Team management want Root to move up from No.4 in the Ashes, but it will be captain’s call

George Dobell27-Jul-2019There must have been a time – a simpler, happier time – when the conclusion of each Test didn’t precipitate another bout of hand-wringing about the frailties of England’s top-order batting.But like roadworks on the M1, the saga of Brexit and Shahid Afridi’s career, it seems England’s search for a solid top three might really be endless. That Jack Leach, a county No. 11 who came into the Lord’s Test averaging 4.66 this season, now has the second-highest score by an England opener since the retirement of Alastair Cook speaks volumes. As does the fact that the one man with a higher score – Keaton Jennings – has already been discarded.So it was that, hours after England sealed their dramatic victory over Ireland at Lord’s, the England management tried once more to persuade Joe Root to move back to No. 3. No matter that he has said, many times, that he doesn’t want to do it. No matter that, just one Test ago, Trevor Bayliss suggested England had accepted that the side’s middle-order – from No. 4 to No. 8 – was a strength that should not be weakened. No matter that the Burns-Roy experiment had been given just one innings to bed-in. The England management were clearly concerned by the fragility of their side’s batting at Lord’s and continue to look for a new solution.That’s understandable. The top three in action in the first innings at Lord’s have just 11 Test caps between them. The promotion of Root might add some experience and solidity. Rory Burns, in particular, looked short of form and confidence. It wasn’t so much that he twice nicked off, as much as he did it defending a wide ball in the second innings; a stroke that suggested some uncertainly over the position of his off stump and a scrambled mind. He has reached 30 just once in his last 10 Test innings and not at all in his last six. That is not a sustainable run of form. And while the selectors are probably right to give him a prolonged run in the side – England have been down the road of revolving door selections; it didn’t work – Burns will know opportunities are running out. That knowledge won’t make his job any easier.Tim Murtagh celebrates the wicket of Rory Burns•Getty ImagesSo, if the off-field team management have their way, Root will bat at No. 3 (where he averages 40.47) at Edgbaston. That means Jason Roy could move to No. 4 and Joe Denly could open with Burns. By comparison, Root averages 48.00 at No. 4 and 71.44 at No. 5. He has made it abundantly clear he prefers to bat at No. 4 and, as captain, the decision will rest with him.”Joe knows how I feel,” Bayliss said. “It’s been my thought for a few years [that Root should bat at No. 3]. But he’s the captain and he’ll make the final decision. He knows how I feel.”There were other options. Dom Sibley, the top run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship (he has 940 at an average of 62.66), has learned to play much straighter (he has taken to using Alastair Cook’s old coach, Gary Palmer), and has recently enjoyed a run of seven centuries in 20 first-class innings. And while his somewhat old-fashioned approach may not be to England’s current taste – nobody in the top 30 of the Division One batting averages scores as slowly as Sibley (41.44 runs per 100 balls this season) – the selectors may reflect that it is being bowled out too quickly rather than scoring too slowly which is England’s primary problem.In the longer-term, Zak Crawley, the 21-year-old Kent opener, looks an outstanding prospect. It seems, however, the selectors were keen not to risk a potential 10-year career by blooding him six months early and against an especially daunting pace attack. Both he and Sibley – who opened together for England Lions recently – could break into the side before the end of the series, however. James Vince’s star fell during the World Cup but he, too, could yet return.It was surprising to hear Root be quite so critical of the Lord’s surface on Friday afternoon. Not just because it is out of character – if Root has such views, he has tended to keep them to himself – but because if England are going to win the Ashes, they are going to have to play on surfaces assisting their seam attack. So while this Lord’s surface may have been an extreme example of a green seamer, it was hard not to think back to Trent Bridge and Edgbaston in 2015 and wonder how different this really was.To be fair, those 2015 Ashes surfaces were a little better than this. They offered more pace, more even bounce and less lateral movement. And Root may well argue that, having already arranged to use the 2018 version of the Dukes ball – with its prominent seam and propensity to swing for much of the day – his bowlers do not require further assistance. But pitch preparation is not an exact science and Root may reflect that his side are far better suited to surfaces offering too much rather than those offering too little.Certainly it is worth thinking back to the previous couple of Ashes series and remembering what happened when the sides met on good batting surfaces. Whether it was in London (Australia won heavily at both Lord’s and The Oval) or in Australia, England’s seamers struggled for penetration on good batting tracks and the extra pace in Australia’s attack proved crucial. Put a little simplistically: if the Ashes is played on good batting surfaces, Australia may well be favourites.

