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Burnley: Renato Veiga talks held

Burnley are reportedly in talks to sign Sporting CP midfielder Renato Veiga, and an update has shared how much a deal could cost the Clarets.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

Vincent Kompany and those at Turf Moor have been extremely busy so far this summer with a number of new players brought in for the club’s Premier League which began with a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last week.

In total, 11 new players have made the move to Burnley, with the club so far spending around £77m. Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Dara O'Shea, Michael Obafemi, Luca Koleosho, Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Nathan Redmond, Lawrence Vigouroux and Jacob Bruun Larsen have all arrived, and it looks as if there could be further additions before the September 1 deadline.

The club are without a game this weekend with their scheduled top-flight fixture away against Luton Town postponed in advance, which could result in the club putting their focus firmly on the transfer market, looking to secure moves to add strength in depth to Kompany's squad. It appears as if Veiga is a player who the Clarets have their eye on, with an update emerging.

Journalist Dominik Schneider took to X in the last 48 hours to share what he’s heard on Veiga. He stated that the midfielder is being eyed by Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, however, the player’s representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley and Swiss outfit FC Basel, with a €6m fee wanted, although there is scope for a loan move with an option to buy.

“Renato Veiga is on the list of Borussia Monchengladbach. First their priority transfer is backup for Tomas Cvancara. Veiga's representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley FC + FC Basel. Sporting wants €6m transfer fee. Loan with option is also possible.”

Vincent Kompany

Who is Renato Veiga?

Veiga is 20 years of age and is primarily a holding midfielder, although he can play as a centre-back or a left-back, so would offer plenty of versatility to Kompany’s squad.

The Portuguese youngster, already sponsored by Adidas, has represented and captained his country at U20 level and has been on the books of Sporting CP for a number of years.

Standing at 6ft 2, the left-footed gem is yet to make a senior appearance for Sporting CP, however, he did go out on loan to German club FC Augsburg last season, where he went on to turn out on 13 occasions in the Bundesliga.

Veiga has featured on nearly 50 occasions for Sporting CP’s B and U23 teams, and with his contract expiring in 2025, now could be the ideal time for Burnley to make their move.

Valued at €1m by Transfermarkt, Burnley and Kompany may see Veiga as an exciting youngster who could only get better in time with the right coaching. He appears to be a player in demand in the final few weeks of the window as well, so a move could be one to keep an eye on prior to the end of the month, wit the Clarets seemingly involved in talks.

Mahmudullah, Klinger give Khulna first points

The pair’s half-century stand consigns Sylhet Sixers to their first loss in the competition

Mohammad Isam08-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPCB/PSLThe curtains came down on Sylhet’s BPL 2017 with a relatively straightforward chase that saw Khulna Titans prevail by six wickets to open their account this season. That meant the home franchise, Sylhet Sixers, were consigned to their first loss in four matches.Khulna, who completed the chase in 18 overs, benefitted from Michael Klinger’s calm. The Australia batsman, who made 47 not out on BPL debut, found support from Carlos Brathwaite, who struck an unbeaten 23, to cruise home in style.Sent in to bat, Sylhet posted 135 for 5 on the back of captain Nasir Hossain’s 47. The sluggish nature of the surface resulted in batsmen holing out in attempting big shots, with Mahmudullah and the impressive West Indies bowler Jofra Archer, who cranked the pace up and bowled consistently over 145 clicks, took two wickers each.Khulna’s redemptionAfter conceding 200 plus in their first game, Khulna were a lot tighter and consistent in their lengths. This helped them overcome a poor start, after Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathikala went briefly on a rampage. Gunathilaka made a crisp 25-ball 26.Nasir and Ross Whiteley added 57 runs for the fifth wicket, but there was hardly any zing about their batting. Nasir finished on an unbeaten 47 off 35 balls with five boundaries while the usually aggressive Whiteley made 27 off 23 balls as they made 135.Taijul gives Sylhet a footingOpening the bowling, Taijul put Khulna under pressure with his build-up of dot balls that eventually resulted in the wickets of Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Chadwick Walton and Rilee Rossouw in the first 6.5 overs. Khulna still needed 92 at that stage. Taijul bowled a charging Shanto, while Walton too was bowled trying to force him on the off-side. Rossouw’s reverse sweep on 19 found Krishmar Santokie at short third-man.Klinger’s calm helps Khulna prevailMahmudullah and Klinger added 50 for the fourth wicket, until the Khulna captain was caught at long-on in the 14th over. Brathwaite, batting at No 6, started with a six and in the same over Klinger struck two fours to reduce the target down to 23 off the last five overs. The rest of the chase was simply a formality.

