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Leeds United are on the hunt for a new striker this summer and their search could take them to manager Jesse Marsch’s home country…

What’s the word?

According to Manchester Evening News journalist Conor McGilligan, the Yorkshire outfit are keen on signing New York City FC frontman Valentin Castellanos, and have been looking at him for a while now.

“Leeds are apparently going head over heels for a striker at the minute. He sort of fits the mould, he’s the best striker in the MLS at the minute, looks very complete, Argentinian,” he told the ‘One Leeds Fan Channel’ this week.

“A few links there, apparently, Leeds have been looking at him for a while as well. So yeah, Valentin Castellanos.

“Keep an eye on that name.”

It’s thought that the MLS champions have set an asking price of around £12.8m, as per The Mirror.

Striker desperation

The Whites suffered from multiple problems during their near-fateful 2021/22 campaign, ranging from persistent injury issues to the second-leakiest backline in the top-flight.

Marcelo Bielsa and then Marsch were also pegged back by their troubles in the final third. Patrick Bamford, fresh off a 17-goal season, was absent for the majority of 2021/22 with an array of injuries. He only managed nine games in total, leaving Raphinha and co to take the mantle.

A lack of an alternative almost cost the Yorkshiremen their place in the big time, something they waited nearly two decades for prior to their promotion in 2020.

It’s no wonder Leeds appear to be desperate for another option up top and Castellanos is a very interesting candidate indeed.

His goalscoring record in the US cannot be disputed. He bagged eight assists as NYCFC clinched their first-ever title, with the Argentinian also raking in the Golden Boot.

He has since continued that form this year, delivering 11 goals and five assists across 17 appearances in the MLS and CONCACAF Champions League, taking his total for the American giants to 53 goals and 23 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Castellanos has been likened to former Chelsea talisman Didier Drogba by MLS UK Show podcaster Henry Hewitt to Manchester Evening News in the past, where he also claimed: “He doesn’t just score one type of goal. He’s strong, quick, good with his head and isn’t afraid to bring his teammates into play.”

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The 23-year-old also outranks Bamford for non-penalty expected goals and shots on target per 90, via FBRef, too.

On the above evidence, it could well be worth the risk to dip into the MLS market to solve Marsch’s problems at Elland Road. After the arrival of Brendan Aaronson and soon, Rasmus Kristensen, a new forward must be the priority.

Castellanos can be the man to end Leeds’ desperation.

AND in other news, Orta can land “the next Declan Rice” as Leeds eye talent who’s “getting rave reviews”…

Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma is now on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer transfer window, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Danjuma’s season

Since making the switch from Bournemouth last year, the 25-year-old has gone on to leave an incredible impression on the Spanish top-flight. In 34 games for the La Liga outfit, the Netherlands international has netted an impressive 16 goals.

As a result of his domestic and European form – he scored six times on route to the Champions League semi-finals – a number of transfer rumours have arisen linking the winger with a move back to England.

According to a report by 90min, Fabio Paratici and co. sent a number of club officials to watch Danjuma in the first leg of Villarreal’s semi-final tie against Liverpool earlier this month.

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The Latest: Jones’ claim

With all this information, transfer window expert Jones believes that Danjuma is on Paratici’s summer wish list.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“They’ve got Danjuma on their radar. He’s a good player, but I don’t believe that he’s going to increase the ceiling of what this Tottenham team can achieve, so I think this is one they will wait and see on.”

The Verdict: Great signing

During his stint along the south coast, Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate was full of praise for the 25-year-old, asserting that he is “an exceptional player”.

Former European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips has also reiterated this rhetoric, claiming that Danjuma “is a nightmare for defenders”, as “he can hurt any defence with his pace and directness”.

With Antonio Conte’s side hoping to secure a top four Premier League finish and a place in next season’s Champions League, Paratici will be eyeing the likes of Danjuma, as the Lilywhites look to bolster the quality in their squad as they plan for a busier schedule next year.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Levy will be ‘delighted’ with Champions League plans

Everton hosted the first Merseyside Derby of the season at Goodison Park today and Frank Lampard will surely be delighted that the Toffees managed to pick up a point from a fierce clash with their local rivals this afternoon.

