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In three months’ time begins the road to the ODI World Cup in India and Gill might already be on it

Sidharth Monga23-Aug-20223:01

Takeaways: Gill and Axar’s steady progress in ODIs

The last three runs felt like they would take forever to get. A heart-stopping lbw appeal where a faint inside edge saved him but his partner Ishan Kishan ran himself out. Then an inside edge that missed the stumps and brought him a single. Then Deepak Hooda got out to a beauty from Brad Evans. The hundred finally came up serenely with a single through the covers, in the third ODI.Sweet relief for Shubman Gill, but not as though he was getting desperate for it. In fact, he sent back his good bat when he reached 50 in order to ration it. The remaining 80 runs came with a bat that was a little less special although in the 90s Gill did get conscious that he had been there twice before in international cricket without actually getting to a hundred.Related

• Serene Gill strengthens his case as India's back-up opener in ODIs

• Gill's 130 trumps Raza's heroic 115 as rattled India make it 3-0

Hard as it is to believe but at the age of 22, a maiden international hundred for Gill has been a long time coming. It is a testament to Gill’s skill and potential that it has seemed to observers that it has been too long to get to three figures even though it has been just 11 Tests (where he is yet to get the role he is best suited for: middle order) and nine ODIs. He is after all a batter who left Virat Kohli in awe: “I was not even 10% as good as he is at this age.”Almost every time he has played an ODI, though, Gill has looked like he can get one. This one has brought him his second-consecutive Player-of-the-Series award. The quality of bowling he has faced is what it is but there are early unmistakable trends in how Gill has batted.Just like with Kohli, 50 overs is the format that comes the most naturally to Gill. So it is fitting that his first international century has come in an ODI. He is a traditionalist in that he seeks to eliminate risk from his batting. As he told the host broadcaster, “I was just trying to minimise the dot-ball percentage. If you look at my innings, I didn’t try to hit the ball. I just tried to time and tried to pick the gaps as much as possible.”This risk aversion sometimes keeps him from realising his potential in T20 cricket, but Gill is not your typical top-order batter who will score hundreds at an even pace in ODIs. Even in T20s, his least strong format, Gill doesn’t let spinners bowl. In ODIs, his strike rate in the middle overs is 112.22 as opposed to just 85.95 in the powerplay.Shubman Gill thoroughly enjoyed himself out in the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesIf Gill keeps this up against better attacks – there’s every indication he will albeit at a lesser frequency – he will just be the natural evolution of the India ODI run machine: similar efficiency with added dynamism. As Axar Patel said at the post-match press conference, Gill sweeps, reverse-sweeps and doesn’t mind the odd big hit in the middle overs.”The way he plays, ones and twos keep coming,” Axar said of Gill. “He doesn’t play many dot balls. That is his biggest positive. He keeps taking ones and twos and then converts the bad balls into boundaries. He plays spin very well. When there are five fielders in the circle in the middle overs, he uses sweep and reverse-sweep well to keep getting boundaries.”Zimbabwe’s attack might not be the toughest India will face but the conditions were not the easiest. Early-morning starts in this series have given the chasing teams a huge advantage. India won all three tosses and decided to challenge themselves by batting first in the dead rubber.Just take a look at what happened at the other end. Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan all struggled to time the ball because of the moisture-induced tackiness in the pitch. While Gill scored 130 off 97 balls, the other batters managed just 149 in 204 balls.In three months’ time begins the road to the ODI World Cup in India. Gill might already be on it.

