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Despite being sanctioned by the government, South Africa’s cricket system is not all that far from being able to call itself representative

Firdose Moonda26-Apr-2016It may not seem like it but South Africa’s cricket bosses can breathe a little easier. Although they received what seems a hefty punishment – being banned from bidding for or hosting major tournaments – for the slow progress of transformation, unlike their rugby counterparts they have both enough time and enough resources to ensure the sanction is lifted before it could make a real difference.South Africa was not in line to host a senior ICC tournament until at least 2023 and has only been pencilled in to stage the Under-19 World Cup in 2020. The government’s transformation targets are reviewed annually, which means that by next year, CSA could see the penalty reversed. But the board will need to make some changes and many are wondering what those have to be.The curiosity begins in the question itself, because the terms of the memorandum of understanding five South African sports federations signed with the sports ministry have not been made public. At Monday’s press conference, where sports minister Fikile Mbalula received the transformation reports and delivered his verdict, the barometer for measuring progress was set at 60%.That means that in order to avoid sanctions, 60% of players in the national cricket, rugby, football, netball and athletics teams had to be players of colour, which refers to anyone of black African, mixed-race or Indian descent. Only football met this target.Cricket was not that far off the mark, though, with a representation rate of 55%. Bridging the gap will be CSA’s first task.Using the 60% mark, South Africa would have to field seven players of colour in the national team, which would leave space for four white players. The significance of that ratio will not be lost on some. When transformation targets were first introduced in 1998, the quota was four players of colour in teams. The new requirements have essentially reversed that. They also require South African cricket to go where it has only gone three times before.

“I know what it was like to have to take three or four taxis from the township to the stadium for practice, not having a job but having pressure to earn a salary for a family”Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana

In 2013, in ODIs against Netherlands, Pakistan and India, South Africa fielded seven players of colour. On 17 other occasions – eight ODIs and nine T20s – South Africa teams have included six players of colour. The most they have ever had in a Test is five players of colour, in 17 matches. In the 2015-16 season, the South Africa XI typically consisted of between four and five players of colour. So where will the extra players come from?The obvious answer is the domestic system, where at least 36 players of colour regularly ply their trade at franchise level, in line with the transformation targets of six players of colour per team. Should CSA want to put that in line with the international target, it may look at increasing that number to seven, as it considered doing last year.It did try to implement a target in the second-tier system – the 13 provincial teams – of seven players of colour but backtracked after a legal threat from the South African Cricketers’ Association, who said it was told too late about the proposed changes. Instead, CSA used last season to increase the black African quota from two to three.This subsection of the target is also something the ministry of sport addressed, although there is no explicit target. Black African representation in South Africa’s cricket team sits at just 9%, which translates to one player in an XI. Last season, most often, this player was Kagiso Rabada, although Eddie Leie, Temba Bavuma and Aaron Phangiso also featured. The ministry continues to monitor whether this number will go up.The systems put in place at domestic level suggest that it has to. Even without increasing the franchise targets, there are 18 black African players in the franchise set-up and 18 other players of colour. Naturally, the next question will be whether any or all of them are good enough to make the step up or if the system is merely colouring by numbers.CSA’s transformation goals run from players and coaches right through to administrators•AFPAmong the top five franchise performers in each format were: one batsman of colour in first-class cricket, Qaasim Adams, and two bowlers of colour, Dane Piedt and Tabraiz Shamsi; three batsmen of colour in the 50-over format, Alviro Petersen, Rudi Second and Justin Ontong, and four bowlers of colour – of which three were black African – Malusi Siboto, Wayne Parnell, Junior Dala and Tshepo Moreki. In the T20 tournament, there was one batsman of colour in the top five, Reeza Hendricks, and two bowlers of colour, both black African, Sisanda Magala and Phangiso.This analysis, albeit brief, is proof that players are coming through but also evidence of a glaring problem. There is a lack of batsmen of colour, particularly black African batsmen, and a lack of first-class performers of colour. If CSA is to address the national team’s transformation issues, these are the areas it needs to focus on, by ensuring the development of black African batsmen – for whom Test centurion Bavuma has become a role-model – and nurturing players of colour in the longer format.The issue of mentoring these players is also a transformation issue, not least because the number of coaches forms part of the ministry’s assessment. Willie Basson, a member of the group that puts together the transformation report and a former acting president of CSA, explained that the relationships between coaches of colour and players of colour are different because they often involve a level of understanding about background that can be absent in the relationship between a white coach and player of colour.Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana is a case point. Toyana is a former first-class cricketer from the storied Soweto township and has previously spoken of how he can relate to the socio-economic difficulties players of colour face as they try to make it as professional sportsmen. “I know what it was like to have to take three or four taxis from the township to the stadium for practice, not having a job but having pressure to earn a salary for a family and that kind of thing,” Toyana said. It is seen as no accident that under Toyana’s watch, Lions have become the team with the most black African players, including Test successes Rabada and Bavuma.

