Trinbago Knight Riders have appointed former West Indies coach Phil Simmons as their new head coach. He replaces Abhishek Nayar, who is currently the assistant coach for Kolkata Knight Riders.Knight Riders, the most successful team in the history of the Caribbean Premier League with four titles, had finished bottom of the league stage last year and failed to make the playoffs for the first time.Simmons has previous coaching experience in the CPL as well, and in his most recent stint, he won the title with Barbados Royals, who were then known as Barbados Tridents.Simmons has had two stints as head coach of West Indies, with his most recent one ending with their tour of Australia in December last year. He then went on to coach Dubai Capitals in the inaugural season of the International League T20, leading them to the playoffs.”As captain, I’m very excited to have coach Phil with us. We have a great chemistry working together as a pair,” Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard said. “We’ve done it in the international scene, and it’s great that we are getting the opportunity to work for TKR. Hopefully, this combination will bring smiles and some exciting results back to TKR.”Apart from West Indies, Simmons has also coached Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan.CPL 2023 gets underway on August 16, with Knight Riders playing their first game on August 19 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Manchester United could earn a bonus of £100m if they beat Spurs in the Europa League final but will wave goodbye to the funds almost immediately.
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Red Devils up against Tottenham in Bilbao
Huge game for both clubs after poor domestic campaigns
Yet funds will disappear immediately for United
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils are aiming to earn a poor season in style on Wednesday by beating Spurs to win the Europa League and secure a place in next season's Champions League. Such a situation would earn the winning team a tidy bonus of £100m (€118m/$133m) but United would have to "kiss it goodbye" almost immediately, according to the .
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
United are currently on course to lose £100m this financial year, meaning any Europa League jackpot will vanish straightaway. Wall Street analysts are forecasting the club will announce a third-quarter loss of £40m shortly and estimate their current debts sit at an eye-watering £1bn.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously claimed Manchester United could have "gone by bust by Christmas," although those comments have been described as "very disingenuous" by football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD
Wednesday's Europa League final has been billed as a game that neither Manchester United nor Tottenham can afford to lose. Both teams have endured disastrous Premier League seasons but know victory will provide a trophy and a lucrative place in the 2025-26 Champions League.
The South Florida side was crushed on Wednesday as they squandered another trophy chance
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup has come to an end after an embarrassing 3-1 defeat (5-1 aggregate) to the Vancouver Whitecaps at home.
Inter Miami actually off to an inspired start. Down 2-0 from that first leg, Miami scored first through Jordi Alba, seemingly putting some doubt into the Canadian side. Going into halftime with a 1-0 advantage, it was all to play for in the final 45. Yet, there was a moment in the second half, somewhere between the 55th and 60th minute, where Inter Miami seemingly accepted their fate. Even as the Vancouver Whitecaps continued to run circles around them, had all but given up. They weren't tracking back anymore. They weren't fighting or brawling. There was time on the clock, but there was no doubt remaining: their CONCACAF Champions Cup hopes were over.
Miami's Champions Cup ambitions didn't end in Vancouver last week, when they fell 2-0 to the Whitecaps in the opening leg. No, run ended with a 10-minute second half blitz in Leg 2. Brian White, who has terrorized everyone in his path all season long, scored in the 51st minute to all but bury Miami due to the away goals rule. Pedro Vite's deflected finish two minutes later made the comeback impossible. Sebastian Berhalter then added a third in the 71st minute to put an exclamation point on this thing, sending a message to all who were watching that the Whitecaps were playing a different sort of game than the team opposite them.
While Inter Miami were expected to make the final prior to the semifinal matchup, the Whitecaps move on as the unquestioned better team. This wasn't luck, this was a shellacking.
Onto the final they go, while Miami will be left looking at another missed opportunity with a trophy on the line. This is a flawed team, one that is still nowhere near where it needs to be under new coach Javier Mascherano. Defensively, this group still has so many frailties, and the attack is still missing that certain something that showed up for large stretches of last season.
With the Club World Cup looming, have work to do.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…
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Goalkeeper & Defense
Oscar Ustari (5/10):
Was nowhere near White's opener and was caught out on the Vite deflection. Fine in the first half, but couldn't do anything to prevent the mess that opened the second.
Jordi Alba (7/10):
Provided one heck of a finish and helped set a physical tone throughout. Typical game from him, exactly what he has done for the last decade.
