Jurgen Klopp joked Liverpool were "lucky" with their summer transfer dealings after failed moves to sign Chelsea duo Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Liverpool failed to sign Caicedo and Lavia
Midfielders went to Chelsea instead
Klopp jokes the Reds got "lucky" in the end
WHAT HAPPENED?
Liverpool tried and failed to recruit Southampton talent Lavia and Brighton talisman Caicedo in the summer, with the midfield duo joining Chelsea for £58 million ($74m) and £115m ($144m) respectively. However, Lavia has been out injured with an ankle problem and Caicedo has underwhelmed in the centre of the park. Conversely, the Reds signed defensive midfielder Wataru Endo for just £16m and the Japanese international has proven to be a great purchase so far. Now, Klopp has had a bit of fun at Chelsea's expense with some cheeky comments.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Chelsea have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on players, dwarfing the fees their rivals have spent, and yet they are still struggling to break free from being a mid-table side. They still do not look like a cohesive unit and their problems do not appear to be resolved quickly. Liverpool, on the other hand, are top of the Premier League and their revamped midfield, which also includes Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch, is firing on all cylinders despite not spending nearly as much as the Blues.
WHAT KLOPP SAID
Speaking at the Anfield Road Stand test event, Klopp said: “The summer we had, we had a few strange things happen in the transfer market but here, between us, I can say, ‘My god, were we lucky, eh?'. We didn’t know that in that moment and it didn’t feel like it in that moment, but yeah, I’m really happy that it worked out, but you never know before."
He then joked: “We obviously realised that other central defensive midfielders don’t want to join Liverpool, you see what happens, and then we found [Wataru] Endo. He’s an exceptional player.”
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty
DID YOU KNOW?
Since Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge in 2022, Chelsea have spent more than £1b on transfer fees. However, their form in 2023 has been that of a relegated side, and recent stats put forward by show that they are the league's worst side this calendar year in terms of points-per-game.
AB de Villiers has said he was “pretty upset” at being asked by the umpires to explain the condition of one of the balls during South Africa’s narrow defeat against England at the Ageas Bowl
Alan Gardner at the Ageas Bowl27-May-20173:03
‘Upset at being held responsible for condition of the ball’ – de Villiers
AB de Villiers has said he was “pretty upset” at being asked by the umpires to explain the condition of one of the balls during South Africa’s narrow defeat against England at the Ageas Bowl.Rob Bailey and Chris Gaffaney, the standing umpires, spoke to de Villiers before the start of the 34th over in England’s innings, bowled by Keshav Maharaj. De Villiers was animated in his response on the field and the ball was not changed; afterwards, South Africa’s captain said he felt it was being implied that his players were at fault for scuffing up the ball.”The umpires felt the condition of the ball changed,” de Villiers said, “in a way, making me feel that we are responsible. I was quite upset about that. I don’t know what else I can say, I was pretty upset. It’s done and dusted now, nothing happened, there were no fines given or anything like that.”I honestly told the umpires we have nothing to do with the condition of ball, except for the fact that Maharaj bowled five overs on the trot from that end. The ball generally scuffs up when the spinner bowls a few overs. I expressed my views about that and we move on.”Asked if he felt that the implication from the umpires was that his side had been engaging in ball-tampering, de Villiers replied: “Yes. That’s the feeling that I got and I expressed that I was quite upset about it. But like I said, no further steps were taken from both parties.”If I can give my five cents, I felt it was a bad ball and that happens sometimes. The leather comes off and you do get that. Unfortunately the umpires didn’t agree. [But] nothing happened, generally there’s a warning or a fine, none of that happened, which tells me they realised we were innocent in this case.”South Africa were sanctioned last year for altering the condition of the ball in a Test against Australia in Hobart, after their captain, Faf du Plessis, was filmed by television cameras with a mint in his mouth when applying saliva to shine the ball. In 2013, during a series against Pakistan, du Plessis also pleaded guilty to a charge of ball-tampering after rubbing the ball near the zipper on his trousers.Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, said his team were unaware of any suggestion that the ball had been scuffed up. “Normally, if there’s any dispute about the ball, they change it straight away,” he said.The umpiring team of Bailey, Gaffaney, the third umpire, Rod Tucker, and match referee, Andy Pycroft, were engaged in their customary debriefing after the game, with no suggestion that the matter would be taken further.Having seen his team lose out off the final ball by two runs, de Villiers praised England’s bowlers for closing out victory and the series. With ten balls to go, South Africa needed ten runs to win but Jake Ball and Mark Wood conceded just six singles and a leg bye to deny David Miller and Chris Morris.”I thought the boys played a great hand at the end there, to get us so close,” de Villiers said. “I got a bit excited, thought we had it in the bag. Got to give credit to the last two bowlers of England, who finished there, they showed some great skill and good plans.”Unfortunately it didn’t go our way, we didn’t get the lucky bounce – if you want to call it that, a little edge over the keeper. We were just waiting for one little break and it would be game over. The boys gave it their best shot. Chris and David played a great knock, built a great partnership but unfortunately we couldn’t cross the line.”
