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Gian Luca Rossi has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Gleison Bremer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Milan-based television network Telelombardia (via Sport Witness), the Italian journalist revealed that – following Alessandro Bastoni’s agent, Tulio Tinti, revealing the 23-year-old will remain at Inter Milan this summer – Antonio Conte will now turn his focus in the summer transfer market towards the Torino centre-back.

Previous reports had claimed that Simone Inzaghi’s side have already agreed a four-year deal with the 25-year-old ahead of a summer switch from Turin to Milan, however, with Fabio Paratici now set to launch a €50m (£43m) bid for the Brazilian, Inter’s move for Bremer now appears to be in doubt.

Regarding Tottenham’s interest in the defender, Rossi said: “It is no mystery that Antonio Conte likes Bastoni. Indeed, from the information I have gathered, Conte is ready to put a spoke in the wheel at Inter. The message that Conte sent to Inter is more or less: if you don’t leave Bastoni with me, I’ll go to Bremer.”

Inzaghi will be livid

Considering just how impressive Bremer was for Torino this season, in addition to the fact that Inter previously looked to have all but confirmed the centre-back’s arrival at the San Siro this summer, the news that Spurs are now set to make their own move for the 25-year-old is sure to have left Inzaghi livid.

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Indeed, over his 33 Serie A appearances this season, the £31.5m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Ivan Juric’s defence, helping Il Toro keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.2 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 4.0 clearances and winning 6.6 duels per game.

The £18k-per-week left-footer also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring three goals and registering one assist, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 35.3 passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Ryan Taylor dubbed both “unbelievable” and “faultless” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.13, not only ranking him as Juric’s best performing outfielder in the league but also as the fifth-best defender in Serie A as a whole.

As such, should Paratici manage to steal Bremer from under the noses of Inzaghi and Inter this summer, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Nerazzurri, while also providing Conte with an excellent alternative to Bastoni on the left of his three-man backline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news: Paratici can seal huge Bastoni upgrade as Spurs now eye “extraordinary” £50m signing

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has made a major transfer decision involving former Spurs star and current midfield target Christian Eriksen, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reunion on the cards?

As per a recent report by The Telegraph, after the 52-year-old secured Champions League football for Spurs next season, the Lilywhites are set to offer the Italian six summer signings in a plea for him to stay in north London.

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It is believed that the Premier League giants will let Conte lead the way in terms of summer targets with ex-Spurs playmaker and fan favourite Eriksen on a list of potential targets.

Transfer chief Fabio Paratici will apparently fly to Italy to hold talks with the manager over plans for the upcoming window, but according to a fresh claim by Football Insider, it appears that Conte has already made a big decision regarding the Denmark international, whom he managed at Inter.

The Latest: Conte green-lights Eriksen move…

According to Football Insider, the Tottenham manager has ‘sanctioned a move’ for Eriksen this summer as his contract with current club Brentford nears its end.

The club have apparently ‘already been in contact’ over a potential agreement, while a source from the outlet explained that the 30-year-old ‘would be keen’ on a ‘sensational’ return to Spurs if a deal can be struck.

The Verdict: Promising update?

Going by this fresh update, it appears that a return for Eriksen to Tottenham could be growing increasingly likely.

We believe that N17 is a perfect landing spot for him given that Spurs can offer the midfielder Champions League football and a chance of working with a manager he knows well in Conte.

Having finished the season as Thomas Frank’s best player going by average match rating, all while making more key passes per 90 than any Bees player (WhoScored), it’s clear that Eriksen still possesses the creativity to be an asset at Hotspur Way.

Pontus Jansson summed up his team-mate’s pedigree by branding him a ‘superstar’, and that perhaps highlights why Conte and co are interested in landing the ex-Spurs star on a Bosman deal.

In other news: ‘Told Spurs are ready…’ – Dam Kilpatrick has exciting transfer news for supporters! Find out more here.

Wolves could not only sell Ruben Neves to Barcelona this summer but also lose him for a ‘hugely knocked down price’, according to a worrying new transfer report.

The Lowdown: Neves on the move?

The Portuguese has stood out as one of Wanderers’ best players in the Premier League this season, excelling in the middle of the park with his quality and tenacity.

Neves has scored four goals and registered two assists in the league, not to mention enjoying an average pass completion rate of 84.2%.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old has been continually linked with a move away from Wolves this summer, and a new update further suggests that that will happen in the worst way possible.

