All posts by h716a5.icu

It was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’

George Dobell at Edgbaston22-Apr-2017
ScorecardIt was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’Whether they have or not*, the fact that the question came up provides a fair reflection of the mood around Warwickshire at present. Kumar Sangakkara had just reached his 50 with a pull so dismissive you half expected him to ruffle the bowler’s hair and ask him what he wanted to be when he grew-up and Mark Stoneman had just reached his second Championship century against Warwickshire this season. Warwickshire still had a first innings lead of almost 100 but the sense persisted that, if Surrey decided to make pelts from the Warwickshire players before the end of this match, there wasn’t much to stop them.In the grand scheme of things, the Warwickshire performances this season don’t even register in a ‘top 10’ of their shockers of the last 20 years or so. And, in a way, that is more of a worry. Because it’s not that they’re playing that badly. They’re just up against sides that are substantially better than them.The second day here exemplified it. Presented with a flat pitch and a strong batting line-up, Warwickshire’s bowlers might have been a fraction tighter. But, basically, they put the ball in pretty good areas, they showed their variations and they demonstrated their heart. But they lacked the pace, the skill or the assistance to break through against a strong side and might reflect that, playing against Sangakkara with one boundary as short as this is like covering yourself in bacon and going to pet a tiger.The truth is, Warwickshire failed to make use of a good batting surface in their first innings. While they undoubtedly had the more testing conditions on the first day, it is worth remembering that they were 126 without loss at one stage. And it’s worth remembering, too, that they were 290 for 4 when Surrey took the second new ball. The final six wickets added only 42 and that included a tenth-wicket stand of 28.Why? Because Surrey’s bowlers – younger, hungrier and yes, a bit quicker – gained a little bit more from the surface and in the air. And Warwickshire’s batsmen, all too often crease-bound and flirty, were not equal to it. Surrey will bowl much better than this in much more helpful conditions.Perhaps Warwickshire were a bit unfortunate. The weather was substantially brighter on the second day and there was no need for floodlights. But by losing their final seven wickets for 69, they pretty much forfeited the opportunity to bat in such conditions. Besides, they still had four wickets in hand when they resumed on Saturday.Most of all, they were unfortunate to come up against two fine batsmen. Stoneman, who has now scored three centuries in his last five Championship innings (he finished his Durham career with one against Hampshire), looked terrific. Having made 165 against Warwickshire on his Championship debut for the club a couple of weeks ago, he dealt with Keith Barker’s swing expertly and looks hungry to ensure this move to Surrey brings the rewards he wants. That career average – in the low 30s – is no reflection of his class.Maybe, on another day, he might have been dismissed without scoring. Certainly his first scoring stroke was his least convincing with Ateeq Javid, at point, flinging himself to his right but finding the sliced drive just out of reach, while later, on 83, William Porterfield at gully should have held on to a sharp chance offered off the admirably persistent Chris Wright.Those moments apart, he looked wonderfully solid and unhurried. He played within himself and, when the bowlers strayed, either picked them off with deflections – he took 18 off one Barker over without needing to play a shot in anger – or cut or drove without fuss or trouble. He added 116 with Scott Borthwick, the pair of them running so fast that it proved impossible for Warwickshire to stem the flow, and then 140 with Sangakkara. It was some surprise when he was adjudged to be leg before and not just because it seemed a little high.As for Sangakkara… to see him skip down the pitch and thread his drive off Jeetan Patel between the fielders in the covers; to see him pull and upper cut sixes when the seamers dropped short; to see him somehow cut Patel behind square so that the ball gained speed as it split the field… however many times you’ve seen him bat, however many centuries you’ve seen and whatever you think of the standard of county cricket, it was refreshing, it was classy, it was beautiful. If you’re in the Edgbaston area on Sunday – hell, if you’re anywhere near the Midlands – it may be worth coming to witness him reaching the 58th first-class century of his career. There won’t be too many opportunities and they really don’t come along like this very often.Not that Warwickshire will be thinking in those terms. They have to believe they can turn around this match – they do still lead by 33, after all – and this season. We’re not even in the last week of April. The sense from those watching, though, is that while they may not have sunk yet, they have struck the iceberg.*Admit it, you were wondering about sides which had started the season with a hat-trick of innings losses, weren’t you? Well, thanks to statistician Andrew Samson we know that Somerset (in 1899) and Glamorgan (in 1922) both lost their first four Championship matches in a season by an innings. But no team has ever lost three by an innings before the end of April. Warwickshire supporters will be hoping they are not on the cusp of history.