If you were a schoolboy in Gloucestershire in the 1970s, there was no question who you wanted to be

John Inverdale16-Jul-2008

Procter comes “crashing down on the wrong foot” © The Cricketer International
There are probably a lot of men in their forties and fifties walking around the country these days with bad postural problems and inflamed tendons, all because of Mike Procter.If you were a schoolboy interested in cricket in Gloucestershire during the 1970s, and you were interested in cricket, you wanted to be Mike Procter. No disrespect to Zaheer Abbas or Sadiq Mohammad or any of the other local boys but Gloucestershire was called Proctershire with good reason. He was as talismanic a figure as you could get with bat and ball, and the best thing about him was he bowled in such a ridiculous way – front on, off the wrong foot, and fast, really fast.Which is probably why so many of us are permanently damaged; it was a lot more interesting going into the nets at school and trying to bowl like Proccy, even if it meant you fell over half the time and every other ball was a full toss. And how much fun was it trying to work out the run-up with one extra or one fewer pace, so that you came crashing down on the wrong foot?There must be orthopaedic surgeons the length and breadth of the land who have made money out of Procter impersonators. But one day above all stands out – never to be forgotten for two reasons. I was thoroughly mature by this time, and more interested in girls, music and drink at university in Southampton than perfecting my Procter run-up when Gloucestershire played Hampshire in the semi-finals of the 1977 Benson and Hedges Cup. The Sex Pistols were singing “God Save the Queen” but there were not too many punks with safety pins through their noses and chessboard hair of orange and green inside the county ground for the game.Barry Richards and Procter – the two great South Africans isolated by apartheid – were in direct opposition. Gordon Greenidge was there too. Is it a sign of age that just by mentioning their names you are transported back to another time and the hairs really do bristle on the back of your neck?If you are of that vintage, you will know what happened. Procter took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick. It was probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen on a cricket field – or at least partly saw, because the summer of ’77 was a proper summer and, while not as warm as the previous two, provided a pollen fiesta. Until that semi-final I had no idea I suffered from hay fever, but as the day progressed and the pollen did whatever pollen does, I started sneezing relentlessly and irritatingly for those surrounding me in the stand. There are only so many times you can apologise and mid-way through Procter’s demolition of the Hampshire line-up I was forced to bail out of my seat and position myself behind the stand, allowing the crowd to tell me what was going on. There must be orthopaedic surgeons the length and breadth of the land who have made money out of Procter impersonators Since that afternoon I have never been to a cricket match without the necessary medication but on that particular day the pollen did to me what Proccy did to Hampshire.Given the job that I have been lucky enough to do now for nearly 25 years, it is perhaps one of those strange quirks of fate that I have never met him, and in a funny way I do not want to. Mike Procter will always be to me the tousle-haired blond bombshell flying in to deliver unplayable deliveries – not an ICC official as he now is.I read a great deal about the criticism he received for imposing the three-match ban on Harbhajan Singh during the series against Australia and got progressively more cross. I mused about redressing the balance in my column in the . And then I wondered why I was getting so aggravated and I realised it was because one of my teenage heroes was being lampooned so unfairly.Perhaps those kind of irrational loyalties are best left in their own time and space. This was indeed the summer of John Lydon and the Silver Jubilee, and if the iPod had been invented, mine would have played Fleetwood Mac’s every hour of every day. But it was also the summer that Mike Procter did for me what Botham did for others in ’81 and Andrew Flintoff for the new power generation in 2005. For that he remains one of the figures that defines a period of my life. And so long as we never meet, he will be forever young.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly planning to convince one "remarkable" player to join him in the north London.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Arteta's side, in their bid to challenge for the Premier League title once again, put pen to paper on deals for club-record signing Declan Rice, versatile Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya for a total of around £200 million or more.

Going the other way, Arsenal shipped out Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga on either loan or permanent deals.

These acquisitions have proved fruitful so far, even if Havertz has been subject to fierce criticism and Timber is out for most of the campaign with an ACL injury. Raya has gone on to usurp long-reigning number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between Arteta's sticks, while Rice is slowly but surely justifying his mammoth £105 million price tag.

The Gunners are unbeaten over their first six league games, winning four of them, and next take on Bournemouth today as they seek to keep chase with the division's heavy-hitters.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Regardless of their lavish spending over the summer, it has been reported that Arsenal have one eye on January, and one player they've been heavily, heavily linked with is Brentford star Ivan Toney. The England striker, who is currently serving a ban till mid-January for alleged gambling breaches, is subject to intense interest across the Premier League.