There is a lack of batsmen of colour, particularly black African batsmen, and a lack of first-class performers of colour. If CSA is to address the national team’s transformation issues, these are the areas it needs to focus on

Toyana is one of two black African coaches at franchise level, along with Warriors’ Malibongwe Maketa, and one of three coaches of colour – Paul Adams of Cobras is the third. That number could increase to four in the 2016-17 season, with Yashin Ebrahim and Roger Telemachus in line to succeed Lance Klusener as Dolphins’ coach.South Africa are also transforming their coaching of feeder sides for the national team. Lawrence Mahatlane, a black African who won trophies in charge of the Gauteng provincial team, is the Under-19s coach, while Shukri Conrad, a franchise trophy winner with Cobras and Lions, is the national academy coach. Vincent Barnes, a successful bowler who was denied the chance to play for South Africa in the apartheid years and a former national bowling coach, is CSA’s high performance manager.Administratively, South African cricket is also keeping up with transformation requirements. Three of the six franchise CEOs are people of colour, although none is black African. CSA’s president, Chris Nenzani, is black African and the CEO, Haroon Lorgat, a person of colour.All these things are taken into account when the transformation report is compiled, so it is not only about the composition of the national team but about wholesale change. Not everybody likes this way of looking at things – former allrounder Jacques Kallis even said it made him embarrassed to be South African – but it is clear that cricket is not far from meeting the requirements and having the sanction lifted, and thus being able to call itself a sport that represents all South Africans.

“I think domestic players…Ranji players are looked after pretty well,” he said

Shashank Kishore21-Oct-2022It’s perhaps understandable, given he has only just taken over as BCCI president, that Roger Binny was unlikely to go into the nuts and bolts of every single burning issue in Indian cricket during his first press interaction. Nonetheless, his answers in Bengaluru on Thursday gave you a peek into what the general sentiment in the BCCI regarding domestic cricket – and player contracts specifically – is.”I think domestic players … Ranji players are looked after pretty well,” Binny said in response to whether central contracts for domestic players was one his bucket list of things to accomplish while BCCI president.It was something Sourav Ganguly had touched upon as well when he took over as BCCI president in October 2018. Unlike Ganguly, Binny was clear that wasn’t going to be priority, especially since the board had introduced pay hikes for them last year.”They’re taken care of well, they have good facilities, they stay in good places. There’s no need for that at the moment. What’s needed is to lift the standard of the Ranji Trophy,” Binny said. “It’s the premier tournament. Along with Ranji, you have the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. How many people knew Irani Cup happened a month back? How many watched it? We have a culture; cricket fans need to support that. We need to change that.”Having just returned from his unveiling as BCCI president in Mumbai, Binny was the talk of the town at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, his “home turf”. And as he regaled his colleagues, friends and former team-mates at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the former India allrounder touched on another important subject – selection.”That is best left to the selectors, I won’t interfere,” he said. “We’ve picked them to do a job, we will let them do it”. He wanted to be clear that people with certain responsibilities will be allowed to carry out their duties. Like the medical staff at the NCA, who he felt needed to do better.”You can’t have a [Jasprit] Bumrah breaking down 10 days before a World Cup,” Binny said. “We need to address why and how players are breaking down so easily, not just now but over the last four-five years. It’s not that we don’t have good trainers or coaches. Whether the load is too much, whether they’re playing too many formats, something needs to be done. That is my priority…not just mine, the entire board’s.”Binny was flanked by all the KSCA office bearers and members who handed him bouquets upon arrival. He joked about how the need to be in formal attire had turned a short metro ride from his home to the stadium into a long drive. As he entered the long hall, he soaked in the applause and began his introductory speech reminiscing about his first time at KSCA as a schoolboy in the 1970s.Binny identified every team-mate of his, irrespective of which level it was at, from the gathering, before saying, “I’d never imagined to one day become BCCI president. It’s a great honour, I can’t tell you how happy my family and I are today at this new responsibility. I will do my best.”As the floor was opened for questions, he was asked about Ganguly on a couple of occasions – if there was a sense that he had underachieved as BCCI president. Binny sidestepped that. He was asked about the thorny India-Pakistan issue, the obvious background being a statement made by the BCCI secretary Jay Shah in his capacity as president of the Asian Cricket Council.Shah had said that India would not travel to Pakistan for next year’s Asia Cup. That prompted a response from the sports minister Anurag Thakur. And another from Binny as well.”That is not the BCCI’s call,” Binny said. “We need the government’s clearance to leave the country. Whether we leave the country or teams are coming into the country, we need clearance. Once we get that from the government, we go with it. We can’t make decisions on our own. We have to rely on the government, we haven’t approached them yet.”Binny also spoke of raising the standard of pitches across the country. “Pitches around the country are still too docile,” he said. “They’re unfit for fast bowlers. If our team goes to England or Australia, it takes us two weeks to a month to settle in with the movement and bounce. We should be able to acclimatise here before we go there. That’s another area we need to look into.”As he left the stage, Binny reminded his former KSCA colleagues of how he’ll continue being a regular visitor to his former office. “To you guys, I have some bad news. I’m not going away from here, I’ll keep coming back (laughs).”