Leeds United return to action with a pre-season friendly encounter with rivals Manchester United in Oslo later today, with new boss Daniel Farke likely hoping to make a positive start to his preparations for the upcoming Championship campaign.

One potential concern that the German tactician will have going into that meeting with Erik ten Hag's side is the club's lack of transfer business so far, with no new faces having arrived at Elland Road following their drop into the second tier.

While that fact was likely impacted by the uncertainty over the managerial role prior to Farke's appointment – as well as the change of ownership – the hope will be that the Whites can now truly kickstart the window by making some much-needed additions in the near future.

According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, one man who has been a "long-standing" target for the Yorkshire giants is Coventry City sensation, Gustavo Hamer, with the former Netherlands youth international having been part of the side that reached the play-off final last season.

While Leeds are likely to face competition from Premier League side, Burnley for the 26-year-old, the hope will be that Farke and co can persuade the 5 foot 7 ace to aid in their push for promotion in 2023/24..

If a deal for the Brazil-born dynamo could be secured, it could well represent an upgrade on the club's midfield options of last season…

How many goals has Gustavo Hamer scored for Coventry?

The diminutive gem enjoyed a sparkling 2022/23 campaign after contributing nine goals and registering ten assists in 41 Championship games for Mark Robins' side, taking his total tally to 41 goal involvements in 130 games for his current club.

Previously lauded as "unbelievable" by Robins following his arrival in England from PEC Zwolle back in 2020, Hamer has no doubt warranted the admiring glances from those at Elland Road, with a high profile switch seemingly richly deserved.

With the likes of Marc Roca and Tyler Adams potentially set to be on their way this summer – according to Hay – and with Adam Forshaw having seen his contract expire last month, there is evidently a need to bolster the midfield ranks prior to the start of next term.

The Whites will also be looking to replace January loan arrival, Weston McKennie following the American's return to his parent club, Juventus, with that short-term move having failed to prove fruitful for either the player or the club.

The one-time Schalke ace was seemingly "out of his depth" in English football – according to pundit Jon Newsome – while journalist Dean Jones also suggested that the 24-year-old looked "slow" and "lazy" at times, such were his midfield woes.

Bringing Hamer into the fold could then represent a much-needed upgrade on the 6 ft dud, with McKennie's attacking shortcomings seeing him register to just one goal involvement in 20 outings in the second half of last season – a huge contrast to the Coventry's man displays in the Championship.

Equally, the Juve asset also failed to create a single big chance and averaged just 0.7 key passes per game after failing to offer much in the way of a creative spark, while Hamer was far more impressive after creating 16 big chances and averaging 1.8 key passes per game from his 41 league appearances.

In a defensive sense, the latter man also appears to offer more to the side having averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, with McKennie averaging just 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, from far fewer appearances.

Those contrasting fortunes would suggest that Hamer would be a real improvement as far as Leeds are concerned next season, with the aim now to try and see off the Clarets in the battle for the £5.2k-per-week man's signature.

Sunderland must go again. The heartbreak of painfully losing the play-off semi-final will still be etched upon the conscience of the players and the hurting fans.

Meanwhile, their fierce high-flying northern rivals Newcastle have unbelievably reached the pinnacle of Champions League football leaving the Black Cats itching to create some success of their own.

Therefore, another hectic and gruelling season of Championship football beckons, as it now starts in just less than a month and the club still has much work to do in the transfer window to make sure that it's ready.

Last year, much of the goal-scoring firepower was bestowed upon on-loan Manchester United sensation Amad Diallo, who scored 14 league goals.

The Ivorian has already returned to his parent club, whilst Ross Stewart, who netted ten goals in 13 outings, had the best minutes per goal ratio (104) in the division, but his time was blighted by injury and he has been linked with a possible exit from the Stadium of Light.

Kristijaan Speakman, Sunderland’s sporting director, has spoken on Stewart’s uncertain future and said: “The situation is no different to where we have been: we are really keen to retain Ross and everything from his camp is that he’d like to stay. But we haven’t got to an agreement that both parties would like to sign off.

