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Shortly after resigning from his role with Sri Lanka, Silverwood joins Tom Moody’s backroom staff

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2024

Chris Silverwood resigned as Sri Lanka coach after the T20 World Cup•Getty Images

Chris Silverwood has been appointed to his first job in English cricket since he was sacked as England’s head coach, replacing Azhar Mahmood as one of Tom Moody’s assistants at defending champions Oval Invincibles in the Hundred.Silverwood lost his job in the aftermath of England’s 4-0 defeat in Australia in early 2022 but was only out of work for two months, joining Sri Lanka on a two-year contract. That was later extended to include the recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US, but Silverwood resigned shortly after their group-stage exit, citing a reluctance to spend long periods away from home.Related

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He will now join Moody’s staff at the Invincibles for 2024, ahead of their – and the Hundred’s – opening matchday on Tuesday, against Birmingham Phoenix. Mahmood resigned from his role when he took up a full-time role with Pakistan earlier this year, and Silverwood will join Matt Walker and Jim Troughton in the men’s coaching staff.James Foster, who lost his job as Northern Superchargers coach last year after they won the wooden spoon in the men’s competition, will also return to the Hundred this summer. He has replaced Paul Collingwood as one of Trevor Bayliss’ assistants at London Spirit, with Collingwood unavailable for the start of the tournament while on Test duty with England.The Spirit have added two more assistant coaches to the backroom staff of their women’s team, who are coached by the Australian Ashley Noffke. Ali Maiden, the Yorkshire men’s assistant coach, and Sunrisers’ Marc Broom have both been appointed, and Maiden could be a contender to replace Noffke when he steps down at the end of this season.The most notable coaching appointment in the Hundred this year saw Andrew Flintoff replace Foster as Superchargers head coach in the men’s competition. His first match as a head coach is against Trent Rockets at Headingley on Friday night.

Arsenal have many different transfer plates spinning behind-the-scenes right now, according to reports, with sporting director Andrea Berta attempting to make progress on key summer deals.

Arsenal poised to sign Kepa and Zubimendi amid new striker talks

While there were some concerns that Real Madrid would hijack Arsenal’s move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, The Athletic’s David Ornstein moved to reassure supporters this week that the Spain international is firmly on track to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

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The delay in announcing Zubimendi’s capture is apparently down to financial reasons, with Sociedad keen to register the 26-year-old’s sale as part of the next financial year, which commences in July (AS).

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

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£81.5m

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£156.8m

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£121.5m

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£59m

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£208m

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£101.5m

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Arsenal are poised to sign Zubimendi after months of talks, and barring a late unmitigated disaster, Gunners chiefs consider the deal for him as “done” (David Ornstein).

Berta is also closing in on the signing of Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga as their second-choice keeper after missing out on widely reported top target Joan Garcia to Barcelona.

The Spaniard, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca, is set to finalise a £5 million move from Stamford Bridge, following a productive loan spell at Bournemouth last season.

Kepa’s imminent arrival has been praised by critics too, who call him an “absolute steal”.

“Arsenal have acted really quickly after it became clear that Joan Garcia would not be arriving from Espanyol this summer and have all but wrapped up a really smart piece of business,” said journalist Charles Watts to CaughtOffside.

“Landing a keeper like Kepa for just £5 million is an absolute steal. I’m honestly baffled at how there seems to be some who are questioning it.

“You are talking about a keeper approaching his best years who has plenty of experience and is a senior international. He had a very good season on loan at Bournemouth last season and the season before he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League while he was there.”

Amid these two moves, Arsenal continue working on signing a new striker.

Two names have dominated the headlines – RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal have been in negotiations with Leipzig over Sesko, but are yet to find an agreement on price, which has perhaps led them to try their hand at an offer for Gyokeres instead.

Arsenal submit "concrete offer" for Viktor Gyokeres

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Sporting and the Sweden international have received Berta’s opening bid.

The Italian held a summit with Sporting’s general director of football, Bernardo Palmeiro, in Spain earlier this week. During these talks, Arsenal submitted their “first concrete offer” for Gyokeres, which came in at around £55 million including add-ons.

Unfortunately, this is very unlikely to be anywhere near enough, as Sporting president Frederico Varandas confirmed to the media this week that the 27-year-old star striker would not be leaving for nearly £60m.

Gyokeres’ situation in the Primeira Liga is becoming very toxic, with the player uploading a cryptic Instagram post after Varandas’ comments that he would not be blackmailed into selling him.

