All posts by h716a5.icu

Jarvis’s return will be the completion of work started by Zimbabwe’s convener of selectors Tatenda Taibu, to bring prominent internationals who chose to further their career elsewhere home

Firdose Moonda26-Sep-2017Pace bowler Kyle Jarvis is leaving Lancashire before the end of his current deal to resume his international career with Zimbabwe.Jarvis’ return will be the completion of work started by Zimbabwe’s convener of selectors Tatenda Taibu, to bring prominent internationals who chose to further their career elsewhere home. Last week, Brendan Taylor left Nottinghamshire in order to return to Zimbabwe, where he was immediately re-signed on a national deal. Taylor is expected to make his comeback in the two Test series against West Indies in October, two-and-a-half years after he signed a Kolpak deal at the end of the 2015 World Cup.Jarvis’s absence has been much longer. He left for Lancashire in 2013, just two years after making his debut. At the time, Zimbabwe Cricket was experiencing one of its myriad financial crisis and players had not been paid. Jarvis sought a county deal in the hope of financial security and established himself as one of the club’s most valuable players. Zimbabwe would say the same.Though they have had several bowlers come through, injuries to Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara, Brian Vitori and Chris Mpofu over the years have meant they have been unable to establish a regular opening pair. With Zimbabwe set to play more matches, especially Test matches, and the World Cup qualifiers ahead of them, Jarvis will be seen as someone who can fill that role.”I have absolutely loved my time at Lancashire over the last four years,” Jarvis said. “It’s a very special place and I have made some fantastic friends here. I am immensely proud to have played a part in the history of this great club. I would like to thank everyone that for making me feel part of it.”In eight Test, Jarvis has taken 30 wickets at 31.73 alongside 27 at 45.22 in ODIs and 10 wickets in nine T20Is.

Arsenal have already enjoyed a prolific window thus far, yet continue to be linked with a host of additional signings to bolster Mikel Arteta's squad further…

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

An update on their latest venture this window comes courtesy of Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness), who suggest that the Gunners have entered the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt maestro Jesper Lindstrom.

Whilst they are set to battle with Liverpool for his services among a host of other Premier League and top European sides, the north London outfit have already made contact with the German outfit, giving them the edge over most of these suitors.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

The 23-year-old is valued highly by his club, who will accept a fee of no less than €35m (£30m). However, that could rise as high as €55m (£47m).

Who is Jesper Lindstrom?

Lindstrom is something of an enigma, given he seems to lack a favoured role within which he can star.

The Denmark international might be billed as an attacking midfielder, but stints on the wing and deeper in central midfield paint the picture of a positionally-challenged asset seeking some guidance to truly unleash his potential.

After all, he is touted to have a bright future, with shot-stopping teammate Kevin Trapp noting:

"Jesper is very young and came from a different league. The Bundesliga is a tougher league than the Danish league, you have to get used to it. It’s normal, and everyone in the club and the team knows that. Jesper has already made significant steps forward… you can see that he's an outstanding footballer and has very good technique."

This shone through in his recent campaign, in which he notched nine goals and assisted a further four across all competitions. A solid return, but one which could have been bolstered had he not featured across four different positions.

Such confusion regarding his best role, alongside his supposed preference for the number ten spot, draws startling comparisons with Arsenal's first signing of the summer, Kai Havertz.

The German joined fresh off a troubling year at Chelsea, where he was often forced to deputise up front despite that being far from his preferred role. He would score just nine goals too in all competitions, but has been lauded since making his Emirates switch as someone whose versatility could be put to good use under Arteta.

The Spaniard even suggested so:

"Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play."

These similarities are further emphasised through a shared physical profile too, as despite being silky creators, they stand at 6 foot and 6 foot 4 respectively. Both could hold their own when tasked with battling a centre-back, yet should dominate when faced against smaller midfielders.