Whether Stewart stays or goes, there's still a gaping hole in the frontline that needs to be filled and there are still rumours circulating around a potential return for Ellis Simms.

What’s the latest on Ellis Simms to Sunderland?

According to the Northern Echo, Sunderland will “keep an eye” on Simms, but have no intention to enter a bidding war for his signature.

The striker only has one year left on his deal at Goodison Park, and the Toffees are open to letting him leave for a fee of around £10m.

The 22-year-old impressed on loan for Sunderland at the beginning of last campaign and was recalled by his parent for the second half of the season as Sean Dyche’s men battled against relegation.

The Wearside giants added teenage forward Luis Semedo last month, who Tony Mowbray revealed is the “only senior striker” in the ranks as Stewart is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season.

Therefore, Simms would be a pivotal addition to the club.

Why would Ellis Simms be a good signing for Sunderland?

The Englishman has already shown he has the capability to perform for Sunderland, having registered nine goal contributions in 14 second-tier starts.

Described as “brilliant” by Dion Dublin, Simms only scored once in the top flight and began just two encounters, as Dyche often preferred Dominic Calvert-Lewin or opted for a false nine approach.

It arguably showed that the youngster isn’t quite ready for consistent Premier League football and a move back to his former club could be the perfect antidote to resurrect his stuttering career.

If the attacker returned to the Stadium of Light, it would see him rekindle a partnership with the effervescent and deliciously talented Jack Clarke.

The former Leeds star notched a league-high 12 assists last year and created 66 chances in total, at a rate of 1.40 per 90.

Such numbers would no doubt benefit Simms, who although didn't receive any assists from Clarke last term, did find the net on seven occasions in 17 outings for the Mackems. Should the two finally combine, therefore, it could be a promotion-winning combo.

Indeed, these two are more than capable of being the spearheads to catapult this historic club back into Premier League prominence.

Australia’s batting coach Graeme Hick spoke about their disappointing day as they were bowled out for 137 to come close to losing the series on Tuesday

Melinda Farrell in Dharamsala27-Mar-2017The Australian players may have enough time to reflect on the missed opportunities that – barring a miraculous performance on Tuesday morning- will likely cost them a series victory.The game seemed finely balanced when Australia began their second innings, trailing India by 32 runs, but the batting line-up crumbled under a sustained assault of both short-pitched bowling and spin. Steven Smith’s dismissal – he misjudged the length of a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery and was bowled – was the catalyst for a collapse that gave Australia a meagre lead of 105 to defend.There was hope when Glenn Maxwell counter-attacked to score 45, but Australia lost five for 31, including his dismissal, with Matthew Wade running out of partners. By stumps, India had all 10 wickets in hand and now require a mere 87 runs to clinch the series and regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”Just stating the obvious, you could hear a pin drop in the dressing room,” Australia batting coach Graeme Hick said. “A very disappointing day. There is always a chance until the final ball is bowled. But yeah, a hard day today. The boys are pretty down but they will give it a good crack in the morning and you never know. But it is a tough ask.”You know when you come here, there is the danger of losing wickets in clumps. The hardest part is getting yourself in, getting that first half hour out of the way and then making sure you do the job. I think if I look back over this game and one or two others in the series, I will say we missed an opportunity and left some runs there in the first innings.”From a 130 for 1 on the first day to only put 300 on the board… if we had another 100 runs, 150 runs in that first innings, then we are in the game tomorrow. So while today was very disappointing, it’s not the only reason why we find ourselves in this position.”Australia stuttered right at the start in their second innings when David Warner, after being dropped for the second time in the match by Karun Nair at third slip, drove hard at Umesh Yadav in the fourth over and edged to Wriddhiman Saha. It capped off a disappointing tour for the opener – he has averaged 24.12 for the series, compared to his overall average of 47.42. He did little to change a growing perception that he struggles away from home.”Obviously David will be very disappointed with his aggregate on tour,” Hick said. “He is a very aggressive player, that’s the way he likes to play and the way we like to him play. He was desperate to have a very big tour and to have a very big influence here.”Whether he put himself under a bit too much pressure to do so, only he can answer that. He will reflect on it, as champions do, and feel and assess it himself. But without a doubt, he is one of our major players and you would have hoped for a little bit more from him but he was challenged.”It is tough up front, [Ravindra] Jadeja into the rough, [R] Ashwin bowls really well at him. [They] certainly questioned him. That’s the beauty of the game, it puts these challenges up between great players and makes it very interesting to watch. David will obviously be very disappointed with the way things have gone.”But the critical blow was the loss of Smith’s wicket. The Australian captain has accumulated 499 runs in the series – more than anyone else – and his outstanding form has arguably papered over any weaknesses in Australia’s relatively new-look top six. He had just dispatched consecutive Bhuvneshwar deliveries to the boundary before his dismissal and there was no middle-order stand to provide a Ranchi-style rearguard action.”You’ll look back, and in hindsight in this series, and say that we have been a bit reliant on him, but there again, you’ve had some great contributions and performances,” Hick said. “Saving the game in the last Test, with [Peter] Handscomb and [Shaun] Marsh was as good as any hundred that Steve Smith scored, in those conditions and that pressure. Yeah, the scorecards will show that Steve Smith has had an amazing series and it has looked that way.”He’s just playing wonderful cricket at the moment. He asked me in the dressing room and I just said I think you’re just playing too well. You’re seeing the ball like a football and hitting it to all parts of the grounds. He’s just playing beautifully.”Steve Smith is a huge wicket for us, especially in the form he’s in. Yeah, he’ll be disappointed, as would anyone else. But yeah, very unfortunate for us because he’s had a very good series. He’s got seven hundreds in the last eight Tests against India. He’s got a lot of runs against them. In some respect, you think they haven’t worked out how to bowl to him yet. So that was a bit unfortunate.”