In his post, Gyokeres addressed the “false” talk regarding his future, potentially aimed at Varandas’ statements to the media.

Having scored 54 goals in all competitions last term, guiding Sporting to their first domestic double in decades, the centre-forward’s future has now turned into a soap opera, and Arsenal could look to take full advantage.

If the north Londoners do make progress in negotiation, it is believed by some media sources that Gyokeres is demanding around £250,000-per-week to join any suitor (The Mirror).

An “unbelievable” Premier League player is now at the “top” of Tottenham Hotspur’s list of targets to replace Cristian Romero in the summer, according to former goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Romero heading for the exit door

At the end of April, it was revealed Romero has informed Tottenham that he wants to leave this summer, amid interest from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, who have been working on a deal for the centre-back for several months.

With Daniel Levy open to selling the defender, it is now looking increasingly likely he will be on the move this summer, and Spurs’ performance in the Premier League is unlikely to do them any favours when it comes to holding on to their best players.

A 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace is the latest poor result for Ange Postecoglou’s side, in what has frankly been a terrible Premier League campaign, with the Lilywhites sitting in 17th place, having now lost 20 matches.

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Bizarrely, Tottenham still have a chance to make a success out of the 2024-25 season, however, as a triumph in the Europa League final would end their 17-year trophy drought, while also securing qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Speaking to Tottenham Hotspur News, Robinson has now revealed that victory in the Europa League could be crucial when it comes to attracting their top target to replace Romero, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

Robinson said: “With Romero leaving, it’s looking more and more likely day by day that he’s going to move on. So you could argue that Tottenham are already a centre-half short.

“Guehi would be top of the list if they can beat anyone else to his signature. But without Champions League football, finishing 16th, potentially 17th in the Premier League, is that an attractive proposition? Or can Newcastle offer Champions League football and a better salary? And that’s where Tottenham are at the moment. There’s so much hanging on their Europa League success.”

Guehi could be "unbelievable" Romero replacement

Guehi showcased exactly why he is at the top of the shortlist on Sunday afternoon, putting in a commanding performance in his side’s 2-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The centre-back made 14 defensive actions throughout the match, the highest number of any player, while also winning six out of the seven ground duels he contested, which secured the 24-year-old an 8.3 SofaScore match rating.

Not only that, but the £60m-rated England international has now established himself at international level, most notably making six appearances for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.

Anthony Gordon lauded Guehi as “unbelievable” in light of his performances at the Euros, and having followed that up with an impressive campaign for Palace, there is every indication he could be a fantastic replacement for Romero.

Manchester City are in pole position and ahead of rivals Liverpool when it comes to signing a £15 million teenager, according to a new report.

Guardiola wants Man City to win the FA Cup for Kevin De Bruyne

Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne is leaving the Blues at the end of the season, after announcing the news at the beginning of this month. It will put an end to his 10 years at the club, during which time he has won 16 trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.

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De Bruyne revealed earlier this week that it was City who decided he would be leaving, as they didn’t offer a new contract, which “surprised” him. He said: “I have not had any offer the whole year; they just took a decision.

“Obviously, I was a bit surprised, but I just have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I’m showing, but I understand clubs have to make decisions.”

The 33-year-old has since been linked with moves to different teams in the MLS, while Italian side Como are keeping an eye on his situation. It was reported by Sky Sports that Aston Villa have held internal talks over signing De Bruyne this summer. The Belgian will be concentrating on finishing the season strong, and Pep Guardiola believes winning the FA Cup would be a “good way” for De Bruyne to leave the club.

“He has proved [himself by] the amount of minutes he has played since he announced that it is the last month for him at Manchester City. Yeah, it would be good.”

Man City leading Liverpool in race to sign new £15m teenager

As De Bruyne weighs up the next step in his career, the Blues have their eye on a new arrival who will hope to have the same success as the Belgian. According to Football Insider, Man City are now leading the race to sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City.

The report states that the Blues are ahead of Liverpool, who are also keen on signing the 15-year-old, and are now expected to wrap up the deal for him to move to the Etihad this summer, unless something drastic happens.

City are keen on signing Monga, as they believe the player fits the profile of the young players they have been looking to sign, as well as him being suited to their system and youth model.

The Blues have had a long-term interest in the left-winger, as back in January, City joined the race to sign Monga, who was also being looked at by Paris Saint-Germain. The England under-16 international has come through the academy at the King Power Stadium, and in this campaign, despite the Foxes’ struggles on the pitch, Monga has made his Premier League debut in a 16th-minute cameo against Newcastle United, as well as featuring late on against Liverpool.

