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The fast bowler left the IPL early but has since returned to bowling ahead of the WTC final and Ashes

Andrew McGlashan22-May-2023Josh Hazlewood, who has missed substantial Test cricket over the last couple of years through injury, flew home early from the IPL after reporting side soreness although scans in Australia did not show any damage. He has since returned to bowling ahead of the squad’s departure to the UK at the end of the week for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the Ashes.Hazlewood played the last of his three games for Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 9 and bowled a total of nine overs in IPL 2023.”Josh Hazlewood returned home from the IPL last weekend after experiencing minor side soreness after the completion of his most recent IPL match,” a CA spokesperson said.Related

• Neser looms as World Test Championship reinforcement amid Hazlewood's tight turnaround

• Hazlewood on injury layoff: 'It just happens to be at the wrong time of the year'

• Michael Neser's four-wicket haul keeps Ashes selectors interested

• Why Australia could have the advantage in the World Test Championship final

• Renshaw's moment of clarity on way to Ashes tour selection

“After a brief and precautionary rest period, Hazlewood returned to high intensity bowling last week and will continue to increase his bowling workloads in preparation for the WTC and Ashes series. Hazlewood is considered fit and available for the WTC and Ashes Series.”Following a delayed arrival, Hazlewood’s IPL stint had been his return to action after his tour of India ended early due to an Achilles injury he sustained against South Africa at the SCG in January. That, itself, had been a comeback game after he suffered a side strain against West Indies in Perth, having also gone down with one during the 2021-22 Ashes in which he missed four of the Tests.Since the start of that England series, Hazlewood has only been able to play four Tests, although in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, that was due to the balance of Australia’s side where they included the extra spinner.He was excellent on his return against South Africa earlier this year where he was potent with reverse swing and claimed five wickets in the match. When Hazlewood was selected at the SCG in place of Scott Boland as one of two quicks it showed that he remained in a first-choice attack. In England he has taken 36 wickets at 23.58 from eight Tests.Over that same period where his Tests have been limited, Hazlewood’s stature as a T20 bowler has risen enormously and he reached No. 1 in the rankings in June 2022 after helping Australia win the T20 World Cup for the first time.However, before the Sydney Test last summer he spoke about the challenges of preparing for Test cricket as a multi-format bowler”If you have to focus on either a strength period or bowl a few more balls at training when you are playing with the white ball, at the detriment of maybe not being 100 percent for those games, then it puts you in a better place for a Test series that follows,” he said. “Just little things like that we’re talking about with coaches or medical staff. That will be something I’ll look to do in the next little period.”While Australia are confident of having dodged a significant injury concern just days before leaving for the UK, they do have extra resources to call on if needed. Michael Neser and Sean Abbott, who have been playing for Glamorgan and Surrey respectively, will link up with the squad for their training camp ahead of the WTC final against India.Neser rounded off the most recent Championship match against Sussex with a century having previously taken a career-best 7 for 32, including a hat-trick, against Yorkshire.Australia initially named a 17-player squad for the tour but that needs to be trimmed to 15 names for the final by May 28.As has become the norm for them there is no tour match in the lead-up with the squad instead training at Beckenham, south of London, ahead of the final lead-in to facing India on June 7. All six Tests on the tour are played in less than two months.

Plays of the day from the fifth ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Hambantota

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Jul-2015The first touch
Umpire Ian Gould has worn his share of balls this tour, but he has rarely done so with as much skill as he managed in the 14th over of Sri Lanka’s innings. Kusal Perera’s cut off Imad Wasim was headed for the space between Gould’s legs, but instead of being nutmegged, Gould moved his right leg and stopped the ball in its tracks, just like a Barcelona Football Club forward would control a fast pass from the midfield. Unlike a footballer, though, Gould resisted flopping about on the ground after being hit on the shin.The shy
Anwar Ali was aggressive and demonstrative in his first spell, but he might have had slightly better figures if he had not been so hostile in the 10th over of Sri Lanka’s innings. Fielding a gentle push in his follow-through, Anwar aimed the ball at the batsman, who was well back in his crease, and let fly, missing the stumps by a distance and the wicketkeeper by almost as much. The ball went fine of long leg as well, and wound up costing the bowler and his team four unnecessary runs.The throw
It’s rare enough for Sri Lanka’s infielders to run a batsman out, but when a fast bowler removes a batsman with a throw from the boundary, you know the stars have aligned. Running around from third man, the normally ungainly Suranga Lakmal bent down, picked up and threw in one fluid motion. He found off stump with no interference from the wicketkeeper, to have Sarfraz Ahmed well short.The blows
Having found no reply to Kusal’s controlled aggression on Sunday, Pakistan’s bowlers managed to at least rough him up a little, maybe contributing to his eventual dismissal. In the 26th over, Rahat Ali dug in a short ball that followed an arching Kusal and struck him in the helmet grille. A little shaken up by that, Kusal progressed to a hundred, but wore a yorker flush on the boot a few overs later. He got medical attention in both instances, and the injury to his foot may have prevented him from making his ground when he was run out later in that same over.

