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Praises the ‘disciplined’ England bowlers and underlines his admiration for Adil Rashid and India’s Yuzvendra Chahal

Daniel Brettig14-Sep-2020Amid the pain, there was also admiration from Adam Zampa as he assessed how England had stolen a victory from under Australian noses for the third time in little more than a year across all three formats.At Headingley last year in Tests, in Southampton during the T20I leg of this tour and in Manchester on Sunday night, Australia were in positions of total dominance, only to have games snatched from them by outstanding English resilience and greater composure in the prevailing conditions.It is a pattern that has contributed to some highly entertaining and undulating cricket, but one that will rankle no end with Australia’s decision-makers, not least the coach Justin Langer. But Zampa’s counsel was that once the emotions subsided, the Australians could learn from how England were aggressive in all they did once the tourists had boxed them into a couple of corners.In the second ODI on Sunday, Tom Curran and Adil Rashid first went on the attack with the bat, after the fashion their captain Eoin Morgan had briefly hinted at earlier in the innings. Next, Morgan bravely went for it with his new ball pair of Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes when Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne were well set, and trusted that the rest of the attack could do the job if they broke through. In both cases the Australian response was a little hazy and defensive. The result: a dramatic England victory.”It says that England are a really good cricket team,” Zampa said. “They’re really adaptable. Their one-day cricket over the last four or five years has been unbelievable: they’re really attacking with the bat and they do the job with the ball as well. But they read the conditions really well and they adapt, their bowlers literally hit the top of off stump the whole time, and they’re really disciplined. I think England are a really good cricket team and we can learn a lot from them.ALSO READ: ‘No excuse’ for Australia as they fulfill their own pessimistic prophecy“Cricket’s never easy to watch because everyone really wants to win and we were so close to winning a series with a game to spare. When you’re watching that happen, it’s never easy, but it’s hard to say… when Marnus and Finchy were batting really well, you feel like you’re a little bit comfortable almost, but you also know that the wicket was getting tired and up and down and they had some really good bowling options as well. It was a tough one.”Nevertheless, the ongoing Australian tour of the UK has been arguably the most competitive white-ball effort put in by the national team outside of an Ashes or World Cup campaign since the shorter tours started to take place in 2010. Certainly, a pair of drubbings in 2012 and 2018 do not hold up well by comparison with this series, where the final match will be a series decider. Zampa reckoned that while the late season pitches had contributed to the difficulty of chasing on Sunday night, it had also made for an arm-wrestling style of cricket that kept the teams close together.”I think last night we saw a bit of 1990s one-day cricket almost, just due to the fact we were playing at Old Trafford and the wickets are pretty tired at the moment. They’ve had a long summer here, and I think one-day cricket’s still going to evolve even further from what you saw during the last World Cup,” Zampa said. “I think it’s definitely still a batsmen’s game, but you’re seeing a different type of one-day cricket at the moment due to some tired wickets, some tired players and lots of cricketers who haven’t played a lot recently too. It’s been a really good battle.’I’m a legspinner’. ‘I’m a legspinner too’ – Adam Zampa and Adil Rashid avoid a mid-pitch collision•Getty Images

