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With Manchester United currently enduring what has been a rather dismal first few months of the campaign, supporters will likely already be looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window in the hope of some fresh blood being brought in to bolster the ranks.

The Red Devils were notably particularly active during the winter window earlier this year after snapping up the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Jack Butland and Wout Weghorst on short-term deals, albeit with the latter man, in particular, failing to fire amid a limp six-month stay at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman – who scored just twice for the club in total in 31 outings – had been brought in to plug the gap following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, with a striking addition seemingly again required this time around, as Anthony Martial has just six months left to run on his existing contract.

Player

Goals

Scott McTominay

6

Bruno Fernandes

5

Rasmus Hojlund

5

Casemiro

4

Alejandro Garnacho

3

Marcus Rashford

2

Anthony Martial

2

Stats via BBC Sport

Amid that need for a genuine rival to young Rasmus Hojlund, recent reports have indicated that Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy is of interest to United, even though the 27-year-old could well represent just another Weghorst as far as Erik ten Hag is concerned.

Man Utd transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

As reported by The Guardian's Ed Aarons last week, Ten Hag and co are believed to be interested in signing the Guinea striker and have even made contact with agents regarding a possible swoop in the New Year.

As per the piece, the former Ajax boss is chasing a suitable alternative to Hojlund with the Dane failing to score in the Premier League so far this season, while there is a potential for the club to try and 'find a buyer' for the floundering Martial.

Any deal for Guirassy is likely to be an attractive prospect due to his minimal release clause of just €17m (£15m), albeit with the Red Devils set to face competition from top-flight rivals Newcastle United, who also have the in-form marksman on their winter shortlist.

The stats to show why Man Utd shouldn't sign Serhou Guirassy

On the face of it, the 6 foot 2 brute looks like the perfect, bargain option to help ease United's attacking woes.

Available for as little as £15m, the former Stade Rennais man is among the top forwards in Europe at present with regard to his goalscoring form in 2023/24, having already netted 16 Bundesliga goals this season.

To put that into perspective, that figure is only bettered by former United target Harry Kane (18) in the German top-flight, while in the Premier League, Erling Haaland leads the way with 'just' 14 league goals.

Ruling out signing Guirassy may look rather foolish when the player is currently in such esteemed company, although as data analyst Ben Griffis has suggested, such a hot streak is a result of "xG over-performance" in front of goal.

According to Griffis, the forward's 'over-performance' is seemingly "very unsustainable", while he is also usually "wildly inconsistent" – hardly the words those at the Theatre of Dreams would like to hear.

While the one-time Lille man did net 11 goals in just 22 league games last season for Stuttgart, prior to that he had very much been a middling striker, never scoring more than ten league goals across his entire career in a single campaign.

Equally, as Ten Hag learned with Weghorst, success in the Bundesliga is not always a good judge of a player's talents, with the towering Dutchman, for instance, previously scoring 70 goals in just 144 games for Wolfsburg, prior to his woes at both United and Burnley – for whom he also scored just twice.

Having been stung by the frankly desperate signing of the current Hoffenheim man, the Red Devils must think again before repeating that mistake with regard to Guirassy, with it likely better to wait until the summer in order to land a target with a proven track record over a sustained period.

Wolverhampton Wanderers returned to winning ways against Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday, as a single goal from Hwang Hee-chan ensured the club took all three points and this result will give them a massive confidence boost heading into the festive season.

With ties against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Everton to come before the end of December, Gary O’Neil could take his side closer to a top-half finish with a few more wins.

His squad is ticking over quite nicely at the moment, and they have managed to secure big wins against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur recently.

One of the main strengths has been their ruthlessness in attack, as players such as Matheus Cunha and Hwang have both been in excellent form, scoring four and nine goals respectively as they lead the scoring charts at the club.

While the 40-year-old will be pleased he has two strikers who are in form approaching a hectic spell, if one gets injured, this may cause some problems.

With this in mind, O’Neil could certainly turn to the January transfer window in order to sign another centre-forward, and it looks as though he has someone who is currently starring in the Bundesliga on his radar – Serhou Guirassy.

Wolves transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

At the beginning of December, 90min claimed that the representatives of the Stuttgart striker were confident they could secure him a move to the Premier League in the upcoming transfer window.

There have been scouts sent by clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Brentford to monitor his performances, while he has even been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Wolves have also been mentioned as a club who have shown interest in the forward, alongside Arsenal, Everton and Spurs, and it appears as though the Old Gold will have a major fight on their hands to secure his signature.

