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India have come out as major beneficiaries of the new Future Tours Programme, which was ratified by the ICC board at its annual conference in Hong Kong

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2011India have come out as major beneficiaries of the new Future Tours Programme, which was ratified by the ICC board at its annual conference in Hong Kong. As reported first by
ESPNcricinfo on June 25, India, England and Australia will feature in most Tests among the Full Members, and India will play the top teams more frequently than they have in recent years. Also, the Champions League Twenty20 has an official annual window in September, while the IPL seems to have an unofficial one, with few international series scheduled in April and May, allowing most players to participate in it.India, currently No. 1 in the ICC Tests rankings, will play 102 Tests between now and April 2020, including the current Test in Bridgetown. One-fifth of those matches (21) will be against England. In fact, India will travel to England twice to play a five-match series in 2014 and 2018. Apart from the Ashes, no other Test series involves five matches. In the next eight years, India will play Australia twice at home and twice away – all four-match Test series – and South Africa in four three-Test series.Another significant detail in the FTP is that Pakistan are scheduled to tour India for three Tests and five ODIs in March-April 2012. If the tour goes ahead, it will be the first Test series between the two countries since 2007, after which political relations between the two countries were strained in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.The FTP has accounted for the Test championship play-offs to be played in England summers in 2013 and then in 2017.In what is likely to come as respite for some, there are far fewer match-ups between India and Sri Lanka. The two subcontinent neighbours played each other in nine Tests, 30 ODIs and four Twenty20s between July 2008 and the 2011 World Cup final, which was deemed monotonous by critics. India will play just 12 Tests against Sri Lanka in the next nine years, and there will be only two bilateral ODI series between the two teams. As reported earlier, India will not host both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe for either Test or ODIs, though they will tour Bangladesh twice, in 2014 and again in 2015, and Zimbabwe twice, in 2013 and 2016.England and Australia will play 109 and 107 Tests respectively between now and April 2020, with five Ashes series planned – three in England and two in Australia. South Africa will play just 82 Tests and have long winter-breaks. New Zealand will contest in 80, Sri Lanka 88 and West Indies 84. Pakistan, who have had to play their home series at neutral venues in recent times due to security concerns in their own country, will host Bangladesh and Australia in 2012, and South Africa in 2013. They will play 88 Tests in total till April 2020.

After going nearly six years without an over-rate offence, India have now earned fines in the fourth and fifth T20Is against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2020After picking up a first over-rate offence in nearly six years, India have got two in two games, with the team fined 20 percent of their match fees for a slow over-rate in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand.India’s players had earlier been docked 40% of their match fees for the fourth T20I, bringing to an end a streak that had lasted 264 matches since the Oval Test in August 2014.As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the stipulated time. India had been found two overs short in the fourth T20I, which is why they had been fined 40%. In the fifth match, they were found to be one over short after making time allowances.On-field umpires Chris Brown and Shaun Haig, along with third umpire Ashley Mehrotra, reported the matter to match referee Chris Broad, who imposed the sanction. Rohit Sharma accepted the charge so there was no need of a formal hearing.Rohit, however, didn’t lead India in the field, having hurt his calf while batting, with KL Rahul doing the captaincy duties in the second innings. Rohit’s injury was subsequently found to be serious enough for him to be ruled out of the ODIs and Test series that follow.India successfully defended their score of 163, completing an unprecedented 5-0 sweep in the T20I series. New Zealand lost a third successive close game, having come out on the wrong end of two Super Over defeats in the third and fourth matches, going down by 7 runs in the fifth T20I.