Making his IPL debut on Friday, Gujarat Lions fast bowler Andrew Tye gave ample evidence of why the knuckle ball is the most potent delivery in his repertoire. He came on to bowl the final over of the Powerplay, after Rising Pune Supergiant had raced to 60 for 1 in five overs, and stalled the opposition by conceding four runs and taking the wicket of a well-set Rahul Tripathi. He returned in the 13th over to pick up Ben Stokes’ wicket and, charged with bowling the 18th and 20th overs, Tye gave away only 10 runs and took a hat-trick in the final over.Over 60% of Tye’s deliveries were knuckle balls bowled at slower than 120 kph, and he got four of his five wickets off that delivery. The only bowler to take a hat-trick and five-for on IPL debut, Tye’s 5 for 17 was crucial in giving Lions the first win of the season. The hat-trick was his second of 2017, the first coming for the Perth Scorchers in a Big Bash League match against the Brisbane Heat.”It has probably taken me five-six years to get to the stage where it [the knuckle ball] is today,” Tye told “I have practised it hard and have practised with the right intent. Now, it is my most powerful weapon in T20 cricket.”Unlike the hat-trick I took in the Big Bash, I actually knew it was a hat-trick ball. It came out perfectly as sometimes you try too hard and it just doesn’t go right. You always go back to your run-up and think ‘What ball am I going to bowl?’ I had decided I’d bowl a slower ball before I ran in. I was able to get it on the stump and the batsman missed it.”Although his debut came only on Friday, Tye isn’t exactly new to the IPL scene, having spent two seasons on the sidelines of franchises. Bought by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2015 auction, and by Gujarat Lions a year later, Tye spent a considerable amount of time bowling to international batsmen in the nets and this, he believes, has allowed his game to develop quite well.”Even if you are not playing, India is a great place to develop your game and learn from the best players in the world. Playing with the international players and the Indian players, my cricket has really come on. It only leads to the development of your game.”This morning our Coach Hodgy (Brad Hodge) told me ‘Get set to play. You’re definitely playing’. To get a wicket in the first over settled me down. I came here with nothing to lose. When you’ve waited that long for a chance, you got to take it. I was happy the way I came out and performed tonight.”
An update has emerged on Chelsea and their ongoing plans to reshape their playing squad after they finished in the bottom half of the Premier League in the season just gone.
What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?
Mauricio Pochettino is in the market to bolster his options in the middle of the park and Sandro Tonali has emerged as a potential option instead of Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.
The Athletic's David Ornstein has reported that the Blues have had an offer of £60m turned down for the Ecuador international and that they are now considering a number of alternatives, including the AC Milan commander.
This is alongside their pursuit of a deal for Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, who is seemingly closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge from the Spanish side after agreeing terms with the Blues. The reporter tweeted:
"Chelsea have agreed terms with Nicolas Jackson + intend to strike deal with Villarreal. €35m clause if needed. 21yo striker has committed. + #BHAFC rejected £60m #CFC Caicedo bid 2wks ago – Lavia, Kone, Tonali, Barella among alternatives."
Ornstein's article, which is attached to his Tweet, does not reveal how much it would take to snatch Tonali away from the Champions League semi-finalists but the Italian international is on the club's list of targets this summer.
Who is Sandro Tonali?
The 23-year-old Milan ace is a defensive midfielder who has the quality to make an impact at both ends of the pitch with his defensive awareness and creativity.
Whilst it remains to be seen how much the Italian giants would demand for his services, Football Transfers estimates his market value to be in the region of €68m (£58m), which is significantly more than the €39.7m (£34m) he was valued at in June 2022.
AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.