Celtic’s superb season continued on Wednesday night, pulling seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, thanks to a 1-0 victory over title challengers Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Reo Hatate’s delightful chest control and finish, having been magnificently played in behind by Greg Taylor, was enough to see the Hoops collect all three points in the North East.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have therefore collected 40 points out of a possible 42 in the league, are through to the League Cup Final, firm favourites to beat Rangers at Hampden in ten days’ time, while the Celts also currently find themselves on course to reach the Champions League knockout phase, ahead of Tuesday’s crucial trip to Zagreb.

While all is well on the pitch, transfer chatter is never too far away, given how successful Celtic’s player trading model has been for well over a decade, so could they go in for a rather well-known Premier League star?

Could Christian Eriksen move to Celtic?

According to a report by Football Insider, Celtic are targeting a move for Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen, claiming Rodgers would like to add some European experience, as Celtic seek to break new ground, in modern terms anyway, in the Champions League.

There are however, plenty of caveats and obstacles, not least the fact that Eriksen is earning £150k-per-week, while Celtic’s highest-paid player, long-standing captain Callum McGregor, earns merely a quarter of that, his reported wages of £37k-per-week, having signed a new, five-year contract in July 2023.

Football Insider concede that this would preclude any potential move in January but Eriksen, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Valentine’s Day, is out of contract next summer, so is currently set to be available on a Bosman.

Fabrizio Romano has previously stated that he believes Eriksen will depart Man United at the end of the season, so could a move to the serial Scottish champions be on the cards?

Transfer Focus

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

How Christian Eriksen compares to Matt O'Riley

In the summer, Celtic sold Matt O’Riley to Brighton for a £25m fee, equaling the record sale for a Scottish club, alongside Kieran Tierney’s move to Arsenal five years earlier, as well as the fee paid by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad for Jota’s services in 2023.

So would Eriksen, a man boasting 296 Premier League appearances, represent a good replacement for his Danish international teammate O’Riley?

Metrics

O’Riley

Eriksen

Matches played

95

112

Minutes

7,116

7,439

Starts

86

84

Goals

22

12

Assists

29

23

Progressive carries

16

75

Progressive passes

62

370

Shots

209

132

Passes

432

2,920

Touches

708

4,043

Back in his prime, the Dane was certainly a creative marvel but is that still his game? As outlined in the table above, taking data from the start of the 2022/23 season onwards, O’Riley and Eriksen have very different player profiles in the current day.

O’Riley is deployed significantly higher up the park and is much more of a goal threat, hence why he’s scored more goals, provided more assists and had substantially more shots during this period.