A wrap of the fourth day’s play of the 8th round match between South Australia and Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Tom Cooper is South Australia’s leading run scorer this season•Getty ImagesTom Cooper’s second century of the Sheffield Shield season delivered a six-wicket victory to South Australia in their match against Queensland at Adelaide Oval. Set 279 to win what had been a low-scoring game, South Australia had wobbled to 4 for 92 before a match-winning partnership between Cooper and Jake Lehmann saw them home.The pair put on an unbeaten 187 for the fifth wicket, having come together on the third afternoon. Lehmann finished on 78 not out and Cooper – South Australia’s leading run scorer this Shield season – was unbeaten on 119. Adam Zampa was named Man of the Match for his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Liverpool are planning a midfield rebuild this summer with Alexis Mac Allister the first new addition confirmed ahead of next season and now a new update from a reliable source has emerged on another potential target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are "in the race" to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia this summer.

Romano revealed on Twitter:

"Understand Liverpool asked conditions of Roméo Lavia deal, they’re in the race. Arsenal, working on this deal for 15 days — no official bid from both clubs yet. #LFC

"Man Utd and Chelsea, monitoring the situation but not in active talks yet."

Will Liverpool sign Romeo Lavia this summer?

It is clear that Jurgen Klopp and his new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke are looking at young talent they can develop into the next generation of success in the centre of the pitch.

Kouadio 'Manu' Kone and Khephren Thuram are two strongly linked targets who are both just 22 years old, whilst Lavia is just 19, so it seems the German coach is keen to nurture talent for the future instead of bringing in more experienced prospects.

Liverpool boast an ageing midfield with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara both well into their 30s at this point and reaching the latter stages of their careers, whilst Fabinho has seemingly been in decline over the last 12 months and will be turning 30 in October this year.

As a result, the signing of the young Southampton machine would represent a shrewd coup for the Merseyside giants this summer and could offer Klopp not only the perfect heir to Fabinho's role but a young player who could be the club's next Javier Mascherano.

The former Liverpool star was a driving force in the defensive midfield role during his stint at Anfield renowned for his tough tackling and ball-winning capabilities alongside strengths in pass accuracy and blocks, which eventually earned him a move to Barcelona back in 2010.

Now Lavia could be the second coming of the talented Argentinian as he is already displaying many similarities in his style of play in the deep-lying role – prolific in winning tackles, a confident ball-winner and also boasts similar positional experience with the capability of also playing centre-back just like his retired positional peer.