As usual, the game was full of entertainment from start to finish and was an end-to-end spectacle for neutrals but for supporters in both red and blue will be frustrated with clear-cut chances missed throughout the fixture.

Despite only having 39% possession and fewer shots on targets, the Toffees had one more big chance, completed more dribbles and won more duels over the course of the game against their opponents, giving Lampard some big positives to take away from the game along with a much-deserved point.

In fact, it could’ve even been a three-pointer for Everton with former Liverpool youth player Conor Coady putting the ball into the back of the net, however, after a lengthy VAR review the defender had his goal struck off for offside in the 71st minute.

There was no doubt that Jordan Pickford was the Man of the Match today with eight important saves, leading his team perfectly from the back which played a massive part in Everton’s ability to hold the game to a stalemate, but there was also one other player who was a huge influence in the centre of the pitch.

Lampard gave Amadou Onana his third start of the season this afternoon and the decision paid off for the former Chelsea boss with the young Belgian midfielder proving exactly why the powers at Goodison Park snapped him up.

The 21-year-old – who was hailed “a natural” by Paul Brown for his contributions in the Merseyside Derby – completed 88% of his passes, made one key pass, seven tackles, one interception and three clearances, as well as won 11 of his 16 duels over his 90-minute on the pitch – passing his first big test against a star-studded Liverpool side.

Onana is the 11th highest rated player in the Everton squad following his five appearances so far according to SofaScore, and Lampard will be delighted he is settling into the team very well as the manager endeavours to improve upon the relegation scare that haunted the club over last season.

Everton are now unbeaten in their last four games picking up four draws, seeing the club climb into 14th place in the Premier League table, but the team remain winless and will need that extra push to start taking all three points from their outings over the coming weeks and months.

India A and South Africa A will step into a weird universe where personal gains can trump those of the team

