Australia’s inexperienced bowlers face yet another challenge at Wanderers against South Africa, a side brimming with confidence after recent home victories

The Preview by David Hopps01-Oct-2016Match factsSunday, October 2, 2016, Johannesburg
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)
Big PictureAustralia were always going to be vulnerable at the start of this stand-alone ODI series in South Africa. Their priority is to restate their Test pedigree during their home summer against South Africa and Pakistan, a need that has grown stronger because of their recent trouncing in a Test series in Sri Lanka.That much became clear from the moment Cricket Australia chose to rest Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the battles to come. Whatever the logic of that, Steve Smith could be forgiven for looking around for them in desperation in the opening ODI at SuperSport Park as Quinton de Kock, destroying good balls and bad, pulverised an Australian attack also missing James Faulkner.De Kock’s 178 from 113 balls – the highest ODI score ever made in South Africa and many more records besides – was an immediate indication of the challenge facing Australia. With the absence of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – the latter presumably only briefly – from South Africa’s batting line-up, they might have perceived a gentle introduction, but few opening batsmen these days possess the destructive threat of de Kock, and it was not long before sixes were raining down on the leg-side boundary.A few miles down the road in Johannesburg, Daniel Worrall, Scott Boland and John Hastings will hope for a second outing, although South Australia’s Joe Mennie and Victoria’s Chris Tremain are also in the squad and are likely to get an airing at some point in the series. They have all received a warning from Australia’s bowling coach Ryan Harris about the challenge. “National cricket is brutal and if you don’t get it right you get eaten up pretty quick,” he said.Form guideSouth Africa: WWLWL
(last five completed matches, most recent first)Australia: LWWWW
Players to watchAndile Phehlukwayo’s second ODI came against a backdrop of new transformation targets which require the selection of a minimum average of 54% black players – of which 18% must be Black African – across the three formats over the season. He showed good command of length at SuperSport Park and took 4 for 44 off his 10 overs, a sound start for a powerfully-built allrounder.South Australian Daniel Worrall was the second leading wicket-taker in last season’s Sheffield Shield. After a comfortable debut against Ireland in Benoni, South Africa asked tougher questions and it will be interesting to see how he responds in Johannesburg.Team newsSouth Africa are monitoring the fitness of Dale Steyn. Although he completed his full allocation in his first ODI since he suffered a shoulder injury while bowling against England last December, he was below his best, left the field twice and on several occasions looked concerned about the shoulder. It was a far cry from his triumphant Test return against New Zealand on the same ground in August. Hashim Amla, who only joined the squad on Wednesday following the birth of his third child, missed Friday’s match due to illness but he could return.South Africa (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 Hashim Amla/Rilee Rossouw, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 JP Duminy, 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir.Australia’s captain Steve Smith gave no indication that there might be changes to Australia’s line-up after Friday’s defeat. Even considering the pummelling that Australia’s weakened attack received at the hands of Quinton de Kock, or the failure of the batsmen to take advantage of a run-friendly surface, a 48-hour turnaround between matches leaves little time for reassessment.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Travis Head, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Daniel Worrall, 11 Scott Boland.Pitch and conditionsThere have been water restrictions in Johannesburg, leaving groundstaff hoping for some early spring rain to assist with grass growth. It remains to be seen whether this has a detrimental effect on the pitch or, indeed, the outfield. The weekend has been sunny, with 23C forecast for Sunday.Stats and trivia Quinton de Kock’s 178 in the first match at SuperSport Park on Friday was South Africa’s second highest individual score in ODIs South Africa achieved their third highest successful chase in that game.Quotes”Hopefully there will be a couple more wickets like that in the series. Then we can have some more fun.”
“We got a nice wicket to bat on and we gave some opportunities away… so going forward it’s the responsibility of one of our top four to post a big total, and if we do that then the team total is going to be big as well.”
does the math.