As per FBref, the Belgian gem – who was once hailed as "superb" by Evening Standard journalist Simon Collings – ranks in the top 30% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for blocks, interceptions, tackles, successful take-ons and pass completion per 90, whilst Opta Data Analyst report that he ranked in the top 12% for possession won per 90.

Not only that, Lavia – who has a reported £45m price tag – won the second most tackles in the entire Southampton squad last season and had the best pass accuracy in the squad of players who had made more than one starting appearance, according to WhoScored.

With that being said, if Klopp could continue to nurture Lavia's skills and talents in the Liverpool squad next season there is no reason why he couldn't be a huge hit in midfield and reach his full potential to rival Mascherano's impact at the club.

A Ross Taylor century and a six-wicket haul from Trent Boult delivered the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy back to New Zealand

The Report by Brydon Coverdale04-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRoss Taylor was fluent throughout his innings of 101 balls, striking 13 fours•Getty ImagesThis was some sort of day for New Zealand. Ross Taylor equalled Nathan Astle’s record for the most ODI hundreds for New Zealand. Trent Boult completed a career-best six-wicket haul. New Zealand regained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. They jumped to No.3 on the ODI rankings and wrapped up an eighth consecutive bilateral one-day series win at home. And they did it all in front of a sell-out crowd at Seddon Park.They also did it in a fashion that would have pleased some of their cheekier fans: getting Australia’s hopes up, and then dashing them. Set 282 for victory, Australia looked sunk when Marcus Stoinis holed out to leave the tail-enders needing 84 off 65 balls, but Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins plundered 31 from a pair of Mitchell Santner overs and the required rate fell back towards a run a ball. New Zealand fans became suddenly nervous.But all Kane Williamson needed to do was call on Boult, whose pace and bounce forced a false shot from Cummins, who was caught at midwicket. In his next over, Boult bowled to a plan set up by Williamson, who had placed a floating third slip, and Adam Zampa’s steer found the man perfectly. Five balls later, Boult finished the job by bowling Josh Hazlewood. It left Boult with 6 for 33 from his ten overs, and New Zealand with a 24-run win and the trophy.The fortunes of the teams had fluctuated all day. New Zealand looked set for a huge total batting first, lost their way, and then smashed 30 off their final two overs to reach a competitive but far from daunting 281 for 9. Australia’s chase was looking good while Aaron Finch and Travis Head ticked the score along in the first 20 overs, but a run of wickets put them on the back foot. Yet not until Boult’s late wickets could New Zealand feel safe.By the barest of margins, Australia held on to the No.1 ODI ranking, although they may yet lose it in the coming week if South Africa continue to dominate in their home series against Sri Lanka. Australia sorely missed their captain and vice-captain, Steven Smith and David Warner, in this series; while there were contributions from their top-order replacements, none were sufficient to set up a win. Here, it was a pair of fifties from Finch and Head.A fine piece of fielding from Santner in the deep led to the run-out of Shaun Marsh early in Australia’s chase, and Peter Handscomb chopped on to Boult for a duck to leave Australia at 44 for 2. Finch and Head put on 75 for the third wicket before Finch holed out to deep midwicket off Williamson’s spin for 56, and spin continued to trouble Australia when Santner had Glenn Maxwell caught behind in the next over for a duck.Head was the victim of a fine boundary-line catch from Dean Brownlie off Boult on 53 and, in a fore-runner of Williamson’s floating-slip plan that later foiled Zampa, James Faulkner fell to exactly the same ploy for a duck to leave Australia wobbling at 174 for 6. Stoinis struck four fours and a six but it was a mere cameo compared to his starring role in Auckland, and when he was caught at long-on off Santner, it was all left up to Australia’s bowlers.Starc remained unbeaten on 29 as the Australians fell 24 runs short, and he was left to wonder what might have been. In the final over of New Zealand’s innings, he rattled the stumps of Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson with the first two balls, but then let slip a waist-high no-ball that allowed Santner to come on strike and club two fours and a six from the final three deliveries. It was just the late boost New Zealand needed.Taylor and Brownlie had given them a fine start but from 162 for 2 at the 30-over mark, New Zealand lost a string of wickets and much momentum, and managed only 119 runs from their final 20 overs. As things turned out, that was enough. The key man was Taylor, whose 16th ODI hundred brought him level with Astle as New Zealand’s all-time most prolific ODI century-maker.Taylor walked to the crease in the 15th over with opener Brownlie already on 36; Taylor scored his own runs so freely that he beat Brownlie to the half-century. Taylor was particularly strong on the cut shot and brought up his fifty from 44 deliveries; in the next over, Brownlie raised his half-century – his first in ODI cricket – from his 65th ball.Brownlie, playing his first international since 2014, had proven a very effective replacement for the injured Martin Guptill, but on 63 he fell when he drove at a fullish, wide ball from Faulkner and was adjudged caught-behind on review. That began a difficult period for New Zealand, who lost Neil Broom to another edge behind off Faulkner for 8, and then Colin Munro, who couldn’t find his rhythm, drove a catch to mid-off for 3.The middle-order problems continued as James Neesham chopped on off the bowling of Hazlewood for 1, and New Zealand by this stage were wobbling at 209 for 6 in the 41st over. But Santner managed to keep his wicket intact and allowed Taylor to move to a 96-ball hundred with a thick edge through third man for four off Mitchell Starc, though he was caught swiping to leg off Faulkner in the next over for 107.Although the innings had started poorly for New Zealand when Tom Latham, in the third over, flicked a leg-side delivery from Starc straight into the hands of Hazlewood at fine leg for an eight-ball duck, the next two partnerships steadied New Zealand well. Kane Williamson (37) put on 70 with Brownlie before the Taylor-Brownlie stand, which was worth 100.Against an Australian outfit minus their two best batsmen, New Zealand’s efforts were enough. The day, the series, and the trophy were theirs.

