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Aston Villa have reportedly exited the race to sign Rangers defender Calvin Bassey following the signing of Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos.

That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Villa are likely to be out of the race for the Nigerian, who can play at both left-back and centre-back, having signed the Brazilian for £26m.

It is believed that Rangers value the 22-year-old at a figure in excess of £25m, having been a vital cog in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this term with the Glasgow outfit winning the Scottish Cup and reaching the final of the Europa League.

Even though the West Midlands outfit have already made an exciting signing at the back in Carlos, that shouldn’t halt their pursuit of Bassey.

Villa must stay in the race for Bassey

It’s no secret that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is planning an overhaul of his squad this summer with the upcoming transfer window the 41-year-old’s first summer window in charge at Villa Park.

Having managed Bassey at Rangers, the Englishman is reportedly keen on a reunion with the former Leicester City youth product, who BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves claimed to be “astonishing.”

The Villans proved inconsistent throughout the campaign, with the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season a good example of how the entire campaign has gone for Aston Villa.

Having been 2-0 up with 15 minutes to go after an excellent display, a capitulation saw Gerrard’s men concede three goals in five minutes to lose the match.

Finishing 14th, NSWE will be planning for their side to enjoy a more successful campaign next term with the Villans finishing 17th, 11th and now 14th since returning to the Premier League.

It’s been 11 years since Villa last secured finished a top-half finish in the top flight and that will undoubtedly be the minimum requirement next season.

However, in order to achieve that feat, Gerrard must improve his defence with both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa proving unreliable at times.

Bassey could provide a further solution to those problems, on top of bringing in the Sevilla colossus. He averaged 1.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and an 85.2% passing accuracy across the SPFL and the Europa League, as per WhoScored.

None of Villa’s current first-choice central defensive options registered more than 0.9 tackles per game, whilst only Mings bettered his interception rate and Konsa his accuracy rate.

The West Midlands club have done excellently to recruit Carlos, but their efforts to improve the defence mustn’t stop there, with Bassey an exciting prospect and one that would undoubtedly improve a Villa side that conceded 54 goals in the league.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals “official talks” have started, Villa supporters will be gutted 

Liverpool have received a timely injury boost, ahead of Tuesday’s crunch Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

What’s the word?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp revealed that forward Roberto Firmino could be in contention to feature at Villa Park, having trained ahead of the meeting with Steven Gerrard’s side.

Asked about the fitness of the Brazilian, the former Borussia Dortmund manager revealed that “he’s getting closer and closer” to making a return, while he went on to add that: “It’s a challenge [to pick a team] but the medical dept makes it easier sometimes. We will see but it’s challenging and that’s it. Bobby Firmino has trained so it is a decision for tomorrow.”

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The 30-year-old has been absent since picking up a foot injury during the FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City at Wembley back in April, although made a welcome return to training last week to bolster his chances of featuring in the run-in.

Supporters will be buzzing

The Anfield outfit will seemingly be thankful to see the former Hoffenheim man back in action should he be passed fit to play, with the Merseysiders needing to utilise their vast resources as they continue their push for an unprecedented quadruple.

With a Carabao Cup triumph already in the bag – and with a place in the Champions League and FA Cup final’s now secure – the club’s present concern is to keep pace in the race for the Premier League title, having lost ground at the weekend following the frustrating 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

While securing a point against Antonio Conte’s talented side may not appear a major setback, the relentless nature of their title rivals, Manchester City, has meant that any dropped point is now treated as a catastrophe.

With just three games left of the season to play in the top-flight, the Reds are currently three points behind the reigning champions and with City holding a marginally superior goal difference, meaning the battle for the league crown is no longer in their own hands.

They will need to get back to winning ways in midweek, although meet a familiar face in club legend Gerrard, with the Englishman admitting that he will pushing for a win for his Villa side, despite the potential ramifications it could have on his former club.

In truth, the destination of the title could rest in the hands of the Midlands outfit, with the club also set to face Pep Guardiola’s men on the final day of the campaign.

As far as Tuesday’s game is concerned, however, having Firmino in tow will help bolster Liverpool’s hopes of victory, with the £34.2m-rated man having netted 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions so far this season.