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru03-Aug-2018″A lot of these [‘A’ team] tours aren’t necessarily about winning,” India A coach Rahul Dravid had told ESPNcricinfo, after his side secured the one-day tri-series title – involving England Lions and West Indies A – in London. It’s a different universe, where personal gains often trump those of the team. A universe where the second strings seek to catch the eyes of the selectors in order to break into the senior team. A universe where the selectors search for the missing pieces in the jigsaw. A universe which players use to hit form.In July 2015, Virat Kohli requested the selectors to include him in the A side for the second four-day match against Australia A in Chennai. And just like that the game was shifted from the SSN College ground, which is cut off from the city, to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which is located in the heart of Chennai. For the record, Australia A, ultimately, won by 10 wickets and sewed up the series 1-0. But Kohli got what he wanted: game-time ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. Gurinder Sandhu, who was the top wicket-taker in that series, ditched fast bowling for offspin and even turned the ball sharply. Welcome to this weird universe.India A and South Africa A – led by internationals Shreyas Iyer and Khaya Zondo respectively – will step into this universe, starting with the first of the two four-day matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Saturday. This will be followed by a quadrangular one-day series, involving India A, India B, South Africa A and Australia A in Vijayawada. Later in September, India A are set to face Australia A in two four-dayers in Vizag. These A-team series will then lead into a bumper domestic season.Iyer was part of the victorious one-day A team in England, but he managed only 93 runs in five innings, of which 44 came in the title bout. He subsequently did not get a game in the ODI series against England with the senior team. Earlier in the year, he wasn’t awarded a BCCI central contract despite showing flashes of brilliance against Sri Lanka and South Africa in ODIs at home and away. He now makes his way into an A series, having last played red-ball cricket in November 2017.”My approach towards the red-ball game has always been positive,” Iyer said. “I’m very flamboyant in terms of my shot-making and have always backed myself. Regarding selection in the senior team, it’s not in my hands. I will just do my job, keep performing and the rest will follow.”We had two good-quality sessions here [in Bengaluru] and the wickets we batted on had a lot of cracks on them, and not at all easy to play on. So batting in such conditions will make us positive when we play on the centre wicket because it will be considerably better than what we batted on. And obviously, inputs from Rahul sir have helped every individual in the team.”Khaya Zondo at the pre-match press conference•PTI While Iyer has suffered quite a few setbacks recently, he has also grown as a captain. After leading Bandra Blasters to the playoffs in MCA’s inaugural Mumbai T20 league earlier this year, Iyer took over as Delhi Daredevils’ captain following Gautam Gambhir’s resignation. Captaincy can make a young man feel like he’s shouldering the weight of the world – ask South Africa’s Aiden Markram. In his first match as Daredevils’ captain, however, Iyer batted like the world was at his feet, and launched the bottom-placed Daredevils to the second-highest total of the IPL season.”The transition process of captaincy has been really great,” Iyer said. “I think captaincy has changed me mentally and so I’m planning my innings accordingly. You have to take a lot of responsibility as captain and you need to set an example for your team. It not only helps me on the field but also off the field.”Then there’s the curious case of Haryana team-mates Yuzvendra Chahal and Jayant Yadav. Chahal has established himself as a match-winner in limited-overs matches for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore, so much so that his captain in both teams (Virat Kohli), hinted that he could find a place in the Test squad for England. The Test call-up did not happen eventually, and instead, Chahal is now with the A team for his first red-ball match since the Ranji quarter-final against Jharkhand in 2016.As for Jayant, after a stress fracture of the finger sidelined him from the entire 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, he is now steadily working his way back. He has returned to Bengaluru, where he had spent about three months rehabbing at the NCA with Narendra Hirwani. Could this series be the first step in a return to the national reckoning?Zondo admitted the visitors were also looking at the tour with a similar lens.”A tours, in general, are good experiences, especially for guys who are coming down from the internationals to get some form and get back into the [senior] team or guys who are just trying to make their international careers, coming from professional level and going up,” he said. “And it’s a good stepping stone for the internationals because you come across some really good players who’re playing in this series. So definitely, there will be competitive and good-quality cricket.”At AB de Villiers’ second home’, South Africa will look at possible options to fill the middle-order crater created by his shock retirement and also build towards “Vision 2019”. Zondo himself is a strong candidate, having made a compact half-century against India in Centurion in February. He was particularly fluent against the wristspinners Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, scoring 41 off 51 balls against them.He also started this tour with a fluent half-century against the Indian Board President’s XI in the warm-up game. The likes of Cape Cobras batsman Zubayr Hamza, who averages 51.01 in first-class cricket, CPL-bound Lions batsman Rassie van der Dussen, the top-scorer in South Africa’s 2017-18 first-class season, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second, who has been a consistent performer for Knights over the last four seasons, will press for higher honours.

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2016Ravindra Jadeja constantly attacked the stumps – and pads – with his wicket-to-wicket line•BCCI9.3 – Yadav to Guptill: Trapped in front! Swing. Inswing. Careens into the pads, slipping Guptill’s defences. He fell over again, the front leg planted on middle and off stump. And from that position it is very hard to handle a very quick, full ball darting back into you51.5 – Ashwin to Latham: Goes straight on! These aren’t tricks, folks. This is pure skill from Ashwin. Putting a lot more body into his action, which helps him drift the ball into the left-hander from around the stumps. And that drift happens late. Latham is prodding forward, defending outside the line and his front pad is ripe for attack52.3 – Jadeja to Taylor: Happens all the time in India. All it takes is one strike. Jadeja sneaks in the slider, the news has not reached Taylor’s front pad. He was defending around it, which is never good. At first, it seemed like it may have slid down leg. Off was visible, so was a slight bit of middle. Umpire Kettleborough is confident enough to give him. Then again, it might end up as umpire’s call if DRS was in playR Ashwin threatened with deliveries that turned, and also with ones that slid on with the arm•Associated Press79.1 – Jadeja to Ronchi: Ooof, that looked bad. I was convinced it had hit Ronchi on the full, while he was sweeping a ball that was in line with the stumps. Misses it completely – his shot selection was poor. Umpire Tucker sends him on his way, but it is later that I, at least, realise the ball was not a full toss hitting him on the front pad. It dipped and turned. Hit Ronchi on the back pad after turning quite a bit. May well have missed off stump94.2 – Jadeja to Craig: Traps him in front of middle and off! Given by umpire Kettleborough and he’s bang on. The ball is quite full, and it may have stayed a touch low as well. Craig was trying to flick, and with a closed face of his bat, he hasn’t given himself a chance. Exemplifies the threat Jadeja poses. With his accuracy, all it takes is one ball to misbehave94.3 – Jadeja to Sodhi: Two in two! Another quicker delivery, strikes Sodhi in front of leg stump, and he wasn’t entirely forward either. It may just have straightened enough.