Newcastle Could Sign ‘Crazy’ £42m Tapsoba Alternative

Newcastle United's season kicked off with fireworks at St. James' Park on Saturday, with Eddie Howe's side decimating Aston Villa 5-1.

The tremendous victory reaffirmed the Magpies' strength as a new European force and paid homage to the efforts of technical director Dan Ashworth on the transfer front, with summer signings Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes both on the scoresheet.

The different facets have come together like a dovetail joint, but Howe has stated that he would love one more signing this month, and with the central defence untouched, the likes of Odilon Kossounou could join the fold.

Is Odilon Kossounou joining Newcastle?

According to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope, Kossounou is part of a six-man strong shortlist as the Magpies work out the feasibility of completing a swoop for a centre-back.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

It's claimed that United need to be 'creative' due to Financial Fair Play regulations, and with Kossounou reportedly only valued at £24m – with Crystal Palace also in pursuit – Howe could complete his squad.

What is Odilon Kossounou's style of play?

It is a testament to Newcastle's superlative recruitment strategy that the final few weeks of the summer window are nigh and any further additions are almost a luxury.

This is not to say that the Tyneside club have spent extravagantly, far from it; Newcastle have worked diligently to sign the right players in the right positions, and the result against Villa is evidence that fruitful fortunes lie ahead.

It is true that the central defence has not been bolstered, but Howe's side concluded the 2022/23 campaign with the Premier League's joint-best defence – alongside champions Manchester City.

However, Fabian Schar has entered the final year of his contract and outside of the Swiss and his imperious partner Sven Botman, the pickings are sparse – Jamal Lascelles is a peripheral figure and Dan Burn spends the lion's share of his time playing as a makeshift left-back, albeit to great effect.

Leverkusen's Kossounou, aged 22, would enter the fold and likely provide cover for the established duo and be nurtured to a more prominent role over the next 12 months, possibly viewed as an heir to Schar's position for the club if the 31-year-old does indeed leave next June.

Last season, the Ivorian colossus won 64% of his aerial battles in the German Bundesliga, which bodes well considering Botman won 66% and Schar succeeded with 67% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last term.

Bayer Leverkusen defenderOdilon Kossounou.

Given that Newcastle are also pursuing Kossounou's Leverkusen teammate Edmond Tapsoba this summer, who is valued at €45m (£39m) amid rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur, it's clear that Newcastle are targeting a particular profile.

As per FBref, Tapsoba ranks among the top 15% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 75% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

Kossounou, comparatively, ranks among the top 15% of positional peers for progressive passes, the top 17% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, which underscores Leverkusen's ball-playing philosophy, starting from the back and playing balls through the thirds to in a constant flow.

For this season, the young defender could be a tailor-made fit for the Magpies' flourishing system, and the ideal heir for Schar, having been lauded for possessing a "crazy amount of talent" by scout Jacek Kulig.

Tapsoba might appear to be the more attractive option on surface level, but Kossounou is a burgeoning ace and he is making strides season upon season, and perhaps he would be best placed spending a season playing second fiddle to Newcastle's defensive duo, all the while preparing to clasp the baton and cement a regular starting berth for the Toon.