Chelsea and Tottenham have been named as other suitors for Toney after his brilliant 20-goal league haul last season, form which resulted in high praise from his manager Thomas Frank.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said earlier this year.

“The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

The 27-year-old is said to be a personal favourite of Arteta's, according to reporter John Cross of The Daily Mirror, who has an update on Toney's potential move to the Emirates Stadium. According to his information, Arsenal's manager is personally planning to "convince" Toney to join Arsenal by making him a priority target.

Arteta will apparently be hopeful this can sway him to their part of north London over fellow interested sides (Chelsea and Spurs named again), but Arsenal may have to sell players first. Brentford will demand a minimum of £60 million for Toney, a figure which the Gunners could be wary of given Financial Fair Play. Any proposed makeweights will be a struggle to find, according to Cross, as options like Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe are both committed to making it at Arsenal.

Nevertheless, Arteta has a plan to tempt Toney, and it's by showing making the striker Arsenal's "outstanding choice" in the winter.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who had recovered from a thumb injury he picked up earlier, has been advised to not even lift a bat for two months

Sidharth Monga19-Jul-2018

Wriddhiman Saha during a break in play•AFP

Wriddhiman Saha, India’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper, will be out of action for at least two months with a shoulder injury. His injured shoulder will soon be assessed to see if it requires a surgery. As of now he has been advised to not even lift a bat for two months. The India selectors and the BCCI, however, had never made it public that Saha had recovered from the thumb injury he picked up earlier this year, and that it was this serious shoulder injury that was keeping him sidelined.This injury – which could even put him in doubt for the Australia tour – caps what has been an extremely disappointing year for Saha, who will be 34 by the time India travel to Australia later this year. After he scored 0 and 8 in the first Test of the year, against South Africa in Cape Town, he suffered a hamstring injury and was sent home. During the IPL he had injured his thumb, which was believed to be the reason for his missing the Afghanistan Test.A BCCI press release in June had said: “Saha suffered an injury to his right thumb while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the VIVO IPL Qualifier 2 against Kolkata Knight Riders on 25th May, 2018 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He was under observation by the medical staff of the BCCI and the management has decided to give him adequate rest before the start of the England Test series. Saha’s recovery period is expected to be around five to six weeks.”What has followed raises more questions over the BCCI’s handling of injuries, its communication regarding injuries, and, more importantly, over the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where Saha was undergoing the rehabilitation. It is learnt that the NCA medical team communicated to the BCCI that Saha will need five to six weeks of rehabalitation; it now looks like it might take five to six months.The BCCI didn’t help matters by withholding the information that a shoulder injury – much more serious than the thumb one – existed when Saha was not picked for the Afghanistan Test. India’s injury management has been under the scanner with Bhuvneshwar Kumar already ruled out of the first three Tests in England. Bhuvneshwar, whose workload was managed during the IPL because of a back condition, was cleared to play all three formats on the long tour of England. The injury resurfaced during the ODIs; he missed the first two matches but aggravated the injury when playing in the final ODI, a day before the Test selection.Curiously the chairman of the selection committee still believes Saha is out with a thumb injury. “Saha’s recovery from a fractured right thumb hasn’t been satisfactory. He hasn’t responded well enough to the rehab at the National Cricket Academy, in Bengaluru. At this moment, therefore, Saha is uncertain for all five Tests, not just the first three,” chief selector MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by the .

