Leeds United know that they will be playing Premier League football next season and the rumour mill is already well underway ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Whites know that they will have to bolster their squad in order to avoid being instantly relegated back down to the Championship, as the last six newly-promoted sides have been.

A new centre-forward appears to be one of the priorities on the agenda for the West Yorkshire centurions. Newcastle United marksman Callum Wilson and promising St. Gallen striker Willem Geubbels have both been linked with moves to Elland Road in recent days.

Former Norwich City star Gabriel Sara, who played and scored against Daniel Farke’s side in the 2023/24 campaign, has also been linked with a switch from Galatasaray.

The club’s interest in these high-profile signings show that the 49ers mean business and that they want to improve the squad, which will also come as bad news for some of the current squad.

There will be some Leeds players who played key roles in the Championship who will now be concerned about their place in the starting XI next term, and one of those will be Jayden Bogle.

Why Jayden Bogle's Leeds position is not secure

The English right-back enjoyed a sublime season in the second tier with the Whites as their first-choice right-back, beating off competition from Isaac Schmidt and Sam Byram to lock down that position on a regular basis.

Bogle ended the campaign with 44 starts in 44 league appearances, which shows that he was Farke’s bona fide first-choice right-back, and the defender delivered excellent performances during that time.

The 24-year-old full-back was signed from Sheffield United for a reported fee of £5m in the summer transfer window last year, and it is fair to say that he has repaid the club by helping them to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Bogle scored six goals, created 11 ‘big chances’, and delivered four assists in his 44 appearances in the league, which shows that he made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch from a right-back position.

However, Leeds will be battling against relegation next season and will need more defensive quality from their defenders, rather than an emphasis on their attacking ability, and the English full-back does not have a great track record in that respect.

Appearances

16

34

Goals conceded

24

98

Goals conceded per game

1.5

2.88

Clean sheets

2

1

Dribbled past

19x

34x

Ground duels won

43%

47%

As you can see in the table above, Bogle has been part of a team that has conceded 122 goals in 50 matches at Premier League level for Sheffield United in the past, more than two per game on average.

The club’s interest in signing a new right-back will, therefore, leave the defender worried because the Whites may look to replace him as a starter.

Leeds enquire about deal for Premier League defender

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Leeds United are one of the teams plotting a move to sign West Ham United right-back Vladimir Coufal in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that both the Whites and Everton, managed by former Hammers boss David Moyes, have enquired about a deal for the Czechia international.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “Vladimir Coufal may be a market opportunity as well. I’m told that Leeds and Everton are the two clubs that have enquired for him. So, there is substance to both of those links for sure and like I said a moment ago, I’m fully expecting Leeds to explore the goalkeeper market.”

The experienced defender’s contract at the London Stadium expires this summer, and it has already been confirmed that he will be on his way, which has presented Leeds and Everton with the chance to snap him up for nothing.

Why this news should leave Jayden Bogle worried

Bogle should be worried by the news that Leeds are plotting a swoop to sign the 32-year-old right-back in the summer transfer window, because Coufal could arrive at Elland Road to take the Englishman’s place in the starting XI.

As aforementioned, the Whites star has struggled big time in the Premier League in his last two times in the division, particularly defensively in duels, and there is no guarantee that this time around will be any different for him.

Coufal, on the other hand, is a battle-hardened and proven Premier League defender who has been a part of a West Ham team that has avoided the drop for five consecutive seasons.

Throughout his time in the top-flight with the Hammers, the former Slavia Prague titan has shown that he can combine reliable defensive work with a creative threat in possession.

Appearances

20

36

27

28

34

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

1.0x

0.5x

0.6x

1.1x

Ground duel success rate

47%

50%

54%

52%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

52%

65%

49%

56%

Big chances created

1

6

4

4

9

Assists

0

7

1

4

7

As you can see in the table above, the West Ham defender has plenty of experience in the Premier League and has usually been reliable in duels on the deck and in the air, whilst delivering ‘big chances’ and assists for his team.

Coufal, once hailed as “outstanding” by former teammate Declan Rice, has only been dribbled past more than once per game on average in his top-flight career, whilst Bogle has been dribbled past 53 times in 50 matches in the division.

These statistics indicate that the Czechia international is more likely to be a reliable option for Farke at right-back in the Premier League, based on their respective performances at that level to date.

That is not to say that Bogle cannot improve and make the step up this time around, but the arrival of the West Ham defender on a free transfer would surely leave him worried about his position because of the optics of the move, given the calibre of player coming in.

Now worth more than Ampadu: Leeds must rue letting go of a "monster" for £0

The former Leeds United defender is now worth even more than Ethan Ampadu.

