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India have rested several first-choice players, including Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, while Sri Lanka will miss Angelo Mathews and Asela Gunaratne, who are unavailable through injury

The Preview by Mohammad Isam05-Mar-20184:10

Pant has improved a lot behind the stumps – Dasgupta

Big Picture

India going into the Nidahas T20I tri-series without many of their first-choice players has somewhat levelled the playing field. Captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav have all been rested.Sri Lanka will also miss some of their key players: Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne and fast bowler Shehan Madushanka, who bagged a hat-trick on ODI debut in Bangladesh, are unavailable through injury.Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep return to bolster the pace attack, but Sri Lanka will have to be wary of India’s strong bench strength. Allrounders Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Washington Sundar, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant have only played five T20Is among them, but are used to playing under pressure in the IPL. Rohit Sharma, the stand-in captain, meanwhile will look to hit form after an underwhelming tour of South Africa. The return of Suresh Raina adds meat to the middle order, which also includes Manish Pandey.Sri Lanka will aim to build on the gains made in the limited-overs series in Bangladesh. Kusal Mendis has bedded in at the top while Thisara Perera and Dasun Shanaka have boosted the middle order. Akila Dananjaya, who can bowl offbreaks as well as legbreaks, and Isuru Udana are capable of supporting Lakmal and Thisara with the ball.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WLWWW

In the spotlight

After making back-to-back fifties in Bangladesh, Kusal Mendis repeated the feat at home in the domestic T20 tournament for Colombo Cricket Club. Can he continue his excellent form in the Nidahas Trophy?Sri Lanka might have nightmares of Rohit Sharma, who slammed 118 off 43 balls in the last bilateral T20 series between the two sides in December. In all, Rohit has hit 278 runs in 11 innings against Sri Lanka at a strike-rate of 146.31.

Team news

Kusal Perera, Suranga Lakmal and Dushmantha Chameera might return to the XI. Having secured a thumping series win in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka might not tinker too much with their team.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Dasun Shanaka, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Amila Aponso, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Dushmantha ChameeraDinesh Karthik will tussle with Pant for the wicketkeeper’s spot. Yuzvendra Chahal and Jaydev Unadkat are likely to return to the XI despite being left out for the third T20I in Cape Town. Sundar will compete with Hooda for the allrounder’s spot, while KL Rahul, who hasn’t played a T20I since December 2017, might get a game in the absence of key players.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 KL Rahul, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Washington Sundar/Deepak Hooda, 8 Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Axar Patel, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Pitch and conditions

The Premadasa pitches are known to be low and slow, but they are likely to help the fast bowlers at the start of the T20I tri-series. There is a slim chance of a thunderstorm in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Two of the top-ten scorers in T20 cricket feature in this tournament – Suresh Raina (7275) and Rohit Sharma (6587)
• India newbie Vijay Shankar bowled offspin until he was 20 but switched to medium-pace in a bid to break into his spin-heavy state side, Tamil Nadu
• Deepak Hooda, the other India rookie, has a strike-rate of 143.48 in 79 T20 matches

Quotes

“We will open with whoever we feel will play the best. We’ll look at the other teams’ strengths and limitations before coming to that decision also.”