He could be available for a fee of around £15m as this is his reported release clause, and it could prove to be a solid bargain, especially if he can continue his recent breathtaking form.

While Cunha has been impressive this term, there is no doubt that Guirassy could be a big upgrade on the Brazilian if he does secure a move to the Midlands.

Comparing Serhou Guirassy to Matheus Cunha

The 24-year-old moved to Wolves on a loan deal last December and there was an obligation to buy clause inserted into the deal. The club didn’t take long to activate this, making the move permanent in January.

He currently ranks second in the squad for goals in the league (four), while Cunha also ranks second for big chances created (four) and first for shots on target per game (1.1), showing how effective he has been in front of goal.

When compared to his positional peers over the previous 12 months, however, the Brazilian fails to rank in the top 50% for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.29) and for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (4.21), indicating that he needs to be much more consistent.

For Stuttgart in the Bundesliga this term, Guirassy ranks first among the team for goals scored (16), shots on target per game (1.9) and second for big chances created (five), showcasing better numbers than Cunha.

Wolves could land Cunha upgrade in January swoop for £51k-p/w "record-breaker"

The Old Gold have been touted with an interest in a move for the teenage attacker.

ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2023

Not only that, but when compared to his positional peers, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 13% for both shot-creating actions (3.21) and touches in the attacking penalty area (6.1) per 90, again, much better statistics than what Cunha has achieved in the same period.

This suggests that O’Neil could perhaps secure an upgrade on the former Atlético Madrid frontman by making a concrete move for the Guinean hitman, and he has the required skillset to thrive in the Premier League.

4

16

3

1

1.1

1.9

2.2

0.5

4

5

Not content with being an upgrade on Cunha, Guirassy is similar in style to Harry Kane and this could be another bonus for the manager heading into the second half of the season.

Serhou Guirassy is similar to Harry Kane

Both players find themselves battling it out at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts this season and the Stuttgart striker is currently trailing Kane by only two goals and the winner will surely come from one of these men.

The Englishman has enjoyed a wonderful start to life in Germany and, while some doubted whether he could sparkle at Bayern, his performances are proving a lot of people wrong, and he is arguably one of the best strikers in the world at this moment in time.

According to FBref, Kane is the second-most comparable player to the 27-year-old and, given his stature in the world of football and his ruthlessness in front of goal, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, the duo have registered similar statistics this season with regard to goal contributions (23 vs 17), shots on target per 90 (both 2.06), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.9 vs 3.01) and touches in the attacking penalty area (66 vs 62), demonstrating how similar the players are to each other.

It is clear that the duo have showcased their respective talents in front of goal on a regular occurrence during the current season and while Kane may be a tad too expensive for Wolves, Guirassy is not.

The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the Molineux faithful as they will be hoping O’Neil can not only lead his side to another few important league wins, but also begin to make more concrete offers for his January transfer targets.

Adding another goalscorer to his squad would be a shrewd move, especially as one of Hwang or Cunha could go off the boil at any time.

Guirassy may be a late bloomer, but he is certainly making up for that and with 57 goals scored since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the "ice-cold" finisher – as hailed by teammate Denis Undav – will no doubt be able to add to that tally should he arrive in England next month.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared news on a "crucial change" Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has made to Spurs training.

Spurs transformation under Postecoglou

The north Londoners are scarcely recognisable from Antonio Conte's regrettable last season in charge. Indeed, since arriving in June, new head coach Postecoglou has taken Spurs supporters on a rollercoaster ride of superb results. Winning eight out of a possible 10 Premier League matches so far, the Lilywhites are yet to taste defeat in the top flight and currently sit pretty atop the table.

Stars like Son Heung-min and summer signing James Maddison have thrived as part of Postecoglou's new-look Spurs side, and it looks as if they could even mount a title challenge. Tottenham's popular new manager heaped praise on his squad's mentality after their latest win, a 2-1 over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

"Top of the table is great and the results are great but it's more in the manner we're doing it," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's form told the media.

"Pretty much from the first game we've had all sorts of different challenges we've had to overcome. Every time there has been a real focus and clear-headedness about the group collectively to deal with that. That has been a really pleasing thing and because they're getting rewards from that then that gives us opportunity to accelerate the growth of giving them more tools out there to help them for whatever we need to overcome."

Ange implements "crucial" Spurs training change

There are many factors contributing to Spurs' phenomenal run, with Maddison being praised for his stellar impact after joining from Leicester City. Meanwhile, new defender Micky van de Ven has dazzled for Spurs alongside Cristian Romero.

