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In the absence of Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada will lead the bowling attack, which also includes allrounders Wayne Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2017

Faf du Plessis’ first assignment as ODI captain will see him take charge of a squad sans several senior bowlers for three matches against Bangladesh, starting next Sunday. With Morne Morkel joining the list of those unavailable through injury earlier in the week, Dane Paterson earned a maiden call-up after he was also included in the Test squad as Morkel’s replacement.Paterson, a fast bowler from the Cobras, has played four T20Is for South Africa, most recently in England over the winter. He took a career-best 4 for 32 in the final match, but his ability to execute during the end overs impressed the selectors.Ins and outs

Ins: Temba Bavuma, Dane Paterson
Outs: Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Keshav Maharaj

“Dane did very well in the T20 International Series against England earlier this year, particularly when it came to death bowling. We now want to see if he can do a similar job in the 50 overs format,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors said.Kagiso Rabada will lead the bowling attack, which also includes allrounders Wayne Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo. Imran Tahir is the only specialist spinner in the group. Chris Morris, who was part of the Champions Trophy squad, was not available for selection as he continues to recover from a back problem, while Keshav Maharaj was left out.The batting line-up takes on a more familiar look, especially as it sees the return to international action of AB de Villiers, who last played for South Africa during the England tour. De Villiers will make himself available across all three formats from mid-October and is also due to play a four-day first-class match to get himself ready for Tests. He will spend this season as a player only, having stepped down from all forms of leadership.JP Duminy, who recently retired from Tests, will be part of a middle order that also included David Miller and Farhaan Behardien. Temba Bavuma has also been included in the fifty-over side. Bavuma has only played one ODI, last September against Ireland, where he opened the batting and scored a century.South Africa could see this series as the start of their preparations for the 2019 World Cup. South Africa lost the ODI series against Bangladesh the last time they played in the format.ODI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt.), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada

Manchester United have reportedly sent scouts to watch former Real Madrid winger Takefusa Kubo as they eye a replacement for £85m ($108m) flop Antony.

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• Utd scouts have watched Kubo seven times
• Ten Hag eager to replace Antony
• Brazilian could be offered to Real Sociedad on loan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , United scouts have been present to watch Kubo in action for La Liga club Real Sociedad seven times already this season, including his Man of the Match display in a 0-0 draw against Real Betis last weekend. The Basque club would be willing to accept a bid in the region of £43m ($54m) for Kubo, who left Real Madrid in the summer after failing to break into Carlo Ancelotti's senior squad.

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  The report adds that Ten Hag is eager to replace Antony after the forward's poor start to life at United. Since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax in September 2022, the Brazilian has only managed to register eight goals and three assists in 62 appearances. United could even offer Antony to Real Sociedad on loan in a bid to close a deal for Kubo, who is under contract with La Real until 2027.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kubo has 28 goal contributions to his name from 67 games in a Real Sociedad shirt to date, having initially joined the club on loan in July last year. The former Madrid starlet, who also took in a spell at Barcelona's La Masia academy as a youngster, has also been strongly linked with Napoli, but United plan to continue monitoring his progress in the coming months.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  For now, United will have to make do with Antony and their current crop of wingers ahead of a crucial festive period, with a tricky away fixture against West Ham up next on Saturday as they bid to close the gap on the Premier League's top-four. Kubo, meanwhile, will be back in La Liga action with sixth-placed Sociedad when they take in a trip to Cadiz on Friday night.