That’s how you win a football match. Newcastle United ripped Ipswich Town to shreds on Saturday afternoon, looking as fluent as they’ve been in a long while and claiming a third successive victory in all competitions.

Newcastle’s patchy Premier League form this season has been a real frustration for Eddie Howe, whose tactical acumen and interpersonal skills remain closed to question. Still, something was missing.

Was it a lack of intensity? Burnout? A loss of direction after a testing, injury-hit campaign that preceded an uninspiring summer of missed opportunities?

Whatever has been out of kilter across the past few months, the Magpies seem to have reoriented themselves now. Howe’s side look as good as they’ve been in 2024, and there’s one man above all others who stood out at Portman Road. You know who.

Alexander Isak's stunning performance

Alexander Isak bagged a hat-trick at Ipswich to extend his brilliant run of clinical form, nine goals and three assists from nine Premier League matches, to be precise.

The Sweden international is bound to have a wealth of high-profile suitors looking jealously toward Tyneside and checking purses to ascertain the practicality of a bumper bid in 2025.

Correspondent Lee Ryder hailed the ‘ruthless display’ in his post-match player ratings, of which Isak received a perfect 10/10 score, but the 25-year-old did miss a glorious chance to grab another and might have been a little tame with one other shot.

1.

Mohamed Salah

13

1=

Erling Haaland

13

3.

Cole Palmer

11

4.

Alexander Isak

10

4=

Bryan Mbeumo

10

4=

Chris Wood

10

Isak might steal the headlines – rightly so, to be fair – but he wasn’t actually the finest performer for the Toon on Saturday afternoon. Jacob Murphy was the architect of the success and certainly looks like a man playing with the foresight of a Newcastle swoop for a right winger.

Jacob Murphy was Howe's real hero

Newcastle’s interest in a new right winger has been well documented since the summer, with a £50m bid rejected for Anthony Elanga in August and reliable reports that Brentford’s Bryan Mbemuo is being eyed this winter.

Miguel Almiron is on the periphery with no way back, but Murphy is definitely fighting for his place in the squad – and if his recent purple patch is anything to go by, he might just continue to play a big part in the year to come. Perhaps longer.

At Ipswich, Isak benefitted from the 28-year-old’s steady stream of playmaking, for Murphy created three big chances to complement his goal-and-assist display, as per Sofascore.

A wonderful back-heeled assist for Isak capped off the dream performance, with Ryder awarding him with a 9/10 match score that spoke clearly of his faculty for success in this competitive Newcastle side. The reporter singled out the winger’s “incredible work” for the assist.

Murphy also made an important tackle and won his only contested ground duel of the afternoon. He’s willing to fight and, now having notched three goals and three assists apiece from as many Premier League matches, has made Isak unplayable and himself undroppable as the festive period hits full swing.

He's like Isak: Newcastle can axe Wilson by signing PL "nuisance" for £45m

Newcastle are finding their feet but need more firepower up front.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 20, 2024

Once a five-Test series during the heyday of the Australia-West Indies rivalry, the last two Tests for the Frank Worrell Trophy only lasted six and a half days, further highlighting the growing disparity between cricket’s haves and have nots