Stats highlights from the third day of the fourth Investec Test at Trent Bridge, where England won back the Ashes

Shiva Jayaraman08-Aug-20154 Number of away Ashes Australia have now lost in a row; this is the longest such sequence for them since 1896-97 when they had lost the first-six Ashes series consecutively.6 Ashes Tests won by Alastair Cook; among England captains only Mike Brearly (11) and WG Grace (8) have won more Ashes Tests than Cook. Percy Chapman also won six Ashes Tests.5 Number of Ashes series wins Ian Bell has now been part of, which equals the most Ashes series wins for any England player since 1950. Ian Botham too featured in five Ashes wins, from seven series. This is Bell’s seventh Ashes series as well.2 Number of England captains to win two or more home Ashes series before Alastair Cook. WG Grace had captained England in four Ashes wins at home and two of Mike Brearly’s three Ashes wins had come at home. Cook is also only the sixth England captain to win more than one Ashes series.3 Man-of-the-match awards won by Stuart Broad in the Ashes – equals the second-most won by any England player since such awards started being given away. Ian Botham won five such awards during his career. Andrew Flintoff too won three such awards in the Ashes.7 Ashes Tests lost by Michael Clarke – the most by any Australian as a captain. Overall, only three other captains have lost more Ashes Tests than Clarke. Archie McLaren lost 11 Ashes Tests, Mike Atherton lost nine and Johnny Douglas lost eight Ashes matches.1986 Last time in the Ashes a team made a first-innings total lower than England’s 391 in this Test and still went on to win by an innings. On that occasion too, England beat Australia, by an innings and 14 runs at the MCG, after posting a total of 349 in their first innings. Overall, there have been 12 such instances in the Ashes including this Test and only five have happened since the 1900s.1921 Last time before this series a team lost back-to-back Tests in the Ashes, each within three days. On that occasion though, Australia were on the winning side, beating England in three consecutive Tests, each within three days.6/36 Ben Stokes’ bowling figures in Australia’s second innings – his best in Tests. This was also his second five-for in Tests. His first five-for had also come against Australia, at the SCG in 2014. On that too, Stokes took six Australian wickets. Stokes has taken 23 of his 37 Test wickets in the Ashes.5 Number of times two England bowlers have taken six-wicket hauls (or better) in an Ashes Test including Stuart Broad and Stokes in this match. This is the second time in this series that two England bowlers have taken such hauls in a match. At Edgbaston, James Anderson and Steven Finn had taken six-wicket hauls.