ByDan Emery May 19, 2025

Liverpool are reportedly planning to hijack Arsenal's move for Viktor Gyokeres, with the Sporting CP striker seen as a possible replacement for Darwin Nunez.

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• Nunez set to swap Anfield for Napoli
• Liverpool want Gyokeres to fill the void
• Face stiff competition from Arsenal

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After joining Liverpool from Benfica in 2022, Nunez has endured a mixed spell at the club, with flashes of promise overshadowed by inconsistency in front of goal. Although Al-Nassr attempted to sign him during the January transfer window, it is Napoli who now seem poised to secure his signature in a deal that could be worth around €50 million (£43m/$58m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arne Slot is eager to fill that void, and, according to , they are preparing to disrupt Arsenal’s pursuit of Gyokeres, with the Sporting CP striker now being identified as a leading candidate to replace Nunez. The Merseyside club has instructed intermediaries to get them information about the exact asking price for the 26-year-old, who is believed to have a release clause of €80m (£68m/$93m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gyokeres has already made it clear to Sporting that he wants to leave this summer, following a stellar campaign in which he finished as one of the top scorers across Europe. Arsenal have been leading the race for him in recent weeks, but Liverpool are reportedly preparing a serious push to beat their rivals to the striker's signature. The striker has previously rejected a potential reunion with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and is carefully weighing his next move.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  In addition to Nunez, Colombian winger Luis Díaz is also being linked with a departure from Liverpool. Barcelona are reportedly monitoring his situation closely and are described as “very interested” in securing his services. If those sales are completed, Liverpool will have the funds necessary to invest further after breaking the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz. A move for Gyokeres, with his scoring pedigree, may soon become a priority for the Anfield hierarchy.

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinup bet： Ao entrar em campo nesta quinta-feira (25), às 19h (de Brasília), o Fluminense se deparará com um duro obstáculo no confronto com o The Strongest. O fato da partida ser realizada no Estádio Hernando Siles, em La Paz, cerca de 3.600 acima do nível do mar, vem sendo um trunfo para o Tigre em edições da Copa Libertadores.

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da bet nacional： A equipe não é derrotada como mandante por brasileiros na Libertadores desde o longínquo ano de 2013. Desde então, o The Strongest obteve cinco vitórias e dois empates em jogos válidos pela competição.

Para minimizar os efeitos causados pela altitude, a delegação tricolor viajará nesta quarta-feira (24) e, após se prepararem em Santa Cruz de La Sierra, irão perto da partida para o Hernando Siles.

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Porém, há bons presságios que levam supersticiosos tricolores a ficarem otimista em um resultado positivo. A equipe brasileira que derrotou o The Strongest se tornou campeã da Copa Libertadores posteriormente. Em plena altitude, o Galo capitaneado por Ronaldinho Gaúcho saiu na frente com Diego Tardelli. A equipe boliviana igualou com Reina. Na reta final, em meio ao sacrifício, Méndez marcou contra e definiu a vitória por 2 a 1.

Outro fator contribui para a confiança da torcida. Atualmente nas Laranjeiras, o meia Lima defendia o Ceará na partida na qual o Vozão desbancou os donos da casa com uma vitória por 2 a 1. A virada veio nos acréscimos, em jogo suado pela Copa Sul-Americana.

Liverpool could be crowned champions of England, once again, if they manage to avoid defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arne Slot is aiming to win a title in his first year in the country, having replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer, and only needs one more point to confirm it.

The Reds beat Leicester City 1-0 last time out at the King Power, consigning them to relegation to the Championship, and they now have the chance to win the Premier League title in front of a packed-out Anfield.

Whereas, when they won their first Premier League title, under Klopp, the players were forced to celebrate inside an empty arena due to restrictions.

Despite Liverpool being on course to win the division, the club are looking at ways to improve the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, in order to give Slot the best possible chance of following up on his terrific debut season with more trophies next term.

The latest on Liverpool's interest in Premier League forward

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have a firm interest in West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The report claims that the Ghana international is ‘firmly’ on their radar heading into the summer transfer window, because of several factors. Liverpool are believed to be interested in his Premier League experience and his versatility to play in any of the positions across the attack.

Football Insider adds that the former Ajax star has a release clause in his contract that would allow teams from England to sign him for £80m, but that the Hammers are prepared to go lower than that and would be open to doing business for a fee of £70m.

The outlet adds that Slot wants to add a top-class attacker to his squad in the summer transfer window, with Kudus emerging as one of the club’s targets.

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West Ham’s star winger is not at the top of Liverpool’s list of targets, however, and this suggests that they may have to miss out on others before they decide to go ahead with a move for the dynamo.