This shows that the young maestro, who scout Jacek Kulig hailed as "Il Comandante", has been building his value over the last 12 months and that Chelsea would be bringing in a player who is on the up, rather than a depreciating asset with no sell-on potential.
Tonali enjoyed a terrific 2022/23 campaign in the Serie A with Milan. The Italian commander, who was once lauded as “extraordinary” by former Brescia manager Eugenio Corini, averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21 across 34 appearances in the division and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 key passes per match.
Only Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante (both with a score of 7.26) averaged a higher rating in the Premier League and only Kante (1.9) created more chances per game than the £76k-per-week dynamo.
Lionel Messi is facing up to the longest break of his remarkable career, with Inter Miami still sweating on their involvement in the MLS play-offs.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Argentine superstar nursing a knock
Hoping to book post-season spot
Only international games in the autumn
WHAT HAPPENED?
As things stand, the Florida-based franchise have a five-point gap to bridge through five fixtures in order to make the post-season. They have savoured Leagues Cup glory this season, but suffered defeat in the U.S. Open Cup final and have seen talismanic captain Messi sit out four of their last five games – with only 37 minutes played by the iconic Argentine during that run.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami hope that Messi can return to full fitness and keep them in the hunt for a historic MLS Cup triumph. If they fall short in that quest, then their 2023 campaign will come to a close on October 21. Messi may then be out of action until late February 2024 – when the next MLS season gets underway.
DID YOU KNOW?
He could figure for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil in November, but will still have a 95-day wait from the last of those fixtures through to February 24 – a potential start date for MLS in 2024, according to . If he does not play in both games for the 2022 World Cup winners in the autumn, then a new record rest period for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be set.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Only once has Messi gone more than 95 days without a game – taking in 99 match-less days with Barcelona at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. When it comes to enforced breaks through injury, he once sat out 87 days with a foot fracture while still in his teens. Inter Miami will be desperate to avoid making unwanted history for their superstar summer signing by forcing their way into the play-off places before the end of the regular season.
Uncapped pace bowler Duanne Olivier has been included in South Africa’ squad for the final Test against Sri Lanka following the axing of Kyle Abbott
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-2017
Duanne Olivier is the leading wicket-taker this first-class season with 28 scalps at 21.60 in the Sunfoil Series•Getty Images
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (capt), Duanne Oliver, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada
Uncapped pace bowler Duanne Olivier has been included in South Africa’ squad for the final Test against Sri Lanka following the axing of Kyle Abbott, who quit international cricket in favour of a Kolpak deal with Hampshire.Oliver, 24, is the leading first-class wicket-taker for the season with 28 wickets at 21.60 in the Sunfoil Series. Wayne Parnell has retained his place in the squad, and there is a chance South Africa could consider an all-pace attack at the Wanderers, a venue which is likely to further challenge Sri Lanka’s vulnerabilities against pace and movement, after they conceded the series with a 282-run defeat in Cape Town.Uncapped Theunis de Bruyn also keeps his place as the reserve batsman, although there are unlikely to be any changes in that department unless injuries occur. The match will mark Hashim Amla’s 100th Test.Meanwhile, AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel will play for Northerns next week with a view to them being available for selection for the final T20 against Sri Lanka ahead of the one-day series.De Villiers, who quit the Test captaincy prior to the Sri Lanka series, has not played since the CPL in July due to an elbow injury. Morkel has been recovering from a back injury which has limited him to one first-class outing this season.