Although the £180k-per-week man – who has just a year remaining on his existing deal – may no longer be a guaranteed starter in the side, he offers undoubted quality and experience in reserve, having notably netted vital goals against the likes of Arsenal and Benfica prior to his recent injury lay off.

He also offers a typically hardworking focal point in attack, ranking in the top 1% for tackles and blocks made among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in the top 3% for pressures made.

Teammate Andy Robertson previously insisted that the striker acts “as the first line of defence” such is his intense work ethic, with that boundless energy likely to be required in what will undoubtedly be a hard-fought tussle at Villa Park.

IN other news: Liverpool could finally replace Wijnaldum by signing £23.4m-rated “elite presser”…

With stories that inspire and bygone players making their return to international cricket, one thing’s for certain: cricket is king in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam05-May-2018Bangladesh’s 2017-18 season ended with good news – the move up to No. 8 gave them their highest ranking in Test cricket. But their performance over the last eight months from August to March highlight four areas that need immediate attention.A leadership voidMany would justifiably claim that Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan are well qualified as team leaders but the reality has been different. Former coach Chandika Hathurusingha was arguably the most powerful cricket figure in the country until his abrupt departure in November last year. BCB chief Nazmul Hassan backed him, and while there was a mourning period in the aftermath of his departure, Hassan had expected to replace Hathurusingha swiftly. But numerous rejections by coaches has left a leadership void, as foreign head coaches have tended to become the centre of power in the Bangladesh team. For now, Hassan has assumed the leadership position particularly after Bangladesh’s debacle against Sri Lanka at home, and especially after the encouraging showing in the Nidahas Trophy. In the absence of a full-time coach, Hassan had taken charge, and as he usually does, he’s been public with plenty of criticism and praise. This is not an ideal situation.Home truthsThis was another season when Bangladesh’s main batting performers like Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal were the mainstays. They are the only ones who have scored 700-plus runs across all formats. Mahmudullah and Shakib have played match-winning hands but beyond the batsmen who make up Bangladesh’s senior group, there has not been much. Mominul Haque’s 466 runs in 10 innings is 26 more than what Sabbir Rahman has made in 25 innings during the same period. Sabbir has been one of the three disappointments among the young batsmen.Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar have averaged below 20 after more than 15 innings while Anamul Haque and Mohammad Mithun, although not considered young anymore, have also struggled in limited opportunities. Mosaddek Hossain, who made an impressive Test debut in February last year, was kept away for much of the season due to an eye condition. Soumya and Sabbir have lost national contracts while Mosaddek has slipped down the pecking order; Liton is likely to be rewarded with a national contract in the next few weeks.It is hoped that BCB’s tough stance on stripping some players of their national contract will send the message they desire, but a batting coach is paramount over the next 12 months.Bowling strugglesWhen Shakib was ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka last January, the selectors’ hunt for spinners became a farce. They first called up legspinning allrounder Tanbir Hayder and rookie offspinner Nayeem Hasan who left the Under-19 World Cup to join the senior side. Both were curious call-ups, but what happened in the next 24 hours was equally befuddling. Abdur Razzak, the veteran left-arm spinner who had been overlooked for four years despite a bagful of domestic wickets, was picked as the sixth specialist spinner.Not surprisingly, Razzak stood out with his consistent lengths and wicket-taking deliveries. His call-up was encouraging on many levels, for domestic performers and in terms of opportunities for older cricketers. But his call-up also underlined the lack of fresh spin talent.Pace, too, has gone through a similar reality check. The narrow focus on only spin-friendly wickets at home has made pace bowling almost redundant. The lack of usage in home internationals and domestic matches leads to rustiness when they get to bowl in helpful conditions. Taskin Ahmed’s fall in pace or Mustafizur Rahman blowing hot and cold has put a lot of pressure on Mashrafe, who provides as much as his body allows nowadays. Rubel Hossain has also stood out with his death-overs bowling (although the Nidahas Trophy final didn’t go well for him).As a whole, the bowling hasn’t been as effective as it was in 2015 or 2016, and now they have three bowling coaches in Courtney Walsh (pace), Sunil Joshi (spin) and Champaka Ramanayake (the academy’s pace bowling coach). The onus doesn’t just fall on the specialist coaches’ feet, but also on the willingness of the bowlers to improve.Cricket remains the kingDespite the worries circling the senior team, cricket continues to be healthy in Bangladesh. It is the national pastime with stories emerging
from all corners about efforts being made not just to reach the top but also the game’s growth being used as a feel-good factor.The women’s game is progressing with heroic tales like those of Muslim Uddin, the coach who turned a toilet into the storage facility for his
women’s cricket camp. Rumana Ahmed and Khadiza Tul Kubra have also found some overseas experience after being invited to the WBBL in Australia earlier in the year. The story of Salauddin Sakil too, is inspiring, after he made his first-class debut in April, having spent four years of his youth in the Middle East as a migrant labourer.These people and their stories tell us all how deep Bangladesh cricket goes, and the impact it makes on people’s lives.