Football Insider also claims that a £70m deal would be difficult for the Reds to get over the line if they do press ahead with a swoop for his services, and that they could have to sell some of their current talent in order to facilitate a move.

What Mohammed Kudus could bring to Liverpool

As aforementioned, Liverpool would be signing a player with Premier League experience, having played 60 times in the division, and this suggests that he could hit the ground running.

Rather than taking a risk on a player from abroad who may not be able to adjust to the English top-flight, the Reds could snap up a proven performer in the league, making it less of a gamble.

Kudus would also provide impressive versatility across the frontline. He has played 46 or more matches in each position as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, centre-forward, and right-winger in his career, which shows that the gem can adapt to playing in a multitude of roles across the pitch.

This means that Slot could play him out wide, through the middle as a striker, or as part of the midfield three, depending on the opposition and what suits the game, rather than being limited by the player only being effective in one particular role, for example.

Kudus, once described as a “game-changer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, can also provide quality at the top end of the pitch, as evidenced by his return of 18 goals and 12 assists in 75 matches for the Hammers to date, including 12 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old ace has scored 11 goals from 12.02 xG, which means that the forward is performing around on par as a finisher, but he still has plenty of time left to develop and improve as a player at the age of 24.

The West Ham star, as you can see in the clip above, is an exciting player to watch who could get supporters off their feet with his ability on the ball, coupled with the goals and assists that he could provide.

This latest report about Liverpool’s interest in Kudus may not be exciting for everyone connected with the club, however, as it could be bad news for someone like Luis Diaz.

Why this is bad news for Luis Diaz

Football Insider’s report named the Colombia international as one of the players who could be sold in order to raise funds to afford a swoop for the West Ham attacker.

Diaz turned 28 in January and may now be at the peak of his market value, which could make it the best possible time for the club to cash in on him in the upcoming summer window.

It was reported earlier this month that there are teams in Saudi Arabia that are eyeing Diaz up as a potential target, and it was claimed in March that Barcelona are preparing to push for the ex-Porto star.

This suggests that Liverpool could have enough interest from other clubs to realistically cash in on the winger ahead of next season, which would provide them with more money to splash on new additions.

Appearances

37

32

xG

11.88

9.23

Big chances missed

13

9

Goals

8

11

Big chances created

5

8

Assists

5

5

As you can see in the table above, Diaz’s finishing quality has fluctuated between the last two seasons and Liverpool may wonder if his current form is a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come.

The Reds could decide that the interest in his services makes it the perfect time cash in on him whilst his stock is high, given his return at the top end of the pitch this season, and to use the cash to sign a younger replacement like Kudus.

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Therefore, the news that Liverpool are interested in signing Kudus, who is four years younger than Diaz, could be bad news for the Colombian’s future at Anfield heading into next season.

Sri Lanka were quick to lose six in their second innings, but took their lead past 450

Mohammad Isam01-Apr-2024Asitha Fernando put Bangladesh on the backfoot with a four-wicket haul, as the hosts collapsed to 178 all out on the third day in Chattogram. Sri Lanka themselves slipped to 102 for 6 with debutant Hasan Mahmud picking up four of those wickets. But the visitors’ lead stands at a formidable 455 runs at stumps after they didn’t enforce the follow-on on Bangladesh.The Sri Lankan fast bowlers attacked in pairs and benefited greatly from captain Dhananjaya de Silva’s innovative field placings. Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Prabath Jayasuriya took two wickets each as Bangladesh slipped from 96 for 1 to be bowled out in the next 35.5 overs.It was also their fifth successive sub-200 score in Tests, as their batting crumbled on either side of the lunch break on the third day.Bangladesh started the day confidently. For the first time in the series, two home batters – Zakir Hasan and nightwatcher Taijul Islam – looked in some control. Zakir, unbeaten overnight on 28, struck two confident fours in the first two overs. He reached his fourth Test fifty with a streaky four but looked mostly in control.Sri Lanka had a few whiffs of a wicket but Zakir and Taijul kept them at bay for an hour and 19 minutes in the morning session. That changed spectacularly when Vishwa burst an inswinger through Zakir sending the leg-stump for a cartwheel. Soon after, Prabath got Najmul Hossain Shanto to chip one to short midwicket.Bangladesh lost a third wicket in three overs when the left-arm quick Vishwa got another of his fast in-duckers ripping through Taijul’s defences. The nightwatcher, sent in at No. 3 on the second evening, resisted for an impressive 61 balls.Sri Lanka continued the pressure after lunch when Asitha set up Shakib Al Hasan with a two-card trick. After bowling a series of short balls, he surprised the left-hander with a full ball that struck his front pad plumb. Shakib in his first Test innings in almost 12 months fell for 15.Three balls later, Asitha removed Litton Das. The wicketkeeper-batter, under fire for his careless shot in Sylhet last week, struck a nice cover drive before edging a straight, slightly wide delivery from Asitha. Kumara then got Shahadat Hossain to edge one to second slip.Sri Lanka dropped two catches around this time, while Mominul Haque became the fourth Bangladeshi batter to reach 4,000 Test runs. The experienced left-hander batted confidently on the ground where he has seven Test centuries. But Asitha’s yorker resulted in his lbw dismissal, for 33. Khaled Ahmed fell in Asitha’s next over, another yorker, giving the fast bowler his fourth wicket of the innings.Hasan Mahmud took four Sri Lanka wickets on the third day•AFP/Getty ImagesThe pacers’ domination continued in Chattogram when Mahmud and Khaled rocked Sri Lanka with six wickets.Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis were cleaned up by Mahmud and Khaled respectively. Mahmud then removed Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya in consecutive overs in his second spell.Madushka struck one to extra cover while Shahadat Hossain finally caught one in the slips, removing Chandimal for 9. De Silva was caught behind for 1, as Mahmud was rewarded for his off-stump channel consistency.Khaled rounded up the day with Kamindu Mendis’ wicket, edging one behind the wicket for 9. Captain Shanto took the timely review which showed the edge. Bangladesh’s fielders enjoyed the wickets; at one stage, five fielders from the slip cordon chased an edge to the boundary much to the tiny crowd’s glee. The players walked off slightly happier than earlier in the day although they have a mountain to climb in the fourth innings.