“You don’t have to be Einstein to work that out”Trevor Bayliss on whether a lack of top-order runs could be England’s biggest obstacle to regaining the Ashes

All of which means England’s batsmen probably face more tough days. And all of which means we probably have to be just a little more understanding of the challenges facing top-order batsmen in England. It is a desperately tough job. It is inevitable that the statistics may look grim. It’s just a question of how much grimness is acceptable.Elsewhere among the batsmen (or the all-rounders, anyway) there might have been a case for replacing Jonny Bairstow (averaging 24.42 in Test cricket since the start of the 2018 English season) with Ben Foakes and a case for replacing Moeen Ali (averaging 17.00 in Test cricket since September 2017) with Leach. But neither was especially likely at this stage. Moeen was the top-wicket taker on both England’s winter tours (albeit equal with Leach in Sri Lanka) and Bairstow enjoyed a good World Cup. Still, that late middle-order – they remain likely to bat at No. 7 and No. 8 – is not quite so daunting as it once was. England will require more from both of them.The selectors also have some difficult decisions to make with the seam bowling. Only James Anderson is, if fit, guaranteed to play (there is every indication he is fit), with the other two specialist seamers (Ben Stokes’ position can be taken for granted) to be taken from a list including Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Olly Stone.Olly Stone celebrates his maiden Test wicket•Getty ImagesOdd though it sounds for a man who has yet to make his Test debut, Archer is probably an automatic selection if he is deemed fully fit, too. But England are admirably keen to protect a once-in-a-generation asset – not since the emergence of Broad, or perhaps Steven Finn, has an England seamer promised as much – who has not played a first-class game this year. So Archer’s involvement at Edgbaston is not certain. And, with England keen to include some pace in their attack (and with Mark Wood being injured), Stone could yet sneak into the team. His pace, his skills and his control looked every inch Test quality at Lord’s. Woakes’ superior batting may give him a slight edge on Broad, but Broad’s Ashes experience, record and temperament render him a strong contender. Whoever misses out can consider themselves unfortunate.But it remains the batting that is the concern. And much remains reliant upon Root who admitted, after the Ireland Test was won, that “it would be wrong to say I’m not” feeling the exertions of recent weeks. “It’s been 10 weeks of hard cricket of high emotion and of ups and downs,” he admitted. “It does take a lot out of you.”There is much to like and admire about Root. Not least his appetite for the game and his desire for hard work. He is a special player and the natural leader of this side. But he may, at some stage, need protecting from himself. The only game he has missed this year – and it wasn’t even a proper game – was the World Cup warm-up match against Australia. And he only missed that because one of his family died. To give him just two clear days off between the World Cup and this Test and just one between this Test and the start of the Ashes seems dangerously demanding. As does asking him to bat in a position in which he is uncomfortable. The ECB talk a good game about understanding the dangers of anxiety, stress and burn-out these days and they have, no doubt, improved. But until the schedule is tailored to allow for fallow periods, their words will ring hollow.”You don’t have to be Einstein to work that out,” Bayliss sniffed dismissively when asked if an absence of top-order runs could be England’s biggest obstacle to regaining the Ashes. “They have been for the last six or seven years.” That we are still here, juggling players, considering alternatives, desperately searching for a solution, doesn’t reflect especially well on the system.

Fast bowler denied preparation time ahead of Lord’s farewell as rain wrecks day two

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2024James Anderson’s preparations for his farewell Test, at Lord’s next week, suffered a setback after rain washed out the entire second day of the Vitality County Championship match between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire at Southport.Despite early showers, umpires Martin Saggers and Tom Lungley initially decreed that Lancashire would resume their first innings at 12.30pm, but prolonged rain returned to scupper that plan and the officials finally pulled the plug on the day’s cricket at 4.05pm.The abandonment was a particular disappointment to spectators who had travelled to Trafalgar Road in the hope of seeing Anderson bowl in his first game of the season, and what might yet be his last game for Lancashire.He is due to play his 188th and final Test match against West Indies at Lord’s, starting on July 10, and though he had previously indicated that he would be keen to continue his county career, Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, confirmed on Monday that Anderson is to stay on with the England team after the Lord’s Test, to fulfil a new role as a fast-bowling mentor.Should play be possible on Tuesday, Lancashire will resume on 344 for eight with skipper Keaton Jennings on 188 not out.In the nine games played at Southport since first-class cricket returned to the ground after a 12-year absence in 2011, this is only the second time in 31 days that play has been completely abandoned.

أعلن منتخب السويد لكرة القدم، في بيان رسمي يوم الثلاثاء، الإطاحة بالمدرب يون دال توماسون من منصبه، لسوء النتائج تحت قيادته في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم 2026.

وتعرضت السويد للهزيمة، مساء أمس، أمام كوسوفو بهدف دون رد في التصفيات المؤهلة إلى المونديال، ليتجمد رصيدها عند نقطة واحدة فقط في المركز الرابع في المجموعة الثانية (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ونتيجة لذلك، قرر الاتحاد السويدي لكرة القدم الاستغناء عن خدمات يون دال توماسون من منصبه، بشكل رسمي اليوم، حيث تم إصدار بيان للإعلان عن ذلك.

وقال رئيس الاتحاد السويدي لكرة القدم، سيمون أستروم، في بيان: “يستند قرار مجلس الاتحاد إلى أن المنتخب الوطني للرجال لم يحقق النتائج التي كنا نأملها”.