Postecoglou's new brand of attacking football has both thrilled supporters and on-lookers, with respected journalist Romano now sharing news on an "important" switch up by Spurs' new manager. Indeed, Postecoglou has implemented a "crucial" training change at Spurs, something which has proved pivotal as Romano explains on his YouTube channel this week.

“What I wanted to share with you is that the players of Tottenham, from what I’m hearing, are not just happy with what they’re doing on the pitch on Sunday or during the week.

“But what they’re doing in training was the crucial change, from what I’m hearing, already in the pre-season and then now. They enjoy the training sessions, they’re very happy with the high-pressing wanted by Ange Postecoglou. New mentality, new approach, new ideas. The pressing is absolutely crucial for Postecolgou, he’s really pushing. For Postecoglou it’s really important.

“But the players are enjoying the training sessions, they really like the manager’s approach, the manager’s ideas, the new tactical idea. They are very, very happy with Postecoglou. Many people didn’t know how good he was, now the numbers speak for him. But training sessions are always crucial to understand how good a manager is. In this case, it was absolutely something important for Tottenham.”

Tottenham take on Chelsea next Monday, and all the signs suggest they'll head into the game favourites, looking to compile more misery on ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Aston Villa have had an electrifying start to the 2023/24 campaign, as Unai Emery continues to inject added quality into his squad at Villa Park.

The Spaniard took just a year ago, and Villa haven’t looked back, highlighted by them picking up where they left off last season in their 7th-place finish in the Premier League.

From performing in Europe to sitting a point outside of the top four in the league table, the Villans are building something special with Emery, however, reports suggest that the former Arsenal boss is far from finished in the market.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news

As the January window approaches, Villa have been linked with a host of players, particularly ones that could bolster the Midlands side’s options in the final third.

One name that has been mentioned by media in Portugal, relayed by Sport Witness, is former Wolves forward Pedro Goncalves, who was prolific for Sporting CP last season by recording 35 goal contributions in 51 appearances.

Another potential acquisition in the winter window is Emery’s former talent at Arsenal, Dani Ceballos, who was linked to the Villans in the summer.

A report by DefensaCentral has claimed that Villa may be willing to offer between €15m (£13m) and €18m (£16m) for his services, as he struggles to secure game time at Real Madrid.

In other news, Ceballos is not the only target for Emery from the Bernabeu, as a report from Sport, relayed by BirminghamLive, explains that Villa are one of the clubs interested in Brahim Diaz.

The 24-year-old playmaker is said to be valued at €20m (£17m) by Los Blancos, who according to Sport, would be “happy” to sell the sporadic talent in the coming window.

Brahim Diaz could be the perfect Nicolo Zaniolo replacement

Once lauded as a “lethal” asset by journalist Maxi Angelo, Diaz could arrive at Villa already installed with the critical trait of having experience in playing in England.

The Spaniard is a product of Manchester City’s academy, where he developed for five years before returning to his homeland to sign for Madrid.

The versatile forward made 15 senior appearances for City under Pep Guardiola, with his insight into the game in England making him a potentially strong target for Villa to chase.

In Zaniolo, Emery equipped his side with an equally versatile spark to fill the void left by Emiliano Buendia’s injury, however, the Italian has had a slow start to life in the Midlands, in an area that Diaz could thrive in.

The Malaga-born gem, who has been on loan at AC Milan for the past three seasons, is an expert creator, as portrayed by his seven assists and 11 big chances created in Serie A in the 2022/23 campaign, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

In 2019 during a La Liga contest, journalist Hasan Karim praised Diaz as being a presence that was “lighting up” the game, with one of his most notable strengths being his ball-carrying ability, which is reinforced by his 1.2 successful dribbles per game last term.

Diaz vs Zaniolo 2023/24 respective league form

Brahim Diaz

Nicolo Zaniolo

Appearances

8

7

Starts

1

4

Minutes per game

18

48

Goals

1

0

Passing accuracy per game

84%

73%

Big chances created

1

0

Via Sofascore

Zaniolo has averaged only 0.7 key passes per game for Villa in the Premier League so far, as well as maintaining a frail pass completion rate of 73%, suggesting that he is yet to find his feet in England after his summer move.

In acquiring the Real Madrid ace, Emery could bolster his team with a presence to compete with Zaniolo, in a player that is statistically comparable to Premier League wizard, James Maddison, telling of his calibre, via FBref.