OneVersusOne serves to aid this comparison too, as both Havertz and Lindstrom rank closely concerning key passes per 90 (0.42 v 0.46), pass interceptions per 90 (2.45 v 2.86) and shots on target per 90 (1.03 v 0.97).

Clearly, they can both create, spearhead a press and cause an offensive threat with their own efforts towards goal, almost explaining their tendency to be played merely to fill vacancies within their teams.

Should the former Bayer Leverkusen whiz be set to get his career back on track under Arteta, there is no reason to suggest he could not repeat this feat with an additional signing, with both helping fill various gaps as creative, hard-working servants to the club with the license to create freely.

Aston Villa are reportedly looking to bolster their attacking options even further this summer, after already signing Moussa Diaby earlier in the window.

Unai Emery has so far welcomed three reinforcements, but could yet welcome one more, as the Midlands club look to potentially target negotiations with Manchester United.

What's the latest on Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa?

With that said, The Villans are among the clubs considering a move for Jadon Sancho this summer, according to Caught Offside, potentially ending the England international's nightmare spell at Manchester United.

It may take a hefty fee for United to allow the winger to leave, however, given that they paid a reported £73m back in 2021. But, with Erik ten Hag reportedly open to his exit, the right offer could see Sancho on the move this summer.

It remains to be seen just how much the Red Devils will demand for the sale of Sancho, though Transfermark currently value the former Borussia Dortmund man at €45m (£39m).

Of course, Sancho's wages may prove to be an issue, too, as his current wage reportedly sits at £350k a week, which would instantly make him Aston Villa's highest earner, going above Boubacar Kamara, who earns a reported £175k per-week.

As the end of the transfer window edges closer and closer, Sancho is certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Should Aston Villa sign Jadon Sancho?

If Villa can get Sancho for the right price, then it would represent solid business. But they must avoid overpaying for a player who, ultimately, has struggled since making the move to the Premier League.

At his best, he is a player capable of 16 goals and 20 assists in a season. At his worst, though, he is a player who fails to make any impact at all, culminating in just ten goal involvements in all competitions. Whether Villa want to take the risk of pursuing the current version of Sancho, remains to be seen.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

It is at his best that Sancho attracted so much praise, with England teammate, Eric Dier saying after the winger's international debut, via Sky Sports: "I think he was fantastic when he came on.

"He was direct and technically he's very gifted. Hopefully he can be a big part of England in the future if he keeps working hard."

Jamie Carragher echoed that praise, also saying: "There wasn't too much attacking excitement but it did seem to liven up a bit when Jadon came on. He provided that bit of trickery out wide, that freshness."

After news emerged that Emiliano Buendia is set to be sidelined with an ACL injury, too, Emery may yet target an attacking reinforcement before the window slams shut.

Of course, if Sancho did make the move to Villa Park this summer, he wouldn't be without competition for places after former Bayer Leverkusen winger Diaby made the move earlier in the window.

A fresh start could be exactly what the 23-year-old needs, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will come at Aston Villa this summer.

Both players have had stints in the middle order before, but India’s team management does not want to resume those experiments

Vishal Dikshit at the Wankhede21-Oct-20171:42

‘Don’t want to force Rahul into middle-order role’ – Kohli

KL Rahul is missing from India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series because the hosts are looking at him purely as an opener and don’t want to forecefully make him another middle-order option. Captain Virat Kohli explained on the eve of the first ODI in Mumbai that India were already carrying three openers – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane – so it was decided to give Rahul more time in the first-class circuit. Kohli wary of India’s ‘hectic’ schedule