The former Fulham striker netted a stunning hat-trick to move his new side to the top of the table heading into the international break

Matches between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are always special encounters. 'The Saudi Clasico' is the most historic game on the Pro League calendar, as the competition's two most successful clubs face off in front of bumper crowds. But if there were any worries that the influx of foreign stars would blunt the rivalry at all, then there need not have been.

Friday's 4-3 win for Al-Hilal proved to be the Pro League game of the season so far, as the visitors came from 3-1 down at half-time to end their hosts 100 percent start to the campaign and claim top spot for themselves heading into the international break.

That they were able to move to the summit was, in part, also down to Al-Ahli losing their own perfect record in some style, as the newly-promoted outfit were thrashed 5-1 at Al-Fath, while Cristiano Ronaldo and co. at Al-Nassr continue to close the gap after their poor start to the season, and are now just four points off the top following a third successive league victory.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

• WINNER: Aleksandar Mitrovic

  Though the majority of fans at King Abdullah Sport City on Friday were there to see Al-Ittihad's star No.9, Karim Benzema, in action, is the was the striker on the opposition who stole the show, as Aleksandar Mitrovic truly announced himself in the Pro League with a superb hat-trick for Al-Hilal.

  Having netted a stunning first-half equaliser with a brilliant volley, Mitrovic netted twice more after the break to haul Al-Hilal back into the contest, taking his tally to four goals from his opening three games.

  If this is what the Serbia international is doing now, just imagine what he will be capable of once Neymar is fit and creating the opportunities for Mitrovic. The new league leaders have a genuine Golden Boot contender on their hands.

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• LOSER: Karim Benzema

  When Benzema limped off against Al-Wehda on matchday four, there were many who presumed the ex-Real Madrid man would miss Friday's Clasico, and so there was understandable relief when his named appeared on the teamsheet for Al-Ittihad's clash with Al-Hilal.

  And that relief turned to joy midway through the first half, as Benzema scored a superb backheel goal to give his side a 2-1 lead as they looked to make it five wins from five to start the campaign.

  From there, though, things went awry. While Mitrovic was scoring pretty much every chance that came his way at the other end, both Benzema and strike partner Abderrazak Hamdallah missed a number of opportunities that could have changed the course of the result.

• WINNER: Yassine Bounou

  While Mitrovic deservedly took the headlines after Al-Hilal's thrilling victory, the team were just as much indebted to their new goalkeeper, as Yassine Bounou wasted little time in staking a claim to be the best shot-stopper in the division.

  Having arrived from Sevilla, the Morocco international made a number of saves during the Clasico, though he saved his best for last in Jeddah, rushing off his line to save with his chest to preserve all three points.

  In a league where most of the big-name signings have been attackers, Al-Hilal may have pulled off a real coup by bringing in a top-quality 'keeper for just €21 million (£18m/$22.7m).

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  LOSER: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

  For all the Al-Hilal celebrations, concerns remain over the form of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who many expected to dominate the Pro League after the starring role he played for Lazio as they finished runners-up in last season's Serie A.

  Instead, the Serbia international has already been sent off once, and against Al-Ittihad he made what could have proved to be a costly error, with his poor pass leading to the home side's third goal that could have put the game out of sight if not for Mitrovic's heroics.

  Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves were meant to form the most formidable midfield in the Pro League after being paired together by Jorge Jesus, but right now the former is letting the side down.

Leeds United centre-back Diego Llorente could join Roma permanently during the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

How has Llorente fared this season?

The Spaniard moved to the Serie A giants back in January, having been allowed to leave the Whites on a temporary basis by then-manager Jesse Marsch. The £45,000-a-week defender hasn't necessarily been a key man there, however, featuring in only eight league matches, with just five of those appearances being starts.

In Wednesday's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla on penalties, Llorente was only used as a substitute in extra-time, with Jose Mourinho clearly not seeing him as a key starter throughout the campaign. Despite this, he has still done a solid enough job when called upon, averaging 2.1 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per game.

The Leeds man isn't out of contract at Elland Road until the summer of 2026, but with the Whites now relegated to the Championship, it looks almost impossible that he will stay put.

Could Llorente join Roma permanently?