“We went about the chase really well, Marnus and Finchy played it beautifully. I just think once you lose a wicket after a big partnership like that, it’s really hard to start. Balls were hitting the toe of the bat and some were hitting the handle of the bat too. It was a difficult chase to try and manipulate, but I think we went about it the right way. Once you lose wickets in clumps it makes it pretty hard.”Particularly yesterday’s game definitely played a role in that, a used wicket and things like that. I think the first game was still a pretty good wicket, but we don’t really get wickets like that at home, playing one day cricket at places like the Gabba, MCG and SCG. Generally they’re pretty good wickets, and I like one-day cricket that way as well. It is nice to play on those wickets, but I don’t think playing on wickets like that is good all the time.”Zampa has taken the chance on this tour to put himself in some pivotal situations, not least volunteering to bowl at the death during the T20I series, but he has also enjoyed plenty of success with his variations and accuracy challenging the stumps. He has also taken plenty from watching Rashid go about his own brand of wristspin, closing out the game on Sunday even though he had been taken for plenty of runs earlier on.”I really enjoy bowling the death overs, I love those pressure overs especially when the game’s on the line,” Zampa said. “Finchy, I think they needed 17 to win off the last two overs and I told Finchy that I should bowl it and it obviously didn’t go to plan, but I’m not going to change my attitude after one game. I really enjoy bowling those overs and I’ve got a really good opportunity coming up at the IPL where I can bowl with [Yuzvendra] Chahal at RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore] and I might get the opportunity to bowl those later overs because of the way the team is structured.”I’m 100% about enjoying another person’s craft. We’ve spoken about Rashid quite a bit because he’s really dangerous for England and I love watching him bowl. I think his control, his flight, he’s a really gutsy bowler, he’s really attacking, always trying to get wickets. It’s exciting to watch. It didn’t go quite his way last night, but that happens with legspin and I think when you have an attacking mindset like Rash does, it’s really exciting to watch.”Ahead of the final game of the tour, Zampa said the visitors were hopeful of being bolstered by Steven Smith, who has now missed two games following a head knock in training. “It’s been disappointing to have him miss the last couple of games,” Zampa said. “He’s a world class player and his experience as well, so I’m not sure where it’s at at the moment; we didn’t really get to see him yesterday around game time. I think it’s pretty obvious he’s picked in most cricket teams, so hopefully we can have him back for that third game.”

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this afternoon as they travel away from Yorkshire to take on Coventry City at the CBS Arena.

The Whites remained in the top two with a 3-1 win over Hull City on Easter Monday, as goals from Sam Byram, Crysencio Summerville, and Dan James secured all three points at Elland Road.

They are one point ahead of Leicester City, who have one game in hand, and are one point behind Ipswich Town, who take on rivals Norwich City in the early kick-off today.

Daniel Farke's side are hunting for automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and a win against Coventry – who are seventh in the division – would be another step in the right direction.

Despite the 3-1 win on Monday, Leeds were not entirely convincing in their performance against the Tigers and the German head coach could make changes to his starting XI as a result of that.

One player who should be unleashed from the start, if he passes a late fitness test, is Bulgaria international Ilia Gruev, who the boss revealed has a chance of returning from an ankle injury this weekend.

The player Ilia Gruev could replace

Farke could brutally drop teenage sensation Archie Gray down to the bench to make room for the former Werder Bremen star to start in midfield.

The 18-year-old whiz, who has been shortlisted for the Championship Young Player of the Year award alongside Jonathan Rowe and Jordan James, started in his favoured midfield position against Hull but failed to showcase the best of his abilities.

Gray, who has spent the majority of the season impressing at right-back, played next to Glen Kamara and did not impose himself on the match, in or out of possession.

As you can see in the table above, the England U21 international was not at his best on the ball against the Tigers, with some wasteful passing in midfield.

Gray ranks within the top 32% of Championship full-backs for progressive passes per 90 this season with 4.06. However, he only made three against Hull in 90 minutes, which shows that he was not very forward-thinking with his passing as well as being inefficient.

That contributed to the away side being able to dominate for spells in the game, as Liam Rosenior's side ended the match with 56% possession at Elland Road.

Leeds may have had more control of the game if they had Gruev available to play next to Kamara, as he has the quality on the ball to be a metronomic presence in the middle of the park for Farke.

Why Ilia Gruev should start

The 23-year-old maestro has been a terrific performer for the club in 2024, having broken into the starting XI on a regular basis thanks to Ethan Ampadu dropping back into centre-back to cover for Pascal Struijk's continued absence.

Gruev, who has started 14 of his 23 appearances in the second tier, is a central midfielder who provides fantastic reliability and progression with his passing, whilst also being an above average defensive presence for his position.

The £5m signing currently ranks within the top 13% of Championship midfielders for tackles won (2.71) per 90, and the top 23% for interceptions (1.32) per 90 this season.