Virat Kohli is concerned about the lack of rest Indian players have been getting because of the “hectic” schedule they are made to play in. Kohli emphasised the importance of getting adequate rest as it could be the difference between good and bad performances, and said every player needed a break irrespective of the high fitness levels they maintain these days.
“It’s become quite hectic, that’s something we definitely have to sit and discuss in the future,” he said. “Look at New Zealand, they haven’t played any cricket after Champions Trophy, there’s been such a good layoff and it can be the difference between doing well in a big tournament and not doing well. We are expected to perform on a consistent basis but I think the rest and the time to prepare should be adequate for athletes as well.
“This shouldn’t be an area where players are just chipped and changed according to form. You need to look at all the aspects, in terms of how many games you are playing, how much rest you are getting, whether you are able to maintain that consistency for 12 months given the number of matches that we play. Physically, are you able to keep up with it.
“How much ever fitness you do, but everyone needs rest. Everyone needs time to come back from training, especially the fast bowlers. We are doing that now with Umesh and Shami, we want them fresh for the Test season coming up. We don’t want to overtire players. Even some of the key batsmen will definitely get some rest in the future weeks because of the importance of the away tours that are coming up.”

For the middle order, India opted for Dinesh Karthik, who has amassed runs across formats in recent times. Even though Rahul was in the squad for the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia, he was dropped without being given a single chance.”This series, Dinesh Karthik has come in for KL. We felt KL, because he opens mostly, we don’t want to have a situation like Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) was going through in between – having to play in the middle order forcefully because of what the top order was doing,” Kohli said. “We thought it’s better that he (Rahul) gets some game time in the first-class level so we got in Dinesh who has always played in the middle order. He is more comfortable and more aware of how to bat in the middle order. We need to strike that good balance, bring in guys who have the ability, who have done well in domestic cricket, who have done well for India A, you know track their performances and give them chances accordingly.”It’s not a situation where you just start giving chances to people so much that you compromise on winning the series because of lack of experience. We need to strike that good balance regularly.”Soon after being dropped for the ODIs, Rahul got a chance to open when he was drafted in for the warm-up matches against New Zealand. In the first match , he scored 68 off 75 balls in an opening stand of 147 with Prithvi Shaw but was only made to carry the drinks in the second match, for which Karun Nair moved up from No. 3.Rahul had started his ODI career in impressive fashion when he became the first Indian to score a century on ODI debut, against Zimbabwe in June 2016. He got to open against England too, earlier this year, when Rohit was injured but only managed low scores of 8, 5 and 11, falling to early swing two out of the three times. Rohit opened in the Champions Trophy once he recovered, and now the only way to slot Rahul in the XI was somewhere in the middle order.When India toured Sri Lanka in August, Rahul got opportunities at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in the ODIs but the runs still didn’t come as he scored 4, 17 and 7, perishing to offspinner Akila Dananjaya all three times. Time was running out for Rahul because of the fierce competition in the Indian batting line-up. There could have been another chance to open for him when Australia arrived for five ODIs and Dhawan opted out of the series, but Rahane had been sitting on the sidelines for so long that he was given a go and he shone with four consecutive half-centuries. Coincidentally, he may also sit out of some of the New Zealand ODIs as the Dhawan-Rohit combo is set to reunite.”He’s definitely grabbed his opportunities as the third opener,” Kohli said of Rahane. “As I mentioned, there was KL as well competing for the spot for a bit, but Jinks has really performed well, he stood up and taken his chances. That’s how the dynamics of the team work, when you have four guys who play in a similar position, then obviously one of them will have to miss out. Even in the three, only two can play in the XI. Again, as I mentioned, we don’t want to confuse him too much making him play in the middle order.”You need to find your game in ODI cricket, you need to understand how to go about things in ODI cricket and he’s always been very solid at the top order because of his technique. And he likes playing there as well, it gives him freedom to go after the bowlers. We don’t want to confuse him, he’s in a happy space, he knows whenever someone is not going through a good phase or there is an injury coming up, he’s there, he is right at the doorstep waiting to play a game whenever the team requires him to. He’s pretty happy with his batting at the moment.”Since Dhawan and Rohit have collected nearly 3000 runs while opening together, at an average of over 48, it only means Rahane is going to be the back-up opener. And Rahul, will be the back-up’s back-up.

West Ham United are getting "encouragement" from £11,000-a-week "Superstar" that he would be open to a move to the London Stadium this summer, per Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

West Ham United news – What's the latest?