وأضاف: “لا تزال هناك فرصة لخوض الملحق في مارس، ومسؤوليتنا هي ضمان توفير أفضل الظروف الممكنة للوصول إلى الملحق الأوروبي ومن ثم التأهل إلى كأس العالم، ونرى أن هناك حاجة إلى قيادة جديدة في شكل مدرب جديد”.

كان دال توماسون قد تم تعيينه مدربًا لمنتنخب السويد في فبراير 2024، بعد فوزه سابقًا بلقب الدوري السويدي مع مالمو وتألقه مع بلاكبيرن روفرز.

It’s the start of a new era for Rangers.

On Thursday, Russell Martin was unveiled as the Ibrox club’s 20th permanent manager, appointed 102 days after Philippe Clement was sacked in February.

At his introductory press conference, Martin vowed to “prove people wrong”, acknowledging he is under pressure to deliver a winning team instantaneously, so could the signing of a “world-class” new centre-forward aid Rangers’ cause?

Rangers looking to bolster their attacking option

As previously reported by Tom Victor of the Daily Mirror, Rangers are hoping to sign Jamie Vardy on a free transfer this summer, claiming that the England international is ‘weighing up’ an offer from the Glasgow giants.

Vardy has spent the last 13 seasons with Leicester City, with whom he won the Premier League, the FA Cup and a Community Shield, scoring exactly 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, very aesthetically pleasing round numbers.

Now a free agent, countless clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Como, Wrexham and New York Red Bulls have all been touted as potential suitors, but could Martin convince his compatriot to make the move north of the border?

Should he do, it could be a Morelos-like move for Rangers.

How Vardy could replicate Morelos at Rangers

During six seasons at Rangers, Alfredo Morelos scored 124 goals in light blue, with the Colombian, almost unquestionably, the club’s best striker since suffering liquidation in 2012.

Of these goals, 29 came in UEFA competition, meaning Morelos is Rangers’ all-time record scorer in Europe, smashing the record previously held by Ally McCoist, one that had stood since 1997.

But is Morelos really Rangers’ best centre-forward of the modern era? Let’s find out.

Igamane

2024-present

46

16

166

Dessers

2023-preesent

109

51

134

Danilo

2023-present

48

12

165

Morelos

2017-23

269

124

152

Roofe

2020-24

102

38

127

Čolak

2022-23

39

18

123

Sakala

2021-23

92

24

199

Defoe

2018-22

74

32

100

As the table outlines, no Rangers striker in the post-promotion era has come anywhere close to the 124 goals Morelos managed, even if Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe, Antonio Čolak and current forward Cyriel Dessers do actually boast better minutes per goal ratios, helped by their smaller sample sizes.

So, could Vardy be the club’s best centre-forward since el Buffalo? Well, let’s assess his statistics this season to answer that question.

Goals

9

26th

Expected goals

11.2

14th

Shots

56

40th

Shots on target

23

33rd

Shots on target %

41.1%

48th

As the table shows, Vardy’s Premier League statistics this season do not immediately leap off the page, but it is worth considering that he was playing in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who won just six matches all season and were relegated.

Thus, the fact that Vardy still ranked 14th for expected goals and only 25 players managed to score more goals than him is impressive.

Writer Henry Winter believes Vardy is still a “world-class finisher”, while Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, believes “he is still producing”, describing his captain as a “leader”.

Also worth noting that, the previous campaign in the EFL Championship, Vardy netted 20 times across all competitions.

This underlines the fact he would be able to produce for Rangers given that, according to Global Football Rankings, England’s second-tier is the 11th strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership is ranked at 43rd.

Thus, if the Gers can convince Vardy to move to Ibrox, possibly using the allure of potential Champions League football, he would surely be an excellent addition.

After all, this is a goal machine we’re talking about here, someone who bagged 145 Premier League goals.

As bad as selling Raskin: Six English clubs want to sign Rangers star

Rangers selling this star would be as bad as cashing in on Nicolas Raskin this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