This shows that he is among the best in the division when it comes to winning the ball back for his side through tackles and interceptions per game.

Gruev also brings quality in possession with a phenomenal pass accuracy of 91.2% in the league, which places him within the top 2% of his positional peers, and this shows that the talented gem rarely gives the ball away in midfield.

The metronomic star, who was described as a "revelation" by analyst Ben Mattinson, ranks within the top 39% for progressive passes per 90 with 4.80 – 0.74 per 90 than Gray and 1.80 more than the English gem managed against Hull.

Therefore, not only would the former Bundesliga ace provide more reliability in possession but he would also provide more incision with progressive, forward, passing to move the team up the pitch to create opportunities for his teammates.

This is why Farke should brutally drop Gray to the bench, or to right-back if Sam Byram needs to be rested, to make space for Gruev to return, if he is fit enough to start.

Who Ilia Gruev should start next to

Glen Kamara should occupy the other position in midfield as the Finland international has been a super reliable performer for Farke since his move from Rangers last summer.

Like Gruev, the former Arsenal academy graduate is fantastic on the ball and is a player who the opposition struggle to dispossess in the Championship.

The 28-year-old star ranks within the top 2% of midfielders in the division with a pass success rate of 92.6% for Leeds this season, which is not far away from Flynn Downes' league-leading 93.8% in that position.

Kamara also ranks within the top 7% of his positional peers for progressive passes (7.00) per 90. This shows that he is incredibly forward-thinking and progressive in possession, which helps the Whites to build attacks and break down stubborn defences.

The Finnish ace holds his own defensively, off the ball, with a duel success rate of 59%, including a 61% success rate in ground battles, which shows that opposition players find it hard to get the better of him in physical contests.

He is, therefore, a reliable performer at both ends of the pitch for Leeds as the former Rangers star is efficient with both his defensive and offensive contributions, as shown by his duel success rate and fantastic passing efficiency.

This is why Kamara and Gruev work so well as a pairing for the Whites as they both have the quality to retain possession at an exceptional rate, whilst also being progressive passers who do their defensive duties, and that is why Farke must unleash them both against Coventry.

Glamorgan seal only their third victory of campaign against Central Group leaders

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2020Glamorgan 188 for 4 (Balbirnie 99*) beat Gloucestershire 171 for 6 (Dent 55, Wagg 3-34) by 17 runsIreland captain Andy Balbirnie fell agonisingly short of becoming Glamorgan’s sixth centurion in T20 cricket as he led his side to a well-earned victory over Central Group leaders Gloucestershire by 17 runs in the Vitality Blast in Cardiff.Balbirnie struck an explosive unbeaten 99, the highest individual T20 score by a Glamorgan batsman at Cardiff, to lay the foundations of a competitive 188 for 4, adding 61 for the second wicket with David Lloyd and 79 for the fourth with Chris Cooke.Defeat for the visitors means that they must now wait until their final match against Somerset on Sunday to discover whether they will have a home tie in the quarter-finals.Glamorgan made three changes to the side that lost heavily to Somerset at Cardiff two nights ago – top-scorer Owen Morgan, Callum Taylor and Marchant de Lange replaced by Kiran Carlson, Dan Douthwaite and Graham Wagg.Openers Lloyd and Nick Selman lofted the ball for a boundary apiece before the latter holed out to deep midwicket. However, Balbirnie continued the onslaught as Glamorgan reached 51 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay.Gloucestershire turned to the medium-pace of Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins, and then to the left-arm spin of Tom Smith – and it yielded success when Lloyd was bowled by Howell as he stepped away to the leg side, before Carlson drove Smith to Howell at cover.Balbirnie swept Taylor to the fine-leg boundary for his second six, bringing up his half-century, and continued to blast the Gloucestershire attack with Higgins conceding 17 in his second over. Balbirnie waited nervously for his century, as Cooke was run out attempting a quick single, before Douthwaite despatched consecutive boundaries, but the Irishman ultimately fell one run short.Chasing 189 to win, Gloucestershire made a slow start to their Powerplay, despite two fours and a six by Chris Dent in the fourth over, before Mile Hammond was caught at short third man in the fifth as the visitors reached 49 for 1.By the halfway stage, Dent, who was dropped by Salter before reaching his half-century from 32 deliveries, and Ian Cockbain, also dropped by Timm van der Gugten in the deep, had guided Gloucestershire to 86 for 1, still requiring 103 runs to win.Graham Wagg gave Glamorgan important breakthroughs in successive overs, when he struck the top of Cockbain’s leg stump before catching Dent at long-off off Prem Sisodiya. He struck again when the equation was 65 from the final five overs as John Bracey, dropped at long-on on 29, skied to point from a leading edge on 37 in the 18th over.Van der Gugten yorked Higgins from the final delivery of the penultimate over, and Wagg claimed a third wicket in the final over when Jack Taylor was caught at long-off as Balbirnie rounded off a memorable evening for the Dubliner.