Vernon Philander has recovered from the illness that affected him during the third Test and hopes to bring his ability with bat and ball to bear on leveling the series in Manchester

Firdose Moonda02-Aug-2017If Vernon Philander could do The Oval Test all over again, he would. And he would do it feeling the way he does now because that is infinitely better than the way he felt last week.Philander spent most of the third Test in the toilet, “losing quite a lot of fluids, top and bottom”. The same could be said of South Africa’s performance.The top order was guilty of not posting enough runs, especially in the first innings, and the bowling lacked the discipline required to contain England. Philander’s all-round ability was missed and he knew it. “In any bowling line-up, if there’s a link missing, you feel it and I’m quite an important part in that line-up,” Philander said. “I could feel my intensity was missed.”Don’t read that as a man talking himself up, read it as an international sportsperson speaking from a place of professionalism. Philander was picked to play – and the merits of including someone who was obviously ill have already been discussed on these pages – so that is what he wanted to do.He fronted up on the first morning and took the new ball even though South Africa’s initial hope was that they would bat first and he would have some extra time to recover. That day, Philander bowled 12 overs; in the innings, he bowled 17; and in the match, 32, which amounted to 17.4% of the total overs South Africa sent down. It cannot be a coincidence that at Lord’s, where Philander was coming back from an ankle injury sustained in a county stint and where South Africa also lost, he only bowled 13% of the total overs whereas at Trent Bridge, where Philander was Man of the Match, he delivered 23.9%, almost a quarter.Perhaps the more telling impact of Philander’s absence was that the most he could provide in a single spell at The Oval was five overs. While he could create pressure early on, he was unable to sustain it and neither was anyone else in the attack despite tailor-made conditions. Under thick cloud and in humidity, Morne Morkel turned in one of his best performances for little reward but Kagiso Rabada struggled for rhythm and Chris Morris with inconsistency. All Philander wanted to do was get better enough to get in on the action. “It was frustrating not to be out there or to bowl longer spells,” he said.It was even more frustrating watching the chance to win the series slip past South Africa, especially as Philander knows what victory in England tastes like. He is one of only three members of the current squad who played in the 2012 matches and took the Test mace off England at Lord’s. Philander had one of the most important hands in that victory after scoring fifty and taking a five-for. Then, a South Africa side that shone with superstars like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn may not have realised how much they relied on Philander. Now, they know exactly how much they do. It is more than they should be comfortable with because, as demonstrated last week, if Philander is unavailable, South Africa need to have other options.It may be something that comes up in their team talks, which Philander explained involved severe self-reflection. “We’ve had a few hard chats,” he said. “We have an honesty policy and we all admitted it wasn’t our best Test match. We let ourselves down with the bat in the first innings and that’s something we would like to correct.”Philander will have a role to play in that regard because he has been promoted to No. 7 and, now that he is healthier, he can show why he has long wanted to bat higher up. “I think No. 7 is ideal for me. I enjoy having to bat longer periods,” he said. But his main role will remain with the ball in hand.With heavy cloud hanging over Manchester, rain in the week prior to the team’s arrival in the city hampering pitch preparation and drizzle expected throughout the final Test, Philander may get the chance to do at Old Trafford what he would have done at The Oval. And this time, he thinks, “there’s everything to play for”.

Rising United States star Rokas Pukstas has decided to sign a new contract at Hajduk Split despite interest from other teams in Europe.

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• Pukstas agrees new deal with Hajduk
• Midfielder will sign until 2027
• Impressing in Croatian top flight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The midfielder has agreed to extend his stay at the Croatian club. According to, he will sign an extension that keeps him tied to Hajduk until 2027. Pukstas' current deal runs until 2025 but he will put pen to paper on a new contract soon.

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  Pukstas' impressive performances for Hajduk and the United States youth teams have reportedly caught the attention of several teams across the continent. The 19-year-old has already scored three goals in seven league games for Hajduk this season, despite having to overcome a cruciate ligament injury.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pukstas joined Hajduk from the Barca Academy in his homeland in 2020 and rose through the youth system to make his first-team breakthrough in 2022. He has made 12 appearance for the USA Under-20s, including in the U20 World Cup this year where they reached the quarter-finals.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PUKSTAS?

  Pukstas will hope to maintain his strong form for Hajduk to boost his chances of playing a key role for the national team at the Olympic Games in Paris next year. He will also have his eye on making the cut for the 2026 World Cup with the USMNT.