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Roma are actually keen on the idea of making Llorente's move a permanent one, having seen enough positives from his loan spell. There is an €18m (£15.5m) buy clause in his temporary deal that can ne triggering, and the Giallorossi are considering it.

They will only sign the 29-year-old "under certain conditions", though, meaning they will likely not be willing to pay the aforementioned amount in the clause.

In truth, it is hard for Leeds to expect Llorente to stay at the club next season, considering they will be plying their trade in the second tier. Ideally, he could continue as a Whites player, but he is a 10-time capped Spain international, and he surely won't be without offers, even if Roma end up choosing not to sign him.

He has been hailed as "heroic" for Roma by BT Sport commentator Dave Farrar, following one huge tackle against Lazio in the Rome derby earlier this season, and he could be an effective permanent signing for them, providing experience and quality for a number of years to come.

Should Llorente suddenly decide to commit himself to Leeds and help them make a swift return to the Premier League, it would certainly make him adored among the fanbase, but it is hard to begrudge him a move away for good, especially at this point in his career.

Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland has outlined plans for league structures in ODIs and T20 internationals, which would reduce the amount of cricket played by major nations

Daniel Brettig27-Oct-20163:34

Brettig: Bowlers playing IPL a worry for Cricket Australia

Less will be more under the structures currently being proposed for the future of international cricket, which would for the first time place limits on how many matches and series could be scheduled by any one nation.Speaking at the Cricket Australia AGM, which underlined the game’s financial reliance on bilateral tours, the chief executive James Sutherland outlined plans currently under discussion for league structures in ODIs and Twenty20 matches, plus a mooted “conference” format for Test matches.These structures, Sutherland said, would mean that the game’s financial powerhouses like Australia, India and England would play less international cricket than they presently do, while raising the volume of cricket played by other nations. This would be possible due to the increased context and meaning given to each match by league formats that gave players, fans, broadcasters and sponsors a clear idea why each match was being played.”If you bring in some structure around international cricket and you create formats that are a league type arrangement you put limits around that, and any other cricket that’s played outside of that is even more meaningless than other cricket that is played at the moment,” Sutherland said. “From that perspective it would put some really significant structure and limits around the amount of cricket that’s played.”With one day cricket and Twenty20 cricket we are contemplating a 13-team league where everyone plays each other, home and away over a three-match series over the course of a three-year period. That means you play six one day matches away, six at home every year. There doesn’t seem any point playing any more than that because those are the matches that count.”Similar structure for T20 cricket and I think that’s something that’ll be really beneficial for world cricket. Not just in terms of putting those limits in place, but also creating third party interest, making sure there’s real relevance and context to every single match.”The limited-overs league structures would mean each nation in the 13-team competition would play each other in one series, either home or away, over three years leading into each World Cup year, with the home team for that series then playing away in the next cycle to follow. Similarly, the conference structure for Tests would grow out of an ICC event-style draw, with seeded teams and others drawn to play them. A 12-team structure has the added bonus of bringing the likes of Ireland or Afghanistan into the fold.”I think things need to change absolutely and we certainly believe that additional structure moving towards a Test Championship of one form or another, probably on some sort of a two-year cycle would be a real positive,” Sutherland said. “We’re betwixt and between a little bit original suggestions about two divisions, then looking at perhaps a system where people play against each other and we used ranking points to decide who the champions are.”But the one that’s floating around at the moment is two conferences and perhaps matches being played inside of conferences with a little bit of cross-conference activity as well inside that two-year period and then having a champion team in each conference play off in a two-year cycle. I think there’s some real merit in that, I don’t think it significantly undermines some of the traditional series that are played and all in all very positive where every match would count, every series would count and I think it’d be very keenly sought after, the right to play in that final.James Sutherland: “I think things need to change absolutely and we certainly believe that additional structure moving towards a Test Championship … would be a real positive”•Getty Images”It also really exposes performances as well and the opportunity to bring a couple of countries into Test cricket would be a real positive as well.”Sutherland admitted that in the current environment, it was impossible to apply equal priority to every international series, as shown by the recent tour of South Africa or the near convergence next year of the Test tour to India with the T20 home series against Sri Lanka. The IPL, of course, blocks out more than a month of the year for most nations.”We make decisions from time to time in the best interests of a player, to make sure they’re available at the times that we see as the most important for them to be available,” he said. “There’s absolutely no doubt that at times we have to prioritise certain events, series, matches ahead of others.”Certainly for the bowlers it’s just not possible for them to play all of the time. If you include IPL in there as well there are prioritisation discussions that need to be held all the time. they can be long-term planning discussions but they also need to be short-term planning according to how the player is dealing with injuries, niggles and also mental health.”However Sutherland pushed the vital importance of making sure international cricket remained the top priority for the game ahead of domestic Twenty20, a point he has pressed home at successive ICC chief executives committee meetings in recent times. The example he can point to is the Big Bash League, devised to run alongside the international season and succeed without Australia’s best Test players.”I’m not sure my point of view is seen to be agreed to by everyone in international cricket, but our perspective here is that IPL is unique and then there’s all the other domestic T20 competitions around the world. As far as I’m concerned international cricket comes first, and is the absolute priority. We’ve been true to that word in the way we’ve scheduled the BBL. People said the BBL couldn’t be a success without Australian players playing in it.”The facts of the matter are that it’s a great success, and it’s scheduled during the middle peak time of our Australian summer. International cricket needs to be the priority and you cannot schedule international cricket around domestic T20 competitions as far as I’m concerned, and that will be one of the things we need to work through. Some countries may try to massage the program in such a way that they can do that, that’s up to them. But first and foremost we need to be fully committed to international cricket for it to be sustainable.”The proposed changes to the international game are due to be discussed in further detail at the next round of ICC meetings in February, and Sutherland said the hope was for a fully rejuvenated model to kick in beyond the 2019 World Cup in England.”I would say certainly within five years,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a lead time because of preexisting contracts and things like that, but certainly the planning is very heavily focused on a line in the sand around the World Cup in 2019. We see that post-that there’s an opportunity to roll into a new structure for the three formats.”