Since being taken over in 2008, many things have changed about Manchester City. They are completely unrecognisable on and off the pitch, are now considered one of, if not the best team in world football, and have a superb footballing structure off the pitch.

Not only have their owners invested in the first team, but they have also put money into the community to help develop a better area around the Etihad Stadium, and they have put £200m into the City Football Academy, which is opposite the Etihad, as of May 2021.

City’s investment into their academy has begun to pay dividends in recent years. Whilst they often bring talent in from elsewhere, such as Romeo Lavia, who they signed in 2020 from Anderlecht before selling him to Southampton in 2022, for £10.5m, they have seen homegrown success, players who cost them nothing and could result in profit or a first-team place.

Cole Palmer came through the City academy, and broke into the first-team before being sold to Chelsea last summer for £40m, where he now has 25 Premier League goal involvements in 26 games. Rico Lewis made his debut in 2022, where he scored, and is now an important squad member under Pep Guardiola.

However, there is one academy graduate whose first-team career so far for City has been wonderful, and he is now recognised as one of the most valuable players in world football.

Phil Foden's Man City career in numbers

The player in question is Phil Foden, who was signed by City at the age of eight and has risen through their academy ranks, eventually becoming one of the most important players for Pep Guardiola’s side

Foden’s time at City has been exceptional so far. He has already won 16 major trophies at just 23 years of age, which includes five Premier League titles and a Champions League which was one-third of a historic treble in 2022/23.

He has already made 262 appearances for the Citizens and has 82 goals and 51 assists to his name so far. The attacker had a rapid rise into City’s first team and has thrived under the tutelage of Guardiola since he was given his debut in November 2017. He has never looked back.

Phil Foden's transfer value in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory, there are only two players currently more valuable than Phil Foden in world football, namely Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham. The England star is valued at £171m, the same as international teammate Bukayo Saka, and Real Madrid duo Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. He's also valued far higher than the likes of Rodri (£86m) and Bernardo Silva (£51m).

This is certainly reflected in Foden’s exemplary 2023/24 season so far. The 23-year-old has arguably been the best player in the Premier League this season.

He currently has 14 goals and seven assists in the top flight, with 22 goals and ten assists in all competitions. The latest of which was a simply scorching strike in the Bernabeu as City drew 3-3 with Real Madrid.

For context, only Erling Haaland has more goal involvements for City this season than Foden’s 32, with the Norway striker currently sitting on 36 in total.

Described by his England teammate Declan Rice as “very very special” back in 2021, it is clear why Foden is so highly rated and valued. Credit must be given to his manager Guardiola, who has given him a new role in central areas of the pitch this season, which is clearly working for his side and for the player.

It is somewhere that Foden himself has admitted to preferring to play. In an interview with Sky Sports following his hat-trick away to Brentford in February, the 23-year-old said “I'm enjoying playing in the middle and that's where I see myself. Hopefully I can get more game time playing there."

Playing centrally allows Foden to get on the ball much more between the lines, and he can have more of an impact in the final third. This season, he averages 2.23 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 16% of positionally similar players in Europe, as per Fbref, which shows how much more control he can have on the game in central areas.