Afghanistan’s second innings lasted only 7.1 overs on the third morning

The Report by Hemant Brar29-Nov-2019West Indies took just an hour on the third morning to wrap up the one-off Test against Afghanistan, winning by nine wickets in Lucknow.Resuming the day on 109 for 7 in their second innings – under floodlights due to poor visibility – Afghanistan could last only 7.1 more overs as Jason Holder picked up the remaining three wickets. Rashid Khan fell to Holder’s first ball of the day with Shane Dowrich taking a wobbling catch diving to his right.Next, with Afsar Zazai trying to farm the strike, Holder flattened Yamin Ahmadzai’s off stump when he got the opportunity.In his next over, the West Indies captain dismissed Zazai too as Afghanistan were bowled out for 120. Holder finished with figures of 3 for 20, his unexpected decision to bowl after winning the toss two days ago now just a distant memory.Set 31 to win, West Indies eased to the victory but not before Amir Hamza got Kraigg Brathwaite caught behind for eight. The Barbados batsman now averages 12.26 in his last ten Tests with a highest score of 49.For debutant Hamza, it was a good outing personally as he finished with six wickets in the match, apart from hitting 34 from No. 9 in Afghanistan’s first innings.

A round-up of the first day of the ninth round of Division One of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2010Multan are in horrendous form in the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy and that showed in their miserable capitulation against Rawalpindi at the Bahawal Stadium in Bahawalpur. However, it had seemed that they would be able to bounce back from their eight consecutive defeats when they bowled out Rawalpindi for 153 earlier in the day. Seamer Abdur Rauf took five wickets, new-ball partner Tahir Maqsood took four and had it not been for a half-century from Adnan Mufti’s half-century and his 67-run stand with Muzammil Nizam for the seventh wicket, Rawalpindi would have faced an embarrassment. But they were able to inflict one on Multan, whose batting simply couldn’t measure up to the pace of Rizwan Akbar, who took 6 for 50. They had been reduced to 57 for 7 at one stage and had to rely on Rauf again, this time with the bat, to take them past 100 with an unbeaten 28. The innings folded for 112, with a lead of 41 for Rawalpindi.Bowlers dominated the opening day of the contest between Faisalabad and Sialkot at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha, claiming 16 wickets. Sialkot had the advantage at stumps after skittling out Faisalabad for 88, thanks to a maiden haul of six wickets by seamer Prince Abbas. Only four Faisalabad batsmen managed to reach double-figures. Sialkot gained a lead but lost six wickets in the process in their response, as left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood took 4 for 36. Wicketkeeper Rizwan Sultan top scored with 30, while the others got starts, but was dismissed shortly before stumps, with Sialkot on 144 for 6, 56 ahead.Table-toppers Habib Bank Limited were on the back foot in their encounter against Pakistan International Airlines at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Seamer Aizaz Cheema cut through the HBL top and middle orders to take 6 for 69 and bowl them out for 211 in just 58 overs. Tottering at 49 for 6, HBL recovered thanks to an attacking 82 from wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat, who fought hard with the tail to lend some respectability to the HBL score. PIA began well in their reply, with openers Khurram Manzoor and Agha Sabir adding an unbeaten 52 before stumps.Islamabad had the advantage at the end of the opening day against Karachi Blues at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Seamers Nasrullah Khan, Rauf Akbar and Fakhar Hussain grabbed three wickets each to overcome starts by the Karachi top-order batsmen and a half-century from Atif Ali and bowl out the opposition for 237. Nasrullah took some stick, conceding 110 in 25 overs, but Karachi will rue the fact that they let it slip after being in a strong position at 118 for 2. In their reply, Islamabad lost opener Farrukh Hayat early and finished the day on 20 for 1.National Bank of Pakistan and Water and Power Development Authority ended on almost even terms at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Rafatullah Mohmand, unbeaten on 86, helped WAPDA, currently placed second in the table, fight through a middle-order wobble and finish the day on 256 for 8. Openers Ahmed Said and Jahangir Mirza had laid a solid foundation with a stand of 83 but a collapse ensued where seven wickets fell for 94. Seamer Mohammad Talha picked up four wickets but Mohmand found support in Umaid Asif, with whom he added 62 for the eighth wicket. The extras proved useful as well, contributing 28 to the score.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited held the edge against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Opener Yasir Hameed starred with 95, including ten fours, and Shahid Yousuf contributed 80 to set up ZTBL’s score of 294 for 5 at stumps. There was another significant contribution, of an unbeaten 51 by Haris Sohail, which helped consolidate the strong start provided by Hameed.

On Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, he says ‘you don’t have to be Einstein to realise it’s probably unlikely to go ahead’

Daniel Brettig31-Mar-2020Australia’s captain Tim Paine says the nation’s cricketers are aware the delay to their central contracting for next season may well lead to pay cuts, and they accept that such a move would be part of the need to “do our bit” to preserve the game amid the coronavirus pandemic.He has also conceded that the scheduled Test tour of Bangladesh is looking unlikely, with the ICC yet to deliberate on what will take place should the remaining series of the World Test Championship be delayed or cancelled due to the need to reset for whenever it is safe again to travel around the world for international series.While Cricket Australia has been highly fortunate in the timing of the pandemic, the governing body and its state association owners have been locked into deep discussions of how to prepare for the broad range of scenarios in front of them, ranging from minimal disruption of next summer to an outlook as bleak as that currently faced by the winter football codes.Paine, who awoke on Tuesday morning to find his wallet had been stolen after he left it in his car in Hobart after moving it outside to make room for a home gym set-up, said that the players were aware of the fact that they may need to make financial sacrifices to help shore up the wider game, under the terms of their collective agreement with CA that affords them around 26% of Australian Cricket Revenue each season.”Certainly discussions will start happening in the next week or so,” Paine said. “There’s obviously the delay in our list announcement if you like. Certainly if things happen similar to what’s happened to football and other sports, then we’ve certainly got to do our bit to make sure the game survives and remains really healthy for years to come.”If it comes to that, I’m sure that’s something that the players will look at. But there are bigger issues going on around the world at the moment than how much our sportsmen are going to get paid. That’ll be a small thing to us if that was to happen.”As for Bangladesh, Paine said that time was running short for the series to be able to be played as scheduled, leaving administrators to weigh up what to do next. “At this stage I think you don’t have to be Einstein to realise it’s probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June,” Paine said. “Whether it’s cancelled completely or its pushed back, we’re not quite sure at the moment, but it’s a couple of Test matches and if at the end of the day we have to miss them, then so be it.”I think whether some series have been cancelled, whether one’s going forward, or we are going to postpone them [we have to wait and see]… And maybe players are going to go through a period where we play five weeks’ cricket [at a stretch] if we can to complete the Test championship.”I think the players are certainly enjoying that points system and the fact that every Test match counts for something and you are playing towards a premiership if you like. I think all players will be in favour of trying to finish that in any way we can. But again if it doesn’t happen as I said there are bigger issues in the world and missing a few Test matches isn’t going to hurt us.”Similarly, Paine spoke with equanimity when asked about the likely need for fixture clashes between cricket and football codes should health restrictions for coronavirus be relaxed late this year.”If that’s what happens, that’s what happens. We’re going through some pretty different circumstances clearly around the world at the moment,” Paine said when asked about the Twenty20 World Cup going head-to-head with the AFL. “I think all sporting codes and businesses are going to have to do things slightly differently going forward. Again it’s about working together, I think footy and cricket can help each other as much as society can in general in difficult times. For me personally I’d quite like to see both if I’m totally honest.”This week brought an end to Steven Smith’s two-year ban from captaincy in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, and Paine indicated that leadership would likely be a conversation topic with his No. 4 batsman. However he clarified that he had no intention to stand aside early to hand the captaincy reins back to Smith, also pointing out that there were a growing number of options around the national teams.”I haven’t had that conversation with Steve, I probably will at some stage no doubt,” Paine said. “But I think if you look at the fact he’s captaining Rajasthan Royals, captaining in The Hundred, it’s obviously something that he loves doing. So if Steve Smith decides that’s the way he wants to go, then I will fully support him in trying to do it again.”I know it’s a really big thing for JL [coach Justin Langer] and [CA chief executive] Kevin Roberts to make sure that we are developing a number of people when the role comes up, whether it’s the Test role or when [limited-overs captain] Aaron Finch decides that he’s had enough. We’ve got a number of guys to choose from.”At the moment, I’d like a Steve Smith who’s done it before or ones that are developing like a Travis Head or Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne. Pat Cummins is another one. We are starting to build a real depth and that’s what we want to do to make sure that when my time’s up, there are a number of options.”