Stats highlights from the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Pallekele where the hosts registered a historic win

Shiva Jayaraman30-Jul-20160:51

By The Numbers – Sri Lanka end 17-year wait

1 Tests won by Sri Lanka against Australia before this, in Kandy in 1999. Since then, they had played 15 Tests against Australia without registering a win, losing ten. This is only the second time Sri Lanka have beaten Australia in 27 Tests.1999 Only other occasion of Australia losing a Test in Sri Lanka, in Kandy. This is Sri Lanka’s second win against Australia in 14 Tests at home and their first in nine Tests. Sri Lanka had lost six of those 14 Tests.7 Consecutive losses for Australia in Tests in Asia. This is the worst such streak for a Test team from outside the subcontinent in Asia after West Indies’ ten consecutive losses between 1997 and 2002. Australia’s last win in Asia came against Sri Lanka, in Galle in 2011.150 The lowest first-innings total with which Sri Lanka had won a Test before this, against West Indies in Kandy in 2005. They won that Test by 240 runs. Overall, this is the fifth time Sri Lanka have won a Test after scoring less than 200 in their first innings. Click here for a list of Sri Lanka’s lowest first-innings totals to win a Test.4 First-innings totals lower than Sri Lanka’s 117 that have resulted in Test wins in Asia. Pakistan fought back on three of those occasions, including the last of these instances. They were bowled out for just 99 in their first innings by England in Dubai in 2012, before they wrested the initiative through centuries from Azhar Ali and Younis Khan. The other instance was the Mumbai Test in 2004-05 when Australia lost after bowling India out for 104.7 Five-fors taken by Rangana Herath in the fourth innings of Tests, equalling Muttiah Muralitharan’s record. However, Muralitharan took 35 innings, as opposed to Herath’s 29. The other bowler to do this was Shane Warne, who did so in 53 innings. Overall, Herath has taken 24 five-fors in Tests – the tenth-highest overall. Herath’s match figures of 9 for 103 were his sixth-best in Tests. He now has 313 wickets in 71 Tests.5/58 The previous best bowling figures in a Test innings in Pallekele – by Pakistan’s Imran Khan last year. Herath bettered that with 5 for 54 in Australia’s second innings. His match haul of 9 for 103 is also the best by any bowler in Tests at this venue.15 Lbw dismissals in this Test – the highest in Sri Lanka. This also equals the fifth-highest in any Test. There were 20 lbws given in a match between West Indies and Pakistan at the Providence Stadium in 2011, which are the most in a Test.0.13 Scoring rate during Australia’s ninth-wicket stand between Steve O’Keefe and Peter Nevill – the lowest in any partnership spanning 100 or more balls (since balls faced information is available) in a Test innings. Nevill and O’Keefe faced 178 balls, scoring just four runs. There was just one scoring shot – a four by O’Keefe off Lakshan Sandakan in the 63rd over – after which the duo played out 137 consecutive dots before Nevill got out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd7/107 Sandakan’s bowling figures in this match – the best by a chinaman bowler on Test debut. Australian Chuck Fleetwood-Smith’s 5 for 165 on his debut in Durban in 1935 were the previous best. Sandakan’s match returns are also the third-best by a Sri Lanka bowler on debut. Ajantha Mendis holds the record for his 8 for 132 against India in 2008.0 Number of times a partnership for the eighth wicket or lower in the fourth innings of a Test has spanned more deliveries than the 178 balls faced by Nevill and O’Keefe. The previous highest was 176 deliveries faced by Adil Rashid and Mark Wood against Pakistan in Dubai last year.3 Number of times Australia have lost a non-Ashes Test after dismissing their opponents for a lower first-innings total than Sri Lanka’s 117. The lowest such total is South Africa’s 96 in Cape Town in 2011-12. India made 104 in the aforementioned Mumbai Test and West Indies won the 1951-52 Adelaide Test by six wickets after making just 105 in their first innings.19 Wickets by left-arm spinners in this Test – the fourth-highest ever. The record belongs to the famous Bangalore Test in 1986-87 when India’s Maninder Singh and Ravi Shastri, and Pakistan’s Iqbal Qasim combined for a match tally of 24 wickets.18.20 The average of Australia’s batsmen in this match – their fifth-lowest in any Test in Asia, and the lowest since the Mumbai Test in 2004-05. The Karachi Test of 1988 is the only other instance when Australia averaged lower in a Test in Asia in the last 50 years.