It is perhaps unsurprising to Guardiola that Foden is playing as well as he is this season. The former Barcelona manager has previously described him as “the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager”. That is high praise given that Guardiola managed Lionel Messi in his prime.

If Foden continues this upward trajectory, he could become one of the greatest English players of all time. He does not seem to be slowing down any time soon, and there is likely a decade or more left of his career. It certainly feels like we are witnessing the career of one of the all-time great Premier League footballers.

Lyon are keeping the door open for Timo Werner, but will only sign him under very specific conditions before the transfer window closes.

• Lyon keeping Werner option alive despite high wages
• RB Leipzig forward under contract until 2026
• Move only possible if other winger targets fail

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Foot Mercato, the French club are closely monitoring the German forward’s situation at RB Leipzig and could make a push in the final hours of the transfer window if circumstances arise. The 29-year-old was offered to the French club earlier this summer as a potential reinforcement for Paulo Fonseca’s squad. 

  However, initial talks stalled due to the former Tottenham and Chelsea man’s salary demands, which were deemed far beyond the club’s reach. Despite this, Lyon’s management have kept the option on standby while exploring other winger targets. If those alternatives fall through, Werner’s name is expected to resurface on the shortlist.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Werner, who is tied to Leipzig until 2026, would only be allowed to leave if the Bundesliga side fears losing him for free next year. Lyon is ready to play the waiting game until the final stages of the market to pressure Leipzig into a deal. However, the biggest obstacle remains his reported €900,000-per-month wages. For a transfer to happen, the German international would have to agree to a major pay cut, potentially reducing his salary by three or four times, to make any move possible.

  Notably, Lyon’s wage bill is under strict supervision, meaning any deal must be financially sustainable. Still, club chief Michele Kang is aware that late-market desperation and opportunity could give them a chance to sign Werner. 

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The German spent last season on loan at Tottenham from Leipzig. However, he struggled to make an impact, scoring just one goal in 27 games in all competitions. He made just four starts in the Premier League under now-ex Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou before returning to Germany.

  Since then, he was offered a path out of Leipzig by New York Red Bulls. The forward has rejected the offer, but the MLS side have kept it open until next week.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TIMO WERNER?

  Lyon will continue pursuing other winger targets amid an uncertain financial situation. However, if those moves fail, they may reignite talks with Leipzig over Werner in a last-minute bid to strengthen Fonseca’s attack before the window closes.

A Lamine Yamal mural has been vandalised with seven dwarves graffiti as controversy from the Barcelona wonderkid’s birthday party continues.

• Street art on wall in Catalonia
• Design has been altered by vandals
• Response to birthday celebrations

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Teen sensation Yamal reached the notable milestone in his life on July 13. Unsurprisingly, lavish celebrations were organised by the La Liga and European Championship winner as he mingled with friends and family.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Some A-list guests were invited along for the ride, but some of the entertainment on show has generated lively debate. It was revealed that Yamal hired several professional dwarves to perform at his party.

  Yamal faced the threat of legal action at one stage, despite those involved being quick to point out that they were merely doing their job and not coerced into a booking against their will.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The fallout from the soiree rumbles on, though, with it being revealed that an act of vandalism has taken place in Catalonia. A mural created by urban artist TV Boy in Plaza Joanic has been defaced.

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• WHAT JOURNALIST SAID

  The painting sees Yamal portrayed as Superman, with ‘L’ on his chest instead of the usual ‘S’. AI images have been generated and shared on social media displaying various different takes on the superhero design.

  Journalist Edu Polo has now revealed that the mural has been altered in real life, with images of seven dwarves from the Snow White Disney film being added. He posted on Instagram: “Some ‘joker’ has destroyed Lamine Yamal’s mural in Joanic… This time it’s not fake or an AI montage. I just took the photo.”

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Rangers have completed two off-the-pitch deals ahead of what they hope will be a big summer ahead for the Ibrox side, and both concern individuals with key off-field roles.