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The Latest: Double blow for Wolves

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Barcelona not only see Neves as their number one midfield target but are also confident of signing him on the cheap compared to others.

It is claimed that they could sign him for a ‘much lower ‘amount than fellow target Martin Zubimendi, who has a €60m (£50.7m) release clause – Transfermarkt value Neves at £36m.

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The Verdict: Cough up the cash Barca

If Wolves are to lose Neves this summer, it is essential that they only sell him for a huge amount of money – frankly, only a club-record exit fee will do, beating the current amount of £40.23million received for Diogo Jota.

Bruno Lage will need the money to bring in a top-quality replacement and not having those funds would feel like a double whammy after losing arguably his star player.

If Barcelona want Neves, they must pay the amount that Wolves are willing to part with, or accept having to look at a different target instead.

In other news, Wolves have been linked with an exciting Premier League signing. Find out who it is here.

Championship-winning spinner heads for Lions tour with high ambitions after breakthrough summer

Jon Culley17-Nov-2018Given the poor health of cricket in state schools, it is hardly any wonder that a public-school background is seen as a major plus on the CV of any aspiring young player.Take Surrey’s famous four – the quartet who made history in 2017 by becoming the first four teenagers to take the field as team-mates in a County Championship match since the war.Sam Curran was educated at Wellington College, Ollie Pope at Cranleigh, Ryan Patel at Whitgift, all schools in the independent sector, all with a reputation for providing excellent cricket facilities and coaching. Over the years, Surrey have found them to be a good source of talent.The other member of that quartet was Amar Virdi, the offspinner. Virdi stands out, and not only for the turban and full beard of his Sikh faith. He is the only one of the four who was not privately educated. In fact, when given the chance to attend a private school, he turned it down.”I was offered scholarships by some private schools – Reed’s and Hampton School – but I chose not to go,” Virdi said.”I didn’t want to board and I also wanted to play adult cricket. I have been playing first-team cricket since I was about 13.”Instead, he attended the state-maintained Guru Nanak Sikh Academy in Hayes, within easy travelling distance of the family home in Hounslow, while continuing to play for Sunbury, and left after his A-levels to focus on his cricket.It is difficult to argue that it was a poor decision. Virdi, currently on his second tour with England Lions, ended his first full season playing Championship cricket with 39 wickets, the most by any English-born spinner in the competition.”I was lucky enough to play all the Championship games for Surrey and that was an opportunity to show what I am capable of, what ability I do have,” he said.Amar Virdi chipped through Lancashire’s top order•Getty Images”I was lucky in that some of the surfaces were quite helpful and I was given a lot of overs to bowl. When a team puts their trust in you in that way it gives you a lot of confidence as a young spinner.”Virdi can trace his family roots to Punjab, although his parents are both from East Africa. His father, Raj, moved to London from Kenya when he was 18, to study at university. His mother, Harmeet, arrived in altogether more traumatic circumstances, when her family had to flee the military dictatorship of President Idi Amin in Uganda.”My mum was thrown out, if you want to put it that way,” he said. “My grandad had quite a lot of business there at the time. The Asians had a lot of wealth in Uganda so they were the first people to leave. They don’t go back, because of the memories.”Amar grew up, therefore, in West London, the middle one of three brothers. His father played tennis – he represented Kenya as a junior – and it was his older brother, Gursimran, who introduced Amar to cricket.”He would take me along and, because they thought I had something about me, they asked him to keep bringing me. That was where it began.”Virdi joined the historic Indian Gymkhana Cricket Club in Osterley, not far from his home, and from there moved to Sunbury, where his talent soon had him pushing for a place in the senior teams despite his young age.He has been playing alongside Pope and Patel since they were in the Surrey Under-13s team together, with Sam Curran coming along a couple of years later. Seeing Curran and Pope making their England debuts encouraged his belief that he might one day join them.”These are people I have been playing with since we were 14 and we are quite strong as a team at Surrey, a very tight unit,” he said. “They have done very well and we are proud of them and hopefully we can be all together in the England side at some point.”