Eriksen used to play like that during his peak at Tottenham but is now much more of a deep-lying, Andrea Pirlo-esque, conductor, emphasised by the fact he produced almost seven times as many passes and had close to six times as many touches.

As Lennon says above, it may be quite difficult to envisage where he fits into the side. The Hoops are well-stocked in midfield as it is, spending a decent amount of the £25m free received for O’Riley on Arne Engels, who arrived from Augsburg for a club-record £11m on Deadline Day.

Back in September, during the shellacking of Slovan Bratislava, Engles became only the second Celtic player to both score and assist in a Champions League match, after Henrik Larsson, who wasn’t bad was he?

The Belgian, who’s also become a full-international this season, alongside mid-week match-winner Reo Hatate, have been first-choice for the majority of this season, but Rodgers also has Paulo Bernardo, whose loan move was made permanent at a cost of £3.5m this summer, as well as new-arrival Luke McCowan at his disposal. Plenty of options but Eriksen could well be a fine rival to the current crop at Parkhead.

Celtic have found their own Lennon Miller in 10/10 "game winner"

Celtic may have found their own answer to the Motherwell star Lennon Miller.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 3, 2024

Usman Khawaja’s shot selection in the game’s shortest format harkens back to the age of black and white. He is the side-parting and cowlick in a blond-tinged faux-hawk world

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Bangalore 21-Mar-2016As the first Australia batsman from Pakistani stock, Usman Khawaja once seemed exotic in his nation’s colours. His batting, though, is not that exotic in this Australia team.David Warner has a wondrous switch-hit sweep over cover, a skyscraper lofted drive, and uses a bat almost as big as his mouth. Steven Smith lunges towards point in the second before he makes contact with the ball. And, as origin stories go, Glenn Maxwell has trumped Khawaja’s, by being the first Australia player from outer space.As the Big Bash League has bred a generation of batsmen playing Technicolor reverse-sweeps and paddle scoops, Khawaja’s proper cricketing shots harken back to the age of black and white. He is the side-parting and cowlick in a blond-tinged faux-hawk world, the ferris wheel at the theme park.His has been a southern summer of awakening. Pushed out of all Australia teams in mid-2013, Khawaja went away to put the cogs, the cranks and the levers of his ferris wheel in place. He made runs in Tests first, and then by January, he was flying through the Australian night in the format that perhaps seems least suited to his technique. He had only four innings in the Big Bash, but struck 345 runs at a rate of 163.50.The Khawaja at the Chinnaswamy on Monday evening brought resolve and calm to Australia’s chase. The first boundary was a sublime lofted straight drive, the bat as slow as Bangalore at rush hour, the ball flying hurriedly out of the middle. While Shane Watson, then Warner, basically bullied balls to the boundary, Khawaja caressed through cover point and midwicket. The prettiest of his shots was an advancing flick off Shakib Al Hasan in the fifth over, wrists producing the power.Of the diminishing clan of stylists in world cricket, Khawaja might just have the most endearing quirks to his game. That lofted six was struck cleanly, but his back leg went jerking back as the ball flew off. The cuts were placed exquisitely, but the force of hitting them twice sent the batsman a little off balance. Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson are men of straight lines and perfect angles, but Khawaja has the off-kilter flourishes that bring his batting to life.The 58 off 45 balls was an important innings for him personally – it was his first half-century in T20 internationals, coming in his fifth match since T20I debut against India in January. If his confidence grows as a result of the innings, then it may have been an important one for his team as well. The top order’s fragility against spin appeared a major weakness before the tournament. Khawaja’s teammate’s believe his game is uniquely well-adapted to slow bowling.”I don’t know how the dressing room feels but I know how I feel when I see Usman batting,” said legspinner Adam Zampa, who has in recent months been a victim of Khawaja’s aggressive charges in the Big Bash, and of his even more aggressive buttock squeezes. “I unfortunately had to see him bat this way in the Big Bash. Some of the plans I had set when I bowled to him – they didn’t really work. When he’s facing spin out there at the moment I’m feeling pretty confident in his ability, that’s for sure.”After he departed in the 14th over, Australia lost a little of the poise Khawaja had instilled in the innings. Four more wickets went down for 33 runs, and the chase got tighter than it had to. Khawaja also seemed the only batsman even slightly comfortable with Mustafizur Rahman’s cutters. Maxwell hit two sixes off Mustafizur’s final over, but those were off the bowler’s seam up balls.Having been rattled in the hills at Dharamsala, the Australia side now in the south appeared a team who could go on to make a serious title challenge. The established T20 batsmen may fire yet, but the first points came courtesy of a little grace, amid the guns.