Noah Allen (6/10):
Pretty good on the ball and also had a goal-saving tackle in the first half to bail Miami out. Definitely the better of the two central defenders.
Maximiliano Falcon (4/10):
Got cooked a few times in the first half, which is how he earned a yellow card for a foul on White. Was taken off early in the second half, partly due to that yellow and partly due to his inability to prevent the Whitecaps flurry.
Marcelo Weigandt (4/10):
Targeted on all three of the Whitecaps goals, which is never good for a player's rating. His inability to clear on the Whitecaps' second, in particular, was damning for Miami.
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Midfield
Sergio Busquets (5/10):
Generally did what he does best, but it wasn't even close to enough as the young Whitecaps midfield ran circles around their Inter Miami counterparts.
Federico Redondo (6/10):
Picked up a yellow card just before the half that essentially sealed his fate. He was clean on the ball, but was part of the mess for those first two Whitecaps goals before being taken out of the match.
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Attack
Telasco Segovia (5/10):
Good on the ball, but didn't offer nearly enough off of it as the Whitecaps were never really threatened down his side.
Tadeo Allende (6/10):
Hit the woodwork, which was a bit unlucky. Overall, offered some good things on that right-hand side, even if Miami struggled to make much of anything with it.
Lionel Messi (5/10):
By his standards, this is about as quiet as it gets. Created just one chance and didn't ever threaten the goal himself. Credit to the Whitecaps for silencing the Argentinian icon.
Luis Suarez (7/10):
Was credited with the assist on Alba's goal. Went on to do all of the little things needed to lead the line, completing all but two passes while leading the match in fouls drawn. He didn't offer much in terms of being dangerous in front of goal, though.
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Subs & Manager
Gonzalo Lujan (6/10):
Came on to replace Falcon and was almost certainly an upgrade in that position, but that's not saying much
Benja Cremaschi (6/10):
With the midfield needing more legs, Miami turned to Cremaschi early in the second half. By that point, though, it was too late.
Allen Obando (4/10):
Was just about anonymous, failing to do much of anything during his 30-ish minutes.
Hector Martinez (N/A):
Chucked on in defense late with the game totally out of hand.
Yannick Bright (N/A):
Same as above, although he was able to do significantly more than Obando did in less than half the time.
Javier Mascherano (5/10):
A tale of two halves, for sure, but Mascherano will get some criticism for personnel decisions here. The midfield and defense featured some calls that were certainly up for debate. A lesson for the first-year manager, who was second best on the day in his spot with both his tactics and lineup choices.
In a repeat of their deal to welcome Claudio Echeverri, Manchester City are now reportedly battling to sign another South American gem ahead of rivals Manchester United this summer.
Man City transfer news
The Citizens have their focus set on the future and have done since the January transfer window, splashing out to welcome the likes of Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Juma Bah to commence their defensive rebuild. With three future stars in their backline, City could look to pick up where they left off when the summer transfer window arrives.
Pep Guardiola’s side could certainly do with a rebuild too. The Spaniard has lost more games in a single season than he has ever done before, with his Manchester City side ravaged by injuries and simply overpowered week in, week out in what still takes some getting used to when watching a side managed by the Spaniard.
Against Real Madrid in midweek, the Premier League champions were simply a class or two below their opponents and as Liverpool prepare to arrive at The Etihad, Manchester City must hope to avoid a repeat of Wednesday’s defeat.
That said, whilst their suffering continues on the pitch, the Citizens are at least reportedly preparing to unveil the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of further reinforcements.
Man City set for transfer battle to sign teenage prodigy who may cost £15m
Man City are among the European clubs chasing the signature of a rising star.
ByBrett Worthington Feb 20, 2025
According to InterLive, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now battling to sign Franco Mastantuono ahead of rivals Manchester United this summer. The River Plate youngster reportedly has a release clause worth €40m (£33m) and has also attracted the interest of Inter Milan to create quite the race for his signature.
"Gifted" Mastuantono is one to watch
The influence of South American talents in the Premier League is there for all to see and does not look likely to come to an end any time soon. The next generation of Argentina’s best looks particularly like one to watch and Mastuantono – alongside Echeverri – is one of the rising stars at the forefront of that.