Shane Warne has turned up in Cape Town at a helpful moment for his friend in need, Michael Clarke, ahead of a pivotal Test match meeting with South Africa

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town28-Feb-2014Michael Clarke is a worrier. Sometimes about things he should be worried about, sometimes not.His unfailingly, even deliberately sunny public persona can be seen as one of the most pointed manifestations of that worry, about what people may think if Clarke does not project the right image nor deliver the right sound bite. At the moment the Port Elizabeth Test was lost by Australia, the camera panned to Clarke in a moment he could not prepare for, at a juncture where he was not wearing his public face. Its expression was memorable, conveying considerable shock and, yes, worry.Over the past nine months, as Clarke’s team has grown from a chaotic ensemble floundering in the search for direction and resolution to a cohesive, successful and Ashes-holding side, his worries have been few. But at St George’s Park a pair of lingering issues compounded with a new one to create fertile circumstances for defeat. Clarke’s recent lack of runs was compounded by a batting line-up that failed collectively, and a bowling attack that for once failed to adapt or succeed. The worry was back.So it was fortuitous that Clarke would arrive in Cape Town for a reunion with Shane Warne, the former team-mate, friend and mentor who has informed so much of the Australian captain’s agile, aggressive and inventive leadership. Warne is in South Africa ostensibly to work with the Twenty20 team’s spin bowlers ahead of the World T20 in Bangladesh, but his presence for a pivotal match in the narrative of Australian cricket may prove to be an ideally-timed reassurance for Clarke and the coach Darren Lehmann.When Warne and Clarke first became close on the 2005 Ashes tour, it was the younger man who took a lead role, offering an audience to the ageing legspinner as he juggled personal torments with unforgettable on-field feats. Now it was Warne offering a sympathetic ear and a few morsels of advice for a worried batsman and captain as they shared room service in the team hotel – much as they would have done in England all those years ago.”That’s what friends do isn’t it?” Warne said. “The one thing I felt with Pup was that he’s disappointed he hasn’t got some runs lately, but as I said to him last night ‘mate, let’s look back at the last seven Test matches. You’ve come back from England, you’ve been hammered 3-0 – yes, it was a bit closer than everyone thought but the scoreline still read 3-0. But over the last seven Test matches you’ve won six and not everyone has relied on you, that should be a good thing’.”I said ‘okay, from a personal point of view you’d like to make a few more runs, but for the last few years if it wasn’t for you we would have lost a lot more. So when [the Ashes] were on the line in the first few Test matches, you made back-to-back hundreds and played really well and then in the next five Tests after that other guys have put their hands up.”I said ‘you should be happy with that – I understand that you wanted to make some runs but you’ve lost one Test match in the last seven as captain, and you haven’t made many runs’. That, to me, is good news. So I said ‘stop stressing and worrying about it and make some runs in this Test match’.”Warne’s advice may sound simple, but recent glimpses of Clarke at the batting crease would suggest it is the right kind. So eager has he been to score runs, and so worried about doing so, Clarke has been almost too keen in his search for the ball. Compare his dismissals in Port Elizabeth – bat jutted out in search for contact, away and in front of his body – with the century of Chris Rogers, who plays the ball posthumously late by comparison. A soothing “relax” from Warne may well prove valuable.”He’s one guy you don’t have to worry about batting because we know what a class act he is, and you know that old adage about form being temporary but class being permanent,” Warne said. “That’s something I’ve been talking to him about, and just a few mindset things about the way he plays. He’s a bit of a worrier, Pup, but the good thing is it hasn’t affected his captaincy. He’s been outstanding.”Warne’s effect on the Australian team, now being led in something like his image by Clarke and another friend in Lehmann, will only be known at the end of the Test. But it is clear that his presence and knowledge will provide a significant aid. Lehmann will certainly not find a more avowed fan of his straightforward methods, where players are dealt with harshly, fairly but above all directly.”I think he’s doing a fantastic job, and created an environment where there are pretty high standards,” Warne said of Lehmann. “We all know he’s laid back and likes a beer and is pretty relaxed, but he can also be pretty tough. And he does it in a way that’s charming, he’s friendly when he’s nailing you. It’s always nice when there’s a bit of that happening rather than just the old size 10. But I think he’s brought a lot to the table.”He’s always had respect for the way he played the game, and he’s earned a lot of respect from the group for the way he’s conducted himself. He’s learned a few lessons along the way, probably not to do radio interviews when he’s had a few beers. But he’s straight up, what you see is what you get, which is a good thing from a coach. If you’re out of the side he’ll tell you why, it won’t be like ‘I voted for you but the other three guys didn’t’. He’ll tell you straight.”Warne can certainly tell glowing tales of Newlands. He played in three Test matches at the ground and won them all, including his 100th in 2002. Having flown 16 friends and family over for the event, Warne put in one of his greatest displays, runs in each innings adding garnish to a nine-wicket haul spread across no fewer than 98 overs of rare precision on an unforgiving wicket. Australia’s win sealed the series, and was one of the more notable victories of an era laden with them.