da heads bet： Liverpool have made a shock offer for a £400k-a-week star who is now keen to play in Europe next season, according to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Reds' summer transfer plans taking shape

da realbet： After two quiet transfer windows since replacing Jürgen Klopp in the dugout, Arne Slot will be tasked with strengthening his squad in a number of key areas this summer, and FSG are prepared to back their manager with significant financial backing.

A new striker could be required, with Darwin Nunez’s future in doubt, and the aforementioned report names Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as a potential option, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and prolific Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold recently confirming his decision to leave his boyhood club this summer, the Reds have also ramped up their pursuit of a new right-back, and David Ornstein believes Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong is keen on a move to Anfield.

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Having perhaps overrelied on Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, there have also been suggestions that Slot could look to bring in a new midfielder this summer, and there is serious interest in Stuttgart maestro Angelo Stiller.

However, a surprise move for a Premier League attacking midfielder could also be on the cards, according to Di Marzio, with the Sky Sports journalist recently stating Liverpool have now made a shock offer for Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

De Bruyne is set to leave Man City on a free transfer this summer, with Pep Guardiola’s side taking the decision not to extend his contract, but the Belgian wants to remain in Europe, despite widespread links to the MLS.

Napoli are making a concrete attempt to sign the 33-year-old, so there could also be competition for his signature from some of Europe’s top clubs.

"World-class" De Bruyne likened to Gerrard

In truth, the Man City legend moving to Anfield doesn’t seem particularly realistic, given that he was in direct competition with the Reds for a number of years, during which time he impressed Klopp, who described the maestro as “world-class”.

Wayne Rooney has also likened the Belgium international to Steven Gerrard in the past, saying: “De Bruyne reminds me a bit of Steven Gerrard. He drifts out to that right-hand side and plays some brilliant balls whipped in, like Stevie used to. What I like most is he takes chances, he takes risks, he doesn’t go for the easy ball – he plays the hard pass.”

The £400k-a-week star is evidently in the twilight years of his career, given City’s willingness to sanction a departure, but he has still impressed in the Premier League at times this season, while also catching the eye in the FA Cup.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Premier League

25

4

7

FA Cup

3

2

1

As such, De Bruyne could still be a difference-maker for a top club, but a move to Anfield would be extremely controversial.

Netherlands striker opened the scoring as her side outclassed Wales on their major tournament debut

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Wales making Euros debutMiedema struck 100th goal in Netherlands victoryDutch win 3-0 in openerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal as the Netherlands beat European Championship debutants Wales 3-0 in their opening game of the tournament. Wales held out well in the first half until Manchester City striker Miedema broke their hearts in first-half stoppage time with a stunning strike from outside the box. Victoria Pelova doubled the Dutch lead just after half-time after a fine run and pass by Danielle van de Donk, before Esmee Brugts headed home a third goal. Wales had been soundly beaten, but there was still positivity to be found after a landmark day.

Wales began their major tournament debut with a spring in their step and showed their defensive resilience from the first minute. Goalkeeper Olivia Clark was forced into a smart stop from Jill Roord's effort within five minutes, with the Wales shot-stopper getting back to her feet to bravely palm the ball away after her initial save.