At just 17 years old, the attacking midfielder was described as “gifted” and dubbed “Argentina’s best talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson last month.
Although things are at their bleakest under Guardiola right now, Manchester City’s slumber may not last long. When the summer arrives and they once again have the chance to rebuild, a dominant side could be awoken and seek instant vengeance. Whether the likes of Mastuantono play a part in that remains to be seen, however.
The next few months will be crucial and Daniel Farke and Leeds United as they look to end their two-year stay in the Championship and return to the Premier League.
The Whites came within touching distance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt, but a play-off final defeat against Southampton confined them to another season in the second tier.
However, the German has managed to conduct a superb job in picking up the pieces of last season, building a side that has the club right in the thick of a promotion battle once again.
The ongoing transfer window presents the boss with another opportunity to improve his already impressive squad at Elland Road, handing them an added boost in their efforts.
As of yet, no incomings have been completed in West Yorkshire, but that’s not to say that numerous names have been constantly touted with a move to the club this month.
Leeds United’s transfer business in January
Ollie Tanner is the latest name to pop up on the Leeds shortlist, with the 22-year-old touted with a move to Elland Road over the last couple of days after his impressive form with Cardiff City.
The forward also has admirers from Southampton, Leicester City and Burnley ahead of the transfer deadline, with a real battle on between the sides to secure a move for the sought-after talent.
Tanner isn’t the only attacker linked with a move to join Farke’s men, with Aston Villa attacker Emi Buendia constantly touted for a return to feature under his former boss.
The Argentine won promotion under the German during their time together at Norwich City, with Buendia undoubtedly playing the best football of his career in 2020/21, registering 31 combined goals and assists.
However, he’s since moved to Villa, with a knee injury halting his progress, ultimately leading to him dropping down the pecking order – opening the door to a potential loan move to Leeds this month.
There’s little denying that he would be a superb option, but, the club already have themselves a potent attacker, with the current Whites star matching Buendia’s market value as of January 2025.
Former Norwich midfielder Emi Buendia.
The Leeds player who is currently worth as much as Buendia
Despite dropping to the second tier ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Leeds have managed to keep and recruit a superb squad, one that has every right to be challenging for the title as they currently are.
A combination of clever investments such as Ao Tanaka and Jayden Bogle along with the ability to keep hold of the likes of Dan James and Pascal Struijk have undoubtedly contributed to their recent success.
However, another player has also impressed with the drop-down to England’s second tier, with winger Wilfried Gnonto allowed to excel and star on a consistent basis.
The Italian would’ve been high on many supporters’ list to depart the Whites after his performances in the relegation campaign, but fast-forward two years, he still remains a member of the squad and playing a key role in their push for promotion.
Gnonto, who’s previously been dubbed a “monster” by one analyst, has registered 21 goals or assists in the last two seasons, often coming up with the goods when Farke and the supporters need him most.
His rapid rise has been all the more remarkable, especially when considering the 21-year-old only cost the hierarchy £3.8m upon his move to join the Whites back in August 2022.
1. Wilfried Gnonto
£15m
2. Dan James
£13.4m
= Ethan Ampadu
£13.4m
= Pascal Struijk
£13.4m
= Illan Meslier
£13.4m
3. Joel Piroe
£11.8m
4. Brendon Aaronson
£10m
The Italian’s subsequent form has seen a huge jump in his market value, with Transfermarkt valuing the attacker at €18m (£15m), a jump of around 300% on the figure forked out for his services just over two years ago.
Such a value is also the same Transfermarkt value as current transfer target Buendia, who’s seen a huge drop since his £33m transfer in the summer of 2021, with injuries playing a massive role in his decline in value.
As a result of his recent injury troubles, it would be a huge risk for Farke to spend some of the wage budget on the Argentine, potentially not being at the level of fitness required to make an immediate impact.
Given Gnonto’s rise, a potential move for the Villa man could further hinder the Italian’s game time, preventing him from progressing, with the former FC Zurich man potentially having a huge role to play between now and the end of May.
Worse than Aaronson: Farke must drop Leeds man who lost 80% duels
The Leeds United forward failed to make much of an impact in the win over Norwich.
قدم المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة هانز فليك، آخر التحديثات الخاصة بشأن بفريقه قبل مواجهة ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.