Gers excellent on the pitch

On the pitch, Rangers are enjoying an excellent campaign under impressive boss Philippe Clement.

Currently second in the Scottish Premiership, they sit just a point behind their Old Firm rivals, but have a game in hand on Brendan Rodgers' side, and will move back into top spot should they emerge victorious against Hibernian this afternoon.

Led by the best defence in the division, Ibrox still has to play host to an Old Firm derby, which could prove pivotal in deciding whether the title eventually ends up with Rangers or with arch-rivals Celtic once more.

There are question marks for the summer, though, with a host of stars out of contract at the end of the season and loanee Fabio Silva likely to be too expensive to keep on a permanent basis barring a major change in transfer stance from parent club Wolves.

"Money talks" – Journalist shares news on James Tavernier's Rangers future

Rangers might be in a spot of bother if this comes to fruition.

By
Ben Browning

Mar 20, 2024

With wholesale changes seemingly inevitable, Rangers have already moved to head them off at the pass.

Looking ahead

This comes as Rangers have confirmed two new arrivals at board level.

James Taylor has arrived to take up the role of Chief Financial Officer, while Creag Robertson has also stepped onto the board, being appointed the Ibrox outfit's new Director of Football operations.

As per Football Insider, Rangers have moved fast to install the new members ahead of what they anticipate to be 'a busy summer transfer window' in Glasgow. It is added that "both directors are expected to play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of the club, including input to their transfer strategy this summer," which could see a change in targets identified between now and the end of the campaign.

The positions are likely to be the same, though, and Philippe Clement will be hoping that a central midfielder will be top of the list given the impending expiring contracts for Ryan Jack and midfield general John Lundstram.

A left-back is also a priority, with long-term defender Borna Barisic also set to become a free agent at the end of the season as it stands.

Meanwhile, Fabio Silva will have to be replaced, while reports suggest that the club are already keen to cash in on Sam Lammers, who is spending the second half of the season on loan in the Netherlands.

Football Insider adds that should Rangers prove successful this season, their transfer kitty is 'expected to inflate' as a result of qualification for the first phase of the new-look Champions League, which will be bigger than ever as a result of the revamped format, with UEFA pledging to hand out at least £2bn in prize money.

With or without Champions League football, there will be plenty for the new directors to sort out ahead of the new season should Rangers remain competitive into 2024/25.

Reassured by the board, he now has his eyes on the back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022

Andrew McGlashan21-Aug-2020Andrew Tye was overcome with emotion and broke down on the phone when he suffered an elbow injury last year, which ruled him out for most of the season, but conversations with the Australia selectors gave him belief that he would get another chance at the top level.Now, Tye has been included in Australia’s 21-man squad for the limited-overs tour of England, which could see him return to the side after nearly two years. Tye last played for Australia in November 2018, but was part of the T20I squad early last summer against Sri Lanka when he went down injured during training before the series began. Subsequent surgery meant he missed the BBL for Perth Scorchers.Covid-19 has since put paid to any off-season cricket for him, with the IPL delayed – Tye will join Rajasthan Royals in the UAE after the England tour – and a county deal with Gloucestershire shelved, which meant last October’s Marsh Cup was the last time he performed at the professional level, although he did manage to play club cricket late last summer.”When I first did [the injury], it was definitely the toughest; I broke down on the phone crying to my partner,” Tye said. “I’d worked so hard to get back in the team and then this happened. It was a tough summer watching a lot of cricket and not playing, being frustrated at the injury which wasn’t coming along quite as quickly as it could and getting close to playing the back-end of the Big Bash.”Since all that I’ve had a lot of time at home and really enjoyed it. It’s been the best preparation really, the longest time in ten years I’ve spent at home. [I’ve] had a nice pre-season and slowed things down once there was no IPL. It’s given me a real good chance to make sure my body is in the best shape it can be.”While the time sidelined was difficult, he had been given early reassurances that he would remain firmly in Australia’s T20I plans and now has his eyes on the back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.”When I injured myself, it was a possibility I wouldn’t get back in,” he said. “I was hopeful, though, that there would still be a chance and they would give me a crack to get my spot back. Then when the coronavirus happened. You are uncertain and you just never know, so [I am] very pumped to be back in Australia colours.”I have every faith in the Aussie set-up that they would have given me every chance to get back. From what they had communicated after I injured my elbow, [they said] we had picked you in the strongest possible T20 team; you will get a chance to get back. It’s a great opportunity to put my best foot forward for the next couple of years.”Andrew Tye could play for Australia after a gap of almost two years•Getty Images