It's been a real rollercoaster of a summer for the Hammers faithful this year, as they have had to watch the club sell their biggest star whilst potential transfers seemingly swap from being on to suddenly being back off again in no time at all.

After Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal for £105m at the start of the window, the Irons struggled to bring in any replacements, at one point holding the unwanted title of being the only side not to sign any players in the summer.

Thankfully, that's no longer the case following the arrival of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse for around £30m and the potentially even more exciting signing of Mexican international Edson Alvarez from Ajax in a deal worth a reported £35m.

Read the latest West Ham United transfer news HERE…

And in even more positive news, it looks like the Conference League champions might be returning to the Amsterdam club to try and sign another one of their emerging stars, Ghanaian international Mohammed Kudus.

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the East Londoners have been given a boost in their pursuit of the positionally versatile midfielder as a source has informed them that the player himself would be "open" to joining the Premier League side.

He explained the situation on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"We're told that West Ham remain in talks with Ajax over the signing of the midfielder Mohammed Kudus. Plenty of interest from other clubs, which I am sure West Ham United will be very, very well aware of, including Premier League clubs as well.

"We think Brighton were close to an agreement earlier on this summer they still may be interested as well; there's even talk of Arsenal and Chelsea being interested in Kudus.

"But, the information I am getting this morning is that one source claims that West Ham are getting encouragement that Kudus himself could be open to a move to the London Stadium."

How old is Mohammed Kudus?

Born August 2nd, 2000, in Nima, Ghana, the 23-year-old is clearly a man in high demand this summer, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion all trying to sign the Ajax man at different points in recent weeks.

It's easy to understand why when you look at his performances for the Amsterdam side over recent seasons.

In his 30 Eredivisie appearances last year, he scored 11 goals, provided three assists, took 2.3 shots per game, maintained a passing accuracy of 87.6%, won three Man-of-the-Match awards and averaged an outstanding match rating of 7.29, per WhoScored.

The £11,000-a-week ace didn't hide away on the biggest stage either, making five starts in the Champions League, scoring four goals, providing two assists, winning one aerial dual per game and averaging an even better match rating of 7.34, also per WhoScored.

His displays last year can't just be put down to good fortune either, as his underlying numbers are absolutely fantastic and suggest that were he given a chance, he could likely replicate at least some of his output in a top-five league.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across what they consider the next best eight competitions, the 5 foot 9 "superstar" sits in the top 1% for non-penalty expected goals, pass completion and successful take-ons, the top 2% for non-penalty goals, and the top 4% for total shots and touches in the opposition's penalty area, all per 90.

Described as a player that "can make the difference with and without the ball" by temporary Ajax manager John Heitinga earlier this year; if David Moyes and Co can get this deal over the line, then their summer business will start to look a lot more positive.

Delhi coach backs 20-year old to return to form soon; says smarter shot selection could make him a bigger threat