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is "definitely" open to the idea of joining Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Are Chelsea keen on signing Martinez?

This is a vital upcoming window for the Blues, with Mauricio Pochettino looking to sign the right players and ensure that last season's huge disappointment was a one-off.

One area that Chelsea simply must sign a top-class player in is attack, with Kai Havertz expected to join and Romelu Lukaku's future also likely to lie away from Stamford Bridge,

Martinez is a player who has been linked with a move to west London numerous times in recent months, following a stellar campaign that saw the £184,000-a-week attacker score 21 goals in Serie A, not to mention winning the World Cup with Argentina.

Is Martinez keen on Blues move?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones talked up the idea of Martinez moving to Chelsea this summer, saying it potentially appeals to the 25-year-old:

"So far there has been no move for Lautaro from anyone. But at Chelsea there is still a feeling that even if they sign Nicolas Jackson, there will be one more name to come up top.

"Losing [Kai] Havertz and probably [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and [Romelu] Lukaku means a spot opens up in that frontline, and it’ll be interesting to see if they really trust [Armando] Broja or if they go for that star power.

"Lautaro would be a good option in that sense, given his history of playing at the very top level with Inter Milan and Argentina. He has a decent record of getting to the 20-goal mark and he’s gettable in this window. He would definitely be open to moving to the Premier League from what my contacts say."

Martinez is exactly the right option for Chelsea to snap up this summer, possessing the pedigree and quality to help take the Blues up a significant level next season.

His aforementioned goalscoring prowess speaks for itself – he has scored 21 times in 48 caps for Argentina – and he has the combination of technical ability, work-rate and team ethic that Pochettino will surely want in attack moving forward.

The fact that Lionel Messi has described Martinez as a "spectacular" player says so much about his ability as a footballer, so Chelsea should do all they can to snap him up and beat others to his signature before the 2023/24 campaign gets underway.

Joe Root is “ready to captain England” according to Alastair Cook but the current skipper will take time to assess his future after the India series is finished