Everything you need to know about Olivier Giroud's salary at LAFC

French World Cup-winning forward Olivier Giroud decided to put an end to his European journey in 2024 as he opted to move to MLS, signing for Los Angeles FC, better known as LAFC, on a deal until the end of 2025 with an option to extend.

Giroud is one of the most respected French strikers of the modern era, having played for top European clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan.

His arrival in the USA is a huge boost for the Los Angeles-based club, with the management rewarding him handsomely. Giroud is currently one of the top earners at the club, but exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with the MLS salary guide and found out!

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Olivier Giroud's wages at LAFC in numbers

Under his current contract at LAFC, Giroud earns $70,672 (£54,419) on a weekly basis and his numbers annually scale up to $3.6 million (£2.8m) to make him the highest earner at the club.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Olivier Giroud

French

 $70,672

£54,419

$3,675,000

£2,829,796

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at LAFC

As we already saw, Giroud tops the list of the highest earners at the club.

Following the Frenchman in second place is Gabonese international Denis Bouanga.

Meanwhile, Marlon Santos and Aaron Long make their appearances in the third and fourth spots, respectively.

Finally, rounding off the list at number five is Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Olivier Giroud

Spanish

 $70,672

£54,419

$3,675,000

£2,829,796

Denis Bouanga

Gabonese

$69,413

£53,448

$3,609,500

£2,776,741

Marlon Santos

Brazilian

$25,961

£19,972

$1,350,000

£1,038,537

Aaron Long

USA

$25,058

£19,276

$1,303,044

£1,002,414

Eduard Atuesta

Colombian

$13,262

£10,203

$689,700

£530,577

Top 5 earners in MLS

Despite being the top earner at LAFC, Giroud fails to make the top-five earners list across the league.

At the top sits Argentine icon Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Insigne follows in second place, followed by another former Barcelona star, Sergio Busquets.

Federico Bernardeschi and Emil Forsberg complete the top five.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami

$393,205

£302,772

$20,446,667

£15,744,191

Lorenzo Insigne

Toronto FC

$296,153

£228,042

$15,400,000

£11,858,194

Sergio Busquets

Inter Miami

$168,749

£129,938

$8,774,996

£6,756,857

Federico Bernardeschi

Toronto FC

$121,065

£93,221

$6,295,381

£4,847,522

Emil Forsberg

New York Red Bulls

$116,070

£89,540

$6,035,625

£4,660,000

Getty Images SportHighest paid players in the world

Although MLS players earn substantial wages, their salaries appear modest compared to the world's top earners, with none making the top five list.

At the top is the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. In second place is Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema, while Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli secures the third spot.

Meanwhile, Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly round off the list at third and fourth position, repectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages USD

Weekly wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

$4,166,513

£3,224,935

$215,658,680

£167,696,622

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

$2,083,257

£1,612,468

$108,329,340

£83,848,311

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

$1,087,460

£841,708

$56,547,915

£43,768,818

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

$833,033

£644,987

$43,331,736

£33,539,324

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

$722,890

£559,526

$37,590,281

£29,095,364

Thomas Tuchel has flipped Gareth Southgate's England training schedule as he finally gets to work at St George's Park.

Article continues below

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Tuchel succeeded Southgate as England bossTakes charge of first game on March 21Has made significant changes to training regimeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The recently appointed Three Lions boss welcomed his first squad to the famous England training centre on Monday and players will have to get used to some big changes in the training regime. A major difference compared to Gareth Southgate's camp is that Tuchel will have his stars train in the afternoon instead of the morning like they did under the German's predecessor.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tuchel's reasoning for the change is to prepare the team for evening kick-offs better, putting bodies through their paces later in the day and familiarising their muscles with the routine. The Mirror also report that the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss wants time in the mornings to have team meetings and one-to-one sessions with the players.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wembley Stadium is sold out for England's game against Latvia on March 21, with the match against Latvia four days later also close to having a full crowd.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

The England squad have a good few days before they will take to the pitch for their first and second World Cup qualifiers. Every face inside the building looks delighted with how Tuchel's reign has started and the head coach himself will be hoping to get off to a good start in front of an expectant crowd next week.