ويواجه برشلونة خصمه ريال مدريد ضمن منافسات الجولة 35 من منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لاليجا”، على ملعب “مونتجويك الأولمبي”، غداً الأحد.
ويحتل برشلونة المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم برصيد 79 نقطة، بينما يأتي ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني برصيد 75 نقطة.
اقرأ ايضاً.. برشلونة يتلقى خبرًا سارًا قبل مواجهة ريال مدريد في كلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني
وقال هانز فليك في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة: “نحن في حالة جيدة بعد الهزيمة في ميلانو، الجميع يعلم أن الأمر ليس سهلاً، لكننا نسير على الطريق الصحيح، وتحدثنا عما نريد تحقيقه، أمامنا أربع مباريات متبقية، ومباراة الكلاسيكو مهمة جدًا، الأمر يتعلق بالثقة فيما نريد إظهاره”.
وأضاف فليك: “في الكلاسيكو يجب أن تكون في أعلى مستوى لك، وهذا ما يجب أن نفعله غدًا، نريد أن نكون فاعلين، ونريد أن نرى الفريق يلعب بكثافة على أرض الملعب، مهيمنًا كما هو معتاد”.
وأشار فليك: “نحن نعلم أن ريال مدريد فريق رائع جدًا، لكننا نلعب على أرضنا، ومعنا جماهيرنا، وأنا ممتن جدًا لذلك، لأنهم في كل لحظة من المباراة يعرفون بالضبط ما نحتاج إليه ويدعموننا كثيرًا، لذلك من الرائع حقًا أن يكونوا معنا”.
وتابع فليك: “الدوري الإسباني هو اللقب الأكثر تنافسية، عليك خوض 38 مباراة، وإذا وصلت إلى النهاية واحتللت المركز الأول، فسيكون هذا هو اللقب الأكثر صدقًا”.
وواصل المدرب الألماني حديثه قائلاً: “إذا سألت اللاعبين، سيجدون أنهم يطمحون دائمًا للفوز بالكلاسيكو، لا يهم ترتيب الفريق نحن نركز فقط على هذه المباراة، ونبذل قصارى جهدنا”.
وأكمل فليك: “لدينا أربع مباريات، وكما ذكرتُ سابقًا، سنركز على كل مباراة ونسعى للفوز بها جميعًا، ومباراة الكلاسيكو هي الأولى، والأهم لجماهير برشلونة، وللاعبين، ولي ولجهازي الفني، إنها رائعة، لا علاقة لهذا بنقص الطاقة لديهم، فهم يمتلكونها، إنهم يقومون بعمل رائع، ونريد الاستمرار على نفس المنوال”.
عن ليفاندوفسكي وبالدي: “لا أعتقد أنني سأعتمد عليهم في البداية، أعتقد أن جيرارد مارتن وبقية اللاعبين في حالة جيدة جدًا، وبعد الإصابة، الأمور مختلفة بعض الشيء. بعد هذه المباراة، لدينا ثلاثة لاعبين آخرين. ربما سيحصل على دقائق لعب في الشوط الثاني”.
وأردف قائلاً: “لا أحد يعلم كيف ستنتهي المباراة. نحن نتحدث عن فريقين قويين يواجهان بعضهما البعض. قد يكون الأمر مختلفًا بعض الشيء عن مباراة مدريد، الجميع يريد القتال للحصول على النقاط الثلاث، وآمل أن نتمكن من تحقيقها”.
واختتم فليك حديثه: “نحن أمام فريقين كبيرين، ونأمل أن تكون لنا أفضلية اللعب على أرضنا، هما فريقان عظيمان، وسنقاتل من أجل الفوز بالنقاط الثلاث، نأمل أن ننجح في ذلك”.
Arsenal are in contact with a club captain about joining them via his representative, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen a key area of the squad.
Arsenal face losing Thomas Partey and Jorginho in 2025
Arteta faces a very realistic imminent future without midfield veterans Thomas Partey and Jorginho, who are both out of contract at the end of this season as things stand.
Arsenal approach Champions League club over signing "monster" 21-year-old
The Gunners want to know more about a potential January agreement.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 10, 2025
Partey, after a very difficult 2023/2024 campaign at N5, has battled his way back into the Arsenal first team – starting the vast majority of Premier League games as either a midfielder or makeshift right-back.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games
Date
Tottenham (home)
January 15
Aston Villa (home)
January 18
Wolves (away)
January 25
Man City (home)
February 2
Leicester City (away)
February 15
The £200,000-per-week Ghanaian could be in his final months as a Gunners mainstay, though, with Jorginho potentially about to join him out of the Emirates Stadium exit door when their current deals expire on June 30.