George Dobell12-Dec-20160:38

‘Root is a clued-on guy’ – Cook

Joe Root is “ready to captain England” according to Alastair Cook. While Cook maintained that his views on continuing as captain “have not changed” – he has long said that he will continue on a series by series basis and make a firm decision only after consulting the managing director of the England team, Andrew Strauss – he did hint he was asking himself “some questions” over his future.”I think Joe Root is ready to captain England,” Cook said following England’s innings-and-36-run defeat in Mumbai which handed India the series. “He is ready because he is a clued-up guy and he has the respect of everyone in the changing room.”You never know until you actually experience it and everything that comes with the England captaincy. You are thrown in at the deep end and you kind of sink or swim. Nothing can prepare you for it. He has not got much captaincy experience but that does not mean everything.”While it is true that Root, the current vice-captain, has little captaincy experience – he has been captain for just four first-class games – that could equally be used as a reason to elevate him sooner rather than later.England play two Test series in the English summer of 2017 – one against South Africa and one against West Indies – and, if there is any doubt over whether Cook will continue as captain until the Ashes at the end of the year, there is bound to be a temptation to provide Root with the maximum amount of experience possible and make the change before the South Africa series.There is already much required of him, though. He is, arguably, England’s key batsman in all three formats and, in the next few weeks, he will become a father for the first time. With the demands of England schedule, it may be that Cook and Strauss are reluctant to overload him.Either way, Cook has some time to reflect on his position. As he is no longer a member of the England limited-overs teams, he has no international commitments until July after the Chennai Test finishes next week and while he has sounded increasingly jaded with some aspects of life on the road in recent weeks, he retains great pride in the leadership role.”The comments I made at start of series have not changed,” Cook said. “It sticks true to end of this series. I will sit down with Straussy at the end of the year like we have made the pact to do to talk honestly and openly about stuff. My position has not changed and wouldn’t have done had we won this game or lost this game.”Of course you have questions. Naturally you look at stuff. Clearly it is a hard place to tour, certainly with the balance of our squad in terms of where our strengths lie, the sub-continent is going to be a harder place to tour than somewhere like South Africa.”But being captain of England is a huge honour, a huge privilege. You are at the forefront of the team and it comes onto your shoulders when you win or lose. In the heat of the battle you make those decisions. You go to bed at night and you have to live with making good or bad decisions. As a bloke to be asked to lead your country is a huge honour personally.”

Newcastle United will be looking to enrich the ranks this summer after sensationally qualifying for the Champions League this year, and have earmarked Galatasaray's Lucas Torreira as an option for transfer.

What's the latest on Lucas Torreira to Newcastle?

That's according to Turkish Football, who claim that Newcastle have joined the race for the tenacious midfielder, who has been valued at around €20m (£17m) by his club, also attracting the attention of Serie A outfits AC Milan and Lazio.

The Lions secured the Uruguayan's signature from Premier League side Arsenal for just €6m (£5m) last summer following a succession of loan spells, and he returned to emphatic form with his displays this year.

Newcastle's midfield was a force to be reckoned with this year but with the return to European competition, securing the signature of such a gritty central midfielder could ensure squad rotation does not squander cohesion or quality.

Should Newcastle sign Lucas Torreira?

The thriving Premier League outfit are on the cusp of sustaining a position among the big boys, with Eddie Howe's stewardship and technical director Dan Ashworth's diligent work on the transfer front combining to orchestrate the ascent.

Much of the work plied in bringing in fresh faces has been conducted without the concession of a lucrative transfer fee, and Torreira could continue this trend and add another dimension to a team that seemingly hit the mark on each occasion.

Torreira's energy has been illustrated in a bizarre vignette from former Arsenal teammate Sokratis, who said: “When he is off the pitch, he is so calm but when he is on the pitch, it is like ‘Transformers’, he becomes crazy!”

“He works very good, he is small but he is strong enough. I like him very much because he gives everything, he tries to defend every time and when we have players who do this work in front of us, it is very important.

The £75k-per-week gem has been in stellar showing in Turkey this year, and, as per Sofascore, has produced an average rating of 7.09, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, also winning 64% of his ground duels.

Such metrics would see him sit first in the Toon side for tackles last term and third for interceptions, highlighting the combative nature he could add at St James' Park.

Signing the 27-year-old would no doubt aid Newcastle's endeavours across multiple competitions and he would prove to be a "fantastic" component – as he has been called by Nigel Winterburn – but it could spell danger for Magpies ace Sean Longstaff.

The homegrown Toon midfielder was a success story on Tyneside last season and he has earned praise as his side's "unsung hero" by Paul Merson.

Having made 33 Premier League appearances this year, the 25-year-old has recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.74 and while he has completed 83% of his passes, his 1.3 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game are minnowed by the vibrant output of Torreira.

Longstaff will play a part next year, but Torreira's skill set would leave him in the lurch; this must not deter Howe and co as they seek success unseen in considerable time on Tyneside, and Torreira would only improve the chances of silverware.