Warne can certainly tell glowing tales of Newlands. He played in three Test matches at the ground and won them all, including his 100th in 2002

Such memories will be usefully retold to a younger generation still scarred by the events of 2011, when Clarke’s bold 151 on the first day was completely obscured by Australia’s second innings disintegration for 47. That episode unfolded when the team were without a coach, between the exit of Tim Nielsen and the appointment of Mickey Arthur, and Clarke summoned his best batting form in spite of it all.This time around, Clarke will seek to regain something of that fluency. His search for the recently elusive sense of comfort and feel at the crease has led Clarke to the nets on both the day after the Port Elizabeth Test and on another scheduled day off for the team in Cape Town. “I’m doing everything I can to be a better player,” he said. “If I walk out here and make a duck or make a double-hundred my attitude doesn’t change as to the improvements I think my game needs.”The past few years for me have been exceptional – it’s been a great run – but I understand and respect that in this game you’re going to go through some tough times as well. There’s swings and roundabouts – that’s the game. The number one role for me as captain is to make sure I’m leading from the front. I have high expectations on myself, and that will never change.”Clarke will worry this week, of that there can be no doubt. But with Warne at his side he may loosen up just a little. Just enough, perhaps, to win.

William Bosisto and Ashton Turner, who have played together at school and then in age-group cricket for Western Australia, have been critical to Australia winning three out of three games in the Under-19 World Cup

George Binoy in Townsville18-Aug-2012Australia captain William Bosisto and offspinner Ashton Turner, two of four players from Western Australia in the Under-19 World Cup squad, have not made headlines yet. Those have gone to the fast-bowling group and the more aggressive batsmen but the duo’s contributions have been critical to Australia winning three out of three games in Group A.Bosisto’s only made 78 runs in three innings, but is yet to be dismissed in the tournament. His unbeaten 35 against England steered Australia through a testing period of the chase and helped secure victory. His contributions, and his ability to not give away his wicket, have not escaped the coach Stuart Law’s attention. He said there was “no nonsense” about Bosisto.”I’m really pleased with the captain, the way he’s handled himself on the field, and with the bat he’s yet to be dismissed,” Law said. “He just goes about doing the same thing all the time, and to be a consistent international cricketer you’ve got to stay pretty much the same all the way through, no matter what the situation. He’s done that brilliantly.”In Australia’s third game, Bosisto faced 84 balls for his unbeaten 36 against Ireland, showing patience even though the target was only 130. “I think that’s my role in this side, we’ve got a lot of aggressive players who like to get moving and get the scoreboard ticking over,” Bosisto said. “So I think my role is to rotate the strike and get those blokes on strike so they can score quickly. And then when it comes to the end of the innings, I can score quickly too.”Law was also impressed by Bosisto’s captaincy during the group stage. “When he’s had the opportunity to really attack, he’s done it,” Law said. “He’s probably been too aggressive and that’s not a bad thing, that’s a great thing. If you can teach captains to be aggressive and set fields to take wickets rather than set fields to stop a bad ball getting hit for four, it’s amazing how many good balls are bowled.”Shane Warne always emphasised the importance of a good rapport between a captain and a spinner and Bosisto has that with Turner, who became Australia’s first-choice spinner after Ashton Agar broke a finger. While a four-pronged pace attack has been the spearhead of the bowling unit so far, Turner’s managed to take the most wickets, seven in three games.Bosisto and Turner go way back, having played against each other at school and then with each other in age-group cricket for Western Australia. Turner reckons he’s played more than 100 games of cricket with Bosisto.”We get on really well, he knows my game really well, he knows how I bowl in certain situations,” Turner said. “He’s very good at reading the game and knowing when he wants the spinner to come on. When I feel like it is time for me to bowl, I generally look over and he’s already thinking about it and he gives me the nod and I’m ready to go.”The feeling is mutual. “It’s quite easy captaining blokes who know the fields they want,” Bosisto said of Turner. “He’s a smart cricketer himself so he knows how he’s trying to get the batsman out and restrict scoring. I think we work quite well together. We kind of know how the other thinks.”Coming into this World Cup from Western Australia, Turner’s had to get used to a couple of things he wasn’t quite familiar with. “I haven’t played too much cricket in Brisbane or Townsville so it’s sort of new for me as well. [The pitches are] quite hard, they are not really suitable to spin bowling, but I’ve been able to get a bit out of it, so it’s pleasing.”The three-match series against Pakistan on the Gold Coast before the World Cup warm-ups was also the first time Turner played a 50-over game with a new ball at either end. He’s enjoyed bowling with a ball that is about ten overs old. “I find it really easy to grip and obviously it drifts quite a lot, especially because it’s so hard,” Turner said. “I think it offers a little more variation, because if it hits the shiny side, which is harder, it does skid on a bit. The seam is hard still so some spin and some slide on.”Turner’s chosen a craft in cricket that is quite easy to be average at but difficult to master, and few finger-spinners in Australia have had long international careers. He knows the importance of developing into an attacking bowler rather than a largely defensive one. “I like to read the play and know that when the situation suits I can be attacking,” Turner said. “It’s not always about being attacking every ball, but when I feel like I have built pressure, and pressure is coming from the other end, I can slow the ball down and I can try and drift it a bit. I can really put some revs on it and try and spin it as much as I can.”As the pitches wear during the latter stages of the World Cup, Turner’s role in the Australian attack could be more prominent. And when this tournament is done, he and Bosisto will return to Western Australia, where they both have rookie contracts for the coming year.