Unless Arsenal decide to agree fresh terms with either player, Arteta faces being left very short in midfield for the 2025/2026 campaign, prompting reports that they’re looking at alternative midfield options.
There are even some suggestions that Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz is back on Arsenal’s radar, after the club failed with an array of bids to try and prise him away from Aston Villa in 2022.
More interesting names will likely emerge throughout January, with Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in their thinking.
The £105,000-per-week Italy international has been linked with a move to the Emirates as far back as nearly six years ago, as reports in 2019 claimed Arsenal were targeting Pellegrini as a replacement for Aaron Ramsey.
The midfielder can play both in the centre and further forward as a CAM, akin to Martin Odegaard, so he could potentially bolster two key positions in one fell swoop. Pellegrini is also out of contract in 2026, and Roma are open to selling the 28-year-old despite his status as captain.
Lorenzo Pellegrini in contact with Arsenal over joining them
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, via Giallorossi.net, Pellegrini is in contact with Arsenal over potentially joining them via his agent.
The former Sassuolo star is said to be up for sale, but a transfer is deemed more likely in the summer. That being said, if fellow suitors Inter Milan include Davide Frattesi in a part-exchange for Pellegrini, then that deal could well happen before February 3.
Arsenal also face competition from Antonio Conte’s Napoli, who are in dialogue with Pellegrini’s camp alongside the Gunners.
“Pellegrini has had 6-7 scoring opportunities in the last few games. What does that mean? That he moves like a god, that he is well, that he runs a lot, that he has a fantastic spirit and does not hide,” said former Torino boss Ivan Juric, now at Southampton, last October.
“He has not scored and it is a shame. He has had important opportunities, he hit the crossbar. I see him in training, he never backs down. It can be a negative moment for him, even in the national team everything he tries goes wrong.
“But working as he is doing, as a true captain, he will get there. I see a player to whom Spalletti gives the number 10 shirt. I am convinced that he will unlock himself.”
O Azuriz, clube de apenas quatro anos de fundação e que tem Marcelo, do Real Madrid, entre os investidores, está classificado para a terceira fase da Copa do Brasil em seu primeiro ano de disputa, e duela com o Bahia por uma vaga nas oitavas de final da competição. O segundo jogo entre as equipes será realizado no dia 10 de maio, em Pato Branco, no Paraná. A primeira partida na Arena Fonte Nova terminou com um empate em 0 a 0.
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O clube paranaense conta com uma ajuda tecnológica para analisar o desempenho dos atletas.A plataforma de análise de desempenho Playermaker é parceira do Azuriz desde 2020, e desde então entrega resultados inéditos para segmentos técnicos, táticos, físicos e biomecânicos, com tecnologia inovadora de inteligência artificial.
A empresa é membro oficial do programa de inovação da Fifa, e está presente em clubes europeus como Manchester City, Leicester, Crystal Palace (Inglaterra), Rangers (Escócia) e Club Brugge (Bélgica), além da Associação de Futebol da Argentina (AFA).
O time do Azuriz entra em campo com o sensor inteligente acoplado nas chuteiras e que permite análise completa dos atletas, incluindo a relação entre jogador e a bola como velocidade do chute, o número de toques, a porcentagem do pé dominante, ritmo de jogo, e número de recuperações e bolas perdidas.
Os benefícios para toda a equipe são inúmeros, e promove a interação entre treinador, jogadores, analistas e equipe médica do clube com dados precisos e com alto dinamismo.
– O Azuriz busca sempre a excelência na performance dos atletas. A parceria com o Playermaker, tecnologia de altíssimo nível, nos possibilita inúmeros direcionamentos relacionados aos indicadores de performance relacionados aos aspectos técnicos, táticos, físicos e biomecânicos, tanto individuais quanto coletivos. Sem dúvida, esse trabalho conjunto é de suma importância nos resultados esportivos do clube – explica o coordenador metodológico do clube, Eliéser Felipe Livinalli.