Akshay Gopalakrishnan in Alur12-Nov-2017Less than a year ago, Rishabh Pant was the most celebrated young performer to come out of the Ranji Trophy. His 872 runs at a strike rate of 107.28 went a long way towards him getting an India cap – against England in a T20I in February – after just 10 first-class matches. Today, he’s in the middle of a rough patch and hasn’t been considered for national selection since the limited-overs series against West Indies in June, with questions raised over his temperament and shot selection.In five first-class games so far this season, Pant has managed just one half-century, a counter-attacking 67 for India A against New Zealand A in Vijayawada. In his first Ranji Trophy outing this season, against Uttar Pradesh, he wasted two strong starts. This didn’t deter Delhi’s selectors from naming him captain after Ishant Sharma’s departure to join the Indian Test squad.Gautam Gambhir had declined captaincy, and Unmukt Chand was left to concentrate on his batting. Under these circumstances, KP Bhaskar, the Delhi coach, saw an opportunity to groom a youngster. At 20, Pant is Delhi’s youngest captain in the last 12 years.”His style is not to block and occupy the crease. He can change the whole outcome of the game in a few overs,” Bhaskar told ESPNcricinfo. “But shot selection is something he can work on, especially when playing for India and expectations are high. So then the responsibility automatically comes.”The overriding concern with Pant has been the manner of some of his dismissals. He has vehemently trusted his approach of see-ball-hit-ball. Sometimes, it has been refreshing to see. Other times, it has cost him some big innings.The latest indiscretion took the form of an expansive cut shot against Karnataka in Alur. The failure to spot an arm ball from offspinner K Gowtham resulted in him losing his stumps, this after he had spent the better part of 90 minutes trying to focus and play himself in. He was nine short of a fifty, his team was 400 runs behind in the first innings.Bhaskar understands the frustration that could come with managing a player of Pant’s ability, but he is willing to remain patient. “He understands his role well. His coach at Sonnet Cricket Club, Mr. Tarak Sinha, I’m sure, is keeping in touch with him and working on his game, because with me it’s only during the season,” he said. “But I’m sure Sinha would be guiding and advising him. He is quite receptive, but you can only advise. You can’t really force him to change the way you want him to play.”Pant gives out an air of insouciance when he bats. He can also occasionally be slapdash with his words, like at the end of the fourth day, when asked about the need to play a little more responsibly, he jovially remarked something to the effect of captaincy or no-captaincy, his approach will remain the same. Yet, the one unmissable trait is his supreme confidence.His natural aptitude for stroke-making prompted Bhaskar to liken him to Virender Sehwag. The former India batsman, known for compiling monumental innings at an astounding rate, has himself hailed Pant’s ability in the past. Pant displayed similar potential when he blasted a triple-century at nearly a run a ball against Maharashtra last season.”What we saw last year is that he has the staying power of scoring 300. So he can occupy the crease and score the big runs,” Bhaskar said. “There’s no point asking him to curb his instincts. Players like (Krishnamachari) Srikkanth, Sandeep Patil, Kapil Dev were natural stroke-makers. How can you force or stop them? It doesn’t make sense. He’s very natural that way.”Bhaskar’s assessment is in line with Dravid’s observations of not wanting to take away Pant’s attacking instincts. The India A coach had stressed on the importance of the experience itself, after Pant’s poor series against New Zealand A.”He may not be showing it, but deep down I’m sure he must be feeling it. Now that he is out of the [India] side, he has realised it and I’m sure he must be working hard on his temperament,” Bhaskar said. “His body language is the same as it was last year, but he looks much fitter, and his keeping has definitely improved.”I have always told him: it’s easy to play for India, but your preparations – mental, physical and technical – are what will help cement yourself. That’s more important. And age is by his side. His advantage is that he’s a keeper along with batsman. (MS) Dhoni has been around for some time, but once Dhoni hangs his boots, I’m sure he will be a prime man to fill his boots.”

Tottenham Hotspur have entered the mix to sign Barcelona forward Ansu Fati as journalist Adrian Sanchez shares what he knows on social media.

Who will Spurs sign?

Spurs have completed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, youngster Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz, but there are suggestions even more could arrive.

The departure of star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich gifts the club a huge financial windfall this late in the window but also leaves manager Ange Postecoglou bereft for striker quality.

Kane sealed his big-money move last week and it's now Tottenham's task to use that cash wisely. Spurs are eager to add another defender to their ranks, as already explained by Postecoglou, not to mention a new midfielder and forward.

For the latter area, Gent striker Gift Orban, Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson and Rennes forward Jeremy Doku are just some of the names to be linked most recently.

However, despite the sale of Kane, Postecoglou has confirmed that the club may need to offload others before bringing more players in – as the squad is already pretty large.

“We just can't keep bringing players in, we need to move some players out,” Postecoglou said.

"That's kind of where our focus is right now.