The Netherlands enjoyed the lion's share of early possession and territory as was to be expected, but Wales made a couple of rare early forays into Dutch territory just before the 15-minute mark, two dangerous crosses from either wing just eluding a red shirt in the penalty area. Further defending was needed at the other end, Netherlands danger Miedema kept out by one of several important blocks by the Welsh defence.

The woodwork would then keep out the Dutch on 35 minutes, Roord striking powerfully from 25 yards but seeing the ball rebound back off the upright, Clark well beaten. Wales ended the half strongly and were preparing for a positive half-time team talk, but Miedema had other ideas. The 28-year-old struck her landmark goal with just seconds until the break, curling home to break the Welsh resistance.

The lead would be doubled just three minutes after the break thanks to Pelova, before Roord almost sealed victory but saw her strike rebound off the woodwork for the second time, this time the crossbar. That same crossbar would keep out Jackie Groenen's long-range strike, before the Netherlands did add a third through Brugts' stooping header at the far post. The Welsh side went into a huddle in the aftermath of the goal, attempting to get a foothold after the game had slipped out of their grasp.

Roord continued to be thwarted as Clark kept out her fierce hit, before substitute Lineth Beerensteyn tormented the Welsh defence after her late introduction, forcing Clark into another smart save from close range before seeing a goal disallowed for offside from the tightest of angles. The full-time whistle would soon blow and the Netherlands had dealt Wales a harsh lesson, one which they will no doubt learn from as their Euro 2025 journey continues.

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Miedema will get the headlines after her stunning strike helped her to an outstanding century of goals for her nation. The Netherlands legend's goal was pure class, as she twisted inside and out before curling into the far corner from outside the box to break the deadlock.

Captain Miedema almost got herself a sensational assist too, dummying to skip past an unsuspecting defender before playing a delicious pass with the outside of her boot through to Roord, who could only see her clipped strike rebound off the crossbar. What makes Miedema's contribution even more impressive is that this was only her second appearance in 11 weeks due to injury. The 28-year-old was replaced in the 71st minute and will hope to be well-rested for her nation's next match against England.

THE BIG LOSER

It feels unfair to single out any Wales player after a valiant display in their first-ever major tournament game. Welsh women's football has been through a lot down the years which led to this moment, including a 50-year ban on women's football in the country which was only lifted in 1970. The first official Wales women's team associated with the FAW was introduced in 1993, and they are now competing in a major European Championship finals just 32 years later. Manager Rhian Wilkinson has earnt legendary status in leading her side to qualification, and they were well in the game until a 15-minute spell either side of half-time sealed victory for the Netherlands. They will be disappointed, but equally proud and confident heading into their next group game.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Netherlands face England next on Wednesday June 9, in what will be a crunch match for both sides. As for Wales, they face France the same day and will be hoping to get their first-ever major tournament points on the board.

Simon Cook, the Hong Kong coach, chats with ESPNcricinfo about the challenges of motivating a team that has lost its ODI status, and of retaining talent in a system without too much money

Shashank Kishore in Dubai17-Sep-2018How tough is it to motivate a group without ODI status? How do you deal with it?It’s tough. We try and isolate the players from political talk. There are always questions on issues like ODI status. ‘Is it fair’ or ‘is it not fair?’ We can sit here and debate that for hours together. We’re of the opinion that two-and-a-half years of the World Cricket League should be rewarded in a better way than having a bad week [at the World Cup qualifiers] in Zimbabwe. It happened to the Netherlands four years ago, so the same situation can be used as a catalyst, but the fact is we’ve lost four years. There’s a lot of talk at the moment about ways of assigning ODI status to top Associates: whether you assign it on a tournament-to-tournament basis or go through the ranking system, I’m not sure. I will be attending an ICC meeting in Madrid about the WCL. Whether we talk ODI status, I’m not sure, but the fact is we’re at the receiving end of a poor week in Zimbabwe.What did it take to lift the team from that slump?It didn’t take a lot. We know we had a bad week. You don’t become a bad player overnight. It’s about making sure the players still believe in themselves. Unfortunately it happened at the wrong time. We had honest chats about how we can improve and they responded brilliantly at the Asia Cup Qualifiers. After losing to Malaysia in the first game, it could’ve slid down, but they showed character to win the next six games in a row.What are the challenges for a Hong Kong cricketer currently? It’s largely an amateur sport. Even now, you play one week and then have three weeks off. In Premier Division cricket, you play 10 games in nine months. You can’t build momentum like that. We’ve got three grounds and so many teams, so you have to rotate fixtures. There are five premier clubs and the league is structured in different parts of the year, depending on the availability of the national team. They play in a T20 League, 50-over league and only two two-day matches. You can’t get a constant run of form by playing so little. As a player, you get a hundred, and then wonder what next for three weeks? Coming from an English system, where you play every Saturday-Sunday, train two days, then play two more games, this is different, but you have to live with it and be realistic.What have you done to drive more cricketers to the game?We’ve now brought in full-time contracts for 13 cricketers, strength and conditioning coaches and physios. Players are trained to work on other aspects of their games like lifestyle and wellness. The guys get cooking lessons, so that they can eat properly and manage their weights. The good thing is the average age of the current national team is in the mid-20s. Gradually we’re getting to a stage where we’re starting to move forward. These systems are also trickling down to the Under-16s and Under-19s. But it’s a gradual process.