Phil Simmons, the West Indies head coach, has expressed concern over the “up-and-down” nature of the team’s performances over the course of the Test series against India, and believes the inconsistency may have something to do with the quality gap between Test cricket and the region’s domestic cricket.”I think the series was a little bit too up-and-down,” Simmons said. “We played well across maybe two hours, three hours sometimes, and the next two hours we would be down. And I think that was, for me, the major disappointment. We’ve shown that we can do things but not consistently enough. We batted well in Jamaica, but we went and did the same things we did in the first Test [again] in the third Test. It’s disappointing that we weren’t consistent enough.”Simmons said some of the West Indies batsmen might need to tighten up their techniques to be more consistent at Test level, but said the process should be happening in domestic cricket.”I think in some cases you have to adjust techniques, which is a sad thing because it’s something that we should be doing at a level below,” Simmons said. “I think the same thing with mentality because when we come up here it’s a lot harder to get runs and get wickets. I think at our domestic level it’s a lot easier, that patience and that time at the crease and things, if we bat two sessions in a domestic game a lot of the guys playing here would have a hundred or more. But if you bat two sessions here, it might be 60 or 70, so the patience at the domestic level is not tested as much as up here.”Calling for a unified approach to lifting the standard of cricket, Simmons wanted the coaching staff of the Test team to meet the coaches of the domestic teams regularly.”There’s a lot of things that I have asked for, and it’s not coming to fruition,” he said. “I’ve asked for coaches to meet twice, maybe three times a year, and discuss cricket and so on. We need to make sure that whatever we’re doing upstairs is going down to everybody.”You and me might be two coaches and might coach differently but the same objective we have to have. If we don’t have the same objective, then we spin it up in muddles. I think that’s lacking. It’s quite a few things to be fixed, but at the end of the day the quality of cricket that is downstairs is not good enough for the maturity of the players to be quicker.”Other measures, he said, would include improving the facilities all around the region.”Things like our pitches and our practice facilities need to be better, a lot better, in order to produce players, not just fast bowlers as we’re lacking now, but batsmen, because the better the pitches the better batsmen show themselves. Little things like that we need to put in place. The gap between [Test cricket] and our cricket needs to be filled, whether it can be done with an academy, which we don’t have right now, A-team cricket, which we have one [series] a year, we should have two to three a year. Something has to be done to fill that gap, you know? We’re missing a few things.”Only 22 overs of play were possible over the five days of the fourth Test at Queen’s Park Oval, and there was no play on the last four days despite the ground receiving plenty of sunshine in that time. Simmons said he could not put his finger on why the outfield failed to dry sufficiently to allow play.”Extremely surprised, because, as far as I know, in my years here, this has never been a ground like that,” he said. “I don’t know what is the position is over on the other side [the ground officials], but it was really bad and after two days of sun, and when I saw it yesterday morning, I couldn’t believe how bad it was. I don’t know what the position is there and what caused that, but I’m surprised and I never expected that here.”West Indies’ next Test assignment is a tour of the UAE to play Pakistan, who were recently crowned the No. 1 Test team in the world. Simmons said it was important for the Test players to get some rest after the series against India, but hoped they would have adequate preparation ahead of the Tests in the UAE.”I don’t know about [whether we need an] extended camp because you just played four Test matches, well three-and-a-quarter Test matches, back-to-back, and we underestimate the power of rest after Test matches, but we also have two T20s [against India in Florida]. We also have a one-day squad and T20 squad for the first part of the Pakistan series.”So from the point of view of being together, we’re trying to get the Test team to the UAE early enough, so that we can have enough practice time before the first two-day game. And this is something that I keep trying to get when we go on tour because I think it’s harder on tour. If we get two, sometimes three practice games before the first Test match, then that would be ideal.”Some places we can’t get it, but we have to keep trying to get that because we see that we improve [with warm-up games]. On the other side, it’s a case of us trying not to slack off now as players and coaches, and make sure that players continue to do what we’ve been doing over the last two weeks, with their technique and temperament and everything like that.”One positive for West Indies from the Tests against India was the promise shown by some of the younger batsmen, notably Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich. When asked where that left the Test career of Marlon Samuels, who has averaged 25.80 since the start of 2013, Simmons hoped the performances of the younger players would push established players to perform.”[Samuels’] Test career still stands there,” Simmons said. “[Younger players] are pushing him which is nice because when you have people pushing you from outside, you either get pushed out or you lift your game. So, I think it’s a case where you have youngsters pushing him now, and that’s good for the team.”Same thing with Shannon [Gabriel] and a few young fast bowlers coming out, Jason [Holder], everybody. You need that second team that’s up to the standard to push people so that they continue to produce. The great West Indies team had that, the great Australia team had that, so that’s what we need here.”Darren Bravo, West Indies’ best batsman, had a poor series, with only one half-century in seven innings, and ended the series with his Test average dipping below 40. Simmons backed Bravo to come out of his lean patch, and said his career record reflected the state of the team when he came into it, without too many world-class seniors to share their experience with him.”We talk about Darren Bravo, and we talk about him a lot because we see his potential and where he’s supposed to be right now. But you look back at things and you look at all the people around his age and what they’ve come through, the help that they’ve had in the team when they came in…”We talk about Virat [Kohli]. When Virat came in, look at the players around him. That’s where you get that little bit of experience, little bit of help from. Bravo’s had to turn up and be the senior player and I think sometimes that affects people. But no doubt about it, he’s working extremely hard on trying to get his game together and trying to score runs, just as he did when he came into the team.”