During his innings of 75, England captain Alastair Cook became England’s highest run-scorer, going past Graham Gooch’s tally of 8900 Test runs. We look at how some in the Twitter world reacted

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2015He got the record with a boundary off Tim Southee.

Congrats to Cook. Gets the record age 30, in his 114th Test. So much more to come still. Such a warm and lengthy ovation from the crowd.

— AlisonMitchell (@AlisonMitchell) May 30, 2015

Cook went past his mentor and another cricketer from Essex, Gooch.

Doth my cap to Alistair Cook. One Essex player passes another in the record books for #EnglandCricket Fantastic achievement @EssexCricket

— Richard Cliffe (@dickcliffe) May 30, 2015

Quite poignant that Alastair Cook should become England's leading Test run getter after going past the man he owes it all to. Graham Gooch.

— Gautam Bhimani (@gbhimani) May 30, 2015

Cook achieved the record just nine years since his debut in 2006.

Alastair Cook has taken 9 years and 203 innings to get to Gooch's record (19 years & 215 inns)

— simon hughes (@theanalyst) May 30, 2015

His achievements would have even made his mentor proud.

Cook has beaten Gooch's record in fewer Tests with more hundreds and at better average.

— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) May 30, 2015

Cook’s batting form and captaincy has been under scrutiny the past few months, and the record only proves his immense contribution to the team.

Well done A. Cook!! @ECB_cricket leading test run scorer. Deserves a little bit more respect than what he got the last few months…

— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) May 30, 2015

Some even figured out who might be breaking the tally Cook finishes his career with.

England have maintained their policy of leading run-scorer having an OO name. Root therefore a big chance to one day overtake Cook. #ENGvNZ

— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) May 30, 2015

Maybe a single ‘o’ connection would hold truer if we go through the records.

Leading Test run-getters for England in the last 100 years…. J Hobbs W Hammond C Cowdrey G Boycott D Gower G Gooch A COOK in 2015 #EngvNZ

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 30, 2015

Perhaps a distraction is out of the way ahead of the Ashes.

Congrats to Alastair Cook on becoming England's highest Test run scorer. Best get it out of the way before the #Ashes #ENGvNZ

— Malcolm Conn (@malcolmconn) May 30, 2015

Wait, are we talking about the England or Australia record?

Alastair Cook becomes top Test run scorer for England. Now within 4500 runs of breaking Ricky Ponting's Australian record. #ENGvNZ

— Joshua Kay (@js_kay) May 30, 2015

Opposition Test captains better be afraid of Cook’s run-feasts.

Alastair Cook will hunt you down. He will find you. He will methodically blunt your bowling attack

— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) May 30, 2015

‘It’s a triumph of many -ions.

Momentous achievement by Ali Cook. Triumph of dedication, concentration and accumulation, and no perspiration.