“Over the next three weeks what we don't want to do is have it all happen really late in the window which means we're caught short in any areas. It's got to work that way. We can't just keep accumulating players. We've got a massive squad as it is at the moment and we need to work on that."

While the focus for now appears to be on outgoings for now, if Spurs manage to seal a few exit deals soon, reporter Sanchez has revealed that they're in the mix for Fati from Barcelona.

Taking to X, the Spanish journalist claims Tottenham are now eyeing the 20-year-old and keeping abreast of his ongoing saga at the Camp Nou,

Fati, who could be seen as one of Barca's most exciting La Masia academy products in recent years, has been linked with an exit.

How good is Ansu Fati?

The £199,000-per-week attacker played 36 times in La Liga over 2022/2023, scoring seven goals and assisting three others, though a lot of those cameos also came from the bench.

It isn't unreasonable to think a move to England for more game time may well appeal to Fati, but Barca boss Xavi is a big admirer and could do all he can to keep him.

"We started him on the left today but we know we can play anywhere,” Xavi said.

“We wanted him to cut inside, but if he has two chances, he scores one, he is dangerous in the box. There are some players who are very good but I think he is just a star.”

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Former Real Madrid and Barca star Luis Figo also revealed his huge admiration for Fati in a recent interview.

“I look at players who play in my position," said Figo.

"I like to watch Kingsley Coman, Dembélé, Ansu Fati and Rodrygo. I think they are very top players and I enjoy watching them play.”

Following victory in this year’s World Cup, the ECB has announced an expanded programme for 2018, which will also see an increase to the Kia Super League fixture list

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017England women will take on South Africa and New Zealand in limited-overs series next summer. Following victory in this year’s World Cup, the ECB has announced an expanded programme for 2018, which will also see an increase to the Kia Super League fixture list.The two touring teams will take part in a T20 tri-series, although there is no room for England to host a Test, despite the success of the day-night Ashes game in Sydney earlier this month.Although the scene of England’s World Cup final triumph was a packed-out Lord’s, women’s games will continue to be hosted largely at the smaller county grounds. Worcester, Hove, Canterbury, Taunton, Bristol, Chelmsford, Derby and Leicester will all be venues, while Headingley will stage an England women’s game for the first time since the 2001 Ashes Test.England women ODI fixtures

June 9 v SA, 1st ODI, New Road

June 12 v SA, 2nd ODI, Hove (D/N)

June 15 v SA, 3rd ODI, Canterbury (D/N)

July 7 v NZ, 1st ODI, Headingley

July 10 v NZ, 2nd ODI, Derby (D/N)

July 13 v NZ, 3rd ODI, Grace Road (D/N)

South Africa will arrive first, for three ODIs in June – with World Cup qualification points at stake – to be followed by the tri-series and then another three ODIs with New Zealand in July. The T20s will feature an innovation in that two fixtures will be played back-to-back at each ground.The third edition of the KSL will then follow in August, with Finals Day to be held at Hove once again. In 2018, the six teams will play each other twice in the group stage, rather than just once.”We are very excited to be staging two different series against high-class opposition next summer with an expanded fixture list reflecting increased spectator interest in watching the England Women’s team in action,” Clare Connor, ECB director of women’s cricket, said.”Last summer’s World Cup success must be the watershed moment for our game that everyone is saying it could be. We will measure that through on-pitch performances, ticket sales, numbers of viewers and listeners and our ability to attract new fans and participants.T20 tri-series fixtures

June 20 Taunton, SA v NZ, 1pm; Eng v SA, 5.40pm

June 23 Taunton, Eng v SA, 1pm; Eng v NZ, 5.40pm

June 28 Bristol, SA v NZ, 1pm; Eng v NZ, 5.40pm

July 1 Final, Chelmsford

“The 2018 schedule is an exciting one across both white ball formats and will ensure that more people around the country have the chance to watch the team.”Both South Africa and New Zealand will be tough tests for England and we can expect a competitive and exciting summer of cricket ahead in both formats.”As well as being broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC radio, England women will make their terrestrial TV bow, after Channel 5 bought the rights to show highlights from next summer. Tickets for the games will go on sale on December 12.