“We can’t retain players who want to go to university for banking or law; they’re full-time careers. We can’t stop them, we shouldn’t stop them.”

There must be hindrances too?Of course. We lose players at 23-24. In a normal county system, that’s the peak age for a young cricketer, and you look at possibly having him in the mix for 10-12 years. That’s not the case here. Chris Carter for example is going to flight school probably after the Asia Cup, Jamie Atkinson, our previous captain, wanted to become a full-time teacher. He’s still available, but can’t commit all the time. Mark Chapman went to New Zealand at 20, and needs to have a three-year cooling-off period if he wants to return, but he played a lot of early cricket here. So we lose all our players at 23-24, so we have to make sure we invest a lot in the Under-16s and Under-19s. We’re slowly having a core group who will probably play international cricket at a young age, so we need to ensure we maximise their time with us before they go off to university.What can you do to prevent losing players?It all comes down to money. We’re governed by things we can’t control. Hong Kong is among the most expensive places to live and work in the world. Our player contracts are not enough for them to realistically live and work, have a family and make a career by just playing cricket. We know we can’t pay as much, but if we can provide a professional set-up to potentially play in CPL, Canada T20, PSL or BPL to earn franchise contracts, that’s great. It could also give us some spin-off benefits when it comes to their development. So we support them to find avenues to play elsewhere. It is a constant challenge.So if a player wants to study and yet play cricket, which may not allow him to commit 100% all the time, what do you do?We can’t retain players who want to go to university for banking or law; they’re full-time careers. We can’t stop them, we shouldn’t stop them. It’s just a case of giving them an opportunity at another career. Some delay going off, some don’t. I’m very big on players getting an education degree that allows them to buy opportunities to have a crack at cricket, without worrying about being picked or having an annual retainer. Once you have something to fall back on, you can play with freedom. We try and stress upon this for a lot of them from the 16-19 age-group.How does selection work in Hong Kong, with so many players also having alternate careers?We contract 13 players, but that doesn’t guarantee national selection. Selection-wise, it’s tough because we can’t go always by the numbers because of huge gaps between matches. We’re also constrained by dimensions of the ground. Suddenly you will see guys getting a lot of runs, and then when they transition into grounds that have 75m boundaries, they struggle, because they’d use the same options that got them runs in smaller grounds. We have a group of three selectors. Apart from them, we talk to coaches and umpires to get feedback. You try and look at how players play, are they playing in a way that will give them success. We also look at players sometimes who don’t get runs. That might be because they’re not willing to take risks, like to work the ball around, pick gaps and not look to hit a 45-metre six. Sometimes such players may be better suited to make the transition to international cricket. So we have to be careful to find a mix.How do you scout for talent?The one thing we have an advantage over any other country in the world is, we know every single player intimately in our system. We don’t have that many, but our five main clubs produce 90% of our players. We know all the players and coaches, so from that aspect it is pretty easy. No ground is farther than 20 minutes, you can watch every single game across the three main grounds on one day. You can’t do that in most countries. That is an advantage when it comes to talent identification, but it’s the other aspects like retaining them that is a challenge.

Former England captain says “ticking clock” of 2025-26 campaign down under was against James Anderson continuing

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Jul-2024Andrew Strauss has called for James Anderson to receive a knighthood as the England legend prepares for his 188th and final Test cap at Lord’s this week.As Test cricket’s most productive pace bowler with 700 career dismissals at 26.52, and England’s most capped cricketer, “Sir Jimmy” seems a foregone conclusion.Strauss is one of a number within English cricket to be recently awarded knighthoods, having received the honour in 2019 from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to charity, sport and cricket (his longtime opening partner Alastair Cook is also a Sir). Having captained Anderson for 42 Tests, and also worked above the 41-year-old as the ECB’s director of men’s cricket, Strauss has had a box seat to Anderson’s brilliance. He can also speak to his longevity, having retired from Test cricket 12 years ago, despite making his debut a year after Anderson in 2004.Related