— simon hughes (@theanalyst) May 30, 2015

He may not be elegant, but he’s got the most runs for England.

Mental strength, patience, concentration and avoiding injuires are among Cook's assets. Not a pretty player but a mighty effective one.

— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) May 30, 2015

Alastair Cook is good, but not an elegant left hander. But then, maybe we've been spoiled by seeing Lara and Ganguly bat

— The Bad Doctor (@doctoratlarge) May 30, 2015

The most successful England Test captain had kind words for the current one, and looked forward to many more runs from Cook’s bat.

30 yrs Old…Great achievement for Ali Cook.. As tough as they come and many more to follow playing like he is now … #ENGvNZ

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 30, 2015

Stats highlights from an outstanding day of Test cricket, when South Africa demolished Australia to level the series

S Rajesh23-Feb-2014

• South Africa’s 231-run win is their second-largest victory margin (in terms of runs) against Australia since their readmission to international cricket. The only bigger win was in Perth in 2012, when they won by 309 runs. Overall, it’s their fifth-largest victory against Australia.
• Out of 19 Tests between South Africa and Australia in South Africa since 1992, only one has been drawn. The last 16 Tests here have all produced decisive results.
• The passage of play that turned the game around was the outstanding spell of fast bowling immediately after tea when Australia slipped from 141 for 1 to 166 for 6. After a fantastic opening partnership, Australia’s Nos. 3-7 scored a total of 7 runs: Alex Doolan made 5, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin a run each, while Shaun Marsh and Steven Smith were dismissed for first-ball ducks. It’s the second-lowest aggregate for the No. 3-7 batsmen from any team in a Test. The lowest was also by Australia against South Africa, in Cape Town in 2011, when they made 5; Clarke and Haddin were the two from the current line-up who were also in that middle order – Clarke made 2 and Haddin 0. (Mitchell Johnson batted at No. 7 in that game, but came in at No. 8 here.) The top three lowest ones are all by Australia – they had also made 7 against England in 1902.
• The nine batsmen following the openers scored a total of 22, the second-lowest for Australia in a Test innings, following the 13 they scored against England at Edgbaston in 1902. On that occasion, the highest score by one of those nine batsmen was 5; here, it was 6, by Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris.
• The difference in the South African attack was largely the amount of reverse-swing Dale Steyn obtained with the older ball, and it showed in the problems he caused Australia’s batsmen. Till the 37th over of the Australia innings, the batsmen had a control factor of 84% against Steyn. After tea, the control factor dropped to 66%.
• Doolan and Marsh, the heroes of Centurion, flopped in both innings at St George’s Park, scoring a total of 13 runs in fours innings between them. In Australia’s Test history, only four times has their Nos. 3 and 4 scored fewer runs over four innings in a Test – the last time they made fewer than 13 was more than 100 years ago, in 1902, when they managed 12. In 1899 at Headingley, Monty Noble and Syd Gregory, Australia’s Nos. 3 and 4, both bagged pairs, the only such instance in Australia’s Test history.
• Australia’s spectacular collapse after their superb opening stand was reminiscent of Chester-le-Street in 2013, in the fourth Test of the Ashes. Then, chasing a fourth-innings target of 299, Australia got off to a fine start too, with Chris Rogers and David Warner adding 109, before the middle order crumbled (though not as dramatically as they did here). No other batsman touched 25, and Australia were bowled out for 224. Overall, there have been only 11 instances of Australian openers putting together 100 or more in the fourth innings of a Test, and Warner-Rogers is the only pair to achieve this feat twice. The 126 they added is also the first instance of an opening-wicket century stand in the fourth innings of a Test in Port Elizabeth.
• Amid all the wickets going down at the other end, Rogers held firm and scored a courageous and resilient 107. It was the 15th instance of an Australian opener scoring a fourth-innings century, and a second one for him: he’d made 116 against England in Melbourne last year, helping Australia chase down a target of 231 quite easily. Rogers is one of only three Australian opener to achieve this feat twice: Mark Taylor and Arthur Morris are the other two.
• Warner had another good Test, scoring 66 in the second innings to follow on the 70 in the first, thus also continuing his superb run in the second innings of Tests. In his last ten Tests, Warner averages only 25.90 in the first innings, with two 50s, and a highest of 70; in the second innings, his average shoots up to 73.88, with three centuries and three fifties in ten innings.
• If Warner had a good Test, Marsh certainly didn’t. He followed up his first Test scores of 148 and 44 with a pair in the second, which means he has scored six ducks in 15 innings. He has also been out for 3 twice, while the remaining seven innings have fetched 487 runs.
• Apart from Steyn, the one South African player whose return to form would have pleased them was Hashim Amla: after scoring 105 runs in seven innings since his previous hundred – including a duck in the first innings here – Amla scored an unbeaten 127. It’s the 18th instance of a South African batsman scoring a duck and a century in the same Test; the last such instance was also in a Test against Australia, in Adelaide in 2012, when Graeme Smith scored 122 and 0 in the Test made famous by Faf du Plessis’ stubborn fourth-innings 110 not out on debut.