Atletico Madrid sunk Pep Guardiola's treble winners thanks to tremendous long range strikes from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco

A pair of sizzling goals from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco brought Manchester City back down to earth as Atletico Madrid beat the treble winners 2-1 in the last match of their pre-season tour.

The match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was in danger of being called off after a thunderstorm but following a 45-minute delay, the friendly finally kicked off. But it was no friendly.

Pep Guardiola named a formidable starting XI but Diego Simeone's side were as fiercely competitive and intense as usual and were the better team for much of the match. After missing a slew of chances they found their breakthrough thanks to a tremendous strike from outside the area from Memphis.

Carrasco then scored an even better goal to double Atletico's lead but Ruben Dias, who was unusually lacklustre, reduced the deficit late on with a thumping header. However, City could not respond again and slumped to their first defeat since losing to Brentford on the final day of last season.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Getty Dias looking rusty

The towering Portuguese is normally the one defender City can rely on but he was not on it today. Dias gave the ball away on several occasions and in dangerous areas too. He was fortunate that Pablo Barrios did not give Atleti the lead when he presented him with the ball and it fell on Stefan Ortega to get him out of jail.

He also gifted a chance to Memphis which the Dutchman failed to take advantage of, sending the ball over the bar. Dias did not heed the warnings, however, and he was careless in possession once more and just moments later Carrasco scored.

He sought to make amends with a crashing header which gave City faint hope but that should not mask the fact he was way off the pace. The Portuguese was one of Guardiola's most consistent performers in the final stretch of last season but will need to be sharper when the Premier League season begins.

AdvertisementGetty Kovacic is no Gundogan in front of goal

It is a far from easy to come in and replace a modern club legend like Ilkay Gundogan but that is ultimately what Mateo Kovacic has been tasked with doing. The Croatian still looks like a good fit for City but one area he desperately needs to improve in is his finishing.