Tottenham Hotspur's former boss Mauricio Pochettino is looking set to become Chelsea's new manager and it seems Daniel Levy showed no interest in a potential reunion.
Why won't Levy rehire Pochettino?
Things went from bad to worse for the north London club on the weekend with their faint Champions League hopes coming off the rails on Tyneside.
Cristian Stellini has since departed the club following the result against Newcastle United after the Lilywhites were left embarrassed by Eddie Howe's men.
But no permanent replacement for Antonio Conte is yet to be found with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann still being linked with the vacancy in north London.
One manager who was loosely linked with replacing Conte was Pochettino with the Argentine said to be open to a potential return to his old stomping ground.
However, any possibility of a reunion in N17 is now seemingly off the cards with the Argentine closing in on becoming the next Chelsea manager.
But it seems as if Tottenham's 61-year-old chairman was not interested in the potential reunion with his former manager with Levy not contacting Pochettino about the job.
Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has suggested the Argentine was never in Levy's thinking to take on the job in north London after sacking Conte:
(32:00) "And look, I think Daniel Levy deserves 90% of the blame for this, you know, to have never even contacted Pochettino about potentially returning it shows a stubbornness. Especially because he was available.
"Just to not wanting to admit mistakes, it's not a good look in any way, shape or form. And from what I understand, Pochettino would have been open to discussing it. He would have had that conversation, whether he would have accepted it is another thing. You know, it's like I've said a million times before, it's a very different club to the one he left in 2019.
"Yeah, I understand he would have been open to have that conversation. But the conversation was never even initiated."
Has Levy missed an open goal by not hiring Pochettino?
From listening to the Spurs fans over the last few games, it is apparent a lot of them would like to have seen a return for Pochettino following Conte's departure.
However, it seems their chairman did not get the message with the 61-year-old missing a huge opportunity to appease a big section of the Spurs faithful.
Tensions between the fans and the board are seemingly at an all-time high as Spurs look set to miss out on the Champions League amid their managerial merry-go-round.
Tottenham Hotspur chairmanDanielLevy
Fans have been heard vocalising their frustrations with chants heard for Levy to move on away from the club amid their struggles this season.
Despite this, it seems tensions could be set to increase with Pochettino looking likely to take charge of one of their biggest rivals across London.
Chelsea find themselves in a similar position to Tottenham in the sense that they need a fresh start with a new manager who can galvanise their current crop of players.
Pochettino has shown in the past that he can do this in north London and if he is able to transform Chelsea's fortunes, then it will not reflect kindly on the Spurs board who have overlooked the Argentine.
Aaron Phangiso’s opportunity for a regular run in the South African ODI side may finally come during their triangular series in the Caribbean
Firdose Moonda25-May-2016
Aaron Phangiso bowls at a net session•AFP
Aaron Phangiso’s opportunity for a regular run in the South Africa ODI side may finally come during their triangular series in the Caribbean but he will face competition from uncapped Tabraiz Shamsi, who is on an audition of sorts for a long-term place. The pair make up two of the trio of spinners in the squad with veteran legspinner Imran Tahir certain to be one of the leaders of the attack.”The fact that Russell [Domingo] and the selectors chose to go with three spinners means there’s a chance of two spinners always playing,” Phangiso said at the team’s departure in Johannesburg. “Hopefully if conditions allow in West Indies, I can maybe get a bit of a run.”South Africa are expecting slow, turning pitches, and have picked their squad accordingly, but they are also using the series to explore options for the future.”The wickets are not quick, they don’t offer much lateral movement and the spinners, particularly in Guyana, play a big role,” Domingo said. “We want to have a look at Shamsi. This is an opportunity to play him, particularly with Imran getting to the twilight stages of his career, it will be good to have another wrist-spinner.”Shamsi sprung to prominence at last year’s Caribbean Premier League, where he was the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker. He went on to have a successful home season, finishing as the leading spinner in the first-class competition and the Titans’ fourth-most successful bowler in T20s, and earned an IPL contract at Royal Challengers Bangalore. In a dream conclusion, he was added to South Africa’s ODI squad. With his range of variations he is considered the natural successor to Tahir, even though Phangiso has been waiting in the wings.In short, that is the story of Phangiso’s