Virat Kohli has said he won’t engage with Steven Smith’s suggestion that Australia are “one or two sessions” away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy

Melinda Farrell in Bengaluru03-Mar-20170:50

I know about Australia’s mind games – Kohli

Steven Smith turned the heat on India on the eve of the second Test in Bengaluru, declaring Australia are just “one or two sessions” away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy, while Virat Kohli dismissed Smith’s words as “mind games.”After starting the series as underdogs and given little chance of drawing, let alone winning a match, Australia would take an unassailable lead in the four-Test series if they win at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a ground where Australia has an encouraging record of two wins, two draws and just one loss.”I think they will feel under a little bit of pressure,” Smith said. “Obviously, going into this series, all I heard was 4-0 to them. So they’re one down and need to come back. We’re one win away from [retaining] the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Things can happen pretty quickly here.”So we might be one or two sessions away from getting that back. I’m sure they’ll feel under a bit of pressure.”But Kohli was quick to brush off the suggestion that India would be feeling under pressure when he learned of Smith’s comments.”Me? As a team? Does it look like [we’re under pressure]?” Kohli said, smilingly. “I’m pretty relaxed. I’m happy. I’m smiling. It’s fine, those are his views and [he can say] whatever he wants to say. I think it’s time we focus on our skills more than what Australia is saying or preparing like. I know these minds games in these press conferences are something they’re very good at.”We’re still going to play the cricket that we’ve played for the last two years and see where the series ends after the fourth game.”Kohli also refused to be drawn on the importance of stopping Smith, whose gritty knock at Pune defied the conditions and was his third century from his past seven Test innings, instead pointing to the fact that India gave Smith several lives during his second innings.”The whole team has to play well against Australia to win a Test match, that’s something we’ve identified,” said Kohli. “We’re not focusing on one player at all.”If we don’t hold onto our chances it doesn’t matter, at the end of the day, how many runs we score. We’re not focusing on one player only. The whole ten wickets have to be taken twice to win a Test match. The comments and headlines don’t matter. They never have, and we won’t base our cricket on it.”

Liverpool new boy Ryan Gravenberch has turned down a call-up from the Netherlands Under-21 squad.

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Midfielder has moved to AnfieldEager to make a positive impressionWill not figure for country at U21 levelWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old midfielder has passed up the opportunity to form part of plans for 2025 Euro U21 qualifiers against Moldova and North Macedonia. He was included in the Dutch ranks for the European Championship that took place in Romania and Georgia over the summer.

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Gravenberch has also figured at senior level for his country in the recent past, earning 11 caps, but has opted to stay out of the Dutch camp entirely during the latest international break. That is because the youngster wants to focus on adjusting to life at Anfield following his £34 million ($43m) transfer from Bayern Munich.

WHAT THEY SAID

A statement from the Dutch national team confirming the absence read: “Ryan Gravenberch will not travel to Zeist this international break to join the Dutch Juniors. The Liverpool midfielder has indicated to KNVB coach Michael Reiziger that he wants to focus on his new club during the international matches in September and will therefore not make himself available.”

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Gravenberch was left out of Ronald Koeman’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also endured a tough time at club level last season, as he made just three Bundesliga starts for Bayern, but he will have been cleared to make his debut for Liverpool by the time that they travel to Wolves on September 16.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison may leave the club this summer following their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Jack Harrison?

According to talkSPORT, Leeds United are 'preparing for the departure' of Harrison this summer amid interest from Premier League clubs in his services.

The £90k-a-week ace is said to have a relegation release clause in his contract, which has alerted West Ham United and Aston Villa to his potential availability as he would be allowed to leave on a cut-price deal.

Despite Harrison signing a new contract at Leeds United, they will not stand in his way if he chooses to seek a new challenge in the off-season, according to Leeds Live.

In the Whites' final Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur, Harrison applauded supporters after being substituted off in the encounter in what looked like a farewell gesture at Elland Road.