Glamorgan kept their perfect record in this year’s Metro Bank One Cup in tact thanks to a remarkable one-wicket win over Sussex Sharks at the Gnoll in Neath.Sussex had reached a total of 200 all out thanks to a brilliant eighth-wicket stand between Archie Lenham and Bertie Foreman and the two youngsters were also remarkable in tandem with the ball as Sussex came so close to claiming a thrilling win.Glamorgan’s chase had started brightly but a top-order collapse brought Sussex back into it. Eddie Byrom made the highest score of the match with his 51 and Billy Root made 48 batting with the tail. But it was the last-wicket pair of Andy Gorvin and Jamie McIlroy who took them home.Glamorgan now sit at the top of Group B with four wins out of four and Sussex remain winless in this year’s tournament having lost by one wicket for the second time this season.As was the case with Wednesday’s match on this ground against Notts Outlaws, Glamorgan won the toss and chose to bowl. And once again the Glamorgan seamers were on top from the very start of the match. It took 23 balls for Sussex to score their first runs as Timm van der Gugten and McIlroy got appreciable movement with the new ball.Van der Gugten has been extremely miserly in this competition so far, with 11 of his 37 overs being maidens. He made the first breakthrough when he had Tom Clark caught behind for 14. That wicket brought together Tom Haines and Henry Rogers, who put on 59, the highest stand of the Sussex innings.Haines fell for 44 off the bowling of Dan Douthwaite and that began a collapse that saw Sussex lose five wickets for 15 runs. It was Douthwaite and van der Gugten who were the chief destroyers as they claimed seven Sussex wickets between them. Douthwaite’s return of 4 for 44 was the second best in his List A career.When Daniel Ibrahim was caught at slip off a ball from Ben Kellaway that the ambidextrous spinner sent down with his left arm Sussex had stumbled to 130 for 7.The partnership of 51 between Lenham and Foreman brought some respectability to the total before another cluster of wickets saw Sussex bowled out for 200.The Glamorgan innings started brightly, and they made steady progress towards their target with the first 10 overs bringing 65 runs for no loss. Byrom, who made a career best 123 not out on this ground on Wednesday, raced past 50 from just 41 balls as he looked to attack an inexperienced Sussex attack.It looked as if Glamorgan would be heading towards a straightforward win and with drizzle in the air they were a long way ahead of the DLS score.As was the case in Sussex innings, a flurry of wickets changed things. Glamorgan lost five wickets for 42 runs with Ibrahim bowling Tom Bevan and Kiran Carlson from consecutive balls the moment when this contest became very interesting.Billy Root took on the responsibility of holding things together for Glamorgan in the face of some excellent spin bowling from Lenham and Foreman. The pair combined for 20 overs that went for 60 runs and claimed four wickets and they were the ones who kept the pressure on throughout this Glamorgan innings.When Root fell for 48 the match was on a knife edge and it took a nervy last wicket stand between McIlroy and Gorvin for Glamorgan to sneak over the line.

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888casino： O Palmeiras segue com uma postura conservadora na busca por reforços em 2023. Sendo o time da Série A que menos contratou no ano, o Verdão fechou a última janela de transferências sem nenhuma contratação. Agora, o Alviverde pode negociar apenas com jogadores que estão sem clube, porém a expectativa para a chegada de novos atletas é baixa.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira recebe homenagem do Palmeiras por marca de 200 jogosPalmeiras11/08/2023PalmeirasCrise? Palmeiras se blinda de críticas e recupera paz em momento importante da temporadaPalmeiras11/08/2023PalmeirasPenúltimo lugar no colombiano, Deportivo Pereira pode oferecer perigo ao Palmeiras?Palmeiras11/08/2023

da betway： + Crise? Palmeiras se blinda de críticas e recupera paz em momento importante da temporada

A ideia do Verdão claramente é não arriscar suas fichas em jogadores que não deem garantia de retorno tanto esportivo quanto financeiro, priorizando potencializar as Crias da Academia. Tendo em vista que possíveis investimentos, sejam altos ou baixos, não rendam frutos positivos ao clube, a filosofia é dar mais oportunidades aos jovens da base e estreitar os laços com os atletas do elenco atual.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

O técnico Abel Ferreira, em entrevista coletiva após o empate com o Atlético-MG que garantiu o Palmeiras nas quartas de final da Libertadores, tentou explicar a estratégia do Alviverde, citando justamente a aposta na base palmeirense.

continua após a publicidade

– Está muito clara a filosofia do clube, vocês que não entendem. Foram nove jogadores embora, entraram dois, e todos os outros buscamos na base. Acreditamos neles, temos que ter paciência e ajudá-los. Ninguém nos garante que investindo pouco ou muito, vai dar certo- disse Abel Ferreira.

O Palmeiras não aposta em medalhões por acreditar que vários jogadores do elenco já apresentam esse perfil, e todos estão construindo a sua história no clube. Mayke, Marcos Rocha, Luan, Gómez, Zé Rafael, Veiga, Dudu e Rony, por exemplo, são atletas mais experientes, com identificação com os processos internos e ultra vencedores com o Alviverde.

continua após a publicidade

+ Abel Ferreira recebe homenagem do Palmeiras por marca de 200 jogos

O Verdão prefere fazer investimentos em jogadores mais jovens, já que eles podem crescer com a camisa do clube e dão mais garantia de retorno financeiro, já que as chances de revenda em um futuro próximo são altíssimas. Outra questão que esbarra em contratações mais badaladas é a folha salarial do elenco. O Palmeiras já possui uma das folhas mais altas do Brasil e recentemente fez uma grande valorização salarial para conseguir manter os seus principais atletas.

Abel Ferreira também preza muito pela boa convivência dentro do seu vestiário, e jogadores desse perfil são mais difíceis de serem geridos, principalmente para aceitarem a condição de reserva. Dessa forma, a postura conservadora do Palmeiras no mercado com as ‘portas fechadas’ para medalhões sem clube deve ser mantida, e as soluções serão buscadas dentro do próprio elenco e com o desenvolvimento da base.

Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

A three-time league champion has now reportedly held talks with Rangers about becoming their next permanent boss this summer.