Karnataka win big with Gowtham 10-for; to face Mumbai in quarterfinals

In Hyderabad, Group A runners-up Delhi drew their final match after the hosts amassed 442 in their second innings. Delhi will face Madhya Pradesh in the next round

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2017Karnataka set up a quarter-final date with Group C runners-up Mumbai after offspinnerK Gowtham’s 7 for 72 helped them beat Railways by 209 runs, giving the Group A table-toppers their fourth group-stage win at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Karnataka will now face Group C runners-up Mumbai in the quarter-final.Gowtham ran through the Railways batting on the final day, dismissing all seven batsmen either bowled or lbw, to finish with a career-best match-haul of 10 for 142. Railways’ target of 377 was courtesy Mayank Agarwal’s second ton of the match – 134 to follow 173 – as the visitors declared on 275 for 4.Gowtham broke Railways’ resistance in the 14th over with the dismissal of opener Shivakant Shukla and took regular wickets to stop them from building any solid partnerships. By the time Railways went past 100, they had already lost five wickets, and together with legspinner Shreyas Gopal, Gowtham cleaned up the tail. The hosts’ resistance lasted 63 overs.Agarwal – who has already flown past 1000 runs for the season – started the day on 104, with Karnataka at 208 for 1. He fell to Vinit Dhulap in the in the day’s ninth over, and Karnataka declared with a lead of 376 five overs later.Group A runners-up Delhi drew their match against hosts Hyderabad after being made to bowl over 150 overs in the second innings. Forced to follow on after conceding a lead of 210, Hyderabad’s batsmen came good in the second innings, with Akshath Reddy (107), Rohit Rayudu (103) and B Sandeep (93) taking them to 442 for 8 at stumps.Delhi used nine bowlers through the innings, with the only notable success being left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra’s fifth five-wicket haul. He took four wickets on the final day, including those of the set batsmen Rayudu and Sandeep. Hyderabad finished fourth in Group A with 16 points, after having their first two matches washed out. Delhi finished second with 27 points and will face Group C winners Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals.

Jayawardene, Sangakkara to assist in Sri Lanka's revamp

Alongside Aravinda de Silva, Anura Tennakoon, they are expected to work on a range of topics including a restructuring of the domestic cricket scene

Madushka Balasuriya05-Oct-2017Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva and Anura Tennakoon have been appointed to a five-member committee to rehabilitate cricket in Sri Lanka. Brought together by the country’s sports ministry, the committee will make recommendations to the sports ministry and to Sri Lanka Cricket. Former SLC president Hemaka Amarasuriya heads the committee.Though largely tight-lipped about the exact changes they wish to bring about, committee members did single out Sri Lanka’s poor injury record as an issue they had discussed. The likes of Asela Gunaratne, Kusal Perera and Angelo Mathews were all unavailable for the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, and Sri Lanka has also had long-term problems with its fast-bowling battery.”One issue to look at in the short-term is the frequency of injuries,” De Silva said. “Whenever we have a good run of form, we get injuries to key players. We need to look at the research and try and gain a better understanding of why this is happening and how we can better handle it.”Given Jayawardene’s presence, it can be presumed that the committee will also push for a revamp of Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket structure. Jayawardene has been a vocal critic of Sri Lanka’s present domestic system and had even drawn up plans for a provincial tournament, which was ultimately rebuffed by the incumbent board in 2015. Having worked on that plan for months, only to see it shelved, Jayawardene and his fellow committee members hope the new committee’s recommendations will be taken more seriously.”We are not part of Sri Lanka Cricket,” Jayawardene said. “It’s up to them to implement these plans and we hope they do, because if not all these meetings would just be a waste of time.”I’m willing to put in one final effort to help cricket in the country, but it’s up to the board to make it happen. We can’t just keep coming back over and over again, as some sort of band-aid solution.”It appears that the SLC is indeed keen to revamp provincial cricket – as advised by Jayawardene two years ago – and a plan on the basis of that is expected to be presented towards the end of the year.While it remains to be seen what other issues the committee will address, some attention might be paid to overhauling SLC’s bloated voting system. Sidath Wettimuny, when he was in-charge of the board on an interim period, advocated for the move quite strongly and had also recommended Jayawardene and Sangakkara to be brought in to the SLC decision making process.As it stands, the committee has said it will first focus on short-term fixes following assurances by Sri Lanka’s sports minister that their suggestions would be taken seriously by SLC.