Cricinfo staff20-Oct-2008
The Australians were unable to curb the Indian batsmen’s aggressive approach © AFP
It was intimidating to watch. First the openers came out to bat and the heady rhythm of strokes belted out was reminiscent of a manic Keith Moon behind his drum kit. There were 130 runs at five an over in the first session and the rate was maintained later, with 214 runs eventually plundered from 42 overs. It made no difference if it was pace or spin. The leading fast bowler was taken for 72 from his 14 overs, and the spinners were carted for 54 from nine. It would have been exhilarating to watch in a one-day game. As part of a five-day spectacle, it was almost unprecedented.Who else could we talking about but Australia? For more than a decade, while other sides talked of “brave cricket” and then lost their nerve, Australia flattened opponents home and away as a matter of routine. Batsmen came out and walloped 18 runs in the opening over of a series, bowlers thudded deliveries into stumps, helmets and knuckles, and even geriatric stalwarts with avian nicknames threw themselves full-length in the Adelaide outfield to take catches that beggared belief.On Monday morning though, the other side came out swinging and Australia were left bereft of answers. Back in 2001, the juggernaut that had crushed everything in its path for 16 games came to a shuddering halt when India refused to be cowed at Eden Gardens despite the hopeless situation that they found themselves in at the end of day three. By the time the teams reached Chennai for the deciding Test, the aura had gone, and India calmly picked off 510 in response to Australia’s 391 to set up a series win.Since the Ashes were surrendered to an English side that dared to set the tone on an astonishing opening day at Edgbaston, Australia have seldom been challenged. The one time they looked most ill at ease was in Perth last January, when an Indian team seething after the perceived injustices of Sydney pulled off a stunning win at the WACA. Again, someone had wrenched the conducting baton out of Australian hands, and the big boys couldn’t play.His critics can say all that they want to about Mahendra Singh Dhoni being a lucky captain. The toss certainly played a part here, but as his powerful batting displays – such a contrast from the imposter who scratched around at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – have shown, he seems to thrive on the added responsibility. In the first innings, his 92 was the difference between a modest total and an imposing one, and on the fourth morning he decided to trust his shot-making ability after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir hadpillaged 182.
Ricky Ponting got the kind of ball from Ishant Sharma that makes batsmen wake up in a cold sweat © Getty Images
With the famed middle order looking on, it was a move that would have attracted considerable ridicule if it backfired. Instead, Dhoni thumped 68 from 84 balls, including a six off Cameron White that came to a rest 25 yards inside the field after cannoning into the sightscreen. He made sure India didn’t overdo it either. With runs coming so easily, the batsmen must have been queuing up, but the declaration came well before tea, leaving India with 136 overs to ensure that their dominance of the game was translated into the right result.Australia’s chase was in ruins within 10.2 overs. There had been signs in the morning that they were losing the plot. There was an animated argument between Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee before lunch, presumably something to do with the fact that the leader of the pace pack wasn’t required to bowl until after everyone has finished their and butter chicken. And that simmering rage seemed to afflict the batting as well.Matthew Hayden has never been known for the backward step, but even by his standards, the belligerence shown during a 20-ball 29 was extraordinary. It was as if he wanted to hit every delivery into the cement moat that rings the venue. And it was a reflection of the kind of series that he’s having that he fell to the sweep, the stroke that fetched him hundreds of runs back in 2001.Simon Katich fell to a frankly appalling stroke, while Ricky Ponting got the kind of ball that makes batsmen wake up in a cold sweat. That, and the delivery which darted back to trap Shane Watson in front, crowned a magnificent spell from Ishant Sharma, who must surely now be considered one of the best fast bowlers in the world. India’s pace bowlers now have 18 wickets in the series, while it needed a miscue from Sourav Ganguly to gift Lee his fourth of the series. The times, they certainly are a changin’.

Chelsea have become a prime destination for young players to choose to continue their development, and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly eyeing another exciting gem at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's youth recruitment strategy

Undoubtedly, Chelsea have taken a major heel-turn in their approach to the market over the last couple of years and are now a club synonymous with acquiring young talent and developing players in the hope that the Blues will have a side capable of competing at the top end of English football for the long term.

In the summer, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Oguchukwu, Deivid Washington, Angelo and Diego Moreira were all brought to Stamford Bridge, with all players mentioned being of the age of 22 or under; however, the Blues' recruitment strategy has yielded mixed results on the pitch.

Sitting 11th in the Premier League table, Chelsea have taken 12 points from their opening ten fixtures and still look to be a way off competing for continental qualification despite some encouraging signs from their young squad, which retains an average age of just 23.8 years old, according to Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Blues booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday by sweeping aside Blackburn Rovers on home soil courtesy of goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.

Cited by BBC Sport, Chelsea boss Pochettino has emphasised his belief that his side can win the competition, stating in his post-match press conference: "We need to think that it is an important competition for us. We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition."

Young players have become a crucial part of Pochettino's philosophy in SW6 and it now appears that the Argentinian coach has another prodigious talent in his sights following latest reports.

Chelsea's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Newcastle United (A)

St James' Park

Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Manchester United (A)

Old Trafford

Chelsea eyeing Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi

According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi and have watched his progress over the last few months. Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are also courting the starlet in light of his emergence in the Irish top flight. La Liga giants Real Madrid are also keen on the 17-year-old, who could be available for as little as £250,000.

Despite Razi being believed to desire a move to England over Spain, any side from the United Kingdom willing to swoop for the youngster would need to wait until his 18th birthday to sanction a deal, in light of new rules involving Irish players moving across the water that have surfaced since Brexit.

Razi, who has been labelled as an "exciting prospect" by former St Johnstone defender Graham Gartland, has made six senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers since making his breakthrough at first-team level. However, he has yet to get himself on the scoresheet or register an assist (Razi statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, the Republic of Ireland Under-17 international is now a hot topic among some of Europe's heavyweight clubs and Chelsea and clearly has a high ceiling to be drawing such intense interest.