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Leicester’s relegation has now been confirmed, and therefore, Ruud van Nistelrooy could be willing to hand Monga more minutes on the pitch, despite the fact he looks set to leave and join City.

Back in January it was reported that Leicester valued Monga at around £15 million, and that could be the fee the Blues are going to have to pay to complete this transfer.

West Indies had their own struggles on a tough day in Barbados, but Australia’s next-gen batting remains a long-term gamble

Andrew McGlashan26-Jun-20253:33

Shamar Joseph: ‘One of the best deliveries I’ve bowled in my life’

Things may yet turn out alright on the night for Australia in Barbados in terms of the result – although that remains far from certain – but the opening day of the series shone a further light on the task of reshaping the top order with an eye to the future.Firstly, a qualifier: these were not comfortable batting conditions. Travis Head, who produced the most dominant innings, said that Australia had been taken by surprise with how tough they were, but Jayden Seales suggested West Indies had an inkling of what to expect after the pre-series training camp here.Still, Australia’s 22 for 3 – and a later collapse of 7 for 69 – followed on from the difficulties they had in the World Test Championship final against South Africa when they couldn’t find a way through tricky periods. West Indies had struggles of their own, but it was a reminder that the next generation of Australia batting could be a longer-term project riddled with uncertainties.Related

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You only need to show Shamar Joseph an Australia batting line-up for him to put on a display. He had not quite hit the heights of the Gabba since that heady day (although, after his struggles in England last year, the numbers had been far from dire) but this brought back memories of Brisbane.His opening spell, and specifically the dismissal of Sam Konstas, set the tone for a well-planned West Indies bowling performance which held its nerve as Head and Usman Khawaja forged the best stand of the day, 89 runs, although it could have been better with safer catching.Konstas was beautifully set-up by Joseph, falling in a manner that has been seen before at Australia Under-19 level and in his early domestic days with the ball shaping back at him.”I think I set it up perfect towards him; a few outswingers, and then get the ball to nip back, because he’s just looking to get beaten outside off and then to nip back through the gate,” Joseph told ESPN’s , while speaking of the importance of the work he had put since the white-ball tour of the UK.Cameron Green lasted just 21 balls•Associated PressJoseph followed by giving Cameron Green a working over at No. 3, having him dropped second ball in the gully before he edged low to second slip. Ahead of the match, Pat Cummins said he saw Green as a long-term option at No. 3 but, while he’s had some tough conditions to face – firstly Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s and now another good pace attack – he will need a more convincing second innings to quieten the debate.The best of the lot, though, was saved for Beau Webster who was completely turned around by a magnificent delivery that took the top of the stumps. “That’s probably one of the best deliveries I’ve ever bowled,” Joseph said.Without Steven Smith (albeit temporarily) and Marnus Labuschagne, this batting order is without nearly 15,000 Test runs and it was something West Indies had taken note of.”We spoke about it,” Seales said. “We knew that coming into the Caribbean, pitches are a lot slower than what they were accustomed to in Australia. And especially this pitch, with the grass being how it is and the colour of the pitch, we knew that there was vulnerability within the batting line-up and more so with the pitch, so we just tried our best to exploit it.”

‘I don’t think there’s one solid way of going about things on those sort of wickets. You’ve just got to double down on your plan and your blueprint and what you play best’Travis Head

It took Australia 16 overs – and three wickets – to find the boundary, but Head defended the approach of the top order, backing each player to work out their own method.”I thought Usman applied himself really well in the partnership and batted completely different to what I did, and both were as effective as each other,” he said. “Guys will want to learn, you always want to try to adapt to the conditions the best way we can. We battled hard against a really quality attack, so on another day, you hope you get through it.””I don’t think there’s one solid way of going about things on those sort of wickets. You’ve just got to double down on your plan and your blueprint and what you play best. Naturally, I like to try and put as much pressure back on and there’s going to be times where it works and not.”Seales, who had claimed his first wicket when he removed the recalled Josh Inglis to a pull shot, was able to beat his team-mate to a five-wicket haul. He termed it the “most special” of the three he has bagged because he never quite felt at his best, but ensured Joseph took the acclaim as he left the field.”I think that’s what opened the game right up for us,” he said of Joseph’s early spell. “Blowing away the top order is the most important thing in Test cricket and then that made it a lot easier for us in the middle and in the back end of the innings.”Between them, their nine wickets left Australia needing the bowlers to keep them in the contest which, for the final 20 overs of the day, they did commendably as they so often have. But all eyes will be on that top order again come the second innings.