Bangladesh’s interim head coach hopes for a big performance from Mustafizur Rahman and his spinners; says Shakib’s inclusion subject to a fitness test

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo15-Mar-2018Bangladesh’s batsmen, led by Mushfiqur Rahim, have had their moments, but the bowlers have underwhelmed. So said stand-in coach Courtney Walsh on the eve of his side’s must-win encounter against Sri Lanka. In their previous match, Bangladesh had conceded 79 runs in a definitive six-over period against India. Even in the game they won, they conceded 214.There has been one bright spark in their attack, however, and this time it is not the young left-armer with the magic wrists. It is Rubel Hossain who has been Bangladesh’s best, maintaining an economy of 8.22 in three matches. Along the way, he has picked up four wickets. One of those was the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, who was bowled by perhaps the ball of the tournament so far: a late-swinging, yorker that zipped past Dhawan’s outside edge and flattened middle stump.”Rubel has been very consistent,” Walsh said. “If the other guys stepped up, it would give us a little more cushion. I would be lying if I said I thought we bowled well. We have bowled okay, but not as well as we can. The improvement is coming, but not as quickly as we would like. If we can put it all together, it will be a big plus for us in Friday’s game.””Spinners also have not been as spot-on as we like them to be. They have had good patches. But if everyone did their bit, it will give us a very good chance.”Among those who have under-performed at the Nidahas Trophy has been Mustafizur Rahman, whose 12 overs have gone at 9.75 runs apiece, though he has also taken four wickets in the competition. His cutters have been only sporadically effective on Khettarama decks that have atypically failed to reward revolutions on the ball.Friday’s virtual semi-final will be played on a fresh pitch, which means that seam and swing may be more reliable fast-bowling weapons than cutters. “Someone like Mustafizur Rahman having a good game will help us tremendously,” Walsh said. “I am hoping he can step up to the plate in this crucial game. I know he can. He had some fantastic games in PSL so it is a case of turning it around here. One game can make a difference. It could be his game, or another bowler’s game, but we’re hoping that he comes good.”The attack would appear to have been bolstered with news that Shakib Al Hasan is joining the team ahead of this game, but Walsh was reluctant to suggest Shakib is a certainty for the playing XI. Though he will be with the team in the approach to the game, Shakib is expected to take a fitness test for his injured finger that has kept him out since mid-January.”He is on his way. Like any other player he will be assessed. If he is fit, someone of his class and calibre will be considered to play.”

Bob Costas is on the call for the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals along with Ron Darling. During Game 2, which was broadcast on TBS, truTV and MAX, the legendary announcer's microphone was hot while Angel Zerpa stood on the mound waiting to deliver a pitch.

That's when Costas learned he had to read a promo for CNN and judging from his reaction, there was something wrong with that for some unknown reason?

"A CNN promo," Costas wondered aloud. Then, after about 10 seconds of silence he added, "That puts me in a difficult spot."

Why a CNN promo might put Costas in a difficult spot is a mystery. CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the same company that owns Turner Sports. Plus, Costas joined CNN as a contributor in 2020.

Based on all that it seems like some weird misunderstanding, but who knows. Let's just hope we find out what's going on at CNN before the series ends.

Even in the age of T20 cricket, India’s U-19 captain likes to take his time and take the game deep without worrying much about the strike rate

Raunak Kapoor11-Feb-20240:58

Saharan: Good to have a close semi-final before the final

Sri Ganganagar, the northern-most city in the state of Rajasthan, no more than 225 square km in area and, with a population of around 200,000, is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the legendary Indian ghazal singer and musician, Jagjit Singh.By Sunday evening, the city might well have given India their sixth Under-19 Men’s World Cup-winning captain.Uday Saharan made the move from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan to play age-group cricket in Punjab when his father Sanjeev, who is also his coach, decided it was time to take cricket seriously.Singh’s music and Saharan’s batting both share an element of timelessness.Related

Bumrah's tips on yorker have helped a lot, says Naman Tiwari

India vs Australia in a title clash yet again as U-19 World Cup reaches climax

Sachin Dhas is playing his father's dream – live in Benoni

Saharan: 'I knew it was a matter of one partnership'