Daniel Brettig in Kingston14-Jun-2015Jarring as it was to hear him stumble over his words at the presentation, maybe Brendon Julian was onto something. This did not feel like a contest for the Frank Worrell Trophy, lasting as it did for six and a half days and taking in a pair of fearful hidings dished out by one of cricket’s haves to its most widely mourned have not.Signs of the Caribbean’s retreat from Test cricket were everywhere these past two weeks, from the grand old ground Sabina Park being completely devoid of life a mere two days before the match began, to the stumps for the series not even having a fresh logo. They had been prepared for the preceding series, and instead of being emblazoned with the name Australia, England’s lettering was crossed out with a marker pen.The Australians performed well in conditions unfamiliar to them, but everywhere were taken aback by how utterly alien the experience was when compared to the tightly-wound corporate machines that run cricket matches down under – and will do again when they arrive in England. The series winner’s novelty cheque for the series was US $2000, the kind of figure numerous members of the touring team would no doubt have spent on watches.Of course all these disparities off the field were little more stark than that revealed in the middle, where Australia’s rich supply of cricketing resources utterly overwhelmed a West Indian team that could call on only a quartet of plucky individual performances across the two matches. Devendra Bishoo and Marlon Samuels both contributed in the first Test but were absent from the second, leaving far too much for Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder to do, for all their obvious effort and skill.A look down the Australian series aggregates demonstrates their domination in ways not seen perhaps since the drubbing inflicted upon Pakistan in the UAE as far back as 2002. Not a single Australian full-time bowler claimed their wickets at a rate more expensive than 20 runs apiece. For the Man of the Series Josh Hazlewood (12 wickets at 8.83) and his NSW offsider Mitchell Starc (10 at 16.00) it was tantamount to a turkey shoot. One can only wonder at what a fully-fit Ryan Harris might have achieved against such porous opposition.If the batting statistics make for slightly less lopsided reading, there is still the fact that in Steven Smith and Adam Voges, Australia possessed the only two centurions for the series. Their respective averages of 141.50 and 167.00 were near enough to 100 runs ahead of Holder, the only West Indian to make his runs at better than 50. And while the likes of David Warner, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke could not go beyond starts, none had a shocking series of the kind produced by Darren Bravo. Vaunted beforehand as the man to step up in Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s stead, he was totally outwitted and outfought by Australia’s formidable attack, finishing with 49 runs in four innings.The duel between the captains was telling, too. Clarke is now an old hand at this game, but it was still striking to see his nimble work when lined up against some of the leaden decision-making produced by Denesh Ramdin, who seemed always to find a way to spurn an opportunity. Many bemoaned Kemar Roach’s no-ball allowing Clarke to evade a dismissal early on day one, but under Ramdin the West Indians proceeded to drop their bundles in frustration for the next hour even though the ball continued to swerve. Taylor may never know why he got only six overs that morning, when his figures read 6-6-0-2.Opportunities lost tell a story of fragile confidence, but it is disturbing to think that the West Indies could fall in such a heap only weeks after they had registered a stirring victory over England. That result suggested the new coach Phil Simmons had his team on the right path, though it now looks as though it said more for how much England had allowed themselves to slide despite resources every bit as rich as Australia’s. Certainly Alastair Cook’s men will observe the scorecards from the Caribbean with some trepidation as yet another Ashes series creeps closer.But the underlying truth of this series, both on the field and in the stands, is that the West Indies need all the help they can get if they are to return to a position of competitiveness as a Test match nation. The local caravan has moved on to the Caribbean Premier League, which will be played to packed houses and healthy television audiences over the next month, while the region’s most talented senior players are IPL-tied and deeply cynical about the WICB. Simmons’ efforts to mediate may grow more urgent as a result of this drubbing.All at Cricket Australia are increasingly twitchy about the fact that next summer’s showpiece Boxing Day and New Year’s Test matches are due to be played against the West Indies. It will be a most painful return to the scene of past glories for support staff such as Simmons, Richie Richardson and Curtly Ambrose, and more pointedly an event where history and nostalgia will be expected to draw crowds to grounds and television sets when the cricket itself now looks incapable of doing so.Clarke struck a note of some yearning for earlier days when he was asked about the state of the West Indies team and cricket in the region. “I’ve always loved playing against West Indies. My favourite player is Brian Lara, so I’ve always had a soft spot for the West Indies,” he said of a place where he made his first international tour in 2003. “They’ve certainly got some fight in them, they’ve certainly got talent. I just think they need to be patient. Phil Simmons is a lovely guy and fantastic coach, so I’ve got a lot of confidence West Indies will continue to get better. I’m all for growing the game all around the world, so I hope cricket in any format can continue to improve.”Notably, the next ICC annual conference is due to be held in Barbados later this month. While the BCCI continue to quibble over the money lost when the West Indies squad pulled out of an India tour last year, it is beholden upon all the decision-makers assembling at the home of Sir Frank Worrell himself to work on ways to heal the fractures that have helped West Indies decline to this point. The region’s best players need better incentives to play in the maroon cap, and its islands deserve better administration to regrow and develop future generations.None of those administrators were present in Jamaica, but even from their offices, boardrooms, homes and airport lounges around the world they will be able to see what happened here. The game deserves better than lopsided days like this one, when the Caribbean legacy is mangled more badly even than Worrell’s name had been.