He played his shots during his run-a-ball 48 as he looks to bounce back from a poor Test series in South Africa

S Sudarshanan12-Jan-2024The last time Shreyas Iyer played a first-class match for Mumbai, he was yet to play Test cricket, back in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. The Iyer that walked out to bat in Mumbai’s latest Ranji Trophy match on Friday is a different person. He has played regularly in all three formats for India, and though he was left out of the T20I squad for the ongoing series against Afghanistan, he is the incumbent No. 5 in Tests.Which is why this game, against Andhra, is significant for Iyer.He had a tough tour of South Africa, where he scored 31, 6, 0 and 4 not out. The two Tests there were his first in over nine months, part of which he was out because of a back problem that required surgery. The match against Andhra gives him a chance to get into his groove ahead of the home Tests against England starting January 25.Related

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Mumbai were asked to bat on a greenish surface on a sunny morning. The openers added 69 in a steady start before Jay Bista and Ajinkya Rahane, the No. 3, fell off successive balls. Bhupen Lalwani, the other opener, and Suved Parkar, the No. 4, then took Mumbai to lunch, giving Iyer some more time.He walked to the nets just outside the playing area with batting coach Vinit Indulkar, left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar, and a throwdown specialist in tow. He started slowly, but raised the tempo as time went on, and finished his close-to-25-minute stint with aerial shots in all directions.When Iyer walked in with Mumbai 130 for 3 in the 43rd over, it did not take him time to get going. He is known to be a quick scorer in the domestic circuit, which his first-class strike rate of 78.48 attests to. He is also known to be an excellent player of spin. He put away two full deliveries from the quicks – a flick through midwicket and a loft over mid-on – to get his boundary count going.Andhra mixed it up against Iyer by bowling pace from the dressing-room end and spin from the media end. Medium pacers Penmetsa Raju first, and then his replacement Nithish Kumar Reddy – the most impressive Andhra bowler on the day – bowled from around the wicket to test him. But Iyer’s feet moved nicely, and he kept out the good length and full balls, with a push to the off side or a flick towards midwicket. He was also ready to take on the short ball and punish it, like he did off Raju to beat long leg to his right in the 56th over.Shreyas Iyer had a poor Test series in South Africa, scoring 31, 6, 0 and 4 not out•AFP/Getty ImagesBut nothing perhaps showed that Iyer was switched on and up for the fight like in the 54th over, bowled by Raju. With two fielders deep on the leg side – forward square-leg and long leg – and a backward short-leg in place, he played the perfect pull shot all along the ground for a four. The very next ball was shortish but had just enough width for Iyer to crash it over the covers.This prompted Andhra to go all-out on the mean bouncer – Iyer’s perceived weakness. They had a six-three leg-side field with midwicket, forward square-leg, backward square-leg, long leg, third and point all out on the boundary. There was also a forward short-leg under the lid. That would, however, not prevent Iyer from taking a third four off the over – another pull that sent the ball rolling past backward square-leg – perhaps his best shot of the day. In all, Iyer scored 25 in the 14 balls he faced from Raju, including five fours.Reddy went on to dismiss him caught behind, after he wafted at a fullish ball angling away from around the stumps. Iyer would trudge back with a run-a-ball 48 against his name. But in only his second domestic red-ball game since his Test debut, he had signalled his intent, and readiness.

His Test aggregate of 1708 in 2021 is the third-highest ever, but his numbers are even more astonishing given the general mediocrity around him

S Rajesh28-Dec-2021There is little doubt that 2021 has been a dismal year for England in Test cricket: they have lost more matches (nine) than they ever have in any previous calendar year. At the heart of this debacle has been the batting: an average of 24.13 runs per wicket is the lowest for England in any year when they have played at least 10 Tests, and the second-lowest with an eight-Test cut-off. Not only has 2021 been a terrible year for England’s batters, it has been tough for batters in general: the average runs per wicket is the second-lowest its been in the last 40 years.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the midst of these batting lows, Joe Root has gone ahead and amassed 1708 runs, the third-highest ever by a batter in a calendar year. His aggregate is 802 runs more than the next-highest in 2021 – Rohit Sharma’s 906 – and 1178 more than the next-best from his own team: Rory Burns’ 530. Never before in Test history has there been such a wide gap between the top two run-scorers for the year, whether for the same team or overall among all teams.