He was presented with a glorious chance to give City the lead early in the first half, arriving in the area to meet the ball first time. It was the type of chance Gundogan would have had for breakfast, but Kovacic spooned the ball over the bar.

Gundogan scored 60 goals for City and always seemed to find the net on the biggest occasions. Kovacic, meanwhile, struck just six times in 221 games for Chelsea. He has a lot of work to do.

GettyAtletico don't do friendlies

Diego Simeone is the type of man who almost certainly cheats in board games with the family at Christmas. And he does not understand the concept of a friendly match.

Atletico treated this game as if it were a Champions League knockout game. Indeed, you could argue they showed more ambition in Seoul than for most of their quarter-final tie with City two seasons ago, which ended in a mass brawl.

There were no punches thrown here but tempers flared on a number of occasions and Rodrigo De Paul was in a particularly combative mood. While City seemed to fade in the second half, Atletico turned the screw. They thoroughly deserved the win and, on this evidence, City will be hoping to avoid them in the Champions League group stage draw.

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Getty ImagesMemphis and Carrasco show class is permanent

Atletico's two goalscorers have had strange careers. Memphis was good enough to be signed by Manchester United at the age of 21 but his time at Old Trafford was a disaster and it was only years later that he managed to get his career back on track.

Carrasco, meanwhile, scored in the 2016 Champions League final and was a crucial player for Atletico but then two years later decided to move to the Chinese Super League. He saw sense in the end and has been back to his best since returning to Atletico in 2020.

And against the European champions and treble winners, they proved their enduring class. Memphis looked threatening throughout the match and struck the ball perfectly to break the deadlock from outside the area. Carrasco then pulled off a zig-zagging run down the left wing before producing a thumping low finish.

West Ham are plotting to launch an ambitious loan bid for Manchester United starlet Amad Diallo.

That's according to the Northern Echo, which state the Hammers are the latest Premier League to register an interest in the 20-year-old.

The Ivorian has just finished a loan spell with Sunderland and is due to return to Carrington for the start of pre-season in the North-West later this summer.

The report also details that Erik ten Hag intends to give the mercurial talent a chance to force himself into the first-team plans, but hasn’t ruled out any loan move if he feels it benefits Diallo’s development.

Sunderland had harboured hopes of resigning the youngster, but with several top-flight clubs interested, it seems that Diallo is destined for Premier League football in some capacity next season.

Would Amad Diallo be a good signing for West Ham?

The Ivorian's career had veered off track after cutting a peripheral figure during a loan spell with Rangers at the beginning of 2022, making just 13 appearances.

He then joined the Black Cats in August of last year and recorded 16 goal involvements in 37 Championship outings. This meant he was the club’s top scorer and was an indispensable component that narrowly missed out on promotion after losing to Luton in the play-off semi-finals.

When the former Atalanta prodigy joined the Red Devils in 2021, then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær predicted a huge future for the star and said: “His speed, vision, and fantastic dribbling ability will stand him in good stead to make the transition.

"He is a player with all of the raw attributes that are needed to be an important player for Manchester United in the years to come."

After his imperious stint in Wearside, the "electric" winger – as per The Athletic's Peter Rutzler – ranks within the highest 27% to those at a similar level for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, according to FBref.

Extraordinary levels of productivity led his teammate Luke O’Nein to describe him as “incredible.”

His small, weaving diminutive stature, coupled with his potency, close control, and frightening speed means that he shares many similar traits to Arsenal’s Buyako Saka.

The Englishman has been unplayable for the title challengers, having notched 25 goal contributions in 38 top-flight outings and ranking inside the top 10% of positionally similar players in Europe for progressive carries, to underline his similarity to the United starlet.

It is uncalculated to suggest that Diallo will immediately replicate these sensational numbers, but given consistent minutes in the manner that Mikel Arteta has nurtured Saka, it would be exciting to see where this player could end up.

He has clearly proven he is emphatically above Championship level and the London Stadium would be a perfect destination to continue the right pathway.