Going into the final against Australia, Saharan has batted for 644 minutes in this tournament, facing 493 balls and scoring 389 runs, the third highest for an India batter in a single edition. Shikhar Dhawan’s 505 in 2004 remains the record. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 88 in the final in 2020 took him to 400. A hundred for Saharan may well put him at the top.But it isn’t as much about his own runs as what, and more importantly how much, has happened for India while Saharan has been at the crease. Nearly 53% of India’s runs have come with Saharan in the middle.He has forged a partnership of more than 50 in every game, including four in excess of 100 and three over 150. His stand of 215 with Sachin Dhas against Nepal is a record for India in the Under-19 World Cup.In India’s two most important games this tournament, against Bangladesh and the semi-final against South Africa, Saharan walked in at 31 for 2 and 8 for 2, respectively. While Adarsh Singh (against Bangladesh) and Dhas (against South Africa) played the match-defining innings, Saharan is what kept the team from falling apart.The earliest any team has been able to dismiss India’s captain is the 37th over of the innings.Saharan is a throwback to the old school of batting. Take your time to get in, eliminate risk almost entirely, and don’t worry about the strike rate. Something he learned and inherited from his father.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”My father told me from the beginning to always take the game deep, as deep as possible,” Saharan told Star Sports ahead of the final. “These days, batters like to play shots and try to finish things off early, but my father’s thought process, which I know is old school, has always been to keep wickets in hand and take the game deep, because if you get to such a situation, then you can chase down anything, given the kind of batters you have today.”Saharan’s style of batting is often one that stirs up the intent debate at the senior level, particularly in white-ball cricket. But in a World Cup where surfaces have generally been challenging for batting, with just three scores in excess of 300 in 40 matches, two of those by India, his methods have worked wonders for his team.”If I’m completely honest, of course I want to go out there and play big shots,” he says. “Play shots in the air, try to hit sixes, because that’s what people like to watch today. But in reality, I want my team to win, I want my country to win, that’s what makes me proud. So if my game needs to be different, where I need to play a secondary role to keep the team in the game, I’m more than happy to.”Saharan’s team values his contributions. While his 81 off 124 winning him the Player-of-the-Match award ahead of Dhas’ 96 off 95 in the semi-final might seem debatable, the emotions of the Indian team right after, roaring and applauding their captain receiving the award, was perhaps an indication they might not have got to the final without him.

“I’ve played a lot of pressure games already… Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl”Uday Saharan

Adarsh, Musheer Khan and Dhas, who had won Player-of-the-Match awards in previous games, have all credited Saharan for his game awareness and communication throughout the partnerships, on what to expect from different bowlers at different phases of the innings, something that even at 19, he feels comes naturally to him.”I’ve played a lot of pressure games already,” Saharan says. “I’m only 19, but from my cricket at the club, district and state level, I’ve played these innings before. Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl. I feel I picked up a lot of knowledge from the cricket I have already played, so I just want to share that with the rest of my team. If my information helps my partner and makes him think about the situation of the game better, then that helps my team.”Ahead of the final, Saharan has become the leading run-scorer in the tournament. He wasn’t on the top at any point before the semi-final. He has also predominantly run his way to the top with just 29 boundaries (27 fours and 2 sixes) in his tally of 389, the least among the top six, which is also a testament to his fitness, inspired by his role model Virat Kohli.”Virat Kohli set the benchmark for fitness in the Indian team,” Saharan says. “That is something I’ve always admired. The benefit of fitness on your game is immense, and that inspired me. Also, the way he aces chases by taking the innings deep, that and his passion is something I try to emulate.”Sachin Dhas and Uday Saharan struck up a record 215-run partnership against Nepal•ICC/Getty ImagesSaharan has already outscored his role model, and any other India Under-19 World Cup captain. But Kohli’s 235 runs in 2008 came at a strike rate of 94.75, which caught the attention of Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the inaugural IPL season and paved the way for Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull to follow suit.Saharan may well be different despite the demands of the modern white-ball game. It is unlikely his runs at a strike rate of 78.90 would have impressed the IPL scouts who have been in attendance throughout the World Cup.Saharan is only 19 and may still evolve his game with time. But his ability to withstand pressure and exercise restraint in a tournament where every player grew up in the age of T20 cricket is what has brought India within one game of their sixth title.At a time where conversations linger on about the future of the ODI format, India winning 50-over World Cups, senior or junior, can only help with reviving its popularity.Jagjit Singh was widely credited for the revival and popularity of ghazals, a form of Indian semi-classical singing, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses. His work was regarded as genre-defining. Uday Saharan is one innings away from beating Australia, poetically, in an ICC final in the 50-over genre. Nothing is more relevant to India’s masses than World Cup wins.