The first standalone WBBL begins on Friday. Here are how the teams stack up

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-2019

Adelaide Strikers

Squad Darcie Brown, Tegan McPharlin, Alex Price, Annie O’Neil, Sarah Coyte, Katie Mack, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Bridget Patterson, Ellie Falconer, Megan Schutt, Tahlia McGrath, Stafanie Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tabatha Saville2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?They began with victory against eventual champions the Brisbane Heat, but struggled for consistency until the backend if the group stage where they secured three victories in a row – including a Super Over win against the Hobart Hurricanes – but it was too late to make the knockouts. That was despite having two of the five highest run-scorers in Sophie Devine and Suzie BatesPlayer to watchAllrounder Tahlia McGrath was part of Australia’s Test and ODI side but has not featured since 2017 although is a current member of the national performance squad. Last season she was the Strikers’ third-highest run-scorer behind Devine and Bates and if she can increase her output from the 276 runs made in 2018-19 it will help take the pressure off the New Zealand pair.

Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat became the first non-Sydney team to win the WBBL•Getty Images

Squad Kirby Short (capt), Haidee Birkett, Maddy Green, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Delissa Kimmince, Charli Knott, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Ended the Sydney Sixers’ quest for a hat-trick of titles with a three-wicket win in the final where Beth Mooney battled the heat for a matchwinning 65 then they held their nerve amid a late wobble. Their semi-final win over the Sydney Thunder had been a thriller as well with Haidee Birkett holding a stunning catch to secure victory. Mooney had an excellent tournament with the bat, making 486 runs, while Delissa Kimmince was the leading wicket-taker with 22.Player to watchLast season Grace Harris smashed the fastest WBBL hundred off just 42 balls against the Melbourne Stars and overall she was the Heat’s second-highest scorer behind Mooney. Her strike-rate of 148.41 was the highest of the tournament. There were also 16 wickets at an economy rate of under six in a stellar tournament. And that’s before we even mention the times she is on the mic in the field.

Hobart Hurricanes

Heather Knight will be a key figure in the Hobart Hurricanes’ batting•Getty Images

Squad Nicola Carey, Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Maisy Gibson, Corinne Hall (capt), Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith, Chloe Tryon, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Hurricanes made the semi-finals in the first two seasons of the WBBL but have been the competition anchors in the last two years. Last season they won just two matches and also lost two Super Overs. West Indies star Hayley Matthews only managed two games before being injured and India’s Smriti Mandhana managed just two half-centuries in 13 games. The Hurricanes did score more runs than any other team but they conceded more runs than any other side as well. They had real trouble containing opposition sides and they have made a concerted effort in the off-season to bolster the bowling stocks.Player to watch Tayla Vlaeminck has made the move to Tasmania alongside fellow Australia player Nicola Carey. Vlaeminck hasn’t shown her best form at WBBL level yet due to a multitude of injury issues but her performances for Australia recently suggest she could have a huge tournament. She has taken wickets in each of her last five international matches and has conceded under six runs an over. She will be the fastest bowler in the tournament and will give the Hurricanes some real strike-power upfront.

Melbourne Renegades

Sophie Molineux celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Squad Tammy Beaumont, Makinley Blows, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin (capt), Erica Kershaw, Claire Koski, Carly Leeson, Sophie Molineux, Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Renegades fell agonisingly short of the final. Sophie Molineux firstly went within millimetres of finding the match-winning boundary off the last ball of the semi-final and then she was inches short of the winning third run after her full stretch dive was just beaten by Alyssa Healy’s direct hit. The Renegades did only just scrape into the semis, though, winning seven games for the season. Their attack was their biggest weapon last year with the spin trio of Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, and Molineux complemented by the speed of Lea Tahuhu and the consistency of Maitlan Brown. But their batting was too heavily reliant on Molineux, who scored three of the Renegades’ six half-centuries for the season, including her brilliant innings in the semi-final.Player to watchAllrounder Sophie Molineux is again the Renegades key player and with the absence of Amy Satterthwaite her runs will be even more important. She will get more support at the top of the order with the signing of senior England batter Tammy Beaumont. Molineux will be pushing to be part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad and runs and wickets will put her right in the frame.