Shane Watson needs to find greater composure in order to become Australia’s batting barometer

Daniel Brettig at Kensington Oval09-Apr-2012If a cricket team’s character can be defined by that of its captain, then a batting order’s stability or otherwise is often dictated by the man who walks to the wicket at No.3. In the past decade the likes of Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara have set a high mark for the position, their strengths bolstering the batsmen around them.Before them the Australian and West Indian Test batting orders of the early 1990s were given their direction by the Nos.3 David Boon and Richie Richardson. While the latter was a little more flamboyant than the former, both were fearless. Were Boon to be unnerved by a pitch or a bowler, the rest of the Australian order would take uneasy note. Were Richardson to be deceived, as he was by Shane Warne on the final day of the 1992 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, there was every chance the rest would be similarly befuddled.So it was significant that Shane Watson set a jittery marker for Michael Clarke’s Australian team in his first innings at No.3. Watson is in the third phase of his Test batting career, having started in the middle order then graduated with some success to an opener’s post. His batting is strong, powerful and aggressive. But his mind is given to the occasional bout of the scattershot, and his knack for crease occupation remains under-developed. Watson knew the importance of his position when he walked out to the middle on the third morning of the first Test, and returned to the Garfield Sobers Pavilion bitterly disappointed to make a contribution that did almost as much harm to Australia’s cause as any West Indian bowler.Watson was not called upon until a 50-run stand had been posted, but his first foray into the world of No.3 batsmanship was far from comforting. He could have been out early lbw, padding up to Darren Sammy, and after David Warner perished he played a major role in Ponting’s run-out. As Ponting marched off Watson leaned on his haunches and cursed, with good reason. Eight times he has been involved in run-outs in his 33 Tests, a statistic to quicken the pulse of all batsmen to accompany him.Australia’s was racing second ball after lunch, when Watson drove expansively at Kemar Roach and edged into the gloves of Carlton Baugh. His innings had begun at 50 for 1 and ended at 133 for 4, leaving a sizeable salvage job in the hands of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey. Talented as they are, neither man has attempted to bat at No.3 for Australia, adding gravitas to the notion that such batsmen should be chosen carefully.When Boon retired in 1996, a wrestle for his position took place over five years. Ponting took the spot in Australia’s next Test, but held it for only two more. Justin Langer and Greg Blewett then claimed it with varying degrees of success, but the relentless march of Steve Waugh’s team was given noticeable momentum when Ponting returned to the post. Starting with the 2001 Ashes series, he carved up attacks with rare monotony and offered plenty of composure, too.Watson’s entry has come at the end of a period of experimentation, as Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh were also granted chances to enter at first wicket down. Both played innings of substance there – Marsh a laudable century on debut in Sri Lanka and Khawaja a strikingly calm half-century to help set-up a thrilling chase against South Africa in Johannesburg. However their limitations, both mental and technical, were laid bare after a time, and Marsh became particularly bereft as the selectors persisted with him over four Tests against India that grew ever more nightmarish amid a sea of Australian successes.Most of these lessons were learned while Watson convalesced after hamstring and calf injuries. In his absence the team performed strongly, Clarke rotating four bowlers as adroitly as he had five when Watson was available, while the cavalier Warner and circumspect Ed Cowan formed a balanced opening union. Leadership was also in plentiful supply, Brad Haddin serving as an able lieutenant to Clarke though Watson remained the official vice-captain. In this can be found the seeds of Watson’s return at No.3 – Marsh’s poor form made it the most easily available berth for a returning batsman, and so Watson travelled to the West Indies thinking about the role.On the second evening, before he went in to bat, Watson indicated that by moving out of the opening post he might also give his body and mind a greater chance of adjusting from the mental demands of bowling to those of batting. He was looking forward to the potential rest it offered, especially as Cowan and Warner stand a chance of making consistent starts.”There’s no doubt the more I do it the more comfortable I’m going to be about waiting my turn to go in,” Watson had said. “It’s a bit of a different experience to the last couple of years but at least, on the flip-side, it gives me a little bit more time to freshen up even after bowling a few overs today. In that sense, hopefully it’ll pay off tomorrow to give me a little bit more time to mentally freshen up. The more I do it the better I’m going to get, the more comfortable I’m going to be at finding the routines to make sure I can switch off, to make sure I’m mentally and physically ready to go when I need to.”With as much cricket as we do play even having that little bit of time to just chill out, even though you’re taking in every ball that’s going on out in the middle, but just from a mental perspective it’s just going to give me that little bit more time to actually relax and know that I can have a little bit of downtime to be able to get my head ready to start batting.”Watson had plenty of downtime to contemplate following his dismissal, and an unhappy Ponting to accompany him. As capable as he is with the bat and the ball, Watson must find greater composure – both between the wickets and at the batting crease – in order to become the batting barometer of a successful Australian team.