West Ham are apparently big fans of a new manager target who their former boss, Sam Allardyce, has hailed as "incredible".

Moyes heading for 2024 exit

Since re-joining the Hammers in late 2019, head coach David Moyes has done an absolutely fantastic job of guiding West Ham through their most successful period for a long, long time.

The east Londoners won their first piece of silverware since 1980, and first European trophy since the 60s, with a Conference League triumph in Prague last season. This came after Moyes lead West Ham to consecutive European qualification campaigns, and they're in a strong position to seal a Europa League knockout round place this season.

These scenarios were scarcely imagine when Moyes first joined, but that being said, West Ham's league form hasn't been brilliant over the last 12 months. They were battling relegation for much of 2022/2023, and reports suggest Moyes could leave West Ham in 2024 when his current contract expires.

West Ham identifying Moyes replacements

As relayed by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth on the Talking Transfers podcast earlier this month, West Ham are identifying future replacements for Moyes and doing their due-diligence.

“Our understanding is that West Ham have been looking at future replacements for him," said Cudworth (via West Ham Zone).

"He won the Conference League in June, has one year left on his contract, but there’s been no engagement over a new contract. Our understanding is that West Ham are in no hurry to replace him despite the indifferent Premier League results. David Sullivan doesn’t really see an available candidate who offers substantially more than David Moyes.

“One thing we can say with near-certainty, David Moyes is not going to be signing an extension at West Ham barring a miracle.”

It would appear that the Scotsman is likely to leave next year, with talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook sharing a possible candidate to succeed him.

West Ham really like Steve Cooper

According to Crook, who wrote an X update on Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and his future at the City Ground, West Ham have a watchful eye over him. Indeed, West Ham are apparently real admirers of Cooper, with the 43-year-old under fresh pressure amid a poor recent run of form for Forest.

The Welshman guided his side to promotion from the Championship in 2022, with Forest later maintaining their top flight status by the skin of their teeth. Former West Ham boss Allardyce, commenting on Cooper earlier this year, heaped praise on the tactician for his "incredible" job dealing with certain issues at Forest.

Average term as coach: 2.08 years

Preferred formation: 3-4-2-1

Points per game: 1.71

Coaching license: UEFA professional license

"What becomes difficult in terms of building team spirit is having too many players. Most managers don’t have enough. What they don’t have enough of is quality, and what they don’t want is quantity," said Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast (via Forest News).

“Steve is one of the only managers to say he has too many players. Dealing with that can distract your focus. You want to keep them all involved and use them if you can and see what they’ve got, but ultimately, it’s a very tough decision. Steve has done an incredible job dealing with these issues as well as getting good results.”

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their plans to make further additions to their playing squad during the upcoming January transfer window…

Arsenal transfer news – Ruben Neves

According to a report from Spanish outlet Sport, Mikel Arteta is eyeing up a deal to sign Al Hilal central midfielder Ruben Neves ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The outlet has claimed that the Gunners boss is pushing for the signing to improve his midfield options in 2024, and is making his case to the board.

It is stated that the Spanish tactician has identified Neves as a target due to the uncertainty over the future of Thomas Partey, with it being said that the Ghana international could be on his way out of The Emirates, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to seal an exit.

Arteta could now secure a dream heir to the former Atletico Madrid ace by landing his target in January…

Partey's Arsenal statistics

The 30-year-old enforcer has only played four times in the Premier League so far this season but was an integral part of their top-flight campaign last time out.

Partey played in 33 of the club's 38 league matches as they finished runners-up behind Manchester City in the title-race and he displayed his qualities in and out of possession.