Tottenham Hotspur has started life without Harry Kane optimistically after the 30-year-old completed a £100m move to Bayern Munich this month, but the London side still need to replace their distinguished talisman.

What's the latest on Ivan Toney to Tottenham?

According to The Times, Brentford are bracing up for the inevitable January onslaught for the signature of striker Ivan Toney, with Arsenal and Spurs both interested in the Premier League sharpshooter.

The 27-year-old will complete a ban for betting breaches in January, coinciding with the winter transfer window, and Thomas Frank's outfit are prepared to negotiate if their £80m valuation is met.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Such a figure might be deemed exorbitant by most, but Ange Postecoglou needs a new focal frontman, and Toney could be the perfect fit to replace Kane and enhance the collective Lilwhites squad.

How good is Ivan Toney?

The English talisman made his Premier League debut way back in 2015/16, making substitute appearances against Chelsea and Manchester United for Newcastle United, failing to make waves on Tyneside and joining Peterborough United in 2018 after a plethora of loan spells.

The doubts that the Magpies had vis-a-vis Toney's calibre were swiftly eradicated, as Toney plundered 45 goals and 15 assists from 94 matches before he penned a deal with Brentford, where he had spearheaded an ascent from Championship to Premier League prominence.

During that decisive second-tier campaign in 2020/21, the "unique" and "special footballer" – as Frank has waxed lyrical over his star man – posted a whopping 33 goals and ten assists as the Bees flew up the football ladder, and where he failed on the first occasion, his current stint in the Premier League has been nothing short of resounding.

Indeed, Toney scored another 12 times in the 2021/22 campaign before he netted 20 strikes last term, and his brilliance in and around the box has left the likes of Spurs and Arsenal so desperate to secure his services, so eager to welcome him to the fold despite his ongoing suspension.

At Tottenham, Toney would easily replace Kane – the club's record scorer with 280 goals from 435 outings – and bring his precision in decisive moments and admirable link-up play to enhance the Lilywhites' squad.

One star who would undoubtedly benefit from his arrival would be Richarlison, who has struggled to live up to the £60m price tag after Spurs signed the Brazilian from Everton last summer.

Indeed, the 26-year-old has only scored three times from 37 displays for the Australian's side, branded "toothless" by reporter Andrew Gaffney for his subpar showings last term.

However, Richarlison is a dynamic and energetic “warrior” of a forward, as has been proclaimed by former manager Antonio Conte, and he would finally start firing with Toney alongside him, having scored 20 times from 44 games for Brazil and 53 times from 152 outings for Everton.

While it's true that Richarlison did not find his feet last term despite boasting the all-embracing Kane as his teammate, Postecoglou's arrival and Kane's subsequent departure have signalled a new era for the club, who have started well after drawing away against Brentford before dispatching Manchester United on home grass.

Toney, who recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.25 last season and complimented his prolific striking record with 2.8 shots per game – also creating 12 big chances – was praised for having the "mindset of a lion" by his Brentford manager.

Considering the esteemed Kane created 14 himself last term, it highlights just how good Toney's link-up play and selflessness is, despite his cutting edge and how it could quickly benefit Postecoglou.

The Aussie boss will be aware that Toney's signature cannot be procured until January, but the evidence on the pitch is that Spurs are raring to go and avenge the mishaps of last season, and what a way to bolster the squad, should Toney arrive to inject his presence at the season's midpoint.