If we are to dissect, it is the batsmen who lost it and nothing new is said in that

Osman Samiuddin in Johannesburg04-Oct-2009Is it fair to say that Pakistan overachieved in this tournament by getting to the semi-finals? Probably so on balance, especially given that they had lost their last three ODI series. There will be disappointment at going out to a team they would’ve fancied their chance against on a good day, but not many in Pakistan would’ve turned down a semi-final run beforehand, during which they beat the West Indies, India and were a couple of wickets shy of beating team to beat in this tournament, team to beat anytime and anywhere.If we are to dissect, it is the batsmen who lost it and nothing new is said in that. Pakistan’s batting has been a strange beast in the Champions Trophy. It hasn’t been entirely flimsy, for there has been enough depth to arrest poor starts. It has been solid enough to prevent total collapse, but not always to build from it, which is what the best teams can do. At very critical moments, they have lost wickets. Mohammad Yousuf has been the symbol of it in a way, two untroubled innings after his beautifully-constructed hand against India, ending unfulfilled in the 40s.And throughout they have miscalculated the Powerplay; the Pakistan ODI way has always been to expect a poor start, then consolidate and build and end strong. It is the batting template that has most often seen them reach 300-plus totals and to be fair, it hasn’t been without success since 1992. But Powerplays allow you to begin the onslaught early, at your choosing and ideally when batsmen are set. There is no need now to wait till the very end, as Pakistan have done, for in the death overs, common sense dictates that you will hit out in any case.Yet Pakistan have not utilised the Powerplay when the pair in the middle is set, preferring cautiously to leave it till the end: even in the win against India, they failed to do so. In a tournament of thin lines, it has been the cause of their downfall.As against Australia, men didn’t make the most of what they began against New Zealand. Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan all fell when it seemed easier to go on and two at least to poor strokes. And just as Yousuf and Umar Akmal put things in order, the Powerplay left to the lower order. “It was a problem for us and especially in the Powerplay, where we didn’t score again,” said Younis afterwards. “We had a couple of good starts and they didn’t cash in. At one stage we were under pressure and 160-70 looked likely. But Akmal and Yousuf had a good partnership but didn’t cash in. If they had stayed till the Powerplay we could’ve reached 250-260.”But there have been good things about Pakistan here. They have seemed more together than in many campaigns, no scandal has rocked their boat. Key players have returned and others have continued their growth. The younger Akmal looks, with each innings, a proper find. There is a smartness and thoroughness to his work that has been missing in most young Pakistani batting talent, an ability and willingness to complement his natural range of strokes, with less flash matters, such as running well and rotating the strike.Likewise Mohammad Aamer, who from the moment he bowled his first ball for Pakistan has looked – scarily actually given how young he is – like he has been doing it for the last ten years. He was outstanding again tonight with ball; and surely with the bat he deserves to be higher than Umar Gul?Saeed Ajmal has brought a real edge to the middle overs. Though he aims to stem the scoring first, he is a wicket-taking threat and that is something they missed often under Shoaib Malik’s captaincy. And Mohammad Asif is around again, though that must be a meticulously-handled comeback.”It has been a good experience for us,” said Younis. “We finished in the top four and it has always been my aim to finish in the top four. After that, in the semis and final you need some luck, a good catch, a good run out, an umpiring decision. But we didn’t get any so we lost. But overall, after a long time, we looked like a team and we fought as a team. Overall in this tournament I think we looked good. We have two excellent young players in Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal, who is a very mature batsman. Even Saeed Ajmal, who has been around, has done really well. If our youngsters are performing well, then the future is bright.”It should be, even if we have all been here before. Actually this kind of situation is traditionally a fragile time for Pakistan sides, terribly prone to tipping the wrong way. But if some kind of stability can be maintained in the set-up, they are at a point again where they can look ahead with genuine hope.