Both sides are coming off four consecutive losses in the format

Osman Samiuddin25-Dec-2022

Big pictureNew Zealand are ok. Yeah, they’re going through “a transition”. Yeah, they’ve got a new Test captain. Yeah, they have lost six of their nine Tests in this World Test Championship cycle. Yeah, they were the first guinea pigs in the Bazball experiment. Yeah, they haven’t played a single Test since then.But they are New Zealand. This just doesn’t sound drastic, right? It never does. They’ll plan, they’ll nurture, they’ll be efficient and optimal with their resources, play their cards right, quietly bide their time and be good again, and we’ll be like, yeah, New Zealand are ok. It’s just a matter of time.Related

Shahid Afridi named interim chief selector of Pakistan men's team

Ramiz Raja removed as PCB chairman

On the other hand, Pakistan have gone old-school meltdown and some of us are shouting, It’s About Damn Time. There they were until last week, floating along on a little fluffy cloud of bland, but at least in control of it. Ramiz Raja was in charge, Babar Azam was in charge, the PCB’s social media, where everything – even a historic 3-0 whitewash – was always so positive and upbeat, was in charge.Five days later Shahid Afridi is the chief selector. SHAHID AFRIDI IS THE CHIEF SELECTOR! That’s never not going to take getting used to. A coup’s been staged against Ramiz, and the new guys – who are really the old guys – cut some cake as the first order of business. Babar’s team-mates suddenly are having to tweet their support to him. Nobody’s doing the same for Saqlain Mushtaq, so he is going to go soon. The chief selector is already gone. People are talking about Mohammad Rizwan’s place in the Test side.The fast-bowling cupboard is Shaheen Shah Afridi. That’s it. The domestic system is about to be completely ripped apart. Again. Also, Shahid Afridi is the chief selector and he’s saying straight-laced things like: “We had a good discussion on the squad and agreed we needed to strengthen our bowling department to give ourselves the best chance of taking 20 wickets in a match.”What all of it means for the immediate future of the two Tests these two now play, your guess is as good as anyone’s. Pakistan are hurting, heaving with change. New Zealand are being New Zealand and for added inscrutability haven’t played a Test in yonks. Both are coming off four consecutive losses. At a pinch, let’s say it shouldn’t be boring.Form guidePakistan LLLLW (last five Tests, most recent first)
New Zealand LLLLWIn the spotlightMohammad Rizwan is not having a great year. Suddenly, one of the first names on Pakistan’s team sheet is no longer necessarily that, not with a new selection committee in place. His T20I partnership with Babar has come under increasing scrutiny. In Tests, there are calls for the return of Sarfaraz Ahmed to replace him. It’s a little unfair. His glovework may be a little theatrical, but he’s still safer than any of his modern predecessors. He is averaging 30 this year with bat, which isn’t great but isn’t diabolical either. It’s not a string of low scores either, but a series of unconverted starts. Safe to say though that he – and Pakistan’s batting – could really do with him converting one of them.In Asia, Tim Southee has picked up 48 wickets at an average of 25.47•AFP/Getty Images

Suddenly, everyone’s a fast-bowling captain. This summer in England Tim Southee looked cooked, though, in hindsight, that was probably more England’s batting than his bowling. Now, six months later he is New Zealand’s new Test captain, ready to bowl in a continent where he has an exemplary record. Only last year he was putting on a masterclass in Kanpur but this time, he’ll be without his long-time partner-in-swing, Trent Boult. How he goes with ball in hand, and command on the field, will determine how this series goes for the tourists.Team newsPakistan had a squad. Then the PCB was overhauled. And three new players were added to the party. Now, as far as Babar is concerned, “We will have a discussion with the selectors; then we will decide the final XI”.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Shan Masood, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Agha Salman, 8 Sajid Khan, 9 Abrar Ahmed, 10 Mir Hamza, 11 Naseem ShahNew Zealand are likely to bolster their spin attack with Ajaz Patel coming in. Trent Boult, of course, is not available.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Devon Conway, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Tom Blundell (wk), 8 Michael Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Ajaz PatelPitch and conditionsThe Karachi pitch for the recent Test against England was slow and low, but not necessarily uneven in contest for it. It’s most likely, given the swift turnaround time, to behave similarly. But who knows, with a new administration in town, it may liven up a little. Babar expects it to “change each day, day by day things get different”.Stats and trivia Pakistan used to love playing New Zealand but since 2011 have only won 3 of their 12 Tests against them and lost seven. 60.40 > 54.77: Babar’s average against Kane Williamson’s since October 2019 (just before Babar’s breakthrough Test series against Australia). A little more surprisingly, he has played ten Tests more than his counterpart in the same period. 71.22 – Daryl Mitchell’s average this year is the third-highest of any batter with at least five Tests.Quotes”Yes, we could not play the last series the way we wanted to, because we committed mistakes. Now we need to overcome that and try to play good cricket.”

da apostebet： It’s safe to say that Arsenal’s defence has come a long way under the stewardship of Mikel Arteta.

da bet7k： Flash back to the dark days of Arsene Wenger’s last few years with the Gunners and you’ll unfortunately remember some error-stricken defenders who weren’t up to the task.

The likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Sebastian Squillaci and David Luiz aren’t remembered too fondly by supporters at the Emirates Stadium and rightfully so.

Mustafi was perhaps the worst of the lot with some of his mistakes in the 2019/20 season preventing Unai Emery’s men from sealing Champions League football.

Thankfully, players like that are no more. Arteta now has one of the finest defences in European football at his disposal with the likes of Gabriel and William Saliba two colossal figures at the back.

Last term, Arsenal shipped just 29 goals in their 38 league games; the best record in the entire division.

While Saliba is the Rolls-Royce of the duo, Gabriel brings a bit more aggression and a couple more horsepower. He’s like the stylish Range Rover. A man for all occasions, for all weathers.

Gabriel's season in numbers so far

The Brazilian, signed for £27m from Lille back in 2020, has proven to be one of the very best signings of the Arteta era to date.

He is a man mountain and has already scored four goals from set-piece scenarios this term. His latest two came during the club’s last couple of matches, powering home a header at the back post against Sporting in midweek before scoring a more deft header at the near post when Arsenal thumped West Ham 5-2 on Saturday.

Gabriel, although withdrawn at half-time, was one of the stars of the show as he so often is and he’s finally stepped out of Saliba’s shadow.

He is perhaps the best defender in the Premier League, certainly when it comes to the offensive phases of play.

So, why is he so good? Well, it helps that the Gunners are the best corner-takers in the land.

Gabriel’s headed goal against the Hammers this weekend turned out to be Arsenal’s 20th from a corner in the league since the beginning of last season. For context, no team have scored more from such situations over that time. Furthermore, Gabriel’s haul of five goals from corners are more than any other Premier League defender during the same time frame.

If you want even more numbers to marvel at, since the Brazilian arrived in England in 2020, no centre-back has scored more in Europe’s top five leagues than the 26-year-old’s 17.

He’s pretty damn good, isn’t he? Well, what if there was a defender with even more goals for Arsenal? Yes, that player does exist.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse The only Arsenal defender with more goals than Gabriel

Back in July 2010, Arsene Wenger used the club’s chequebook to sign a Frenchman. Surprise, surprise.

On this occasion, however, it was not a player of Thierry Henry’s calibre, nor was it a player of the calibre of a certain Robert Pires.

Instead, it was a defender. Laurent Koscielny penned terms after moving from Ligue 1 side Lorient for a fee of just £8.5m. As it turned out, that was one of the biggest bargains the great Wenger secured during his time in north London.

Why? Well, it wasn’t just Koscielny’s longevity that stood out but his leadership and his ability to score some pretty important goals shone through, just as it has with Gabriel in Arsenal colours.

For a moment, we want to put aside the controversial way in which the centre-back eventually left. Club captain, he was announced as a Bordeaux player by ripping off an Arsenal shirt. It was bizarre, right?

But anyway, the France international should be remembered for what he actually brought to the pitch during a time when Wenger’s side were far from amazing defensively.

He eventually left the club with a whopping 353 appearances in all competitions and in the words of Rio Ferdinand in 2015, he was the very best the English top-flight had to offer at that time.

Fine praise indeed from a defender who wasn’t a bad player during his pomp either. So, where does the now 39-year-old rank among Arsenal defenders? Right up there.

Highest-scoring Arsenal defenders

Player

Goals

Scoring frequency

1. Koscielny

22

11.1 games

2. Gabriel

17

8.3 games

3. Vermaelen

13

8.4 games

4. Gallas

12

8.4 games

=4 Adams

12

21.2 games

6. Toure

9

25 games

Stats via StatMuse (PL only).

As you can see, Koscielny happens to be the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history for Arsenal.

Yes, the dominant Gabriel is currently finding the net with greater regularity but it cannot be understated just how good the former Lorient star was during his time at the Emirates.

He scored a thumping goal away at Manchester City, the winner in a comeback victory against Everton and perhaps most memorably, scored the equalising goal in the FA Cup final against Hull City.

All in all, it’s safe to say that was £8.5m well spent, don’t you think?