During the winter, Tye also lost his contract with Western Australia after the state decided he was not in their red-ball plans – Tye has only played nine first-class matches and none since February 2018. However, everything was done with very open communication and on good terms, with Tye saying he was treated as though he was still on Western Australia’s list.”I’m very faithful to WA, they have looked after me incredibly well over the years and I always want to play for them as much as I can,” he said. “They have said to me they don’t have me in their plans for red-ball but am very much in their white-ball team, so this year I got squeezed out. I’m just glad they could keep one of the younger guys on and give them a chance, the same way they gave me a chance.”He believes his bowling – known for his range of variations such as the knuckle ball – “feels the best it ever has” and he has used the downtime of recent months to make some small technical changes working closely with Western Australia bowling coach Matt Mason. “I believe that the changes that I’ve made can only help my game so I’m really excited by it and hopefully it makes my variations even better,” he said.Although Tye is unlikely to be in Australia’s initial planning for the ODI side, the tour may also be a chance to revive his career in that format which is stalled on seven caps, all of which have come against England. The last of those was on the previous tour in 2018, in the match at Trent Bridge, where the home side racked up a world record 481 for 6 with Tye going none for 100 off nine overs – the second-most expensive figures for Australia in ODI cricket.”I quite often get reminded of it,” he said. “I see it as a good challenge, my last game there probably wasn’t the greatest. It’s a good challenge to come back and learn from those lessons.”

The fate of the suspended CEO Thabang Moroe could hinge on the findings of the audit