I did go a bit crazy but as a youngster winning the Championship in my first full season, I think I might have had an excuse

Virdi, who counts his fellow British Sikh, Monty Panesar, as an inspiration, but Gareth Batty and Saqlain Mushtaq, in whose footsteps he is following at The Oval, as his major mentors, is a character of contrasts.Speak to him about his future and he is steady, measured. “For me it is important to develop good basics, good techniques and not try to climb the ladder too fast, because you can go the other way just as quickly,” he says.Yet on the field he is known for impassioned appeals and for wheeling away in exuberant celebration when he takes a wicket. When Surrey won the Championship at Worcester in September, it was Virdi who was leaning over the players’ balcony, leading the Surrey fans in their victory songs.He smiles at the recollection. “People looking at me thought I’d been drinking, but I don’t drink,” he said. “I did go a bit crazy but as a youngster winning the Championship in my first full season, I think I might have had an excuse.”It is also because we have a lot of supporters. At Surrey, we are a big family and it is important to show that they are part of that. Without them there would be no club.”That’s why I celebrate the way I do when I take a wicket.”It is not necessarily a fake celebration. But a lot of people come to watch you play and it is important that they go away feeling they have been entertained.”I don’t think some batsmen like it too much [when I celebrate] but people have said to me ‘we love your celebrations, they’re amazing’ and such, so I just do what feels right at the time.”As England’s nurturing of young talent becomes more efficient, there seems every chance those celebrations could one day become a familiar sight in the Test arena too.

24-Aug-2016Tillakaratne Dilshan exposed his leg stump inadvertently and allowed a Nathan Lyon delivery to bowl him off his thigh pad•Associated PressSri Lanka, however, fought back through Kusal Mendis, who struck a run-a-ball 69•AFPDinesh Chandimal kept Mendis company for 21 overs and they added 125 for the third wicket•Associated PressThe stand was broken when Chandimal perished attempting to play against the turn and was trapped lbw by Adam Zampa•AFPZampa struck two more times, removing Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva to help Australia regain control•Associated PressBut Kusal Perera provided the innings with a late thrust during his half-century•Associated PressHe was supported by Angelo Mathews who scored 57 off 60 balls. They added 103 for the sixth wicket in 94 balls•Associated PressSri Lanka’s hopes of a strong finish were thwarted by James Faulkner’s hat-trick. They were bowled out for 288 with seven deliveries remaining•AFPThisara Perera struck first ball, shaping on away from David Warner who nicked to the wicketkeeper•Associated PressAaron Finch inside-edged a slog to his stumps in the bowler’s next over as Australia were reduced to 16 for 2•Associated PressSteven Smith tried to get the innings back on track, but gave a simple catch to mid-on. When he fell, he had scored 30 out of his team’s total of 41•Associated PressGeorge Bailey struggled to get going and plonked around for 46 balls for his 27•Associated PressWhen Moises Henriques was stumped off Seekkuge Prasanna, Australia were struggling at 118 for 5•AFPWade, however, held firm and struck a gritty half-century. He added 64 for the sixth wicket with Travis Head before sweeping a full toss to the hands of deep mid wicket•Associated PressSri Lanka, however, surged closer to a win as Wade and Head fell in successive overs, the latter dismissed by Mathews•AFPAmila Aponso quickly wrapped up Australia’s last two wickets to finish with returns of 4 for 18 in only his second ODI, sealing Sri Lanka’s 82-run win•AFP

A free-spirited, light-hearted character, Mark Wood could bring some enthusiasm – and genuine pace – to the England side if he debuts at Lord’s.

Andrew McGlashan20-May-20150:38

Jordan pleased with ‘healthy competition’