Related Not just Saka: £27m star is becoming one of the best in Arsenal's history

One of Mikel Arteta’s signings is fast becoming one of the best players we’ve ever seen at Arsenal.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2024

While acknowledging Guptill’s contributions, the NZ captain was clear it was time to give Allen a run of games ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup

Shashank Kishore15-Nov-2022Playing a high-profile series within days of finishing a World Cup isn’t new to New Zealand. Last year, within hours of playing the T20 World Cup final against Australia in Dubai, they were en route to India for a T20I series.This year, they’ve had an “extra day or two” following their semi-final loss to Pakistan. The only difference this time is, they will be playing at home against India, with the first of the three T20Is beginning in Wellington on Friday.Related

• 'Be aggressive but also focus on conditions and situations' – Laxman's mantra for T20Is

• Guptill, Boult left out of New Zealand's white-ball squads for India series

• Neesham declines NZ contract, Tickner and Allen handed deals

• NZC agrees to release Trent Boult from central contract

Beginning a home summer with the shortest format, especially with a 50-over World Cup coming up in less than a year, could be seen as a sign of commerce taking priority over conventional wisdom. However, Kane Williamson believes, with world events coming thick and fast, teams are perpetually in a state of trying to find the right balance, format notwithstanding.And that’s exactly what New Zealand have tried to address in picking their white-ball squads for the India series. The “crystal-ball gazing” – as head coach Gary Stead described – towards next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India has well and truly begun, and it has had a massive bearing on the Williamson-led squad.Devon Conway has cemented his position as a reliable option up top, and New Zealand are gung-ho about 23-year-old Finn Allen partnering him. What that means for Martin Guptill’s bid to play in a fourth ODI World Cup is anybody’s guess, but Williamson acknowledged that he was “one of New Zealand’s best white-ball players”, while also elaborating on the strengths Allen brings to the table.Trent Boult and James Neesham have declined NZC contracts for different reasons•ICC via Getty Images

“Finn’s a very exciting talent, it’s been great to see him in the side and expressing himself,” Williamson said at a media interaction organised by . “You mentioned that Australian game [New Zealand’s T20 World Cup opener in Sydney] where he made an amazing contribution, and it went a long way in us getting ahead of the game. That’s a real strength of his, it’s natural for him in terms of how he plays.”Being so young as well, you see so much potential and talent and getting more cricket under his belt is only going to be more helpful to nurturing that and continuing his upward trend as a player. He’s looking forward to this series as well. He certainly goes out with the intention of playing very aggressively and playing his game, has a lot of conviction in how he wants to go about it. It’s been great to see and am sure that will continue.”Delving further into team specifics, Williamson admitted that Trent Boult’s absence from the squad despite being available for selection was a reflection of the circumstances around his decision to opt out of New Zealand Cricket’s annual retainer, but he suggested it was by no means a full stop to his international career. The selectors have prioritised players with central contracts as they begin to look ahead.”Obviously with the moving landscape we’re presented with at the moment, players have made a number of different decisions,” Williamson said. “Trent, being a big part of our team, has done that. Although available, he’s got a few other things to focus on within the next period of time. There’s an opportunity at the moment with other guys on the fringe to get some opportunity and for us building and growing as a team is really important, but it’s all a bit new as well and there’s a lot of learning to be had over the next period, but Trent’s obviously a big part of the New Zealand cricket environment and has been for a long time. I think it’s going to be an important thing to learn and understand how it looks over the next period.”Adam Milne returns to the ODI set-up for the first time since 2017, having battled through several injuries. With Kyle Jamieson still recovering from a back injury, the other pace slots have gone to Tim Southee, Matt Henry (ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner.”Adam Milne has been a really strong performer for a number of years, unfortunately had a few injuries along the way,” Williamson said. “He’s a super-talented athlete when fully fit and diving. Great to have him in the squad, he’s ready to go, great addition. Blair Tickner has been more involved in the last few years in a number of formats, so the bowling depth is reasonably strong and it’s nice to see some of these guys get a few opportunities.”Mitchell Santner is the only frontline spinner in New Zealand’s ODI squad•AFP/Getty Images