Chelsea hadn't messed around this summer. With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, a world-class manager, and a whole host of talent acquired to their squad, it felt like the Blues were heading back to their former best.

Yet, after breaking the bank on the likes of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, to name a few, they currently find themselves in an unsatisfactory mid-table position with three defeats from their opening eight matches.

While Pochettino will be given time to mould the squad how he wants it, patience on their current stars could wear thin if significant ground hasn't been made on the Champions League places come January, which could lead to more mass spending.

Unsurprisingly, a whole host of stars have already been touted with a winter move to Stamford Bridge, and one of Europe's brightest young talents, Jamal Musiala, is the latest name to be linked.

Are Chelsea interested in Jamal Musiala?

A graduate of Chelsea's youth academy, who departed the club for Bayern Munich aged 16, would make a huge U-turn on his career if he was to return to Stamford Bridge.

According to 90min, Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Musiala, including Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

The report details that Bayern remain confident of tying the 20-year-old down to a long-term contract, however, with several clubs enquiring about his availability, a potential bidding war could ensue.

Currently valued at €92.3m (£80m) according to Football Transfers and with another three years left on his contract, the Blues will need to splash the cash in order to lure him to west London, either in January or next summer.

What would Jamal Musiala bring to Chelsea?

One of Chelsea's most fateful mistakes was allowing Musiala to depart for Bayern in 2019 after failing to convince the youngster to commit his future to the London club.

All will be forgiven, however, if the Blues manage to pull off a sensational move to prise the youngster away from Germany and back to England.

The attacking midfield sensation, who has been nominated for the prestigious Golden Boy Award, is the shining light of a German side crying out for a rebuild and an unwavering cog of Bayern's merciless winning machine.

Combining his electric pace and remarkable dribbling to a devastating effect, the youngster has been compared to the great Lionel Messi for how he carries the ball in perpetual motion, breezing past defenders like the ball is stuck to his feet and supplying a relentless end product to match.

With an astonishing 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 Bundesliga matches last term, Musiala showcased why the footballing world is salivating over his talents, seamlessly slotting into pockets of space and appearing to be the perfect heir to Muller's throne.

Lauded as a "future Ballon d'Or" winner by teammate Alphonso Davies for how he's dominated on the world stage at just 20-years-old, Musiala has shown that his potential is limitless.

The youngster's former coach, Andre Martin, reinforced the above back in 2021, saying: "Technically outstanding, very skillful, and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. And he's a great dribbler and likes to take players on, as he did against Schalke. He later became a No.10 and has become as much of a creator as a goalscorer."

The description of his qualities suggests that Chelsea must reverse the mistake they made four years ago and go all out to sign one of the best young talents on the planet.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been told by their manager, Ange Postecoglou, to sign one country's "fundamental" defender.

Latest Spurs news

On the field, Spurs have gone from strength-to-strength under their new boss; winning five out of their opening seven Premier League games while displaying an exciting brand of attacking football on display. Tottenham continued their impressive streak with a controversial 2-1 win over Liverpool in north London on Saturday, with Joel Matip's own-goal deep into added time gifting the home side all three points. Speaking after the 90 minutes, Postecoglou said the dramatic late win could help to build up the spirit and belief in his group of players.

“It wasn’t an easy game for us, we knew it wouldn’t be, and even in the circumstances, we had some unique challenges," explained the Australian.

"For some of these guys, this will be the first time they’ve faced that type of scenario, and for the most part, we handled it okay. Again, getting that late winner helps build the belief and spirit in the group. The thing about Liverpool, even with 10 men, they are equally as dangerous because the game plan is the same, they play on mistakes, they have world-class players up front who can hurt you. I thought the second half was better because we stayed a bit calmer, maintained our pressure in the wide areas and got our reward.”

The result keeps Postecoglou's in second place and just one point behind last season's treble-winners Man City, having scored just as many goals as Pep Guardiola's blues. It's certainly a promising time to be a Spurs supporter as the arrival of Antonio Conte's replacement seemingly hands them a new lease of life. Off the pitch, chairman Daniel Levy and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn will be slowly preparing for the January transfer window.

Latest Spurs transfer news

You could argue that Postecoglou's squad lacks depth beneath the first team, especially when it comes to central defence. If either summer signing Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – the current star pairing – become unavailable, there are few world-class options to cover them.