There have been a few firsts for Mark Wood in the last couple of months. A first England tour, a first international appearance and a first international wicket. There could be a couple more on Thursday: a first Test cap and a first match at Lord’s.For an English cricketer the latter is something of a surprise – your first Lord’s appearance coming for England – although Wood’s domestic career has not been vast so far: 24 first-class matches, 18 List A games and nine T20s. He will, by English standards, be a reasonably inexperienced Test debutant should be become No. 667 to represent his country – the honour, perhaps a dubious one, of being No. 666 will be Adam Lyth’s.So far, Wood’s experiences of Lord’s have been as a drinks carrier for Durham. He joked, during a very relaxed press conference, that it was a role he was accustomed to – a nod to his largely non-playing role in West Indies.”I haven’t played here before, for Durham or anything, so I’m really excited,” he said. “The whole feel of the place is not something I can explain to anyone.”I’ve been here twice as 12th man with Durham. As you all know, I’m used to running drinks, and I’ve enjoyed running them here before. I hope this time I’m here to play – third time lucky.”There is a very good chance it will be third time lucky with Wood favoured to replace Chris Jordan in the starting XI as England search for a cutting edge to their attack. It was clear in the Caribbean that James Anderson was shouldering a dangerously high burden when it came to Alastair Cook needing breakthroughs. It was not that Jordan, and to a lesser extent Ben Stokes, bowled poorly, but wickets were hard to come by.The issue of variety is also something England need to consider and while Wood is another right-armer (for New Zealand, left-armers appear to grow on trees) he is one of the quickest bowlers available at the moment – he nudged towards 90mph on a slow pitch in Dublin during the rain-ruined ODI against Ireland – and is also known as someone who can exploit reverse swing.”Height-wise I’m not as tall as the others, a bit more skiddy, so many I can bring a different dimension to the attack and a bit of enthusiasm around the dressing room,” he said.It was notable that he mentioned enthusiasm in the dressing room. He certainly comes across as a free-spirited, light-hearted character. A cynic may wonder how long until that is snubbed out by the England set-up, but it must be hoped that, as part of building a future, the team moves away from identikit cricketers.Wood’s approach was summed up when he was asked about the potential challenges of bowling in the middle at Lord’s for the first time, with the slope to contend with which has proved a handful for many in the past. “At the end of the day the stumps don’t move, I’ll just try to bowl with good pace and, if I play, try and knock the Kiwis over.”He also has an individual style to his run-up, something he likens to a “sprinter’s start” when he begins as though pushing off the blocks. Again, the Loughborough academy set-up, and its desire to tinker, lurks but Wood is very comfortable in his own skin.”It’s something I did when I was 18 or 19, I used to have a really long run-up and the academy coach at Durham, John Windows, wanted me to change it slightly to be a little more efficient and explosive. It’s worked well since then so I will keep doing it.”Wood is the latest paceman from the impressive Durham system to reach international level following Simon Brown, Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett, Graham Onions and allrounder Stokes, while Mark Davies was also briefly an England tourist.Is there any secret to the county’s success? “We’re used to hard work, I guess, working-class people and all that,” Wood joked before making a serious point about the pitches and a large catchment area which takes in Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria.One of those former Durham quicks is a close friend of Wood’s and remains an inspiration. Harmison hails from the same Ashington village and Wood remembers the days when he was in awe of his fellow fast bowler. The height of that feeling came, appropriately with the 10-year anniversary this summer, during the 2005 Ashes. It is significant that at a time when one of the major challenges for English cricket is winning back public appeal that both Wood, and Jos Buttler who was sat alongside him, picked out 2005 as inspirations in their careers.”I looked up to him massively, he was a family friend – his uncle and my dad were best friends growing up – and he used to come round the local cricket club and I used to be a bit in awe,” Wood said of Harmison. “2005 was probably the greatest Test series I have ever watched, so to see someone I knew do well was great see and he’s still someone I look up to now and go to for advice.”He just said go and enjoy yourself, express yourself. He was someone viewed as being homesick or nervous so it was quite good to hear that from him.”This is, of course, the beginning of another Ashes summer. It is unlikely that English cricket can ever recapture those heady days of 2005, but if Wood can make a mark in this series against New Zealand he will have gone a long way to securing his ticket to face Australia. And the early signs are that he would provide some fun along the way.