Tottenham: Club Want Their "High Level" Star To Join Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been handed a promising update on their pursuit of former defender Clement Lenglet by reports out of Spain.

Who will Spurs sign?

The north Londoners' transfer kitty has been bolstered by the sale of star striker Harry Kane, who has just completed his sensational switch to Bayern Munich for around €100 million (£86m) plus an extra €20 million (£17.2m) in possible add-ons.

Losing Kane to the Bundesliga come as a seismic blow for Spurs as they must now seek to replace a 25-plus goal-per-season forward, but there are a few options they've been linked with.

Tottenham could also look to shore up other areas of the squad following the 30-year-old's departure, as reliable media sources like The Times suggest they could make as many as three major signings before deadline day.

The Lilywhites have already completed deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz, but there is now still plenty of work to do at Spurs.

Following the signing of van de Ven, manager Ange Postecoglou has previously hinted at the club making another centre-back move.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

“It's not done yet," said Postecoglou last weekend.

"We need bolstering in that central defensive area. We need defenders who can work in an aggressive formation, defend well & behind them. We'll be looking to bring in a couple in that area in the coming days."

Following on from that comment, the Spurs head coach later backtracked, saying a new central defensive addition will be dependent on outgoings.

"We've to see what happens with outgoings," explained Postecoglou.

"But, the potential is there to bring in one more centre back after van de Ven."

Now that Kane's marquee move to Bayern is sealed, it would appear that Spurs have the money to reinvest in a new defender, with reports out of Spain suggesting it could well be Lenglet.

The Frenchman has been repeatedly linked with a move to north London this summer, but Sport now say that Barcelona hope to "close the departure" of Lenglet to Spurs "very soon" after they sold Kane.

Lenglet, meanwhile, "hopes there will be an agreement between the clubs". It's added that Tottenham hope to sign a fair few players before deadline day and the 28-year-old could be one of them.

Talks were frozen due to a lack of agreement on finances, but it appears the move is now very much back on.

How good is Clement Lenglet?

Tottenham Hotspur's loan defender Clement Lenglet.

Over his 26 appearances for Spurs on loan last term, Lenglet averaged a cool 87.5% passing accuracy out from the back (WhoScored), indicating he could fit in well to Postecoglou's fluid system.

Meanwhile, long-serving Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes he is a "high level" player.

"He's a modern defender," said Lloris.

"Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.

"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience."

Leeds: Transfer insider now claims £20k-p/w ace "wants to leave"

Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto could get 'restless' at Elland Road if he isn't sold before the Sky Bet Championship commences in early August, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Which clubs are interested in Wilfried Gnonto?

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are considering a move for Gnonto this summer alongside teammate Crysencio Summerville as Roy Hodgson looks to bolster his options in the final third.

Wilfried Zaha has left Selhurst Park to join Turkish giants Galatasaray and Eagles winger Michael Olise is attracting interest from the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, which has prompted Hodgson to enter the market for a winger and a striker due to dissatisfaction at his offensive options.

Everton also saw a £15 million bid turned down for Italy international Gnonto earlier this window and Leeds United are believed to be desperate to keep the £20k-a-week ace at Elland Road, as per The Daily Mail.

Aston Villa have been mentioned as another potential suitor in the hunt for Gnonto and other Premier League clubs have kept tabs on his situation.

Leeds United have already lost several key squad members in the off-season and Daniel Farke is keen to keep Gnonto around due to the fact he was a rare bright spark at the club last term.

In 2022/23, Gnonto made 28 appearances for Leeds United across all competitions, registering four goals and four assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Gnonto may become 'restless' if he is not allowed to leave Leeds United to seek a new challenge elsewhere.

Jones stated: “At the moment, it’s not impossible they both stay, but we will have to see if that remains the case as we get towards the start of the season and other clubs realise these two are still up for grabs.

“I hear that Gnonto wants to leave, I think he’ll get a bit restless if he’s playing in the Championship when it kicks off. So, let’s see how it all develops.”

What other events could occur at Leeds United this window?

Leeds United boss Farke's prime focus between now and the close of play in the market will be ensuring quality additions enter the building at Elland Road to join recent arrivals Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.