Looking to land further upgrades, Aston Villa and sporting director Monchi are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a La Liga winger who just starred in front of their scouts.

Aston Villa transfer news

After signing the likes of Amadou Onana in the summer transfer window, Aston Villa look set to be busy on the incomings front once again in 2025. The Villans have already been linked with names such as Semih Kilicsoy and even Real Madrid’s Arda Guler in two deals that would sharpen Unai Emery’s frontline even further at Villa Park.

The Spaniard has already taken the Midlands club back to the heights of old without those further additions, qualifying for the Champions League last season, before earning a stunning victory over Bayern Munich and very nearly stealing all three points against Italian giants Juventus.

Hoping to turn such draws into all three points, however, those in the Midlands have seemingly turned their attention towards one particular attacking upgrade.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi and Aston Villa are now eyeing a move to sign Takefusa Kubo in 2025 after the winger scored and assisted in front of Villa’s scouts to help Real Sociedad secure an impressive 2-0 Europa League victory against Ajax in midweek.

Aston Villa now want to sign £8m+ midfielder for Unai Emery in January

He could be an excellent squad option at Villa Park available on the cheap.

ByBen Browning Nov 29, 2024

The Villans aren’t the only side interested in Kubo, however, with both Liverpool and Arsenal also reportedly eyeing moves to sign the Japan international when 2025 arrives. With such competition, Villa would be making quite the statement by winning the race for Kubo’s signature.

"Dangerous" Kubo could replace Leon Bailey

Whilst it’s difficult to criticise Aston Villa these days after their recent rise, one player who has struggled throughout the current campaign is Leon Bailey. The former Bayer Leverkusen winger has yet to score in 17 appearances in all competitions, whilst managing just three assists. The more that his struggle for form goes on, the more replaceable he looks, which is where Kubo could come in.

By comparison, Kubo has managed four goals and one assist in 18 appearances. Just 23 years old too, the Real Sociedad star’s best form is likely yet to come, making 2025 an ideal time for Villa to swoop in. The Villa target has earned plenty of praise in the last year or so, with analyst Ben Mattinson describing his one-on-one threat as “dangerous”.

Villa are certainly capable of attracting such players, but whether they decide to make their move when 2025 arrives remains to be seen.

Fast bowler joins on two-year deal with view to playing all formats

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2022Northamptonshire have signed fast bowler Ollie Sale from Somerset. Sale, 26, has agreed a two-year contract.Northants announced earlier in the week that they had released seamers Nathan Buck and Brandon Glover, with Sale targeted as a player who can strengthen the squad in all three formats.A tall right-armer, Sale came through the Somerset academy but has struggled with injuries. He required surgery on his back in 2015, making his senior T20 debut the following summer, but was then kept on the sidelines until finishing as the club’s leading wicket-taker in the 2020 Vitality Blast.”Ollie has a very, very high potential.” John Sadler, Northants head coach, said. “He brings real pace and he’s had success in white-ball cricket so far. That’s where his immediate strengths lie but we see him playing all formats for us moving forward too.”He’s at the time of his career now where he felt a move would be good. What he offers feels like a great fit for us right now and he’s someone we’re really excited to get to work with.”Sale missed all of the 2021 season after undergoing double shoulder surgery but returned to fitness this summer, making his List A debut during the Royal London Cup. He has also averaged 17.40 with the red ball in the 2nd XI Championship.”I’m hugely excited to be joining Northamptonshire at what seems to be a really promising time for the club,” Sale said. “When I spoke with John Sadler, he talked me through his vision for the club and the role he sees me fulfilling in the squad and I knew it was a brilliant opportunity for me to join an increasingly strong Northamptonshire team on the rise.”I can’t wait to get going with the boys this winter and hopefully build up to a successful season next year.”Northamptonshire are currently fifth in Division One of the Championship and virtually assured of a place in the top tier next season. As well as the departure of Buck and Glover, the club have let go batters Ben Curran and Charlie Thurston.