Day one of a Dhaka Test? Be warned

Zeeshan Mahmud28-Jan-2014Choice of game
Bangladesh made 638 against Sri Lanka in their previous encounter and drew that Test, with Mushfiqur Rahim making a double-ton. So the anticipation ahead of this game was huge. My heart wants Bangladesh to win, although I knew it would mostly be Sri Lanka having the final say. Also, in the current context of the ICC debacle, Sri Lanka is our strange bedfellow: though we are playing against each other we are both united for the bigger picture.Key performer
Notwithstanding Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan’s role as anchors to resuscitate the innings with a partnership, and Sohag Gazi’s late burst, it was undoubtedly Shaminda Eranga’s day. He removed the openers, while Suranga Lakmal also chipped in with a supporting role.Things I’d have changed
Tamim Iqbal perished to an ugly pull that resulted in a catch at fine leg. It was totally unnecessary. I wanted to change that, as well as go with a three-two pace-spin combination, with Marshall Ayub and/or Robiul Islam dropped. Instead I would have given chances to Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah – the latter could have added more depth to batting as well.But the thing I would definitely have added was a retractable dome over the stadium to regulate the scorching sun that was beating down on us. Yes, the cool breeze helped us survive from being toasted from time to time at the 20-Taka Eastern Stands, but I think it would a be few millions well spent on the infrastructure instead of on the players who are yet to show fight in Test cricket.The interplay I enjoyed
Mushfiqur getting out of “duck zone” was the standout for me. He proceeded to score off his 20th delivery with a boundary. I wished Steven Lynch was around to fill me in on the most deliveries consumed by a batsman before getting off the mark.
It turns out England wicketkeeper John Murray took 79 balls in Sydney in 1962-63 to open his account, and finished with 3 not out in 100 minutes. He was playing with an injured shoulder.Wow moment
I am tempted to pick the six by Gazi but it was actually Tamim’s dismissal. Since they don’t show dismissals on the big screen we had to wait for couple of minutes while the umpire deliberated. Everyone was on their toes and hoping against hope that the flamboyant batsman would not be given out. We wondered anxiously whether the boundary fielder had touched the rope when Tamim pulled, but in the end umpire gave the dreaded signal.Close encounter
At first, it was mostly Lakmal, but after that I couldn’t recognise the fielders at our side of the boundary. During Sri Lanka’s innings when Tamim raised his hand in acknowledgement to the crowd’s support, the spectators gave him a huge cheer.
It was very disappointing to note that our section was constantly mocking Sri Lanka’s players and their names. That’s definitely not part of cricket.Shot of the day
My favourite shot was in the 30th over by Lakmal, and it came off Shakib’s bat. He always plays exquisite drives, so the crowd was naturally impressed. It was effortless. He made contact and the ball where to find the gap and the boundary. It was poetic to watch live.Tests v limited-overs
My cousin warned me not to go for the Test match, but I learned the hard way. It is way more fun to attend an ODI match than the first day of a Test. It drains the energy of even the most ardent aficionado. I think I even lost some weight.Overall
Watching the first day of a Bangladesh Test match is akin to torture. The day was excruciatingly boring and painful, and I felt like dozing off many times. At times I even wanted to leave the match. But I didn’t and I will be back on day three. That’s us. Crazy Bangladeshi fans.Marks out of ten
4.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second day at Headingley

George Dobell and Firdose Moonda at Headingley03-Aug-2012Wicket of the Day
It took only two deliveries for Kevin Pietersen to show up the folly of England not selecting a specialist spinner for this Test. Pietersen, called into the attack to bowl his part-time offspin in the 111th over of the South African innings, turned his second ball sharply past the bat of Jacques Rudolph allowing Matt Prior to complete a stumping. Any English joy over making the breakthrough would have been tempered by the thought of what Graeme Swann, currently 12th in the ICC Test bowling rankings, might have been able to get out of the surface and the knowledge that South Africa’s legspinner Imran Tahir may find conditions much to his liking. This is first Test since 2003 for which England had not selected a specialist spinner. On that occasion, they lost heavily to South Africa at HeadingleyError of the Day
Another reminder of the benefits of the Decision Review System was provided by Alviro Petersen’s dismissal. Umpire Rod Tucker may well have been the only person on the ground who did not see the thick edge that Petersen got to a delivery from Stuart Broad, but England were able to call for a review and the original decision was overturned. It was – after two lbw decisions from Steve Davis – the third decision of Petersen’s innings to be overturnedReview of the Day
Petersen has been the subject of lbw reviews fairly often recently. In New Zealand, Ross Taylor asked for appeals against him to go upstairs twice (both of which were overturned) and Petersen himself reviewed being given out to Mark Gillespie once but his appeal was struck down. In this match though, Petersen did not allow being hit on the pads to get the better of him. Late on day one, Petersen reviewed when he was given out off Steven Finn and the DRS found the decision was incorrect because it was too high. Early on day two, Petersen reviewed again when given out off James Anderson. The technology showed it was missing leg stump and he survived again. Shot of the Day
With South Africa’s bowlers knowing they would have to pitch it up if they hoped to make early inroads, there was also the chance they would go for a few. Andrew Strauss made some of those few look better than anything this match has seen so far. While Petersen ground out 182 and JP Duminy went to 48 almost unnoticed, Strauss announced himself with two perfect straight drives, at either end of the ground. The first was off Vernon Philander as the England captain leaned into the shot and timed it down past mid-off. The second was even better, drilled past Dale Steyn with pinpoint placement to take Strauss above Len Hutton on the list of England’s top run scorers in Test cricket.