Only time will tell if the Villans decide to stick or twist with Zaniolo, however, there would be no harm in exploring the possibility of signing Diaz in January, who could provide more creativity in an attacking midfield position, as shown by his aforementioned statistics.

Wrexham have witnessed a huge rise in value as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney told new net worth by club director Shaun Harvey.

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• Wrexham see a surge in value and global recognition
• Hollywood power propels Wrexham to unprecedented growth
• Docuseries 'Welcome to Wrexham' plays an important role in success

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Club director, Harvey, recently disclosed that the club's value has skyrocketed from £2 million ($2.5m) to £9m ($11m) since the actors' acquisition in February 2021. Reynolds and McElhenney's investment has not only bolstered the club financially but has also elevated its profile significantly, owing in part to the success of the acclaimed documentary series 'Welcome to Wrexham'.

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• WHAT HARVEY SAID

  Harvey emphasized that the primary motive behind the ownership was to honour the town's rich history and instill hope within the community, all while providing a unifying force for supporters.

  Speaking at the SportNXT conference in Australia, Harvey said: "It is worth noting [that] it is an investment that has paid off. Now worth £9m. The main reason for ownership was the town's history and to provide hope to the town whilst offering something the community could get behind. The social media growth has been astronomical from 2020 to 2024, seeing an increase from 152,000 [followers] to 3,981,747 across all platforms.

  "Ultimately, it was exposure, the spotlight that had been shone and all of a sudden, everybody wanted to see what was going on. We successfully managed the football club in the town for the local community and built everything else around it. It remained relatable."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sporting success has accompanied the club's newfound popularity, as Wrexham aims for automatic promotion from League Two to League One. Currently occupying the third automatic promotion spot, the team's impressive performance on the pitch mirrors its off-field achievements.

  Whereas, the FX series 'Welcome to Wrexham', chronicling the club's transformation and resurgence, has been showered with critical acclaim, winning multiple awards, including two Critics' Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards. With a third series set to premiere soon, the documentary continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
  The success of 'Welcome to Wrexham' has not only resonated with fans but has also become a lucrative venture. Disney's involvement in the documentary series underscores its commercial viability, with each episode estimated to have generated more than £400,000.

  Harvey added: "The ownership and success has now created a spotlight on the Football League and non-league football, making it attractive for overseas investment. Wrexham was everyone's favourite second team until we started winning. The more you win, the more people will look to see you fail. Anything can be turned around if it is given an opportunity. Create opportunities by generating interest from the fanbase. The increased exposure has given us better players and we provide unique selling points for players by providing them with more exposure."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham's growing fanbase across the Atlantic has also translated into substantial gains for the English Football League (EFL). Overseas broadcasting rights have seen a remarkable 40% increase, with the EFL poised to generate a minimum of £148 million ($187m) over the next four seasons from broadcasting games outside the United Kingdom. A strategic partnership with New York-based media agency Relevant Sports further solidifies the EFL's presence in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, amplifying the league's global reach.

As a wicketkeeper-batsman who is now settling into his captaincy role at Kent, Billings said Dhoni’s input and advice can only improve his game