Rangers manager latest as 49ers eye new Ibrox boss

it has been confirmed that Barry Ferguson won’t continue in charge of the Gers, having only come in as interim boss midway through the campaign, taking his side into the Europa League quarter-finals but ultimately not doing enough to get the job on a full-time basis.

Instead, Rangers and prospective new owners the 49ers Enterprises now looking for the perfect manager to come in and guide the Scottish Premiership giants to future success, with club CEO Patrick Stewart recently providing an update on the search, saying:

“The review is progressing well. We have got a lot of insights into things that are going well and not well at Auchenhowie. I would really compliment the staff and how open and honest they’ve been. And they provided really valuable feedback to myself and also the consultants we’ve got on supporting with it. And we’re beginning to get some real tangible insights that are flowing into real recommendations that we’re starting to action.”

Steven Gerrard has constantly stood out as a leading choice for Rangers, having won the league title with them back in 2020/21, while Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti has also been linked with the job.

Former Italy international Gennaro Gattuso is another rumoured contender, and now a new name has been thrown into the mix.

3-4-3 manager holds talks with Rangers

According to a significant update from BBC Sport, former Feyenoord manager Brian Priske has held discussions with Rangers about being their next boss.

The 48-year-old departed the Dutch club in February, being sacked after a disappointing run of results, but it looks like he is on the Gers’ list.

Priske is certainly a more proven option than the likes of Gerrard and Ancelotti, considering he has won an impressive three league titles in his managerial career to date.

Two of those came in his time in charge of Czech giants Sparta Prague, while another was during his stint at Danish outfit Midtjylland. He has also won one Czech Cup and Danish Super Cup apiece, so he knows how to deliver trophies.

Priske favours a 3-4-3 formation, getting the most out of his wing-backs, but he is also versatile in his tactics, switching to a 4-3-3 system at times with Feyenoord.

Feyenoord

33

1.85

Sparta Prague

96

2.19

Royal Antwerp

49

1.53

FC Midtjylland

68

1.88

Stewart and those high up at Rangers have a massive decision to make this summer, and it is vital that they make the right appointment, following the doomed reign of Philippe Clement.

Rangers can forget about Gerrard & Ancelotti by hiring "one of the best"

Rangers are considering a few names to be the new manager at Ibrox

ByRoss Kilvington May 23, 2025

The Gers need to hit the ground running next season, not allowing Celtic to pull away in the title race, and in Priske, they may have an experienced option who could back himself to win plenty of silverware at Ibrox.

The Punjab Kings’ bowling coach talks about their newest recruits, finding balance in their attack, and their objectives for this IPL

Interview by Varun Shetty08-Apr-2021Damien Wright’s coaching has taken him all around the world, but this year will be his first at the IPL, as bowling coach for the Punjab Kings. He talks about his approach to analytics, and working with fellow-Australian IPL debutants Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson.Are you generally a coach who uses a lot of analytics and data?
If it’s at your disposal, I think it’s very important. I don’t think it’s for all coaches and all players, but for me, I like to make a lot of notes, and take a lot of data down. It just helps you to look at areas to improve, and also what sort of attack we’re going to have. We’ve got some good options, so it allows you to go, “Oh at this ground we can go this way” and whatnot. So it is very useful.Is death bowling one of those key areas? Only the Rajasthan Royals had a worse record in the death overs last season.
Last year, in Abu Dhabi, it was a little bit different in regards to conditions. We’re back in India now, and we have one of the greatest bowlers in the world, Mohammed Shami, in our team, who’s very helpful with that sort of information. It can help new [players like] Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson, [to know] about grounds and things like that. But yeah it was an area we had to improve, and it’s certainly no secret what we’re trying to do in our training. We’re also going to have options, with the two I just mentioned and Chris Jordan’s been such a fantastic cricketer for a number of years now. He’s also got so much experience in that area and will probably take a major role in that.Related