The man who has been a facilitator to the fast bowlers today stepped up and made himself count

N Hunter09-Feb-2010″Maybe there’s a quarter piece of wood on the shoulder,” says Paul Harris when asked if there’s a chip on his shoulder for being perceived as an ordinary slow bowler. Harris is a master at self deprecation so there’s no wonder he cites perception as one of the reasons behind his success.Thus it did not matter to him that, two days into the Indian tour, he was the most expensive South African bowler in the warm-up game in Nagpur – where he condeded 71 runs in 12 wicketless overs – which ended three days prior to the first Test. Considering his returns were thin in the recently concluded home series against England, where he was dropped for the series-levelling victory at the Wanderers, doubts persisted about his place in the team in the crucial Nagpur game.On the eve of the match Harris received a shot of confidence from his captain Graeme Smith, who said he remained his go-to spinner. Harris, a surfer by nature, did not need any further motivation and set himself up to ride an Indian wave.Though Dale Steyn had already swamped the Indians in the first innings, Harris lent an additional heft to crush the hosts’ hopes with the key wicket of MS Dhoni immediately after tea on the third afternoon. That wicket proved a turning point for Harris, who would prove to be a key factor once again to stem India’s fightback on a weary pitch in the second dig.The fast bowlers had left enough footprints to aggravate the rough, and Harris did not waste much time bowling around the stumps. His job for the rest of the afternoon was to pitch the ball on the dented area and keep the Indians shackled. An advantage Harris has is that with his 6’2″ height, he can release the ball confidently and then pitch it accurately. Like a conveyor belt, Harris kept walking back to his bowling mark, returned to the bowling crease few seconds later and kept pitching it into the rough while challenging the batsmen and simultaneously choking the run flow. Even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni did not get enough breathing space to steal runs as Smith set a close ring of fielders around the bat.Throughout his 38-over spell in the second innings Harris’ sole intention was to attack the batsmen with a line that was either leg stump or behind the legs. Normally such a strategy would be termed as negative but in the existing circumstances it was positive intent and nothing else. After Dhoni’s freakish dismissal yesterday, where the delivery jumped after pitching in the rough to take the edge off a limp bat, the Indians today were more circumspect and avoided taking an aggressive route. In the process they only played into the hands of Harris, who had tailored the situation to perfection.Only when Harbhajan Singh came on and used the long handle did Harris have to fall back on plan B to curtail the run flow. Dhoni admitted later that it was really difficult to charge Harris. “He is not a big turner of the ball but some of his deliveries after pitching on the rough go straight. [In Kolkata’,” he said. “We will try to play different strokes, like sweep shots. We can’t just score 50-odd runs off a spinner who is bowling nearly 30 overs.”At one stage Harris had choked the run flow to an extent that he dominated the batsmen. Nearing the end of his second spell, his overall figures read 28-15-36-3 before Harbhajan did some minor damage. Harris had succeeded in what he set about to do: primarily his brief has been to keep the legs of the new ball pair of Steyn and Morne Morkel, who also happen to be his Titans mates, and keep Wayne Parnell fresh.

He allows the guys like Dale, Morne, Wayne and Jacques to perform their own roles they need to – he is the glue between all of them. To see him pick some key wickets today, [which includes] some important names is important to him and important to our side.Graeme Smith on Harris