Melbourne Stars

Lizelle Lee waits to swat one away on a way to a hundred•Getty Images

Squad Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez, Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin, Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani (capt)2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Stars started the season with a bang thanks to Lizelle Lee’s stunning century on the opening day, and they won their first two matches, but their batting really fell away badly as they struggled to make winning scores. The South African pair of Lee and Mignon du Preez reached 50 just once each which meant their relatively inexperienced attack didn’t have much to work with. Legspinner Kristen Beams, who has announced she will retire after this season, was only available for six games which made their task even harder and they only managed five wins for the season.Player to watchElyse Villani returning home to Melbourne after a stint in Perth is a huge boost for the Stars. She takes over as captain and is very highly regarded as a leader but her batting will be where she can make the biggest impact. She was the sixth leading runscorer in the WBBL last season and only played 11 games. She has also been out of favour at international level and will be looking to push her case for the T20 World Cup having not played a T20I since the 2018 World Cup final in the West Indies.

Perth Scorchers

Perth Scorchers will be able to call on Australia captain Meg Lanning•Getty Images

Squad Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones, Emma King, Meg Lanning (capt), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Nat Sciver2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The much-vaunted Scorchers were arguably the biggest disappointments of WBBL04. Despite the star power in the top-order, they were unable to make the finals for the first time. Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton missed 13 games between them which did test the Scorchers’ depth from a batting perspective, but they really struggled with the ball. Heather Graham took 22 wickets in a season where she was named domestic player of the year but Bolton’s 12 wickets from 11 games with her part-time offspin was the next best contributor, and she was the only bowler with an economy rate under seven.Player to watchNicole Bolton will be important for the Scorchers. She has taken a step back from international cricket for the time being to focus on her mental health and she has enjoyed the domestic environment with Western Australia, scoring two WNCL half-centuries to start the season. Lanning will be the key wicket for opposition teams and that may allow Bolton to play with some freedom. Her offspin will be useful again, as she is particularly adept at bowling in the powerplay.

Sydney Sixers

Alyssa Healy’s maiden T20I century landed her a world record•Getty Images

Squad Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jodie Hicks, Emma Hughes, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Dane van Niekerk, Lauren Smith2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Pipped in the final by the Heat after the semi-final for the ages against the Renegades when the relay run out between Erin Burns, Sarah Aley and Alyssa Healy became one of the moments of the season. A stellar top order produced three individuals hundreds – two from Ellyse Perry and one for Healy – supplemented by further international class in Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns and Dane van Niekerk. Perry’s tally of 777 runs was a new WBBL record.Player to watchIt may seem obvious to pick out Ellyse Perry, but the strength of Australia’s top order means she hasn’t been needed much with the bat in recent times. Back on the domestic scene she can expect to be at the top of the order with the chance to set the tone for the innings. The Sixers aren’t short on bowling options, either, but Perry will be looking to increase on her return of 10 wickets in 16 matches at last year’s tournament.

Sydney Thunder

Nida Dar bowls•IDI/Getty Images

Squad Rachael Haynes, Sam Bates, Alex Blackwell, Nida Dar, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Phoebe Litchfield, Rachel Priest, Kate Peterson, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Finished second in the league stage and when Nicole Carey connected with her swing into the leg side off the final ball of the semi-final against the Heat it looked as though they were destined for the final, only for Haidee Birkett to grab the brilliant catch on the boundary. Rachael Haynes led the batting impressively with 376 runs with Stafanie Taylor, who this season will play for the Strikers, taking 19 wickets and contributing 212 runs.Player to watchIt remains to be seen how often she makes the startling XI, but 16-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is an undoubted star of the future. Earlier this year a video posted by the NSW Breakers of her batting in the nets gained considerable attention and over the last 12 months she has scored her maiden first grade century, made her debut for the Breakers and been selected for Australia Under-19s and the Governor General’s XI.