This has lead to reports that Spurs could go in for a second centre-back signing after van de Ven this winter, with the likes of Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer linked recently. Another to have come out as an option is previous summer target Edmond Tapsoba, with an update coming to light on the Burkina Faso international.

According to a report out of Spain, the 6 foot 4 Bayer Leverkusen star is an "express request" from Postecoglou – who has seemingly asked his club make the signing. It's added that the incorporation of Tapsoba to Spurs would be an "ambitious move" by Levy and co, but Tottenham are "determined" to shore up their defence in the coming months.

Called one of Leverkusen's best defenders under manager Xabi Alonso, the 24-year-old has also been branded "fundamental" for his country at international level by members of the press.

Jordi Alba was reportedly absent from Inter Miami training ahead of Lionel Messi and Co's CONCACAF Champions Cup clash with Nashville.

Article continues below

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• Alba missed training on Tuesday
• Left-back is said to be sick
• Remains to be seen if he can make the trip to Nashville

• Getty/GOAL composite
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the the defender is sick and hence refrained from participating in the team's training session on Tuesday. The Inter Miami squad will leave for Nashville on Wednesday morning and it remains to be seen if Alba will be well enough to fly with his team-mates.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alba has played every minute in the MLS so far and has been a crucial figure for Tata Martino. He set up Messi for a 92nd-minute equaliser against LA Galaxy which was incidentally the Argentine's first strike of the season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Alba was signed from Barcelona last summer as a free agent by Inter Miami. He took little time to taste success as the Spaniard went on to lift the Leagues Cup along with Messi & Sergio Busquets.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Martino will be looking to manage the minutes of his veteran superstars to keep injury at bay. However, if Alba does feel better on Wednesday he should be on the flight to Nashville as the Herons would like to field their strongest XI in the first leg of the Champions Cup last-16.

Canterbury’s legspinning allrounder Todd Astle has been offered a New Zealand contract for the first time, while James Neesham and Neil Broom were left out of the list of 20 contracted players for the 2018-19 period.

List of contracted players

Corey Anderson, Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker

“Todd’s progress over the past 12 months has been exciting to see. When fit, he made the most of his opportunities in both Test and ODI cricket,” said New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “We have a big summer ahead; we know Todd performs well in New Zealand conditions, and we also have a spin-friendly tour against Pakistan coming up.”Between Todd, Ish and Mitchell our spin bowling stocks have probably never looked better. Jimmy and Neil didn’t show the consistency required over the past year and we’d like to see them go back and demand our attention again through domestic performance.”The new master agreement between NZC and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association is yet to be finalised, but both parties came to an agreement so that the contracts process was not delayed.The new contracts will come into effect from August 1.

The New York Yankees will live to play one more day. Facing a potential World Series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, they managed to rally, taking Game 4 by a score of 11–4 to climb back to a 3–1 deficit in the series. Highlighted by a grand slam from shortstop Anthony Volpe, the offense finally came alive for New York, taking advantage of a bullpen game by Los Angeles. That sets up one more game in the Bronx on Wednesday. 

Here are three takeaways from the action: 

The Bottom of the Yankees Lineup Delivers

Volpe’s grand slam was the sort of moment the Yankees had been desperate for in this series. Here was not just a big hit, but a critically timely one, and from an unexpected source. 

The 23-year-old shortstop has gone through his share of ups and downs this year. (Including in the second inning on Tuesday, when he drew a walk and put himself in scoring position with a steal, only to fail to make it home on a double because of a baserunning blunder.) But he authored the defining moment of his young career with his grand slam in the third inning. It erased an early Dodgers lead and paved the way for a Yankees victory. And it was just one piece of an incredible night for the bottom of this lineup.

No. 7 hitter Volpe finished 2-for-3 with his homer, a double, a walk and two steals, becoming the first player ever to collect four RBIs and two stolen bases in a World Series game. The only hitter who nearly matched that production? No. 8 hitter Austin Wells. The catcher has struggled at the plate all October. Yet he, too, was 2-for-3 with a home run, double, walk and a steal. (The pair executed a double steal in the eighth inning.) The Yankees needed a big night from their bats. They certainly got it—anchored by some unlikely hitters.

APSTEIN: Anthony Volpe Lives Out a Childhood Dream to Revive Yankees’ World Series Hopes

The Dodgers’ Bullpen Saves its Best Arms 

The Dodgers’ lack of healthy starters has meant that every postseason round includes a bullpen game or two. While the approach has generally worked for them—including in the clinching game of the NLCS—this one was more of a slog. They began with rookie Ben Casparius, making his first career start, before giving the ball to Daniel Hudson, who gave up the grand slam to Volpe, and then Landon Knack. 