Andrew Miller06-Jul-20182:07

Buttler pretty much unstoppable – Billings

Sam Billings has said that the chance to learn from MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings during this year’s IPL was an opportunity that made his subsequent struggles for form worthwhile.Billings started his IPL campaign in impressive style with a matchwinning 56 from 23 balls, in partnership with Dhoni, against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he was unable to touch those heights again, as he finished a stop-start stint with 108 runs at 13.50 in ten innings all told.That lack of time in the middle then seemed to spill over into Billings’ sketchy start to his home international summer – he was overlooked for England’s T20 and ODI squads against India after failing in two innings against Scotland and Australia last month.But Billings insists he has few regrets about his time at CSK and says that, as a wicketkeeper-batsman who is now settling into his captaincy role at Kent, Dhoni is a role model whose input and advice can only improve his game.”It was incredible batting with him in the first game, and to get us across the line as well,” Billings told ESPNcricinfo at a Chance to Shine event in Sussex. “What struck me most was his calmness. He’s just so calm the whole time.”I asked him about it, and he said that, through experience and being able to train, he’s got better and better at it towards the latter part of his career. It was amazing to witness – he selects the bowlers that he looks to take down, then executes it as well. It’s pretty special being at the other end and in the same dressing room as someone like that.”The lessons were manifest at the other end of the pitch as well. In light of England’s struggles to pick the variations of India’s mystery spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, in the first T20I, Billings said that exposure to such bowlers on a daily basis was another valuable reason for having a stint in the competition.”You have to adapt very quickly to two high-quality spinners, but that is the benefit of playing in the IPL,” Billings said. “You come up against quality spin every time you play the game. It’s about adapting, having a gameplan and putting the pressure back onto them.”Chahal is a great bowler, he got me out at Bangalore this year, and Kuldeep with his variations is high class as well. The challenge is to adapt as quickly as possible, and certainly the reverse-sweep and sweep are good options, especially if you are not picking them.”Billings returned to form with the bat in the recent Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, although his 75 from 60 balls wasn’t enough to get Kent across the line against Hampshire. Nevertheless, he found himself implementing some of Dhoni’s techniques while marshalling his troops from behind the stumps.Sam Billings will hope to make the most of a rare chance in England’s side•Getty Images”It was about being conscious of body language, not giving too much away to the batsman but the bowler as well, to be honest,” he said. “People don’t mean to bowl bad balls, but the way Dhoni deals with it and relaxes, ultimately it makes them feel a hell of a lot more comfortable.”Dhoni, however, isn’t the only star batsman from whom Billings has been picking up a few tips in recent months. Jos Buttler’s form, both for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and for England in all formats, has been revelatory – particularly, in T20 cricket, since his move to the top of the order.”He’s one of the best players in the world when he’s playing like he is at the moment,” Billings said. “It’s a pleasure to watch. I’ve known him a long, long time and he’s a great mate of mine, so to see him going so well is brilliant.”To be honest, his game has always been there, it’s just his consistency. Now that he’s putting those consistent scores together, he’s pretty much unstoppable when he gets into full flow.”Consistency for Billings has clearly been lacking of late, although his natural confidence has not been dented by his struggles out in the middle. On the contrary, he sees Buttler’s flowing form as proof that his own good times can roll again.”I’m a similar type of player to Jos, and I’m looking to up my game as well and emulate what he’s done,” Billings said. “To see him go from a middle-order role to excelling at the top of the order is really pleasing. As cricketers now you’ve got to be versatile and he’s doing it as well as anyone now.”It’s tough being in and out of the team and feeling like you have to prove yourself every single time you go out to bat,” Billings said of his stop-start international career. “You play one ODI, then you don’t play another one for nine months. But that’s international sport.”I average over 40 in List A cricket, so my stats are on the board. It’s about reminding myself of what I’ve done with Kent and for the [England] Lions, and focusing on that some more going into the future.”I’m just looking forward to getting another opportunity. It will come at some point, and it’s about taking it, as simple as that. It’s a really hard side to break into at the moment, but there’s plenty of competition around, and when the opportunity arises, hopefully I’ll be ready.”Sam Billings was speaking at an event for National children’s charity Chance to Shine, who are teaming up with ICC and ECB to deliver the Cricket World Cup 2019 Schools’ programme

It was the first game in T20I cricket history that was left as a tie in the record books

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2018Safyaan Sharif after claiming the final wicket•Getty ImagesPaul Stirling made the most of a let-off on the second ball of the Ireland chase to break his own Ireland record for his side’s highest score in T20 internationals in a dramatic tie with Scotland at Deventer. It’s just the 10th tied result ever in the format, including tournament-matches decided later by a super over, and first since England tied Pakistan at Sharjah in November 2015. Interestingly, it was also the first game in T20I cricket that was left as a tie, and not decided by a super over or bowl out.Ireland needed seven off the final over with five wickets in hand and Kevin O’Brien well-set on 28, but Safyaan Sharif denied an Irish win against the odds by dismissing O’Brien off the first ball. Just four runs came off the next four balls to leave Ireland three to win off the final ball, but Stuart Thompson was able to scamper a two to long-on to level the scores.Stirling had yet to score in Ireland’s pursuit of Scotland’s 185 when he was spilled over the rope at deep square leg for six off the bowling of Sharif but went on to make a 27-ball half-century, his eighth in T20Is. The second life was reminiscent of his bruising half-century against Scotland in last year’s semi-final at the Desert T20 Challenge when Stirling was dropped in the first over of the match off Mark Watt.Just like in Dubai, Stirling punished Scotland for the error, bashing 81 off 41 balls. In the process, Stirling eclipsed the previous best for Ireland made by himself in the final of the 2012 World T20 Qualifier when he cracked 79 off 38 balls in a championship winning performance over Afghanistan. His innings ended 19 short of what would have been Ireland’s first T20I ton when he slashed left-arm spinner Hamza Tahir to short third man for Tahir’s maiden T20I wicket.By that stage, Ireland needed 60 off the final 6.2 overs with six wickets in hand. O’Brien replaced Stirling and kept the required run rate in check with three sixes in his knock to steer Ireland into the final over before falling with victory in sight.Scotland had raced to an impressive start behind captain Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey, who added 93 in eight overs. However, Ireland’s bowling unit did a spectacular job reeling them in over the final 12 overs during which Scotland scored at less than eight per over.Coetzer eventually fell at the end of the 14th over for a top-score of 54, but Scotland struggled to press on despite plenty of wickets in hand. Thompson produced a superb containing spell of 0 for 16 in three overs while Stirling also kept Scotland’s middle order from breaking away with 0 for 22 in three as Scotland failed to score a boundary in a six-over stretch from the 11th through the 16th.Scotland had a brief surge in the 19th when Barry McCarthy conceded 21 in a nine-ball over that began with a no-ball. Both the overstep and the ensuing free hit went for four as Scotland pressed on toward their second highest T20I total. But they stuttered once more at the finish as medium pacer Peter Chase conceded just six singles in the 20th over to a well-set Calum MacLeod (46 not out off 39 balls) and Richie Berrington. Chase’s death spell proved vital in the final result.Despite ICC playing conditions implemented in September 2017 calling for a super over to decide all ties in T20Is, no super over was played.