Hampshire believe they are on the verge of securing the services of Kyle Abbott on a long-term deal as a Kolpak registration, despite his recent success at international level with South Africa.Abbott, a member of South Africa’s Test team currently playing Sri Lanka in Cape Town and a key performer in the series victory over Australia, is understood by ESPNcricinfo to have agreed to a three or four-year deal with Hampshire that will realistically end his international career.While Abbott is believed to have agonised over the move for some time – Hampshire remain fearful he could change his mind over a deal agreed some weeks ago having belatedly enjoyed a run in the Test team – he is expected to announce his international retirement later this month. Cricket South Africa are not understood to be aware of the deal.With Simon Harmer and Hardus Viljoen also having agreed similar deals with Essex and Derbyshire respectively, Abbott’s decision might be interpreted as part of a new wave of Kolpak registrations. The UK’s decision to vote for Brexit threatens to close the loophole that permits such signings in the coming months though it is anticipated that all deals made ahead of that time will be honoured. Hampshire are also understood to be in talks with Rilee Rossouw.As recently as last week, during the first Test against Sri Lanka, Abbott spoke about finally earning a run in the South Africa Test team.”Being out of the side and sitting on the sidelines for so long and now getting the opportunity and doing well, is a great feeling. It’s a long period of hard work that is starting to pay off and now I am getting opportunity at this level to showcase my skills,” he said. “The team is in a great space and so am I, and it’s exciting to see what’s going to come. There’s only around 90 of us or so that have played so I count myself incredibly lucky.”The temptation for a player like Abbott is not hard to understand. Aged 29 and only recently established in the South Africa side – he is currently playing his 11th Test – his decision to embrace a long-term county deal offers something approaching financial security. He can expect to earn more than £100,000 a year from the deal, with insurance cover built into the deal, and should still be free to play in some of the T20 leagues around the world.It may be relevant, too, that Abbott was the man to make way for Vernon Philander in the World Cup semi-final a year ago. Whatever the merits and reasons for that decision, it has left some South African cricketers uncertain of their futures.The news will not be entirely welcome in England, either. The ECB has been trying to crack down on Kolpak loopholes for several years in an attempt to provide more opportunities for home-grown players and is understood to have prevented at least one such signing in recent months. The player involved agreed a deal as an overseas registration instead.But the attraction for Hampshire is obvious. They avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season (having finished in the bottom two of Division One, they won a reprieve when Durham were punished for their financial problems by relegation) with a key problem their lack of potency with the ball.Ryan McLaren, who has subsequently left for Lancashire, was their top wicket-taker in the Championship with 32 at a cost of 38.81. The addition of Abbott, a bowler of pace, skill and persistence, with recent international experience in all three formats of the game, should be quite an asset. He first played for the county in 2014, helping them win promotion by claiming 36 Championship wickets at a cost of 20.33.

Chelsea could bolster their midfield this summer by signing recently relegated James Maddison.

What’s the latest on James Maddison

With Leicester City resigned to life in England’s second tier, James Maddison looks set to find a new home in the Premier League, with both Arsenal and Chelsea keen on the player, per Simon Phillips’ substack.

Phillips does qualify that whilst the English “monster” – as once described by journalist Josh Bunting – is not the west London club’s primary target, but ‘the interest is real.’

Todd Boehly might need to act quick if he wants to get this deal done, as per Aaron Catterson-Reid of football.london, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

The Gunners have been long-term admirers of the Foxes midfielder, reportedly trying to sign him in the summer of 2021, but a price tag of £60m proved too much for Edu Gaspar and the board.

The new price widely reported for the Coventry-born midfielder is around £40m.

Whilst significantly cheaper than just two years ago, that is still a hefty fee for a player that has just been relegated and has just a year left on his current deal.

Would James Maddison be a good signing for Chelsea?

There is very little doubt over the quality of the ex-Norwich City man by this point in his career.

Despite playing for a highly dysfunctional Leicester side this year, he has still managed to perform at a consistently impressive level.

According to WhoScored, the 5 foot 9 maestro has averaged an excellent rating of 7.24 this season.

The underlying numbers also bolster his case.