Firdose Moonda16-Jun-2020Cricket South Africa is expecting the first part of the forensic audit into its affairs by Friday, which may determine whether suspended CEO Thabang Moroe will face disciplinary charges over allegations of misconduct. CSA President Chris Nenzani confirmed that Moroe’s suspension in December 2019 was directly linked to the audit and promised the organisation had made a “commitment” to providing more clarity in the coming weeks.Moroe was the seventh member of staff to be put on paid leave during CSA’s administrative unraveling late last year, and all the other cases have either been concluded or progressed significantly. Of those, four members of staff have been dismissed including Clive Eksteen, the former head of sales and sponsor relations, who announced earlier on Tuesday that he would take his case to the country’s labour dispute resolution body, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).In a detailed statement, Eksteen claimed he had been charged on five counts and found guilty of one, which related to a sponsorship deal between a multinational company and CSA. He appealed the guilty verdict but lost, and on Saturday, CSA said he had been dismissed as a result of “transgressions of a serious nature.” Eksteen denied that the charge he had been found guilty of was a serious one.”One charge cannot properly be described as “transgressions”, yet CSA chose to do so. The perception that has been created, and the perception, which is still prevalent, is that I was in some way involved in “suspicious” dealings, and therefore subject to an investigation along with other CSA Officials. Nothing could be further from the truth,” his statement read.While Nenzani conceded that Eksteen’s statement was “to some extent factual”, he would not go into details on it’s “merits or demerits”, because the matter is unresolved.Similarly, Nenzani was scant on the details of Moroe’s case save to say that CSA wants to ensure procedural correctness. He explained that when Moroe was suspended, initially by telephone call and then through a letter, it was made clear to Moroe that the finalisation of the audit would be used to gather information to formulate any charges against him. Nenzani indicated Moroe would have known that he was still suspended when Moroe unsuccessfully attempted to return to work last week. “His suspension letter is very clear that his suspension is linked to the finalisation of the forensic audit,” Nenzani said.The audit will also look into the decision-making of the board and Nenzani described the process of starting it as “very elaborate”. As a result, the audit did not start until March, almost three months after Moroe was suspended. Nenzani acknowledged the frustrations that delay has caused among stakeholders including the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), which accused the CSA board of deliberate delaying tactics in dealing with Moroe.”I’m sure SACA would appreciate that you cannot be cavalier in how you address these matters because if you do so, and you rush things and you miss a few steps, you are exposing yourself to a challenge of procedural unfairness,” Nenzani said. “The delay is not to the benefit of CSA, it’s not to the benefit of our supporters and it is not to the benefit if the players that SACA represents. We are making a commitment that in the coming weeks, there is going to be a clear process going forward. We understand the unhappiness… but very few people would have wanted us to flout process.”To that end, Nenzani also provided an assurance that he would step down at the conclusion of his term in September. Nenzani is currently serving his second term, which was extended by a year in 2019, with the aim of stabilising CSA through difficult financial times. Reflecting on his seven years in office, Nenzani said there were three things he would have done differently beginning with looking at “transformation on a radical scale”. CSA was sanctioned by the country’s sports’ ministry in 2016 for the slow pace of representational change but has since been praised for its progress.Nenzani would also have wanted CSA to have acted differently in “the manner in which we engage and communicate.” Though he did not elaborate, CSA’s disputes with SACA over the years, including most recently over a proposed domestic restructure, is one example. Most tellingly, perhaps, Nenzani said that with hindsight, he should not have had an extra year added to his second term. “Looking back, I should not have agreed,” he said. “It is because of how I view leadership. Election to a position is an obligation to serve the people who elect you and therefore when they said please continue, you subject yourself to that directive.”In the last year, CSA has dealt with numerous on and off-field issues including a disappointing World Cup campaign and the tumble of the Test team down the rankings, an administrative overhaul, the loss of major sponsor Standard Bank, and repeated calls for the board to step down. The board’s AGM is set for September 5, when Nenzani and two other directors’ terms end.

Harry Kane continues to pile on the goals for both club and country, breaching another significant milestone in England's 1-0 win over Andorra.

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• Kane scored the lone goal in win over Andorra
• Englishman grabbed 450th career goal
• Bayern forward is England NT's all-time top scorer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane scored the only goal in England's laborious 1-0 win over 173rd-ranked Andorra in the World Cup qualifier on Saturday. Although the English skipper was unhappy with his teammates, he had plenty to be happy about as his goal allowed him to complete an incredible career milestone. Indeed, Kane's goal against Andorra was his 450th professional goal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane made his first-ever senior appearance on January 15, 2011, for Leyton Orient, whom he had joined on loan from Spurs. However, he made his debut with the Lilywhites on August 25, 2011, in a Europa League qualifying game against Hearts. After a couple more loan stints away from London, Kane scored his first goal for Spurs in a League Cup tie against Hull City, an equaliser in extra time. With his boyhood club, the 31-year-old scored 280 goals in 435 games, becoming their all-time goal scorer. He moved to Bayern Munich in 2023 and has since scored 82 goals in 91 games for the German giants. With the national team, Kane continues to extend his record as the record goal scorer. Indeed, the No. 9 has 72 goals in 106 games for the Three Lions, 19 more than second-placed Wayne Rooney. In all, Kane's record in professional football reads: 450 goals in 632 games.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Although Kane will turn 32 in July, he still has a lot of football left in him. At 106 caps, he is already the player with the joint seventh-most appearances for England. The record for most caps is held by legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who made 125 appearances in an international career spanning 20 years (between 1970 and 1990). Kane, thus, needs just 20 caps to become the outright record holder for most caps for England.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR HARRY KANE?

  The striker will be hoping to continue his fine form in front of goal on Tuesday, when England face Senegal in a friendly on Tuesday, June 10. He will then travel to the United States with Bayern Munich to partake in the revamped Club World Cup, which begins on June 14.