– É muito gratificante ver o sucesso do Azuriz, clube parceiro do Playermaker de 2020 e que desempenha um trabalho pioneiro e de excelência no futebol brasileiro. Ter a nossa marca associada à histórias bem-sucedidas, como a do Azuriz, é muito importante para a expansão da nossa tecnologia no Brasil – comenta o CEO do Playermaker no Brasil, Thiago Oliveira.
Para chegar até o confronto contra o Bahia, o Azuriz eliminou o Botafogo-SP e o Mirassol, ambos pelo placar de 1 a 0. A temporada também marca a estreia do Azuriz na Série D do Brasileirão.
Successful return to opening for Somerset has the former Test opener on the selectors’ radar after he was named to tour Sri Lanka with Australia A
Alex Malcolm29-Apr-2022
Matt Renshaw set up the Somerset innings with a hundred•Getty Images
Matt Renshaw’s newfound versatility is making him an attractive option for Australia’s selectors as they begin to plan for life beyond David Warner and Usman Khawaja in the coming years.Renshaw, 26, made a sparkling century for Somerset on day one of their division one LV= County Championship clash against Warwickshire, just a day prior to being named in the Australia A squad to tour Sri Lanka.The former Test opener has returned to the top of the order in his last three innings for Somerset having not opened in a first-class match since December 2019 when he was dropped from Queensland’s Sheffield Shield team and needed to take a break from cricket.Since then, he has re-established himself at No.5 in Queensland’s side and won a place in the Australia A team against England Lions last summer where he ended up batting at No.3, a spot he remained in for the Bulls for the rest of the summer.But his successful return to opening for Somerset with scores of 48 and 129 in his last three innings has showcased his versatility as a player, something Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey has noted.Related
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Pat Cummins rested for Sri Lanka T20Is; big guns return for white-ball leg
“He could probably fit anywhere, certainly given his development over the last couple of years,” Bailey said. “We know he can open, he’s scored [a Test hundred] so there’s a skillset that he has there. He got back to batting No.3 at the back end of the season for Queensland. He’s had some good success at No.5.”As I said to him in the last couple of days, it’s great to see him back at the top over in England.”Looking at scarcity of resources and where the hardest places to bat are you’re on the lookout for guys who have the ability to bat at the top of the order and hopefully stay there for long periods of time as far as tenure goes.”I think the learning that he’s gone through, to go down and feel like what it feels like and how he has had to change his game to bat at No.5 will help him and he’s gone back to the top and he said it’s taken a little bit of adjusting and it’s a bit of a different feel. Because after a couple of years at No.5 he was starting to get used to it. But he’s enjoying the challenge.”For him, like any batter, it’s about scoring a mountain of runs, and then if the opportunity arises, he’s probably got a nice little advantage at the moment that he’s got that flexibility in his game.”Usman Khawaja has proven that flexibility is a valuable asset after he scored twin centuries at No.5 for Australia in the Sydney Ashes Test before being moved up to open following the return of Travis Head and dominating the Pakistan series at the top of the order.Khawaja and Warner both turn 36 later this year and Australia will need depth at the top of the order sooner rather than later. Marcus Harris, who has made an excellent start to the English summer for Gloucestershire, has been left out of Australia’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka but has been included in the Australia A squad.Marcus Harris was making his Gloucestershire debut•PA Images via Getty Images
Harris, Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Mark Steketee have all been named in the A squad that will cause disruptions for their respective county sides as they head to Sri Lanka for the tour in June.Glamorgan will also lose Marnus Labuschagne, as expected, who has been selected for Australia’s ODI and Test sides. But Michael Neser is set to remain in England after being overlooked for the Australia Test and Australia A squads.”It’s an important consideration because those guys have committed to big chunks of time getting some great experiences over in England,” Bailey said.”We just wanted to make sure that the skillsets were fitting and where we see Ness at the moment, he’s actually in the right place. We see his skillset as being really well-suited to English conditions, as opposed to probably not as much at the moment in subcontinent conditions, where we found in Pakistan, that little bit of extra air speed can be quite crucial.”Not saying that Sri Lanka is going to be exactly the same as Pakistan, but certainly for Ness going forward and we’ve been really clear to him on this, one is that the fact that we’ve been out on smaller squads, so we’re not carrying those extra players, which is great because it means he gets to continue playing and putting performances up over there.”