Yet they were able to get something crucial there. With the Dodgers trailing, Knack was able to eat up the middle of the game, throwing four innings while allowing one run. He was followed by Brent Honeywell, Jr., who let the game break open for the Yankees. This was certainly not the ideal scenario for the Dodgers. (That would have been completing the sweep to win the World Series.) But this was the ideal way to lose. 

It kept the Dodgers from having to use any of their high-leverage relief arms. The Yankees did not see Alex Vesia, or Ryan Brasier, or Anthony Banda, or Michael Kopech, or Blake Treinen. The Dodgers would have preferred not to have a Game 5. But if they were going to have one, this was exactly how they would have liked to set it up. 

Aaron Judge—Kind of—Finds a Way Through His Slump

Judge spent the first seven innings of Game 4 getting on base every way but hitting. He worked a walk, got hit by a pitch and put himself in position to benefit from a grounder bobbled by Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman. 

It was not exactly a dream performance. But it beat what Judge had been doing in almost every other game this October. 

And finally, in the eighth inning, with Honeywell on mop-up duty for the Dodgers, the slugger connected for some good contact. With an RBI single to left field, Judge had his first hit since Game 1, and he was greeted with resounding cheers from the home crowd. This was not an emphatic slumpbuster. But it was, at the very least, something different, and much, much better.

Dileep Premachandran26-Mar-2009Leadership means different things to different sports. In football, the
captain’s armband is more a sign of recognition than an acknowledgement of
tactical nous. When people talk of the immortal Brazilians of 1970, they
talk of Pele and Jairzinho, Gerson and Tostao. If they do mention Carlos
Alberto, it’s for the rocket into the Italian net, and not his leadership.Cricket couldn’t be more different. When we speak of the great sides,
they’re almost always prefaced by the captain’s name. Warwick Armstrong’s
Australians of 1920-21. The Don’s legendary team of 1948. Ian Chappell’s Ugly Australians. Clive Lloyd’s Calypso Men. Mark Taylor’s new-age
Aussies. You can’t separate the team from the leader, the victorious
campaigns from the men who made the crucial calls.After American Football, where the quarterback reigns supreme, in no other
sport does the captain exert the same level of influence. So, when John Buchanan, acknowledged as one of the great coaching brains of our age, comes out and says that it doesn’t really matter who leads a team, people
will sit up and take notice. More so when the man being marginalised as a result of the new theory is the most successful captain that India has ever had.”It could actually be of benefit to someone like him because it could free
him up for his batting, when he just needs to do his batting or for his
fielding when he just needs to do his fielding or when he needs to just do
his bowling without the burden of the 20-over format on his
shoulders,” said Buchanan when asked about Sourav Ganguly not being given
the Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy for the second season of the IPL. “The laws of the game state that you need a captain for certain formal roles, such as the coin toss, but that
aside, I see there is scope to challenge the way teams have been run in
the past.”His idea of collective leadership has already drawn an incredulous
response from Mickey Arthur, who has plotted South Africa’s rise to the
top of the world game in conjunction with Graeme Smith. Ganguly himself
didn’t appear best pleased with the idea, saying: “Tomorrow I can jump out
and say we need four batting coaches, four John Buchanans and Shah Rukh
Khan [the team owner] can say we need six Andy Bichels. These are all
opinions, these are the ways they are thinking Twenty20 cricket can be
played. We’ll have to wait and see because it’s completely new, it has
never happened in sports.”

One of Buchanan’s more strident critics, Shane Warne, might also have a
thing or two to say about this latest theory. The story of last season’s
IPL was the story of the Rajasthan Royals, the basement-dwelling
candidates who went on to be champions. Warne was captain and coach, and
the inspiration behind a less-than-star-studded side punching way above
its weight. He made household names of the likes of Yusuf Pathan and
Ravindra Jadeja, while Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson finished up as the
stars of the tournament.Try telling those men that Warne didn’t matter, that it could just as
easily have been Mohammad Kaif or Kamran Akmal leading the side. The team
that lost to the Royals in a thrilling final was no different. MS Dhoni’s
composed style of leadership helped the Chennai Super Kings recover from a
mid-season slump, and nearly repeat his feats with India’s Twenty20 team
less than a year earlier.There’s a tendency to denigrate the twenty-over game as hit-and-giggle and
little else, but for the captains, the margin for error is infinitesimally
small. One bad over, and the game could be finished. In a Test match, you
can have one poor session and still come back to wrest the game away. In
Twenty20, there are seldom any second chances.Arthur spoke of the players getting mixed signals, and that’s the biggest
problem with this Politburo model of captaincy. Who has the final say?
Even in this era of coaches, the one consistent line has been that the
captain has the final word once the team crossed the rope on to the field
of play. Does a coach sitting on the sidelines really have a better feel
for what’s going on in the middle? And if there are four or five “leaders”
on the field, who makes the crunch calls? Instead of relying on one man’s
instinct, do you put it to a vote?As with any experiment, it can’t be rubbished without giving it a fair go.
Just don’t expect Warne or Dhoni to buy into it. Ganguly, who won 21 of
his 49 Tests and led India to a World Cup final, probably won’t either.