Australia’s wicketkeeper Tim Paine said it was “blatantly untrue” that Quinton de Kock’s family was targeted, but he did hear a comment on David Warner’s wife Candice

Daniel Brettig in Port Elizabeth06-Mar-2018Australia’s wicketkeeper Tim Paine has vehemently rebutted South African claims that the tourists instigated the personal sledging that led to the confrontation in the stairwell in Durban, declaring it was “blatantly untrue” that Quinton de Kock’s family was mentioned in verbal exchanges and confirming that he heard David Warner’s wife Candice being targeted.Alongside Usman Khawaja and the captain Steven Smith, Paine was one of three Australian players who restrained Warner in the stairwell, and said he had heard the remark from de Kock that set the vice-captain off. Paine conceded the Australians had been trying to make de Kock “uncomfortable” in the lead-up to tea, but stated that verbals had only pertained to “cricket stuff and a few little things about his fitness”. A tweet linking to the CCTV footage of the exchange, meanwhile, led de Kock’s sister to tweet: “Wtf! I will hurt you @davidwarner31”.Paine also rejected the South African contention that Warner had indulged in a lengthy tirade of personal attacks on de Kock, noting that at no stage did the on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi offer so much as a single word of warning to the Australians that their comments were skating close to the edge of what was appropriate. The rebuttals have further underlined the distance between the two teams over events at Kingsmead, for which the ICC has charged both Warner and de Kock with “conduct bringing the game into disrepute”.”That’s completely false. At no stage was Quinton’s family mentioned, that’s 100% false,” Paine said in Port Elizabeth. “I don’t know how their team manager [Mohammed Moosajee] can hear from where he’s sitting, but from where I was, which was right nearby the whole time, there was nothing we said that was inappropriate. We were trying to make it an uncomfortable place for Quinton to bat, no doubt, but we didn’t cross the line. We spoke about cricket stuff and a few little things with his fitness.”Our stuff is the way we’ve always played our cricket. Certainly it’s hard, and we like to make them feel uncomfortable out there. But we don’t cross the line and bring people’s wives and family into the cricket game. And we’ll continue to do that for as long as we play. Obviously the situation wasn’t ideal for both sides and it was regrettable what happened up the stairs, but it’s disappointing that they’ve come out now and said a few things that are just blatantly untrue.”In the moment he came face to face with a raging Warner, Pained admitted he did not know what the opening batsman might have done if he had been allowed to get any closer to de Kock than shouting distance. “I don’t know what would have happened to be honest, but he was certainly extremely fired up and he had every right to be,” Paine said. “I think at the time when it was actually said, I think I was probably the only person that heard it.Getty Images