Football Insider claim that Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City are all competing for the signature of Swansea City striker Joel Piroe following his goalscoring exploits in 2022/23 for the Jacks.

joel-piroe-leeds-united-transfer-news-championship

The Sun On Sunday (30/7; page 59, print edition) via Leeds United News have revealed that Leeds United are in the race to sign Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who could be available for around £15 million.

West Ham United and Fulham are also keen to sign the England Under-21 international, who was part of the Three Lions squad that lifted the UEFA Under-21 EURO 2023 Championship earlier this summer.

German coach Farke has confirmed that he will make a decision on the future of full-back Sam Byram this week as he has been on trial at his former club, stating via Leeds Live: "We will see, so we will assess right now pre-season. We've not discussed it so far but we know what we've got. Sam has shown great attitude, experienced player, homegrown player, free agent, so then I don't find many, many arguments against them."

He then added: "There was some really good performances but yes, we'll have a closer look at this. So it's not a big, big topic and not a big issue, but we're all happy that he’s gone through this pre-season without any injuries and also, need to listen also bit to what he thinks and what he wants and then we'll come to a conclusion I think over the next week."

Strauss defends selectors after Botham criticism

Ian Botham is “100% wrong” if he believes Paul Coughlin was lured to Nottinghamshire by promises of England selection, according to Andrew Strauss

George Dobell20-Sep-2017Ian Botham is “100% wrong” if he believes Paul Coughlin was lured to Nottinghamshire by promises of England selection, according to Andrew Strauss.Botham, the chairman of Durham, released a statement on Tuesday in which he suggested Durham’s players had been unsettled by talk of “greater England opportunities” if they moved to different counties. He went on to warn of a “potential for conflict of interest” in serving county directors of cricket also working as England selectors.Many interpreted that as a swipe at Mick Newell, who combines his role as director of cricket at Nottinghamshire with a part-time position as an England selector. Coughlin is expected to be joined at Trent Bridge next season by his Durham team-mate Keaton Jennings who is understood to have agreed a deal subject to Nottinghamshire securing promotion back to Division One. Angus Fraser also combines his role as an England selector with his position as director of cricket at Middlesex.While Strauss, the director of England cricket, said he could “understand why there is that perception”, he defended not only the individuals involved but the principle of directors of cricket combining their roles with national selection duties.”He’s 100% wrong if he’s implying that Coughlin has gone to Nottinghamshire on the back of one of our selectors saying he’s got a better chance of playing for England coming to my county,” Strauss said.”All I can do is support the guys who are currently in position. I know what goes on in selection meetings. I know that they are exceptionally conscious of when they might be compromised and will ensure they will not have an input in those matters when it may be seen that they have a conflict of interest.”Those selectors’ job are part-time roles and, as a result, if we want experts who are up to speed with what is currently happening in the game, county directors of cricket are obviously pretty well positioned to be able to do what that role requires them to do. That’s why those guys are in position. They are two outstanding individuals and although there might be a perception of conflict of interest, I just don’t believe that to be the case.”I would be exceptionally surprised if any of our selectors were going up to players and saying ‘if you come to us it will improve your chances of playing for England’. They won’t say that. I know they don’t say that. And if they did, that would be a problem.”We are always looking at ways to improve both the system and the structure. Currently, I am very comfortable with where we are.”Botham also expressed concerns that counties were not being sufficiently rewarded for developing England players. While Strauss pointed out there is an agreement in place to do just that, he admitted the ECB would review its performance related fee payments (PRFP) system to ensure it was working.”Counties do get money – PRFP – for developing England players,” Strauss said. “And we are just starting conversations about what a new county partnership agreement looks like. We are going to be looking at all this and saying, ‘how does it work currently and does this incentivise what we want?'”I want counties to develop their own players. It’s the right way to do it and the cheaper way to do things long term. It’s really important that people focus their time and their resources into their academies to make sure they are supporting players properly.”There are a lot of instances of that happening really well and probably a few that could be better. So we need to challenge the counties on that and make sure that people are rewarded for producing England players at all levels. That’s ultimately one of the jobs of county cricket.”At present, counties can earn in excess of £100,000 a year in PRFP for a player who has developed through their academy and gone on to represent England. The developing county continues to receive those payments even if the player leaves for another county: for example, Northants continued to benefit from Graeme Swann’s England success even after he moved to Nottinghamshire. Warwickshire continue to receive payments for their role in the development of Moeen Ali.While there is no official transfer system in place – another suggestion put forward by Botham – it has become increasingly common for counties to reach deals between one another for the services of players who are in the middle of long-term contracts.