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As a coach are you partial to fast bowlers?
() Yeah I have to say I probably am, a little bit.I do love working with the spinners. It’s such a great thing to experience over here, working with legspin, offspin, all of that. You see the ball move so much more in India than it does in my home conditions in Australia. I’ve had some great chats already with M Ashwin. [Ravi] Bishnoi is a young and enthusiastic guy who bowls a bit different to Ashwin – so it’s learning as you go with that stuff. But we’ve got Anil Kumble [director of cricket operations] here as a coach, so I think if I need to talk to anyone about some areas of spin bowling, I’ve probably got the best in the business to help me out.You’ve been coaching for about ten years now. Have you coached in these conditions before? What are the challenges, especially with fast bowling?
I’ve come over and played a few times in India but I’ve also coached in the Champions League Trophy in 2014, with Hobart Hurricanes. I was head coach at the time, and we had a pretty successful campaign – we made it through to the last four and KKR knocked us out. It certainly is challenging, with fast bowling in particular. I think the ball in conditions here can swing a lot up front, at night, in humidity, so that’s something we’ve got to really utilise as a weapon.Mohammad Shami (right) and Ravi Bishnoi (left) were the top two wicket-takers for the Punjab Kings last season with 20 and 12 apiece, while Chris Jordan picked up nine•BCCIBut the other difficult part is a lot of dew. That is very common over here. We’ve trained at night a couple of times and you can already see how wet the ball gets and how difficult it is sometimes for the bowlers to hold it. They’re the little challenges for the pace bowlers.You played a fair bit of T20 towards the back end of your career. T20 looks a lot different these days. What does a modern coach in this format have to do to evolve?
I don’t look at it like it’s really hard. It’s exciting, the game’s evolving all the time. I think we’re seeing so many different [versions] of even the shorter formats, you know? You’ve got the ten-over [T10] competition in Dubai, and The Hundred about to begin over in England. You’ve got to come up with your message and your styles and things that are going to work for you.Funnily enough, we had a chat with Anil at training yesterday and we had a game situation, centre-wicket if you like, and the good old yorker is still a pretty good delivery. The game might be getting shorter and changing more, but if you can show that you can execute your skills when you’re put in those situations, it’s pretty much all it comes down to.What makes the ideal T20 bowler?
It can be broken down to the key areas of the game. There’s bowlers that are really fired up in the powerplay – that’s a very difficult time to bowl. Through the middle you’ve got your allrounders generally and spin bowlers that are able to hold things [together]. And the death, that’s the part where you have to have the execution on song, to be able to nail yorkers, or if you’ve got a very good slower bouncer, to get that right. It’s such a game of chess as it goes down.Ideally you’ve got to have somebody like Shami up front, swinging the new ball. And Jhye, specifically in those areas where the ball moves through the air. I think it’s really important to swing the new ball. In the middle you can have some good-quality spinners. Someone like Riley for us is a fantastic addition, to have that raw pace and to be able to take wickets. It’s really important to take wickets at every phase. And then at the end you want the best yorker bowler – [Lasith] Malinga, who’s unbelievable, has shown us how to do it over so many years. Somebody like that, ideally, in your perfect team.I can’t quite explain the exact bowler that I want – probably want about four of them! They’re all a little about those specific skills, if you know what I mean.From a coaching perspective, how do you train for something like that? Do bowlers specifically train for the phases they’re good at?
You still have your good old-fashioned nets, for people to get ready to play the game. We’re very lucky with the set-up we have over here to prepare our players. Plenty of wickets – there’s centre wickets, there’s tired wickets, all sorts of stuff. You have a big group of people you’re training with, and specific training sessions as well. We’ve done a lot of game scenarios, different set-ups – chasing, defending – depending on what it is.Arshdeep Singh played eight of 14 IPL matches for the Punjab Kings last year, taking nine wickets. Wright thinks he has a “huge future” ahead of him•BCCIWhat you really want is for them all to be able to bowl in those periods when required, or needed. It’s not just, you know, someone’s going to play a part up front and that’s it. It might be a key area that you’re very good at [bowling at the start], and we’re going to improve you through the middle and at the end, if that’s the case, or the other way round. If you’re able to do that, then you can have a very balanced attack going into your tournament and you can throw the ball to anyone at any given time.The other teams are analysing your [attack] as well, so you’ve got to be able to throw a few curveballs, get ahead of the game a little bit and try to upset their rhythm and hang on as long as you can in a 20-over match.Is it hard getting that sort of a rapport when it’s a short tournament?
Yeah it is, but at the IPL you’re mixing with the best in the world. And they’re all so used to being in these environments now, in this format, and going from one to the other. And what I’ve seen so far in training has been absolutely brilliant. They’ve come out of Test matches against England into one-dayers… just seeing the great players come back, they’re more than capable of going from format to format within a day or a night. It’s quite impressive. Richardson and Meredith are first-timers. Richardson is potentially going to lead the attack in his first season in the IPL.