T20I format comes to fore as England look to maintain attacking white-ball approach

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2019England’s build-up towards the 2020 T20 World Cup will begin in earnest this week, with the start of their five-match series against New Zealand, and Jonny Bairstow hopes the squad can channel the momentum of 50-over success into next year’s campaign in Australia.England lifted the World Cup for the first time in July, having overhauled their ODI cricket under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan. Although there has been less of a focus on T20 cricket, England did reach the World T20 final in 2016 and the core personnel in the white-ball teams is largely the same.In New Zealand, Morgan will oversee a squad featuring several new faces looking to make a mark. Bairstow is one of the senior batsmen on the tour, with Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all rested, and after top-scoring in England’s warm-up victory in Lincoln on Sunday, he was excited about the challenge ahead.”I think it does feel like the start of that journey towards the T20 World Cup,” Bairstow said. “It’s going to come around thick and fast. Seeing guys who’ve played county cricket taking the step up to international cricket is going to be fascinating. That, coupled with the guys that are not on this tour but will come back into the team, there’s going to be competition for places.

England XI for 2nd T20 warm-up

Dawid Malan, Tom Banton, James Vince, Eoin Morgan, Joe Denly, Sam Billings (wk), Lewis Gregory, Tom Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Pat Brown, Matt Parkinson

“The cycle for the 50-over World Cup started four years ago. Hopefully we’re fortunate enough that the way we’ve played our 50-over cricket will lead us well into our T20 cricket.”It’s a fascinating period to be playing cricket for England. There’s some very, very talented guys that have played a lot of cricket now
for England that are all together and have the experience of going through the ups, the downs and everything in between.”While the T20I format tends to lose context between major global tournaments – England’s last outing, against Pakistan in May, saw Ben Duckett open the batting and Ben Foakes take the gloves – there is now a clear 12-month run-in for teams to hone their approach. Bairstow is one of a number of England players to have benefited from the ECB hierarchy relaxing its stance on IPL participation, and he suggested the Hundred could also increase Morgan’s options.”You’ve got guys playing T20 in competitions around the world whether that be the Indian Premier League, Big Bash or whatever it may be, so I’m not too sure it’s going to make too much of a difference,” Bairstow said.”Then you’ve got the Hundred that’s starting next year so that’s an even shorter format that will allow people to put their skills on show to potentially push for that squad.”The tour will also bring together many of the same players that contested the 50-over World Cup final during the English summer, on an emotionally draining day at Lord’s. New Zealand’s defeat on boundary countback is likely to gain a mention, even if there are no ODIs scheduled, and Bairstow said they were wary of the hosts’ qualities – despite captain Kane Williamson missing the series through injury.”They’re dangerous no matter what,” he said. “We’ll be expecting a very tough challenge and that’s every time you play against New Zealand because they’ve got quality all the way through. They are a great bunch of fellas but naturally what happened at Lord’s is going to be quite tough for those guys and there will be a fire in their belly and a hunger to put things right.”England could also draw inspiration from watching the rugby team see off the All Blacks in Japan on Saturday morning, setting up the possibility of more World Cup glory at New Zealand’s expense.”We all watched it at the team hotel and it was amazing to see,” Bairstow said. “To say you’ve watched the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand when England were playing New Zealand is pretty cool. Two England World Cup-winning teams in one year would be special, wouldn’t it?”

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who made 343 appearances for Newcastle United, has claimed that Arsenal will be looking to receive £25 million for Joe Willock, who is currently on loan with the Magpies.

Willock has impressed during his short spell on Tyneside which has led to reports suggesting Newcastle will be looking to bring him back next season, either on loan or on a permanent basis.

The on-loan midfielder has been the subject of reports suggesting that his parent club will be looking for £20 million if Newcastle want to sign him, with the Gunners needing to raise funds if they are to sign Martin Odegaard in the summer.

Speaking on how much Arsenal will want for Joe Willock and what Newcastle have to be careful of during negotiations, Lee told The Transfer Tavern:

“They’ll probably ask for £25 million and that’s the problem these days.

“You look at some players and think, ‘is he worth it?’ There has to be some sort of range where clubs aren’t willing to go past to sign a certain player.”

Willock had been a mainstay since joining from Arsenal, even scoring on his debut, however Steve Bruce has dropped the 21-year old for their last three games.

This is the £20,000 per week midfielder’s first time spent away from Arsenal having come through their academy, and he has already made 78 appearances for the Gunners.