According to FBref, compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top five divisions, Maddison sits in the top 1% of non-penalty goals, assists, expected non-penalty goals and assists, shot-creating actions per 90 and a plethora of other statistics.

So from a purely numbers perspective, £40m looks to be an absolute steal for a player of his quality, and his former manager Brendan Rodgers would likely agree.

Speaking after Maddison’s England call-up last November, Rogers waxed lyrical about the playmaker: “He’s a fantastic player, one of the best in the Premier League.”

England boss Gareth Southgate has also sung his praises in the past, labelling the Leicester man as “world-class” back in 2019.

With the ringing endorsements he has received from the managers he’s played for and numbers as impressive as they are, it won’t be a surprise to see Maddison leave the King Power in the summer, and Chelsea would be wise to ensure that it’s at Stamford Bridge, given the evidence above.

The offspinner, who last played an ODI in 2009, will be the second front-line spinner in the squad alongside Mitchell Santner

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2016New Zealand offspinner Jeetan Patel has been added to the squad for the third ODI against Bangladesh in Nelson on Saturday. Keeping in view the sluggish nature of the Saxton Oval track and the presence of three left-handers in Bangladesh’s top five, New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said Patel’s was a horses-for-courses selection.Patel last played an ODI in 2009 – the Champions Trophy final at the Supersport Park.New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson had admitted that Patel was not on the radar of the selectors at the start of the season, but a side strain to Mark Craig in India in September 2016 paved the way for Patel’s Test comeback after more than three years. He claimed six wickets in two matches and found the optimum pace at Eden Gardens. In the same Test, he made a run-a-ball 47 to haul the team past 200.Right after the Indore Test, Patel took a match haul of seven wickets in Wellington’s six-wicket win over Auckland in the Plunkett Shield. He followed it with 11 wickets in the next three Plunkett Shield matches.So far, he has taken six wickets in eight games in the ongoing Super Smash at an economy rate of 7.51.”He has been bowling very well for the Wellington Firebirds in the McDonald’s Super Smash and will be a welcome addition to the squad,” Hesson said.Patel, who will join the team on Friday, will be the second front-line spinner in the squad alongside Mitchell Santner. New Zealand have already wrapped up the three-ODI series with a 67-run victory on Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Roger Ibanez, with AS Roma set to lower their asking price, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have already started work on bringing in a new defender, with it recently being reported they have submitted a £19m bid for Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson, although they may have to slightly increase their offer to tempt the Turkish side into a sale.

Personal terms with Nelsson have already been agreed, meaning a move may not be far away, however the Dane is not the only defender Spurs have their eye on, with journalist Rudy Galetti reporting they are "tracking" Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly does not view Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez as valuable assets, with the duo poised to depart this summer, meaning the manager may be tasked with bringing in multiple new centre-backs.

Another player who has been linked with a switch to north London is Roma's Ibanez, with reports from Italy previously detailing the Italian club are set to demand €40m (£34m) to sanction his departure in the upcoming window.

However, the defender has made it clear he wants to leave, and the Serie A side have now lowered their asking price to €30m (£26m), in what could be a real boost for Tottenham.

The 24-year-old is popular in the Premier League, and AS Roma may be forced into making a sale before the end of June, as they need to make sure they abide by Financial Fair Play rules.

Is Ibanez joining Tottenham?

Considering Tottenham only want to spend €20m (£17m) on the Brazilian, Roma's current asking price may still be considered too high, however they may be able to use Roma's ongoing financial situation to lower the price even further.

The opportunity to sign the centre-back for a cut-price fee would surely be attractive to the Lilywhites, considering how well he performed in the Serie A last season, averaging two interceptions per game, the second-highest figure in the entire league.

Hailed as "untouchable" by manager Jose Mourinho, the Roma star ranks in the 82nd percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 81st for non-penalty goals, indicating he also poses an attacking threat.

Even if Tottenham have to fork out £26m for Ibanez, he could be a quality addition to the squad, and it is very good news that Roma have lowered their asking price before the window has even officially opened.