career: a test of patience. He spent several seasons as a workhorse at the North West provincial team and then the Lions before catching the eye at the Champions League T20 in 2012. Four years later, he has still not been able to nail down a permanent place in the national side but appears sporadically in limited-overs’ matches, when Tahir does not play. He also had a difficult 2015-16 summer, headlined by alcohol abuse, imitating drug use on live television, and having his bowling action declared illegal. He has since been disciplined by CSA, remodelled his action and made a successful return, and is hoping for a fresh start.”It was a bit tough. It was four months of newspapers – Phangi this, Phangi that – but I’ve got a strong family, very Christian people. That helped a lot,” Phangiso said. “There’s a lot of lessons you learn from those type of things, and a lot of the time the public get a story that’s not 100% accurate. But the fact that the story is out there and people think some other stuff about you, obviously you are going to learn something.”After Phangiso’s life lessons, he also got something of an education in how to secure a spot in the national team: be more aggressive. Phangiso was part of a group of South African cricketers who travelled to a spin camp in India earlier this month and the biggest takeaway for him was the difference in approach to slower bowling.”What I got out of it was to shift my mentality from defensive to more attacking,” Phangiso said. “I’ve been a defensive spinner all my career. I’ve always kept it tight, tight, tight – and then get the wickets with pressure. But now maybe I’ll look to attack a bit, put fielders in attacking positions.”West Indies should be an ideal place to do that, if he is given the opportunity. South Africa have given themselves plenty of choice with ten bowling options in the touring party. Five of them – Kyle Abbott, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell – are quicks with Tahir, Phangiso, Shamsi, JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien the slower bowlers.With all that competition, all Phangiso can hope is that he gets enough of an opportunity to show what he us capable of. “For me to get a chance on other tours was hard because Imran performed very well. We almost went with the mentality of one spinner and backing the seamers. But this tour will maybe be different,” he said. “I’m hoping to put in some good performances and to get some consistency.”
Eldine Baptiste and West Indies U-19 coach Graeme West are set to join Mike Young as the lead talent evaluators at US scouting combines, which are scheduled to begin this weekend in Los Angeles
Peter Della Penna07-Apr-2016West Indies national selector Eldine Baptiste and West Indies U-19 coach Graeme West are set to join Mike Young as the lead talent evaluators at US scouting combines, which is being held in eight cities around the USA over the next two months, beginning this weekend in Los Angeles. Baptiste and West’s appointment was announced on Wednesday by the ICC Americas office, which is coordinating each scouting combine.”I am thoroughly looking forward to working with Mike Young as well as the ICC Americas and local cricket community on this project” Baptiste said. “It is a great opportunity for the players across the USA and extremely exciting for the development of the game.”Baptiste has prior experience working in an Associate cricket setup. Baptiste coached Kenya from September 2009 to April 2011, but stepped down shortly after Kenya’s win-less performance at the 2011 World Cup in India.The candidates at each city-based combine will also be put through a series of skills, fitness and agility tests conducted by BAM (Basic Athletic Measurement) Testing. BAM conducts skills and agility tests at the annual NBA Draft Rookie Combine. Headquartered in Seattle, BAM was founded in 2008 by former Dallas Mavericks head strength and conditioning coach Brett Brungardt.”I’m intrigued to see how these cricketers stack up against some of the best athletes I’ve seen in basketball and other major US sports,” Brungardt said ahead of the first regional combine in Los Angeles.Young and ICC Americas high performance consultant Tom Evans are the two main holdovers from the trial held last September in Indianapolis, which also featured players from Argentina, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Canada and Suriname. Venkatapathy Raju and Courtney Walsh were utilized as the lead talent evaluators at that combine along with Young.This weekend’s trial in Los Angeles is the first of eight city-based trials conducted by the ICC to establish a national-team talent pool at men’s, women’s and U-17 levels. At the end of the eight trials, concluding in New York, the ICC is expected to name a group of 20-30 players in each category for a second round of auditions to be held later in the summer.More than 100 applications were received for the men’s trial in Los Angeles, with 55 players making the final list of invitees. They include eight current or former USA senior team players and six former USA U-19 players. The first trial for women’s and U-17 players will take place in San Francisco from April 14.