Allrounder James Neesham finds himself in the mix despite not having a contract, but his situation is different to Boult’s. When Neesham wasn’t offered a central contract, he began looking at prospective T20 deals around the world. But with Colin de Grandhomme retiring, Neesham was presented with a contract, which he had to decline since he had already secured T20 deals.Elsewhere, in picking just one frontline spinner in Mitchell Santner in their ODI squad (although they also have the allrounder Michael Bracewell), New Zealand have given a peek into their horses-for-courses approach as they build into the series. “I’ve always been a believer that addressing what’s in front of you is a pretty good place to start in terms of preparation, and as you get further down the line you start changing that focus,” Williamson explained. “Tournament sport, as we’ve seen in the T20 World Cup, you’ve to adjust and look to pivot and make those changes quickly.”There’s a lot of planning that goes into that, as a team, focusing on plans important to you in terms of continuing to grow and trend in the right direction is really important. The one-day cricket we have between now and then is valuable in terms of trying to do that.”At a personal level, Williamson seemed reasonably happy with where his fitness is, having battled a troublesome elbow injury for over two years. He reiterated his focus and drive to be involved in all three formats at the moment, even though New Zealand have just ended one T20 World Cup cycle.”The elbow is improving, it certainly took quite a long time, but I’m feeling a lot better now,” he said. “I think as a player, generally certain things in life change and when you get further down the line, you’re always looking to make decisions based on making sure you stay fresh.”I certainly love playing all formats and the challenges those bring, and at the same time with such a high volume of cricket, there’s a balance to strike. Maybe less in terms of specific formats, more in terms of how you do manage your time to the best of your ability. There’s a lot on and that’s for a lot of players around the world. Need to make sure there’s that freshness and balance.”

Previous Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel is set to become the new England manager, following Gareth Southgate who managed the Three Lions between 2016-2024.

In his time at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel managed 100 games, winning 63 times, drawing 19 times, and losing 18 times. His points per match came to 2.08, scoring 197 goals and conceding 105 over this time frame.

The German has a variety of ways he could set up with England, having had great success in a back three for the Blues, but also opting for back four formations with the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich, where he won domestic league titles for both.

English Chelsea players Tuchel managed

During his time at Chelsea between 2021-2022, Tuchel managed multiple other English talents, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher, Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, and Raheem Sterling.

Gallagher is the only name of those above who has found himself frequently in the England squad in recent times, with Chilwell and James struggling from injury issues, and the likes of Sterling and Mount struggling for form.

Mount could be an interesting case for Tuchel if he gets back to full fitness, something he has struggled to do at Manchester United. The 25-year-old made 195 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 33 goals, providing 35 assists, and totalling 13,959 minutes played.

He was a favourite with the German, largely for his off-ball work rate, and ability to play in more of a hybrid role, playing as an inside forward who could operate in both the half spaces and out wide.

Of course, another player on that list who still plays for the Blues would be captain James, who would also be extremely likely to feature for the Three Lions under Tuchel if he could get back to full fitness. His ability to play as both a right-sided centre-back in a back three, as a right-wing back, or as a nominal right-back in a back four, would give Tuchel that tactical versatility he desires.

Loftus-Cheek was another example of a player used in that swiss-army knife fashion under the new England boss, as the central midfielder was often deployed as a right-wing back under the German, even making an appearance as one of the central defenders in a back three.

The main thing to takeaway from this is that Tuchel will want versatility from his players, and part of his squad selection will probably be determined by having multiple swiss-army knives at his disposal, allowing him to make those changes in-game to stay on top of things.

One player who played under Tuchel at Chelsea who could find a role for himself in this new-look Three Lions side, is Callum Hudson-Odoi, who played as a wingback and a forward for the former Bayern Munich coach in his time at Chelsea.

Hudson-Odoi under Tuchel at Chelsea

Hudson-Odoi came through the Chelsea academy, making his senior debut in January 2018. He went on to make 126 appearances for the Blues, scoring 16 goals and providing 21 assists while totalling 6,449 minutes played.

Under Tuchel, Hudson-Odoi was deployed in a variety of roles, playing both the left and right inside forward, as a left and right-wing back, and even as a centre-forward in one game.

This tactical variety that the youngster gave his side was part of the reason he was heavily utilised by the German, totalling 1,876 minutes that season, despite only starting 21 games.

You can see by the metrics the transformation of Hudson-Odoi under Tuchel, with his output going down, his progressive numbers falling, but his key passes, shot-creating actions, and successful take-ons going up. Much of this has to do with the role change, playing as more of a wing-back.

In this role, the current Nottingham Forest ace was expected to contribute to both phases of play, tracking back defensively, but also providing width when in possession, stretching the pitch high and wide, and providing the team with an outlet.

This would allow him to find 1v1 situations to take on his man, create shots for himself and others, and play more key passes, often playing clipped passes towards the back post.

The 23-year-old has now moved on to Forest, joining them in 2023 for just £3m. Since then, Hudson-Odoi has made 42 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals, providing two assists, and totalling 2,695 minutes.