“Usman had gone a bit further ahead and I was about to walk around them both, I just thought they were still going on just from the general chatter that was on the ground. As I went past de Kock he said what he said, and luckily I suppose I was there in between.”Once he [Warner] got off his chest what he wanted to say, once he sat down, there was no issue. He is not the sort of bloke who will whinge about being sledged, I’ve hear blokes say a lot of things on the cricket field that don’t bother him, I have never seen him react like he reacted when we were coming off the field. People have said if he gives it he is going to have to take it, all that sort of rubbish, which is fine on the field, but when you are bringing people’s families or wives into it it’s unacceptable.”As for whether the episode would change the way the Australians conducted themselves on the field, Paine reckoned that it was most likely to have the opposite effect, while also making it clear that Warner knew the risks of “blowback” he took by going after members of the opposition.”He understands that is unfortunately how it is at times, a character like Dave who likes to get under the skin of opposition players will get a bit of blowback at times,” Paine said. “Our team is certainly behind him, we know as a group what we said on the field and what we didn’t say on the field, everyone is totally comfortable with that and we also know what was said by the opposition.”I don’t think it will change [us] a lot, a lot of people like to pretend that they like being in the fight and having verbal stoushes on the cricket field but Davey is genuinely someone who loves that and thrives on it. I can’t wait to see him prepare for this game, when he gets the bit between the teeth he is one of the best cricketers in the world.”There’s a line that we don’t cross and at times we probably went pretty close to it in this Test with some wicket celebrations and what happened with Nathan [Lyon], but Dave is at his best as a cricketer when he is in the face of oppositions. He is very good at getting under their skin and its been clear in the first Test that he has been able to do that.”Asked whether the issues with the way the Australians used verbal tactics to unsettle opponents were based on cultural disconnects between countries, Paine pointed out that South Africa’s style had long been considered the most similar to his own side’s. “They’ve stated as well that we play a pretty similar style of cricket,” he said. “I’ve only ever heard one thing that has ever crossed the line and that was when we were coming up that stairwell.”On the field they have been niggling away at us and we have been niggling away at them and that is where it is going to stay. The umpires didn’t object to anything that was said. We didn’t have any of our players mention anyone’s family members or wives. Even on the ground. I’ve heard some comments from their team manager or former captain [Graeme Smith] in commentary that we were crossing the line. If you’re crossing the line, the umpires will intervene, and they didn’t.”

The Afghanistan coach looks back at his side’s World Cup campaign and ahead at what lies in store

Interview by Himanshu Agrawal07-Dec-20233:15

Trott: Want to see Afghanistan build on their success

Afghanistan made waves in India last month under head coach Jonathan Trott, nearly making the World Cup semi-finals. They beat top sides England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the way and were on the verge of doing so against Australia before Glenn Maxwell played perhaps the most extraordinary innings in the history of ODI cricket. Trott spoke about the World Cup experience and the challenges of coaching Afghanistan during the tournament.How would you describe your time with Afghanistan so far?
Obviously very new and different. Though I went in not knowing a great deal about the side, I was straightaway impressed with the talent, as also the ambition. Then you have the challenges that you would assume you would normally have with developing nations. It’s a blend of the two.What has impressed you the most about the players? And where would you like to see some changes?
The talent is obviously there, and that’s evident when players go and play in franchise leagues. The Afghan players have always been very entertaining and dynamic with the way they play.Related