This was nothing new for Harris, despite being a favourite sandbag of the media. The man from Harare has been a facilitator to the fast bowling department for the last two years. On the victorious journey of Australia in 2008, Harris was the second-best South African bowler behind Steyn. Back home, on the return leg against Ricky Ponting’s revenge-hungry soldiers, Harris once again kept the pressure on at one end to finish the series with 14 victims, just two behind the joint leading pair of Steyn and Mitchell Johnson. Incidentally, he recorded his best innings’ figures of 6 for 127 at Newlands, which played a massive hand in the face-saving win in the final Test of the series that the visitors clinched 2-1. Importantly Harris was the lone South African to bag a five-for in that series.Harris has never had pretensions about his job. What has also helped is being a fighter. When Geoffery Boycott famously called him a “buffet” bowler after a disastrous series in England in the early part of 2008, Harris decided the best way to chuck the pie back at the critics was bake good performances. So when he excelled in the Cape Town Test against the Aussies he made no bones about having “no respect for Boycott the person”. A chirpy guy on the field, Harris had once slapped Steyn hard to just charge up his wilting strike bowler. So when he got Andrew Symonds out twice in the historic 2008 Perth Test, he couldn’t help have a laugh at the Queenslander. “How shit must you be if I got you out twice,” Harris quipped to Symonds.Smith was elaborate in his praise of Harris. “I have got used to guys writing off Paul wherever we travel. No one really gives him a chance,” he said. According to Smith, Harris a really selfless guy who knows his role and performs it well. “He allows the guys like Dale, Morne, Wayne and Jacques to perform their own roles they need to – he is the glue between all of them. To see him pick some key wickets today, [which includes] some important names is important to him and important to our side.”Clearly it was an important moment in Harris’ life as he didn’t waste time in plucking a stump out as souvenir seconds after Steyn had knocked back final India wicket. He had earned it.

New Zealand captain Tim Southee and his predecessor Kane Williamson are set to play their 100th Tests together during the upcoming home series against Australia. March 8 will mark the occasion, the start of the second of two matches in the series, which follows a set of three T20Is.The 14-member Test squad also includes Daryl Mitchell who has been on the sidelines recently tending to a long-term foot injury. Scott Kuggeleijn gets a look in as well, replacing Kyle Jamieson who has picked up a back problem and is looking at a year out of the game.The NZC press release with the squad which arrived on Saturday also said, “Trent Boult, who will feature in the T20I series against Australia, was not considered for Test selection due to minimal recent red ball cricket – his last Test coming in June 2022 against England in Leeds.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Southee and Williamson grew up playing cricket alongside each other, rising up the ranks from the Under-19 levels to become their country’s second-highest wicket-taker and leading run-scorer respectively. The two of them had also played their 50th Test together, against Zimbabwe in 2016, and will join Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor as the only other New Zealand men with 100 Tests to their name.”Their achievements at Test level speak for themselves,” head coach Gary Stead said, “And they are undoubtedly two of the greatest players to have ever worn the New Zealand Test shirt.”Southee will follow Taylor, Virat Kohli and David Warner as just the fourth player in history to have played 100 matches in each format.The first Test will begin on February 29 in Wellington and will signal the return of a vital member of this team. Mitchell has become such a dependable fixture in this Black Caps team that among those who have played 20 Tests, the only person who averages more than his 53.46 is Williamson with 55.90.”[Mitchell] is a key member of the group and has proven, with his performances over the past 12 to 18 months, how much value he adds to the Test team,” New Zealand selector Sam Wells said. “Daryl will keep focusing on his rehabilitation over the next week and will be fit and ready for the first Test in Wellington.”Kuggeleijn has been picked on the back of his performances for New Zealand A against Australia A last year, including match figures of 9-113 and an unbeaten 101 to lead the team to victory in the first four-day game. The Northern Districts seamer has continued his form in the Plunket Shield, leading the bowling charts with 22 wickets at 16 from the first four rounds.Will O’Rourke retains his place after leaving one of the more lasting first impressions – the 22-year old quick claimed the best match figures by a debutant for New Zealand when he picked up 9 for 93 against South Africa in Hamilton earlier this week.Mitchell Santner continues as the specialist spin bowling option, while recent Test double-centurion Rachin Ravindra and allrounder Glenn Phillips lending support.Meanwhile, Matt Henry and Tim Seifert have been ruled out of the T20I series. Their replacements will be Ben Sears and Will Young.Henry suffered some hip soreness following the second Test against South Africa and will undergo a short period of rest and strengthening ahead of the Test series. Seifert has been withdrawn due to a torn abductor suffered while training for Northern Districts earlier in the week.”Matt’s understandably disappointed, but a break for the T20s will ensure he’s fully fit and ready to go for the Tests against Australia later this month,” said Stead. “We’re gutted for Tim who has been a strong performer over recent series and is an important part of the squad.We’re hopeful he’ll make a swift recovery ahead of an important period of T20I cricket for the team.”

New Zealand Test squad vs Australia

Tim Southee (capt), Tom Blundell, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Updated New Zealand T20I squad

Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Trent Boult (games 2 & 3), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (game 1), Will Young