Manchester United could hijack Arsenal's transfer deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres as the Red Devils are closing on an agreement to meet the Portuguese club's €70 million (£60.6m/$81.4m) valuation. Gyokeres is determined to leave Sporting CP this summer as he wants a move to the Premier League and as a result, he did not even turn up for the club's pre-season preparations.

• Man Utd could hijack Gyokeres deal
• Arsenal and Sporting CP transfer talks stalled
• Man Utd ready to match Sporting CP's demand

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal had approached Sporting CP over a transfer for Gyokeres at the start of the summer transfer window but the two clubs are yet to reach an agreement on the player's valuation. When it comes to a reported €70m demand, Arsenal were offering to pay €63.5 million upfront and the remaining amount in add-ons.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As the transfer talks stalled, now reports that Manchester United are ready to take advantage of the situation and hijack the Gunners' deal as they have reportedly agreed to match Sporting CP's asking price.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Maisfutebol have reported that the delay in Gyokeres' transfer left his father in visible distress as he reportedly broke down in tears late Friday into Saturday, gripped by a belief that the transfer may not come to fruition.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GYOKERES?

  If Gyokeres eventually heads to United this summer, the move will come as a major blow for the north London outfit, as they are desperate to sign a new No.9 to bolster their attack. It now remains to be seen where the Swedish striker will head, with contrasting reports suggesting that the Red Devils have not tabled another bid and Emirates Stadium remains the 27-year-old's most likely destination.

Liverpool legend Emile Heskey has questioned the ongoing inclusion of Jordan Henderson in the England squad, insisting he is "blocking" youngsters.

• Heskey stunned Henderson is included
• Thomas Tuchel continues to pick him
• Heskey questions wisdom of decision

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Henderson has continually been included in Tuchel's squads since he became England manager, a decision that has sparked questions from outsiders. Indeed, the former Liverpool captain has endured a turbulent few years since his Anfield exit, heading to Saudi Arabia and flaming out at Al-Ettifaq, before returning to Europe with Ajax, and then joining Brentford in the Premier League. 

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  Henderson is 35, and while his 84 international caps bring with them a wealth of experience, Heskey believes he is "blocking" the path for youngsters such as Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, who is 21 and has won just one England cap. 

• WHAT HESKEY SAID

  Speaking to Daily Star Sport with Mr Gamble, Heskey said: “Looking at Henderson, he has experience, but maybe he is blocking the way for youngsters who can be given a chance to play and make an England first team appearance.

  “So it is a challenge Tuchel has to get the players to replicate their club form and as a group of players, perform with freedom and express themselves.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Henderson could play for England when they face Andorra and Serbia in upcoming World Cup qualifiers.