Defensively, the veteran battler contributed with 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game and came out on top in 59% of his contests throughout the season.

In possession, Partey completed 88% of his attempted passes and made an impact at the top end of the pitch with three goals and two 'big chances' created in those 38 games.

The statistics that show why Neves could replace Partey

Neves, on the other hand, was lining up for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last season and caught the eye with his impressive displays.

The 5 foot 11 dynamo, who was lauded as an "incredible" player by former teammate Hugo Bueno, made an excellent 3.7 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 53% across 35 league outings.

These statistics suggest that the Portugal international has the ability to provide a defensive presence in front of the back four in a similar fashion to Partey, as they are both midfielders who can break up opposition attacks on a regular basis to win the ball back for their respective teams.

He also made his presence felt at the other end of the field with six goals and one assist for the Old Gold, alongside a pass success rate of 84%.

Neves also ranked within the top 20% of his positional peers within the Premier League last season for progressive passes (6.5) per 90, which suggests that he has the ability to play forward passes between the lines to progress his team up the pitch.

The 26-year-old magician has also made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game across 12 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al Hilal this season, to go along with five 'big chances' created for his teammates.

Arteta and Arsenal could, therefore, secure a dream heir to Partey's position, should he leave in January, if they are able to snap the former Wolves star away from his current club.

Australia’s quick bowlers have just 35 ODI caps between but memories of T20 success will be at the forefront of their minds

Andrew McGlashan04-Jun-2018A tally of 15 ODIs over five years is hardly an overload of international experience, but it is enough to put Kane Richardson in an unexpected position: the senior figure in Australia’s pace attack for the one-day series against England.Much focus has been, and will remain on, the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner. However, without their big three of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood because of a variety of injuries, Australia have arrived with a group of pace bowlers – Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis and the uncapped Michael Neser – who have just 35 ODI appearances between them. They will be supplemented by Nathan Lyon (13 ODIs) and Ashton Agar (4 ODIs)They face the daunting prospect of taking on the power-packed batting line-up of the No. 1 ODI side in the world – who beat them 4-1 in Australia earlier this year – and though the combination of quicks that will line up at The Oval remains uncertain, Kane Richardson is ready for a leadership role in what could yet shape as a battle for one or places in the final World Cup squad”That’s a first, and probably a last I think,” he said of his senior status. “I’ve been around long enough but been in and out. I take it as [showing] a bit of leadership towards our young buys in Billy and Jhye. But Nathan Lyon is on this tour and he’s pretty senior in terms of the pecking order in Test cricket so we are a pretty big group.””Being in the county of where the World Cup will be helps, but obviously those three guys will be back at some stage so it’s all about doing as much as you can when you get the opportunity.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAs Richardson noted, his one-day career has been a stop-start affair. His debut came against Sri Lanka in 2013 and his most recent outings were against India last year when he claimed seven wickets in three matches. He has not previously been around the one-day side long enough to even get on the fast bowlers’ WhatsApp group”Apparently there used to be a WhatsApp group but I’ve never been involved in it, so maybe I wasn’t worthy of being added,” he joked, without confirming whether he would be creating a new one.Yet, while Australia’s collection of quicks have precious little experience in ODIs to call on, Richardson believes their success in the T20 side can hold them in good stead. Richardson, Stanlake and Tye played a key part in Australia securing the triangular series against England and New Zealand earlier this year.”Billy [Stanlake] did such a good job in that tri-series and that was one of things I thought about on the plane over, that it’s actually quite a similar team that beat England and New Zealand, so even though we are inexperienced we’ve done pretty well as an attack before.”It helped having some fresh guys come in after that one-day series, so you take confidence when you do well. Billy would have taken so much out of that. AJ [Tye] is quite an experienced bowler, so there’s some guys who are full of confidence.”Australia prepare for the one-day series with warm-up matches against Sussex and Middlesex before the opening match against England, at The Oval, on June 13.