Leeds United were not on the receiving end of an embarrassing FA Cup upset last weekend, a much-rotated Whites side beating Peterborough United 3-0 on their travels to Cambridgeshire.

A major plus from the convincing Whites win was the performance of young Archie Gray, the fixed first-teamer at just 17 years of age excelling in a midfield role versus Posh away from picking up right-back duties as he has done in the Championship.

Daniel Farke could well see this standout display against League One opposition as grounds to start Gray in a more comfortable holding midfield role for the foreseeable, freeing up a right-back spot in the process for this transfer target to join the Leeds ranks.

Leeds transfer latest – Connor Roberts

Football journalist Darren Witcoop took to social media earlier this month to confirm Leeds' interest in Burnley right-back Connor Roberts, with Luke Ayling potentially on the chopping block at Elland Road too according to Witcoop.

A further update by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth in the past few days suggests that Roberts would 'welcome' a move to West Yorkshire, Leeds particularly fond of Roberts' 'style and athleticism' according to the report.

Helping Vincent Kompany's now relegation-threatened Clarets lift the Championship title last campaign, securing a deal for Roberts this January would see Leeds strengthen in the right-back spot significantly and finally give the Whites freedom to unleash Gray in the centre of the park over currently shoehorning the teenage sensation into the starting eleven.

Why Connor Roberts would be a good signing for Leeds

Roberts would help Leeds overwhelm opponents and score even more goals in the process, the Welshman's creativity his standout attribute whenever the right-back has played in the second tier across his career.

Notching up 20 assists in total for both Burnley and Swansea when he's played in the Championship, Roberts' addition to the Leeds squad would take the pressure off Georginio Rutter's shoulders to consistently provide assists for his teammates and distribute the load out more evenly – the 21-year-old onto a startling total of nine assists already this season.

Even with his goal contributions drying up this season as the Clarets navigate choppy waters in the Premier League relegation battle – contributing to just one single goal this campaign – Roberts still managed to help his side overcome Luton Town 2-1 early into the season.

Minutes played

90

Clearances

6

Assists

1

Duels won

2/5

Key passes

2

Helping himself to an assist in the slim win at Kenilworth Road back in October, the 28-year-old full-back also made six clearances to ensure Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford wasn't breached further in the tight contest.

Whilst still with the Swans – where Roberts played alongside Joe Rodon on occasion who now features for Leeds coincidentally – the then Swansea boss Steve Cooper also praised his defender for being "excellent" in a closely fought 2-1 win away at Stoke City in 2021 with Roberts even scoring the opening goal.

With Ayling off to join Middlesbrough and Djed Spence returning to parent club Tottenham Hotspur after a topsy-turvy loan switch, this signing of Roberts feels like a transfer Farke and Co must sanction to strengthen that vacant spot in the team.

Continuing to play Gray in a makeshift right-back role could harm the teenager's development, with his display against Posh in the FA Cup showing to everyone he's more of a natural centrally.

Central midfield

16

0

1

Right-back

14

0

1

Attacking midfield

13

3

3

Defensive midfield

6

0

0

Striker

2

0

0

Left midfield

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This stellar individual display even saw Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth give Gray a 9/10 rating in his post-match article, Smyth declaring Gray to be a 'cut above' his League One opponents in a stylish and slick display.

Furthermore, at youth level, the emerging Leeds number 22 bagged four goals and helped himself to five assists when played in a further advanced spot.

Only on £30k per week at Burnley currently – putting him £40k shy of top-earner Rutter at Elland Road according to Capology – signing Roberts wouldn't hit the club too hard financially and would allow for Gray to be finally unshackled playing in a midfield role permanently for the promotion hopefuls.