From a cricketer in Guyana to a businessman in Australia: Carl Hooper may not play too much cricket but he stays in shape, and he plays the markets

Interview by Mark Pennell09-Dec-2009You live in Australia now, why is that?
I love the weather and the lifestyle, plus my wife Connie comes from Australia.What have you done for a living since retiring from Lancashire in 2004?
I help my wife and her brothers to run a chain of coffee shops called Un Caffe Bar.Do you enjoy any hobbies?
In my spare time I trade currencies on the foreign-exchange markets. It’s not stocks and shares, just trading dollars against sterling, that sort of thing. With the time difference between Australia, North America and England, it’s ideal for me to trade in my spare time – first thing in the morning or last thing at night. That’s when all the big boys really come out and it’s the best time for me to trade.Do you work for an investment firm?
Are you crazy? I couldn’t work for anyone else. I’d find it tough. And I could only ever invest my own money. I like to sleep at nights, and if things go against you on the markets I wouldn’t be able to do that.Have you made your fortune as yet?
I want to live well, but it doesn’t bother me about becoming a millionaire. I just want to be happy and sleep peacefully.Do you still play cricket?
The last time I played was in a benefit game for the family of David Hookes, up in the Barossa Valley sometime last year, but whenever I’ve got cricket coming up, I make sure I train. I’m off to Barbados later this month (November) to play in the first Cricket Legends of Barbados T20 Tournament organised by Joel Garner. I’m looking forward to catching up with a few old friends.