Earlier this year, Harrison was the subject of interest from Leicester City; nevertheless, he turned down the opportunity to move to the King Power Stadium in the January transfer window, as per Football Insider.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has said that it will be a 'test of loyalty' to see whether Harrison chooses to stay or leave Leeds United given their relegation to the English second-tier.

Jones stated: "It will be interesting. I mean, he's obviously committed to Leeds at the moment, but being in a different division now might change that – he's probably a bit too good for that level. It will be a test of loyalty, really."

What were Jack Harrison's stats like in 2022/23?

Harrison enjoyed a productive 2022/23 campaign, all things considered and was a little unlucky to be part of a side that eventually got themselves relegated from the Premier League.

All in, the 26-year-old winger made 40 appearances in all competitions for Leeds United and registered ten goals and six assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also show that Harrison earned an average match rating of 6.72/10 for his exploits on the field, making him Leeds United's second-most consistent performer this term behind Tyler Adams.

According to FBRef, Harrison also managed to successfully carry out 114 shot-creating actions for Leeds United this campaign, showing that even in a dark moment for the club, he was a shining light that offered a beacon of hope regarding survival.

The former Manchester City star will have a big decision to make this summer; however, it looks hard to see how Leeds United will be able to keep hold of him in the Sky Bet Championship.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Auston Trusty will probably never play for Arsenal amid recent transfer exit rumours.

What are the latest AFC rumours?

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers are hoping to land the American centre-back this summer with a £2m transfer fee being touted.

The defender appears to have caught the eye while impressing out on loan in the Championship with Birmingham – where has picked up the club's Player of the Year.

After such a good season, Trusty may well be hoping to now return to Arsenal and get a shot at some first-team minutes next term.

However, while speaking about the £14k-p/w centre-back on his YouTube channel, Watts seemed pessimistic about the likelihood of this happening.

He explained (13:05): “Trusty has been linked with Rangers. I think, you know, Auston Trusty has had a fantastic loans spell with Birmingham this season. He's never played for Arsenal. I don't think he will. I'll be surprised if he does.

"Whether he is part of the US [preseason] tour in the summer we'll wait and see. It might make sense to have Trusty with them for that.

“But I did an interview with him a couple of months ago and you know he was telling me that his dream is still to come back and make a name for himself Arsenal.

"But I don't know, you look at the defenders Arsenal have already got. I think they'll probably sign a centre-back in the summer. Will Trusty be a part of that long-term future? I doubt it."

Is Trusty going to join Rangers?

After initially joining the Gunners in January 2022, Trusty spent the rest of the campaign on loan with Colorado Rapids – who happen to be run by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.

Then at the end of the season, when he came over to England, he was immediately loaned out to Birmingham and so is yet to actually play for Mikel Arteta's side.

But if Rangers can make an acceptable offer which would see Arsenal turn a profit on the player, then they may well happily allow him to move on.

As Watts says, the Gunners may well be in the market for a new centre-back in the summer and with Champions League football to play, they will likely prefer to bring in someone who has more proven quality in the European game,

Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to end the season on a high note as Liverpool are on a four game winning run and with European football now looking like a real possibility, how they perform over the next few matches will determine which competition they will enter next term.

The summer will be one of transition for Liverpool, much like their season, with plenty of transfer activity planned in order to shape up a squad – midfield in particular – ahead of an assault on trophies next season.

One player who must be ditched is Naby Keita, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, it’s the ideal time to let him part ways with the club, especially after an injury-plagued time in Merseyside.

The £120k-per-week liability has missed 22 games due to injury already, making only 13 appearances during 2022/23 and an average Sofascore rating of just 6.47 certainly suggests that freeing up space in the wage budget by releasing him could allow Klopp to bring in a younger, more talented midfielder.

The Anfield side have spoken to Sporting CP behind the scenes regarding midfielder Manuel Ugarte according to reporter Bruno Andrade and it has been reported that he has a £53m price tag, which is more than affordable for the club.

What is Manuel Ugarte's playstyle?