Crystal Palace: Transfer insider "not convinced" by Hodgson target

Crystal Palace are keen on bringing Southampton striker Che Adams to Selhurst Park this summer; however, journalist Dean Jones isn't 'convinced' by his capabilities as an 'out and out goalscorer' in the Premier League.

Which clubs are keen on Che Adams?

According to The Daily Mail, both Crystal Palace and Fulham have enquired about the possibility of signing Adams from Southampton this summer amid uncertainty over the future of the striker.

The Scotland international is keen to stay in the Premier League to boost his chances of being selected for the Tartan Army at EURO 2024 and Southampton are believed to be determined to recoup a fee of £15 million for him in the event of a departure.

Journalist Alan Nixon has claimed on his Patreon that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth are also in the race to sign the 27-year-old.

Adams is out of contract at Southampton next year and in addition to the aforementioned clubs, he is also garnering interest from Everton and foreign clubs. It is thought that sides from further afield could wait until January to try and land the £30k-a-week forward for free on a pre-contract arrangement.

Leicester-born Adams featured 35 times last term for Southampton, encompassing all competitions, registering ten goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is eyeing a swoop for Adams as he looks to strengthen his forward line at Turf Moor before the new season commences, TEAMtalk understands.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones isn't sure if Adams can guarantee a regular goal flow at Premier League level and thinks that interested parties may view him as more of a 'backup option'.

Jones stated: "If Che Adams is looking for a move away from Southampton, then I can totally see why clubs start to consider him as a backup option as a striker. I'm not convinced on the back of last season that you would be counting on him as your out-and-out goalscorer."

Who else is Roy Hodgson keen to add at Crystal Palace?

Roy Hodgson will be keen to add some quality reinforcements to his squad at Selhurst Park to ensure the Eagles find themselves in good shape for the start of the season.

Everton attacker Demarai Gray has cropped up on his radar and is reportedly open to leaving Goodison Park due to a lack of game time at the Toffees, according to The Daily Mail.

Demarai Gray

The outlet claim that Everton need to raise funds due to Financial Fair Play rules and would be willing to part ways with the Jamaica international for a fee in the region of £12 million.

Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte has emerged as a shock target for Crystal Palace and the Premier League champions would be open to selling the Spain international at a loss this window, as detailed by The Daily Star.

Globo via The Daily Mail cite that Crystal Palace have made 'proposals' to try and land Flamengo star Matheus Franca, who's valuation is set at around £22 million by his current employers.

Franca himself is open to the challenge of plying his trade in England, which has alerted a number of clubs in the Premier League to his availability.

Walker puts Kent above England

Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent

George Dobell19-Aug-2017Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent.While Walker, the Kent head coach, had previously indicated to the England team management that he was keen to take the opportunity to join the coaching unit during the T20 tournament, he contacted head coach, Trevor Bayliss, on Friday night to inform him of his unavailability. Kent are intending to spend February playing cricket overseas as part of their pre-season plans.”I have been asked. But I’m unable to do it because of my commitments with Kent. It coincides with hopefully going abroad,” Walker told Kent Online. “You can’t have your head coach not being around for the whole of that pre-season trip. It makes no sense to me, so yes, great to be asked, really honoured and hopefully another opportunity will arise in the future.”It’s very flattering absolutely. I’m chuffed to bits. It’s a shame I can’t do it, I would’ve loved to have been involved with England over that period but my priority is with Kent.”The original plan was for Walker to replace England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, for the tri-series section of the tour allowing Farbrace a month off during a hectic winter. It is understood England will continue to search for a suitable stand-in.

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