“I could only ever invest my own money. I like to sleep at nights, and if things go against you on the markets I wouldn’t be able to do that”

You were never one for spending hours in the nets, do you keep fit in other ways still?
I’m 42 now, but I’m slim and trim. I’ve played a lot of indoor soccer for the fathers’ team at my son’s school, but had to stop that, so I’m doing some road running instead.”You failed to win a major trophy while playing seven seasons of county cricket for Kent and Lancashire. Does that upset you?
I have good memories and if I could do it all over again I probably would. I couldn’t have hoped for a better club than Kent to start my introduction to English cricket. It was a good set-up. We had Min Patel, who was Indian-born; Dean Headley, who had some Caribbean roots; and a few more guys around my age, who I could mix with and relate to. The disappointment was that we didn’t win a championship or have a trophy or two under our belts.Did you notice much difference in attitude between the two dressing rooms?
There was a huge difference between Kent and Lancashire. At Old Trafford the guys were very hungry to get out on the park and desperate to win things. Most of them had aspirations and I’d hear them talking about wanting to play for England. I never heard too much of that at Kent.Do you wish you were still playing?
No, I’ve had my time and really enjoyed it. Viv Richards and Garry Sobers used to say, “We all have our time to play and you just have to make the best of it.”Your game would have ideally been suited to the Twenty20 format. Do you regret not being around to cash in on the global phenomenon of the short-form game?
You can’t look back with regrets; I had my time and enjoyed it. There will probably come a day 20 years from now when a cricketer picks up £5 million for a season. Who knows? But my thinking is, it’ll just get better and better. Good luck to them I say.<!–Will any of your children follow your footsteps by becoming cricketers?
I have three kiddies. Two girls: Alex over in England, and Catherine, as well as a son, Carl Jnr. Carl’s only 10, but he’s a big boy. The prediction is he’s going to grow to be about 6’4″. I want him bowling fast and batting at about six or seven, so in a few years’ time the England side will have to deal with him!–>

Lance Morris picked up a side strain against West Indies but would not have made the squad

Andrew McGlashan08-Feb-20242:14

Is Matt Renshaw still the next Test batter in line?

Michael Neser has been recalled to Australia’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand with the selectors taking a horses-for-courses approach based on conditions they expect across the Tasman in what is otherwise a very settled group for the two-match series.Neser has often been around the Australia set-up in recent years and was part of the World Test Championship final squad last year. His two Tests have both come in Adelaide – against England in 2021-22 and West Indies the following season. His Sheffield Shield numbers are significantly down this season with nine wickets at 50.33 but he is viewed as an ideal bowler for New Zealand while his ever-improving batting adds another element.”It’s great to see Michael Neser get another opportunity in the squad following his ever-consistent performances over a long period of time and the conditions we expect,” national selector George Bailey said.Related

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Lance Morris picked up a side strain during the third ODI against West Indies in Canberra, but Bailey indicated he would not have made the trip as back up to Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The expectation is that those three will play both Tests against New Zealand – along with Nathan Lyon making it seven Tests in a row for the frontline bowlers – but Neser and Scott Boland will provide the support.”We’d be looking at a different type of fast bowler,” Bailey said. “The luxury of this tour only being in New Zealand, it’s not a massive trip, so a number of players in specific roles that if we do need to get them across that it’s not too much of a challenge, so Lance would have been in that boat.”The new-look batting order that came together against West Indies, with Steven Smith opening and Cameron Green at No. 4, will be given at least two more matches to settle in. After the New Zealand tour Australia have a long gap in Test cricket before the arrival of India for next summer’s five-match home series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Matt Renshaw has retained his spot as the reserve batter having been earmarked as the next in line amid the reshuffle that followed David Warner’s retirement.The overall squad is relatively small at 14 names with the short flight between the two countries meaning replacements could come in reasonably easily. However, it could leave Australia a little exposed if an injury occurred shortly before a match or in the event of a concussion during a game especially around the wicketkeeper or spin bowler with no direct cover for Alex Carey or Nathan Lyon.New Zealand are currently top of the World Test Championship following their opening victory over South Africa and will expect to consolidate that in Hamilton. The upcoming tour has grown in significance for Australia have they lost to West Indies at the Gabba.”As we know every Test match provides vital opportunities to obtain valuable WTC points and we expect this tour will be a tough challenge against a very strong side who have been so consistent at home for a long period of time,” Bailey said.The first Test begins in Wellington on February 29 followed by the second in Christchurch on March 8.