It’s good, it’s healthy competition too. In the auction they [the management] did a marvellous job in regards to where they needed a bit of strike power, and support for Shami. He was sort of the sole man last year, did an awesome job and you know he’s going to perform for you throughout this tournament. He just needs a bit of support from other fast bowlers to help him and I thought the two signings were terrific.I know Riley really well. Jhye I’ve seen progress through the Big Bash to play for Australia. So he’s going to bring great skills. I think the conditions here are going to suit both of them. I’m keen to see how they go, because I think they’ll really shine in this tournament.Could you tell us a bit about both of them, starting with Richardson?
What’s really good about Jhye is that in specific roles for the teams he plays with – certainly with the [Perth] Scorchers, and he’s done a bit of it with Australia as well – he bowls the really tough overs. He’s asked to bowl up front with the new ball, then he’s asked to bowl in the different powerplays [in the BBL] – he’s bowling one of those overs already, and then he comes back and bowls one at the death. And his numbers are exceptional for somebody who has to do that every game. He knows his role and is able to execute. But he does swing the ball both ways, and that’s a hell of a weapon to have. He’s got a terrific slower ball and when he wants to bowl a bouncer, it’s a pretty good one. We’re really grateful and lucky that we’ve got him.Jhye Richardson was the BBL’s leading wicket-taker of the 2020-21 season. “He’s got a terrific slower ball and when he wants to bowl a bouncer, it’s a pretty good one,” Wright says•Getty Images Meredith is probably thought of as a tearaway fast bowler. Does he have a lot of variations?
I’ve known Riley a long time. I coached him from his rookie seasons back when I was in Tasmania, and he was always destined to play at the highest level. It was very exciting to see a young fast bowler coming through the Tassie ranks – he was fast and had plenty of skill.It’s been done really well back in Tassie, how they actually progressed his cricket. He was well managed from the very start by Stewart Williamson, who is a great physio back at home. And that’s paid off beautifully for Riley and he’s doing really well, not just for the [Hobart] Hurricanes but for Australia. His tour of New Zealand was outstanding.He bowls at a good pace. He really knows one way, which is to attack. That’s probably one of the areas we’ll talk to him about, on what we’re going to do at the death or if he does bowl up front. He’s pretty comfortable doing so, but it’s probably the end of the innings where he’s going to have to work a little bit harder. But he brings so much in regards to exactly what we wanted, which is a bit of firepower.What are the other strengths of this bowling unit?
The best way to describe this unit is, it’s versatile, very flexible. A lot of options, a lot of different ways we could go about things, and I think that’s the first time – certainly over the last couple of years – that we’ve been able to do that. There’s a chance to go all-out, strike with fast bowling, or to pull it back with spin options with an allrounder.It’s a well-balanced attack. [Apart from the] two we talked about [Richardson and Riley], there’s also Chris Jordan, who’s such a dynamic fielder, can hit the ball out of the ground late in the innings and also bowl a fantastic yorker. I’m really excited about the different ways we could go with our attack, supporting our No. 1 man Shami up front.You also have guys like Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Porel. Who from the domestic bunch has impressed you?
Arshdeep has just arrived; he was in quarantine for a while. But I had a centre-wicket bowl with him, just him and I, last night, and mate, he was fantastic. I think having a left-armer in your attack is also a big tick. I’m really impressed already with the one or two sessions we’ve had so far – he’s got a huge future ahead of him.Riley Meredith was “always destined to play at the highest level”•Getty ImagesI think Ishan as well, we’ve had a good week together and he’s a terrific young fella who is keen to do well. You want people, young kids, who are really willing to work hard to get there. He’s bowled with good pace at training so far, good aggression.And Darshan [Nalkande], he’s a quality little allrounder. He’s another one who’s a bit hungry. You can tell from his eyes he’s keen to play, and if his opportunity comes, I know that he’ll grab it as well. Those three in particular have been great to work with.Would you say the fast bowlers are going to be carrying a major part of Punjab’s bowling this season?
It’s a hard one. We’re stacked in that regard – we’ve got a quality pace attack now, with all the guys we’ve mentioned. That’s actually quite a nice place to be. But watching our legspinners bowl – I’ve taken the mitt to them – they’ve had terrific tournaments last year, both Bish and Ashwin. So we’ve got some quality spinners as well. I wouldn’t say we’re certainly going to go all pace. We can play to any conditions, and we’ve got a nice, balanced attack to choose from.What would a successful season look like for you, personally, in your first time here?
Every team comes here wanting to win. So that is the benchmark. But for us, success would certainly be to make the semi-finals, the last four. I think they were unlucky last year to miss out by a game. And you can tell they’re really hungry to make amends for that.I think that’s great – to experience a little bit of disappointment and then to do what they’ve done in the auction and get it right. I think we’re going to see some exciting times from the Punjab Kings. I believe that’s where we want to go first. We want to get into that last four, and that would, for me, be the bare minimum that we want to achieve. And then, from there, let’s hope we can create a bit of history.Have you ever worked with anyone on this staff before?
I’ve had a little bit to do with Andy Flower over the years, crossed paths with him. I’ve never with Andy before but we know each other well, so that was handy. It’s always nice to have somebody you’re familiar with. But I can say that getting involved with this team and this group, feels like I’ve known these guys for a long time. So that’s credit to Anil and his staff, and all the players we have here.