Leeds could make an exciting move this summer by signing Stuttgart forward Nicolas Gonzalez.

What’s the story?

Reports over last summer’s transfer window suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were very much interested in bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road from Bundesliga side Stuttgart, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder has exclusively told FFC that Gonzalez’s arrival at Elland Road this summer would help create an “exciting” attack for Marcelo Bielsa.

He said: “It’s that thing of, you’ve got Raphinha and potentially Gonzalez on the other wing and Bamford up front. And with their fast direct play up front, them interchanging, it would be an exciting time to be a Leeds fan if they signed Nicolas Gonzalez.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

With his ability to play up front and out wide on the left, the £22.5m-rated Gonzalez could form an outstanding duo with Raphinha on the right-hand side.

While the Brazilian can bring a bit of creativity and skill, the 23-year-old Gonzalez is more of an inside forward, with a real clinical edge.

This season has seen him score six goals and provide a further two assists in just 15 Bundesliga games, while his average of 3.3 shots per game actually ranks him third among all players in the division.

Gonzalez’s eye for goal would go a long way to easing the burden on Patrick Bamford’s shoulders, while Raphinha will enjoy trying to set up someone who’s “always looking to get in behind, and is strong in the one-on-ones”.

And judging by the kind of mentality he is, he appears to be a perfect fit for Bielsa’s side.

Stuttgart’s head coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, said of him: “He’s got a lot of qualities, but what I like best about him is that he’s a winner. He wants to win at all costs. He always gives 100 percent, and gets stuck in. He’s very important for us.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

Gonzalez’s versatility would tick two key boxes for Bielsa, namely, an elite wide player to go along with Raphinha, and also someone who can provide Bamford with some much-needed competition up front too.

Meanwhile, Leeds should land this “exceptional” English striker…

As per the club’s official website, Premier League outfit Crystal Palace sealed a last-gasp move for Michy Batshuayi late on in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old had been playing his football at Spanish club Valencia on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea in the first half of the season, only for struggles in front of goal at the Mestalla to call into question his future at the club as the winter window progressed.

And it was Roy Hodgson’s Palace who officially sealed a Deadline Day move for the striker as they sought the reinforcements they desperately needed in the final third of the pitch, with the arrival of the Belgium international potentially going some way to securing the Eagles another season of Premier League football.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while one look at the Palace squad suggests a side full of talent and one that shouldn’t be in relegation trouble, their evident struggle for goals means that the Londoners are indeed embroiled in a battle near the bottom, what with Hodgson’s men currently sat 15th in the table and just four points clear of safety.

And their meagre tally of 24 goals from their 24 matches is without doubt a key factor in their struggles to put daylight between themselves and danger this term – after all, their top-scoring striker this season is on-loan man Jordan Ayew with a paltry two goals to his name.

But with supremely talented attackers in Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, the Eagles are always likely to create ample goal-scoring opportunities just waiting to be converted by the predatory and lethal striker the club have been crying out for – and they may finally have that man in Batshuayi.

Yes, the 25-year-old has endured a tricky time in Spain recently with only one La Liga goal to show for his endeavours in Valencia, but one only need look at his goal-scoring record at Chelsea, Marseille, and Borussia Dortmund to suggest that Palace appear to have pulled off something of a masterstroke.

The Belgian ace has netted 19 times in just 53 appearances for Chelsea following his move from Marseille back in 2016, which given his lowly number of starts at Stamford Bridge equates to a goal every 93 minutes of action – that is a staggering return.

And with 33 goals in only 78 appearances in France for Marseille, and then nine goals in 14 games for Dortmund last season, it’s pretty clear that his time at Valencia was a one-off – on the whole, the 25-year-old will more often than not have an impact when on the field.

And that ability to get into the right place at the right time in the penalty area, and thus get on the end of goal-scoring opportunities, is exactly what Palace need to start moving up the Premier League table – it’s difficult to see where the goals were coming from were they not to sign the striker.

As it happens, the 25-year-old made the Deadline Day move to Selhurst Park, in turn equipping Hodgson with the goal-scoring forward the Eagles so desperately need to move clear of danger – thus, his arrival might well have just saved their season.

Crystal Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!