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When asked if Anderson was worthy of being knighted too, Strauss was unequivocal: “Very much so! I think any fast bowler that plays 188 Test matches deserves a knighthood, I’ll put it that way.”Strauss had previously tried and failed to park Anderson and Stuart Broad, who retired at the end of last summer. Off the back of a disastrous 2021-22 Ashes campaign, Strauss, in his guise as interim director of cricket following the departure of Ashley Giles, dropped the pair for a tour of the West Indies.Their absence was short-lived as Ben Stokes restored Anderson and Broad for the home summer with his first act as Test captain. Two years on, Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum and men’s managing director Rob Key, have finally pulled the plug on Anderson.”Jimmy’s still bowling well, as we saw from his performances at Lancashire [for whom he took 7 for 35 last week] but there’s a ticking clock there for the next Ashes, isn’t there?” Strauss said. “I think 18 games until the next Ashes. And at some stage you’ve got to juggle the needs for the future with the needs for the present. So I can understand why they’ve chosen this as the right time to do that.”One thing we know for sure is that to win in Australia, or to win any test match or any Test series, it all comes down to the quality and variety of your bowling attack. And so, to me, the next Ashes is too far away for Jimmy.”People have written him off many times, including probably myself, but that does feel too far down the road. And so at some stage you have got to start planning for that.”I think it’s a tremendous thing that he has the opportunity here this week to feel the love, I suppose, and to get the appreciation he deserves from the cricketing public for those 21 years. It’s going to be a very emotional and poignant Test match and, of course, the boots that need to be filled are immense. But I can understand why this is the right time.”Strauss will be present for Anderson’s farewell with Lord’s set to turn red on day two to support the Ruth Strauss Foundation’s #RedForRuth campaign.It will be the sixth year of the initiative, aiming to raise funds and awareness for the charity set-up in memory of Strauss’ late wife, which supports families facing the death of a parent from cancer, and funds more collaboration and research into non-smoking lung cancers.”Most of what I’ve done in my career, achievement-wise, has been about me but this isn’t,” Strauss said. “This is about a need that we can help fill and I feel very proud we are carrying out Ruth’s wishes to a certain degree. But our work is only just beginning, really.”We would struggle to do what we do without this ‘Red for Ruth’ Test match and we are incredibly grateful to the ECB, to Lord’s and to the cricket community for continuing to support us.”

He has not been sleeping very well leading into the Wellington Test, but come match day, he stood up to make it count