da pinnacle： Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be chasing Club World Cup glory, but he certainly isn’t taking his eye off the ball regarding potential signings.

da betobet： Defender Tomas Araujo has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Jamie Gittens is a major attacking target, and the Blues are keen to wrap up a deal for him sooner rather than later.

Add in the fact that Maresca has already signed Liam Delap, it suggests that the manager is plotting an overhaul this summer.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup fixtures

Date

Opponent

Venue

Monday, June 16

Los Angeles

Mercedes-Benz stadium

Friday, June 20

Flamengo

Lincoln Financial Field

Tuesday, June 24

Esperance

Lincoln Financial Field

Hugo Ekitiké is another key target, and with Manchester United revving up interest in the young striker, now could be the time to act.

Latest on Chelsea's pursuit Hugo Ekitiké

Despite being one of the Blues’ top transfer targets, it now appears that the Red Devils are looking to secure his signature this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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With a reported price tag of €100m (£85m), it is a significant outlay for the Blues as they seek to bolster their attacking options.

Last season, the Frenchman scored 22 goals and grabbed 12 assists, emerging as one of the most sought-after talents on the continent.

The striker would compete with Delap and Nicolas Jackson for a role in the team should he move to London, but for the price, Maresca will be determined to use him as his main option.

That said, could he perhaps make a move for another youngster this summer instead? Especially as a player who was on the club’s radar previously looks set to leave their current club.

Why Chelsea should reignite a move for Jhon Duran

The Colombian striker was close to a move to Stamford Bridge last summer, but ultimately decided to stay with Villa.

Unai Emery couldn’t turn down an offer of around £65m for the talented hitman, however, and he made his move to the Middle East in January.

According to reports from Saudi Arabia (as per the Metro), Duran could be set to leave Al-Nassr in the summer, with the chance there for Chelsea – among other suitors – to reignite a move for the player. It is said that unnamed clubs have expressed interest in signing him on loan, should the chance of an exit emerge.

While Ekitiké shone in the Bundesliga for Frankfurt last term, is there a case to be made that Duran is the bigger talent?

When comparing the two strikers via FBref, Duran not only registered more shots per 90 (4.26 vs 4) than Ekitiké last term, but he also recorded more shots on target (1.92 vs 1.55) per 90 and won a higher percentage of aerial duels (50% vs 46.8%) domestically last season.

Given the fact he is younger and has a potentially higher ceiling for growth, Duran – who already scored 12 goals in 55 Premier League games – could perhaps turn out to be the better striker for the club.

Following his excellent first half of the 2024/25 season at Villa, football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “monster in the making” and with 12 goals in 18 games for his new club, he is living up to that statement.

Maresca must be on high alert in the coming weeks if Duran is available, especially if he costs less than the £85m that has been demanded for Ekitike.

He may be a “maverick”, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, although unlike Ekitike, he has already proven himself in England’s top flight.

Related Free agent defender now "close to finalising" Chelsea move after talks

The west Londoners are pushing.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 13, 2025

Arsenal’s transfer plans include the potential signing of a Premier League star before summer deadline day on September 1, with sporting director Andrea Berta identifying one Aston Villa star as a key long-term target.

Mikel Arteta is gearing up for what will be a vital 2025/2026 season.

Arsenal told key Benjamin Sesko transfer condition as agent makes statement

He’s expressed what it will take for the Slovenian to leave Leipzig this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025

The Spaniard, discounting Community Shields, has been pursuing his second piece of major silverware since their 2020 FA Cup triumph at Wembley, even though Arsenal have backed him to the hilt with a net-spend of around £487 million in that period.

The pressure is well and truly on Arteta to deliver glory after many years building the project, even if they have come mightily close to ending their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title on a couple of occasions.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Man City’s imperiousness is largely to blame for Arsenal’s lack of title celebrations over the last three years, with injuries to key players and a lack of cutting edge resulting in Arteta surrendering the crown to Liverpool last campaign.

The north Londoners will need to back their manager again with new signings over the coming months, if they hope to close the large gap between them and Arne Slot’s champions.

According to various reports, Arsenal are attempting to sign a new striker, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres both at the top of their wishlist (BBC).

Bukayo Saka’s long injury lay-off midway through 2024/2025 hamstrung Arteta’s chances of ever catching Liverpool, while Leandro Trossard is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, so Arsenal remain in the market for a winger too.

A few interesting names have been linked in the last few weeks, including Real Madrid star Rodrygo, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, but the latter is closing on on a move to Barcelona after agreeing personal terms (The Athletic).

An alternative to the highly-rated Williams, who was rumoured to be a top target, comes in the form of Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

The England international could be just as difficult to prise away from Villa Park, but according to Football Transfers, Unai Emery may have to cash-in.

Aston Villa could be forced to sell Morgan Rogers to Arsenal

The outlet claims that Villa may reluctantly sell Rogers if they recieve a £50 million-plus bid from Arsenal, indicating that a deal could be there for Arteta thanks to their rival’s PSR concerns.

Berta has apparently identified the former Middlesbrough star as a long-term target, and Villa are already pushing ahead with their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in response, as they weigh up Rogers’ replacement.

Villa anticipate an Arsenal bid for Rogers this summer and are increasingly concerned they’ll lose the 22-year-old, so this could be one to watch.

There is little denying that one of the Premier League’s most impressive sensations from last season would be a stellar capture, either.

“There’s no doubt he’s an exceptional player,” journalist Charles Watts said about Rogers’ links to Arsenal.

“Arsenal saw that first hand last season, especially in the game at Villa Park at the start of the campaign when he gave them all sorts of problems. The expectation is that Aston Villa might have some PSR difficulties that they will have to navigate this summer having failed to qualify for the Champions league and it could be that they are forced into a sale of a player they would ideally not want to let go.

“Rogers is one of those players who has been mentioned as a potential departure and that’s no surprise given the way he has developed since moving from Middlesbrough.

“When it comes to Arsenal, I think he would be a welcome addition should they interest firm up into anything more concrete.”