Just a few months after their World Cup flop show, the nucleus of a vibrant England one-day unit has emerged. And, unlike previous episodes of the team trying to embrace 50-over cricket, this one feels as though it has some longevity to it

Andrew McGlashan21-Nov-2015Two hundred and fifty seven days. On March 9, England exited the World Cup in the group stages after a 15-run defeat against Bangladesh in Adelaide. On November 20, Jos Buttler broke his own record with England’s fastest ODI century, a brutal 46-ball demolition of Pakistan in Dubai, which set-up a series-clinching victory.Anyone who watched England’s insipid World Cup campaign could scarcely have believed how their year in 50-over cricket would develop. A barnstorming series victory against New Zealand, a hard-fought 3-2 loss against World Champions Australia and finally a convincing series win in Asian conditions which tested various facets of a young side’s game.The Ashes series success will define England’s 2015, but it is the resurgence of the one-day side under Eoin Morgan and the shrewd stewardship of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace that should really be seen as the stand-out achievement of the latest “new era”. Unlike previous incarnations of England trying to embrace one-day cricket, this one feels as though it has some longevity about it.Driven by Andrew Strauss’ demand that English cricket casts off its dismissive attitude to one-day cricket, the nucleus of a vibrant 50-over unit has emerged in barely six months. Those associated with the World Cup campaign insist that the freedom now being displayed was how they wanted to play in Australia and New Zealand. They never came close, though, after Morgan inherited Alastair Cook’s team and was unable to implement his own ideals in such a short turnaround.However, given the complete backing by Strauss to retain the captaincy – one of the decisions buried on that tumultuous day at Lord’s in May when Kevin Pietersen’s career was ended and the mud-slinging resumed – Morgan was handed the authority to make it his team. He has been immense as a captain and a batsman; it is all well and good to tell batsmen to play without inhibition, but that desire had to be followed through from the top and Morgan was true to his word. Since the World Cup he has made 754 runs at 58.00 with a strike-rate of 101.75.A couple of decisions in the final match against Pakistan in Dubai also highlight his sharp captaincy mind. Firstly, he promoted Buttler to No. 4 and then, with Pakistan throwing the bat, saw Sarfraz Ahmed dispatch Adil Rashid down the ground. It would have been easy to drop a fielder back to long-on, but instead he kept mid-on inside the circle. Off the next ball Sarfraz picked out the man. Neither was a ground-breaking captaincy manoeuvre, but such thinking in the one-day game has not often been natural within an England set-up.Jos Buttler’s century in the final ODI in Dubai was the 12th by an England batsman this year, the most in a calendar year•Getty ImagesWhile inconsistency remains, as shown by an overall tally of eight wins and six defeats since the start of the New Zealand series, the highlights of England’s last three series have been plentiful. Against New Zealand they crossed 400 for the first time, chased down 350 with six overs to spare and secured the series having been 45 for 5 in the chase at Chester-le-Street.Facing Australia, they fought back from 2-0 down to take the series to a decider. At Old Trafford, spinners Rashid and Moeen Ali came to the fore and at Headingley, Morgan marshalled a chase of 300. Back in Manchester, the top order folded with the series on the line and when they started against Pakistan by being 14 for 3 in Abu Dhabi, there was a thought whether progress would stall, but the response was emphatic.For individual players, there have been important career milestones. In the last seven matches, three batsmen have registered maiden ODI centuries: James Taylor, Alex Hales and Jason Roy. Taylor did not play against New Zealand, having emerged from the World Cup carnage with his reputation intact and captained the washout against Ireland in Dublin, but has proved to be an immensely versatile batsman. His century came at No. 3 against Australia and then in Sharjah he nursed a run chase at No. 5 in conditions favouring spin that would have undone many an England side. Do not underestimate his power, either, while his speed between the wickets adds another dimension.The hundreds for Hales and Roy in the UAE showed the value of letting players settle into a position; both have had their ups and downs – Roy started unconvincingly against New Zealand and Hales stuttered against Australia – but there is a long-term view about this one-day team with Bayliss and the selectors content to soak up the occasional hiccup.Centuries win one-day matches and in 2015 England have started to crack the code. Before the series against Pakistan, they already had their most three-figure scores for a calendar year (nine), and the 12 they have finished with – crowned by Buttler’s effort – is evidence of a top order that is quickly learning its trade at the top level, although it also reinforces how far behind the pack their game was. The overall strike-rate, too, of 93.07 is comfortably their best for a year.The bowling depth has been tested and the results have been encouraging. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been moved aside from the one-day team – the former probably for the good, the latter may remerge – while in the UAE the side was shorn of Steven Finn who had become the senior figure in the team during the summer and Ben Stokes was due to be rested even before his collarbone injury. What David Willey and Reece Topley lack in pace they have made up for in nous, both producing eye-catching spells of swing against Pakistan, while the management have already been impressed by Topley’s variety. Player rotation means that the notion of a first-choice attack may be a thing of the past and the by-product is that the pool of players who can fill a role has expanded.All the bowlers have had to take a deep breath at times – especially in the series against New Zealand which was the fastest scoring bilateral series in history – none more so than Rashid, but England’s commitment to him embodies their new approach. He has conceded more than six-an-over, yet has not been overawed as 19 wickets in 14 innings would attest to. His 3 for 78 in Dubai was a case in point: two of the wickets came after he had been clobbered for a boundary, responding by finding Mohammad Rizwan’s edge with a sharp legbreak and having Sarfraz taken at mid-on.There will be more rough days with the smooth for this side. The first major staging post for them is the 2017 Champions Trophy in England – by when they will also have played series in Bangladesh and India that will challenge other areas of the team – and that tournament will be a good gauge as to how the side is shaping up for 2019. That World Cup, on home soil, is crucial to English cricket on a multitude of levels in terms of performances on the field and spreading the game off it – the challenge of the latter as important as the former. There is reason to believe, though, that there is a team being formed that can deliver.For England in one-day cricket, 2015 was on one hand another but on the other a year where an exciting future emerged.