The Cricket Australia chief executive has given Australia’s short-ball barrage the green light and says it is up to the umpires to intervene if they think play is becoming too dangerous

Daniel Brettig23-Dec-20171:32

‘Targeting tail-end a genuine tactical ploy’ – Bird

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has given the Test team’s fast bowlers the green light to carry on their concerted short-pitched attack on England’s tail, leaving it up to the game’s neutral umpires to intervene if they think play is becoming too dangerous relative to the skill of the batsman on strike.As one of the game’s most senior administrators, Sutherland signs off on any changes to Test-match playing conditions through his role on the ICC chief executives committee, while Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann also sits on the cricket committee where the laws and conditions under which the game is played are frequently discussed.Though the former England captain Mike Atherton has suggested that the umpires should be more proactive in ensuring that less capable batsmen were not unduly exposed to excessive short-pitched bowling, Sutherland said he saw no problem with pace bowlers searching for weaknesses in the techniques of all batsmen, via short balls or other means, as part of the balance between bat and ball.”I don’t think there’s anything new about fast bowlers attacking tail enders where they show an area of vulnerability. I think that’s all part of the game,” Sutherland said at a CA family day outside the MCG. “What’s also part of the game and the playing regulation and the laws and what have you, that’s up to the umpires to do. I certainly don’t have any problem with fast bowlers attacking batsmen and trying to get them out.”Following the death of Phillip Hughes, after he was struck freakishly on the side of the neck by a bouncer in 2014, Sutherland helped set the terms of reference for CA’s own review, and also attended the New South Wales Coronial Inquest at which it was determined there had been “no malicious intent” in the use of short balls to Hughes on the day he was struck. Before that inquest handed down its findings, Sutherland had spoken of the need to balance the fabric of the game, including the use of bouncers, with safety concerns.”You’ll see in the brief terms of reference we gave David Curtain that we needed to draw a line about the laws of the game and to have some perspective around that,” Sutherland said in May 2016. “You can make the game of cricket a lot safer by playing with a tennis ball, but that’s not how Test cricket has been played and it would obviously be a very different game.”We’re not wanting to go there, but we do need to find the right balance in the circumstances to not compromise the way the game’s played and not compromise the way in which the players are best equipped to show their skills.”Pat Cummins, who has bowled much of the short stuff delivered by Australia’s fast men at the England bowlers, pointed out that it was well known in international cricket that bowlers on all sides are going to “cop it” from their opposite numbers and it was a case of learning to deal with the angle of attack being chosen.”I think they’re all pretty competent batters,” Cummins said. “Stuart Broad’s got a Test match hundred and Anderson’s got an 80-odd so Starcy [Mitchell Starc], Hazlewood, Birdy [Jackson Bird] and I, we know we’re going to cop it as well so we spend lots of time in the nets working on it, working with the coaches and talking to other players about how to best defend it. I think I’ve copped about 50 so far this series so we get back as much as we dish out.”You’re always concerned when someone gets hit in the head, but once you find out they’re ok I think it’s part of cricket, hopefully it will always stay part of cricket. It’s one of the thrills of bowling fast, trying to unsettle the batsman when the pitch might not have sideways movement or swing, so hopefully it stays around our game.”For us, Plan A is always how can we get the batsmen out and at the moment for a few of their guys we think that’s our best chance of getting them out for the least amount of runs. Until that changes our plans will play pretty solid.”James Anderson has spoken of the experience of being struck on the helmet by Cummins in the closing stages of the Perth Test, and also countered that he did not think the difference in pace between the two teams had been as large a factor in the series as many have observed. Instead, he felt the Australians had benefited from some poor England shot selection.”I don’t know if you’ve ever been messing around with mates and someone slaps you on your ear, it’s kind of a real shock,” Anderson told the BBC. “You’re obviously not expecting to get hit on the head but you’ve got that split second where you know it’s going to hit you. It’s not ideal. It’s happened to me a few times in my career. We’re very fortunate in this day and age that the helmets are such high quality. I turned my head and just braced for impact … I had a bit of a sore jaw for a couple of days.””It’s not necessarily the pace but where the ball is and the plans they’ve had have worked well. Even me as a No.11, you get used to that pace. I honestly don’t think the pace has actually caused us any issues. If you look at our dismissals, we sometimes haven’t necessarily got out to the good balls.”