How Tuchel could set up at England

There are two ways Tuchel is expected to set up with this England side, one of those being a more common 4-2-3-1 shape, something used by Southgate already for England, and the other being what many saw at Chelsea, with his 3-4-3 shape.

The Three Lions clearly have the personnel to play either of these formations, with someone like Saka being an option for right-wing in a back four, but also a left-wing back in a back five, which could see him highly favoured by the German if we are going of off previous examples.

The new manager will also have plenty of selection headaches, one of the main ones being Cole Palmer or Phil Foden as a number ten, and whether to play Jude Bellingham deeper in midfield to accommodate for one of these other talents.

But if Tuchel’s previous jobs are anything to go by, we can expect plenty of versatility, good usage of all the tools at his disposal, and maybe even some new roles for players we haven’t seen yet. Either way, it’s going to be exciting to find out.

10 England players who can shine under Thomas Tuchel

The German will be planning for the 2026 World Cup.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 16, 2024

Sometimes, in football, it can take players a while to settle at a new club, often having to learn a new system, build relationships with their teammates, and settle into life in a new area. Everton are certainly no strangers to that; just look at Jordan Pickford.

There are many examples of players joining a new club and struggling in their first season, failing to have the expected impact on the team, and often being criticised for this.

However, many players have then gone on to prove their worth in the second season, a great example of this was Jack Grealish, who moved to Manchester City, struggled to impress in his debut season at the club – scoring just three league goals – before thriving in his second campaign and helping the club to a historic treble.

Everton may have their own success story emerging this season, with a player who was performing poorly and is now playing at an undroppable level for Sean Dyche’s men.

Dwight McNeil's poor form before Everton

Back in 2022, Dwight McNeil joined Everton from Burnley, for a fee of around £20m. Many were worried Everton had been ripped off by paying this fee after his poor 2021/22 campaign for Burnley.

McNeil made 40 appearances for the Clarets that season, not scoring a single goal, and only providing one assist in 3,277 minutes played.

McNeil had also taken 52 attempts without finding the net during that season, confirmed as the worst streak by any player in the top five leagues by WhoScored.

But since joining the Toffees, McNeil has improved his output and is quickly becoming one of Dyche’s go-to men, with a system change to bring him more central even being implemented, in order to get him closer to goal.

Dwight McNeil red-hot start

In his first eight appearances of the new campaign, McNeil has scored four goals and provided two assists, playing 713 minutes already for the Merseyside club. This is already more goals than he managed in the entirety of last season when he found the net on three occasions.

In his last four games for the Toffees, Dyche has opted to play McNeil as an attacking midfielder, behind the striker, looking to get him closer to the box, get more shots off, and in dangerous areas to help his team.

This has proven to be game-changing for a player who was usually always seen as a wide option.

The improvement you can already see here is breathtaking, with McNeil now scoring at a 0.22 goals/shot ratio, managing a higher shot volume (2.20 per 90), and making more key passes (3.39 per 90).

This comes from his new central role, allowing him to be involved in all of Everton’s attacking play, link up with the striker, and get into more dangerous areas to test the keeper with a shot, or slot an incisive pass in behind for runners.

McNeil’s red-hot start to the season, playing in a new role, will be pivotal to Dyche keeping his job after such a tough start to the campaign, losing four of his first six games this season.

Whilst many haven’t been up to par, McNeil certainly has been a shining light, making him absolutely undroppable for Everton right now.

Alongside McNeil: Everton star who won 9 duels could've just saved Dyche

Sean Dyche led his side to their first league win of the season

By
Ross Kilvington

Sep 28, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da realbet： O Vila Nova passa por um momento difícil na Série B do Brasileiro 2022. Ainda sem engrenar na competição, necessita de uma sequência de vitórias para sair da lanterna da classificação. No entanto, um jogador segue brilhando com a camisa alvirrubra. O volante Arthur Rezende, que já balançou as redes quatro vezes, participou diretamente de 62% dos gols da equipe no campeonato. Ele fala sobre a boa fase.

– Ficamos preocupados em primeiro lugar pela situação do time, mas me sinto recompensado por viver um momento tão bom. Um jogador da minha posição ter participação em tantos gols, demonstra inegavelmente a sua importância e intensidade nas partidas – afirmou.

Neste sábado, o Vila visita o Criciúma, décimo colocado, às 11h, em Santa Catarina. Para Arthur, obter um resultado favorável é essencial para a ascensão do time goiano na competição.

– Temos que vencer. Será duro, complicado, mas uma hora isto terá de acontecer. Esperamos todos que seja neste sábado para que possamos dar um salto na classificação – definiu.

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