. He bowls the fuller ball, gets the ball up there, and especially on a wicket like the WACA where it can get good bounce, it’s really vital to be up there. He’ll swing the ball when he pitches the ball up.”That yorker he’s got is very dangerous. He’s always working to improve his game. He’s still pretty fresh in Test cricket. He’s only going to get better. He’s going to keep breaking records, I think, as well. It’s really exciting to see him play really well.”The first Test against South Africa will be Australia’s first in Perth since Johnson farewelled Test cricket there last November. The three bowlers who rounded out Australia’s attack alongside Johnson in that match – Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon – have continued to steer Australia’s Test bowling with success since then.”It’s nice to be able to finish and have him performing in the line-up that Australia have,” Johnson said of Starc. “It’s a pretty inexperienced bowling line-up. They’ve got Nathan Lyon there, who’s got plenty of experience spin-bowling, and Josh Hazlewood is still trying to find his feet. There’s always going to be pressure on him to be like a [Glenn] McGrath.”But I think we’ve got a really good bowling line-up at the moment, and it’s really well-balanced. Those guys are really tall as well, so in these conditions they’re going to be really difficult to play. Coming up against South Africa at the start is really going to test Australia. But the bowling is really good at the moment. I’m really happy where it’s placed.”Johnson, like the current Australians, is less happy with where the team is placed on the Test rankings – No.3 after losing top spot in Sri Lanka – but it is also a time of change for South Africa, who are currently ranked fifth.”South Africa are going through a bit of a change at the moment but there are a few guys that have just come into really good form,” Johnson said. “Dale Steyn’s back in form, Morne [Morkel] is floating around there as well, and they’ve got a great batting line-up as always. Australia have always competed very hard against them.”