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Wellington22-Feb-2020It was poised to be that kind of day for India. A day when they were bowled out cheaply, just when conditions were getting better to bat in. A day when their bowlers weren’t doing a whole lot wrong, but weren’t at their best either. A day when New Zealand were threatening to pull away.But they kept themselves in the game, just about, thanks mostly to Ishant Sharma.Ishant was coming back from a grade-three ankle injury, having recovered from it at an almost miraculous pace. He had landed in New Zealand less than a week before the Test match, and was still struggling with jetlag.”I could only sleep for 40 minutes last night,” he said, at his end-of-day press conference. “The night before that, I slept for only three hours.”Sleep-deprived and perhaps not yet entirely back at his physical peak, Ishant didn’t bowl the long spells he usually gets through. The 15 overs he sent down on day two were rationed into five separate spells, the longest of which lasted four overs.India looked flat and in need of inspiration almost every time Ishant began a new spell. The others weren’t doing badly, but they weren’t doing well either. This might have been okay on another day, but India had only put 165 on the board here.Jasprit Bumrah was playing his first Test since returning from a stress fracture, and the rhythm wasn’t quite there. He had seemed to find it in the warm-up match, where he hit his lengths almost as soon as he began his first spell, but here he looked edgy, walking back to his mark a little too quickly between deliveries, bowling good balls without necessarily stringing them together into pressure-building sequences, and looking like he was searching a little too eagerly for that one wicket that would make everything okay.Mohammed Shami had begun well, squaring Tom Blundell up twice in his first three overs and finding his leading edge both times. Those balls had fallen safely, though, and the batsmen had become used to the spongy bounce of the Basin Reserve pitch. But as a result of those two balls to Blundell, maybe, Shami was bowling a touch too short, not bringing the batsmen forward enough.R Ashwin was getting the ball to grip and turn more than a fingerspinner might usually do on a second-day Wellington pitch, and had spun one between Blundell’s bat and pad early on, only for bounce to save the batsman from getting bowled. But Kane Williamson was not allowing him to settle at all; against lengths that may have drawn other batsmen forward, he was trusting his back-foot game to keep punching Ashwin into the covers, where a defensive fielder, two-thirds of the way to the boundary, would soon appear.Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah share a light moment•AFPIshant had gotten a little lucky with his first wicket, Tom Latham strangling a catch down the leg side. That dismissal seemed to have happened a long time ago when Ishant came back for his third spell. New Zealand were 72 for 1, with Blundell and Williamson both batting on 30.Little seemed to be happening in the air or off the pitch at that stage, with the sun out, the wind down to a simmer, and the batsmen well set. Ishant’s first ball, however, seemed to swing a long way into Williamson. The ball may have gotten a lesser batsman in trouble, but Williamson had all the time in the world to work it off his stumps and down to fine leg for one.His third ball started on around fifth stump, and seemed once again to swing, this time away from the right-hander. It wasn’t a difficult leave for Blundell, but the fact of the ball leaving the right-hander, that too in the air, suggested Ishant might be finding reverse-swing.Perhaps it was all just an illusion. “No, it was not reversing,” Ishant said. “Actually, nothing was happening. I was trying that something might happen from the wicket. So I was just not holding the ball on the seam but trying different things. Kookaburra, after 40 or 50 overs, the seam really gets soft. So you need to come hard and hit the length very hard if you hold the ball cross-seam. That’s what happened.”So cross-seam then. The next ball jagged off the pitch, inwards, from the perfect length, which had brought Blundell forward but not far enough. A gap appeared between his front pad and defensive bat, and the ball snuck through. New Zealand 73 for 2.They were 91 for 2 when Ishant finished his three-over spell, with Ross Taylor, playing his 100th Test, having just kicked his innings into gear with a slog-swept six off Ashwin. By the time Ishant came back into the attack, 17 overs later, the score was 152 for 2.Williamson and Taylor were batting beautifully, putting together the kind of third-wicket partnership India fans have seen numerous times in their home Tests, between Dravid and Tendulkar, for instance, or Pujara and Kohli. The two best batsmen in the team chugging along effortlessly to consolidate a position of strength, and refusing to let the visiting bowlers settle into any sort of rhythm.Ishant Sharma goes up in appeal against Tom Latham•Getty ImagesTaylor, for instance, wasn’t letting Ashwin bowl his best ball – the flighted offbreak landing outside off stump. He’d played that slog-sweep when he’d only just come in, and when Ashwin tried that line again later in his spell, he got down low to paddle him fine for four. In between, as a result, Ashwin mostly bowled stump-to-stump and a little flatter and fuller than he’d ideally have liked to bowl, just to prevent Taylor from sweeping.Shami and Bumrah, stretching themselves to break the partnership, erred in line or length every now and then. Williamson caressed drives either side of mid-off, or got on his toes to punch through point. Taylor played a couple of leg glances, off balls that may have gone on to hit leg stump or even part of middle, his hands somehow whirring through the shot despite his having to play around his front pad.By the time Ishant returned, eight of the previous ten overs had contained a boundary. New Zealand trailed by a mere 13 runs. The pitch, which had offered so much sideways and vertical assistance on day one, was now appearing a lot more straightforward to bat on.But there was still something in it, and the taller bowlers – Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee during India’s innings, Ishant now – were seeming to extract that little bit more from it.”I’m not sure,” Southee said, when asked about this at his press conference. “It seems like one of those wickets where the odd one, every now and then, stands up a little bit, and I guess when you’re a little bit taller you can kind of expose that a little bit more.”Ishant had a square-ish leg gully in place when he bowled to Taylor now, in his fourth spell. With the first ball of his third over, he bowled the perfect delivery to produce a lobbed catch to that fielder, and there’s no way he could have bowled it entirely on purpose. Taylor, pressing onto the front foot with his trigger movement, was in no position to deal with one that spat up from just short of a length, all the while jagging back in and cramping him for room.Even if Ishant couln’t have bowled it entirely on purpose, there was still a method to the dismissal, and it was much the same as the method employed by Jamieson on day one. But where Jamieson had used his short ball to push batsmen back, and then used the fuller one as his wicket-taking ball, Ishant had gone the other way.Of all the fast bowlers to have bowled on the first two days – not including the medium-paced Colin de Grandhomme – Ishant bowled the greatest percentage of deliveries (64.44) that brought the batsmen onto the front foot, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data. Southee came closest (63.64) while Shami (48.04) and Jamieson (48.96) brought up the rear.Different bowlers have different methods, and there’s no right or wrong one, but committing batsmen onto the front foot will most certainly heighten the danger of your short ball. Or the shortish ball that rears up unexpectedly.It was just the ball a somnolent India had needed to jolt back to life, even if the man who bowled it would have much rather been in bed himself.