Signing a midfielder is arguably top of Klopp’s priority list this summer, especially with the stagnation on show throughout this season. As such, Ugarte could be a wonderful signing.

The Uruguayan won't give Liverpool goals, as he has scored just once for Sporting in 87 games, however, that doesn’t matter as Klopp will be signing a combative player who can win duels in the middle of the park with ease as the 22-year-old has previously been dubbed a “midfield machine” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Ugarte’s influence in the heart of the Portuguese side's midfield is evidenced by the fact he currently ranks in the top 1% across the globe's next 8 best leagues (outside of the big five) for pass completion rate and tackles won, while ranking in the top 5% for aerials won, ball recoveries and interceptions, suggesting he could be incredible for Klopp as his midfielders this season have failed to show their usual bite.

That tackling stat is particularly appealing with Jordan Henderson (worst 17%), Naby Keita (51%), Fabinho (54%), Stefan Bajcetic (52%) and Thiago (top 8%) ranking below him when compared to positional peers in the top five leagues.

Statically, therefore, Ugarte is one of the finest defensive midfielders on the continent. £53m perhaps sounds a lot on the surface yet taking a look at his figures across the previous 12 months, this could represent a real bargain, especially considering he has just turned 22 years old.

This summer could be the most important during Klopp’s eight-year association with the club, and he will be under pressure to bring in the correct players ahead of next term.

Signing Ugarte would not only improve the midfield, but it would also allow the German to ditch the injury-riddled Keita in the process, thus giving the Reds a solid base to build their midfield around.

Tottenham Hotspur survived VAR controversy to seal a vital 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with the Lilywhites moving to within just three points of fourth-placed Manchester United as a result of that narrow victory.

While there may be a sense that the Seagulls were "robbed" due to some "horrendous" officiating – as per pundit Chris Sutton – the home side held their nerve to snatch victory, with talisman Harry Kane netting his 23rd top flight goal of the season with a typically clinical finish late on.

The north London outfit had initially gone ahead through milestone man Heung-min Son – who became the first Asian player to reach 100 Premier League goals in the process – before Lewis Dunk headed home a bullet header just before the break, after Kaoru Mitoma had seen his earlier effort disallowed for handball.

The away side were again denied by handball after the interval as Danny Welbeck thought he had completed the comeback, while the aforementioned Mitoma saw his appeals for a penalty waved away despite a potential foul on the Japanese winger by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The south coast side's frustration was ultimately increased as that man Kane swept home, with the England skipper having warranted that strike as a result of his all-round display, notably winning eight duels and providing two key passes on the day.

The 29-year-old – who recorded a stellar 7.9 match rating, as per Sofascore – was not alone in having impressed earlier today, however, with January arrival Pedro Porro having also been something of a shining light at right wing-back.

How did Porro perform against Brighton?

The Spain international – who is currently on loan at Spurs with an option to buy of around £39m – is beginning to adjust to life in English football, having showcased real signs of his quality down the right flank against Roberto De Zerbi's men.

The 23-year-old provided 'lots of attacking intent' throughout the contest, according to 90min's Jude Summerfield, having notably headed wide from an Ivan Perisic cross after showcasing a real desire and willingness to get involved in the final third.

That forward-thinking approach was also lauded by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who awarded the Sporting CP loanee an 8/10 match rating, while also writing that: 'A bright first half and sent a header on to the roof of the net at the end of it. Worked hard in the second half defensively down the right-hand side and little got past him.'

That hard-work ethic against the lively Mitoma was showcased by the fact that Porro won seven of his 11 duels and was not dribbled past at all in his 90-minute outing, having emerged from the battle with the in-form winger 'without too many bruises', as per Summerfield.

While the one-time Manchester City asset did lose possession on 12 occasions from his 43 touches, he is clearly seeking to make his mark in his new surroundings, with the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick hailing him as looking 'technically sound and impressive at attacking the back post.'

That promising performance should well be of encouragement to Cristian Stellini and co, with the hope being that Porro can continue to go from strength to strength over the coming games.