Still searching to fill their managerial vacancy, Coventry City owner Doug King has confirmed the reports that he has a former Premier League manager who won countless trophies as a player on his shortlist of candidates.

Coventry's managerial candidates

The Sky Blues shocked the rest of the Championship when they sacked Mark Robins, who was one VAR decision away from taking his side to the FA Cup final and defeating Manchester United last season. After seven years in charge, the manager was dismissed with Coventry in an unexpected relegation scrap in the early stages of the campaign.

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To their credit, even without a permanent manager and left with interim boss Rhys Carr to take charge, Coventry managed to get the post-Robins era underway in impressive fashion, having rescued an unlikely point against Championship leaders Sunderland last time out.

With the international break now underway, however, Carr may not be in charge for much longer as Coventry look to officially get a new era underway. The likes of Lincoln City’s Michael Skubala have already been linked with a move to take the vacant, but Coventry owner Doug King confirmed that one particular name is on his shortlist.

As confirmed by King, Frank Lampard is among the candidates to replace Robins with the owner now assessing his options. He told Sky Sports, as relayed by BBC Sport: “We’ve received a huge amount of CVs from high quality people, of which Frank is one. We’ve done nothing on that process.

“Clearly we’re in the international break. We’ll be assessing everything. We’ll work out who’s going to make the shortlist and we’ll go from there.”

Out of a job since leaving Chelsea at the 2022/23 campaign, Lampard may finally get the chance to restore some credit to his managerial career.

"Tremendous" Lampard isn't without risks

To go from the experience of Robins – a man who was the heart and soul of Coventry at times – to a manager who has always fallen just shy of truly impressing as a coach would be the ultimate risk for the Sky Blues.

Birmingham City should be the first example that they look at in this current moment in time. They decided to controversially part ways with John Eustace in favour of appointing Wayne Rooney, only to drop from the top half to relegation into League One as a result.

Currently sat 17th and just one point adrift of the bottom three, Coventry cannot afford to make a similar mistake so close to the busy festive period, which can make or break a season. In a vital two-week period, King must get his next appointment right even if that means denying Lampard a chance to step back into management.

Former Premier League manager and current Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho is among those to have praised Lampard in the past – dubbing his ex-midfielder a “tremendous professional” – but he may be forced to wait for his return to the technical area despite Coventry’s opening.