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But the things that I wanted to change – and I think we could start seeing the changes in the way they approach the batting – are with the method. What is the method behind whatever you’re trying to do? Have you thought about it? Have you planned for it? They need to have a bit more of an understanding of what they are trying to do, instead of leaving it to by hook or by crook. [They need to think] let’s plan to win, let’s plan to be successful, and let’s not just rock up and compete. It’s that mindset of being ambitious, but also at the same time thinking: how is it going to happen?We are doing okay so far, though the players could be helped a little bit more off the field with regards to the support they get in the organisation of things. But again, that happens, that comes with developing nations and sides. You’ve got to remember where Afghanistan cricket comes from, and how long they’ve been around for compared to the other subcontinent teams.So I would just like to see them building on the success of this World Cup. Stage by stage getting better and more competitive. I know from now that Afghanistan is not going to be seen as [just another] match, they are going to be seen as a competitor and are never going to be taken lightly. I’m not saying they were taken lightly in the World Cup, but people are now starting to recognise the talent that the side has. And if they start playing together as a unit and have a bit of a plan, we’ll see what’s attainable.As the team’s coach, what did you learn during the World Cup?
My learnings were about the difference sometimes from when you go inland [in India] to when you are on the coast. It’s a bit more humid with regards to the dew, and also how the pitches change in night games. In India, the pitches are very difficult to read and very difficult to get right – certainly they were in the World Cup – and at that time of year especially.”What I can make sure is I try and leave Afghanistan cricket in a better place, and set the standards as high as possible”•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThere are so many things that it is dependent on in India, but I think that’s what made the World Cup so entertaining and exciting. [It was] not necessarily the fact that if you won the toss, you had a huge advantage. Sometimes, I reckon, it was better if you didn’t win it because the pressure was off. You didn’t have to make a decision, so the players just got on with it. Sometimes when you make a decision – and, for example, say, you want to bowl first – there’s pressure to bowl a team out for maybe 250, or to limit them. Whereas if you didn’t win the toss, there was a sort of release of that pressure.Also, the learning for me was that there is still time for the old-fashioned way of playing. There need to be partnerships, building an innings, and being able to consolidate when things have not gone your way. You’ve got to be able to play in a number of ways: defend, attack, or rotate. So it was a good World Cup from that point of view. But yeah, just wish we’d been able to beat Australia!Who do you think are the Afghanistan players to watch out for in the next five years?
Ibrahim Zadran is obviously a fantastic player. The way he played as a batsman, and how he is as a person, means he’s a part of the future of the Afghanistan side.Azmatullah Omarzai, as an allrounder, is also going to be a very good player, I believe. Being promoted to No. 5, and not only taking that responsibility but also being able to excel and bat in tricky situations was fantastic. We saw the way he played in the South Africa game; he should have got a hundred but unfortunately just missed out.I was also impressed with the way that Ikram Alikhil kept wicket, as well as how he played as a batsman. We had Noor Ahmad come in as well, and it made selection really tricky. We were playing extra spinners, and so Fazalhaq Farooqi had to miss out.Allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai topped the batting averages for Afghanistan at the World Cup, with 353 runs at 70.60, and took seven wickets•Alex Davidson/Associated PressThere’s a good nucleus of players getting a lot of experience by playing franchise cricket around the world, being coached by the best coaches, and playing with the best players in the world. The side can only get better. So right now it’s exciting. Afghanistan is getting those players together and using those experiences, and making sure we compete on the world stage.What about Afghanistan’s fast bowlers, like Naveen-ul-Haq and Farooqi? Is the dependence on spin bowling lessening?
Yeah, it’s fantastic when you have got two skilful bowlers in Naveen and Farooqi. They are not express pace, and that’s the one thing we perhaps need to work on if we want to compete in all formats and in different conditions, or if we want to go and take on the bigger sides – certainly when the ball doesn’t spin or there isn’t any assistance for swing.That’s the one thing I have challenged the coaches [about]. I have challenged the high-performance centre too. We need some pace bowling. It’s exciting that we have two seamers now. And Azmat is obviously doing that job as well, but we need more seamers because injuries do happen with the amount of cricket the players play.Talk us through the planning that went into the England game.
I don’t think there was any special planning. It was just a case of the players executing the way that they wanted to, and the way we had spoken about.Against Bangladesh we had a bad game first game. Maybe we put a bit too much pressure on ourselves because it was the first game, and we came unstuck. We then saw a bit of progress against India in Delhi. The fact we had played in Delhi before gave us a bit of insight into how to play [against England].Gurbaz had got off to an absolute flier. We then had a bit of a wobble where we had a few wickets falling, including a run-out, but then Azmat steadied the ship with Ikram and we got ourselves to a defendable total.The coach who writes: Trott with his whiteboard, on which he broke games down into a series of small goals for his team to achieve•Darrian Traynor/ICC/Getty ImagesI think it was just the perfect game for us, with the way we bowled with the new ball, and with how the spinners bowled obviously. The win – and the manner in which they won what was only their second victory in a World Cup ever – gave the players a huge amount of confidence.Your dressing-room whiteboard, where you put down targets for ten-over blocks during the World Cup, became pretty famous. The obvious conclusion is that you helped break the target down, but what went into it in terms of the method?
It’s a case of just explaining it to the players, certainly for those who don’t have the huge experience of playing under pressure in World Cups, having not played as much ODI cricket as other sides. It’s predominantly T20 where they would’ve played under pressure a lot of the time – certainly in franchise [cricket]. So it helps just to break it down to smaller targets. We had to chase 283 against Pakistan, and when you’re starting on nought for nought, that can be quite challenging and seem quite far away. But just by breaking it down slowly, with those little targets, we were able to obtain it and win by eight wickets.And that’s the most amazing feeling. The players were able to put pressure [on the opposition] by just doing the small things really well. We had a great start from Ibrahim Zadran, and Gurbaz also played really well. That, I think, gave us confidence. Then [it was about] our ability not to panic, and not to feel like we had to slog our way to victory. We could actually just occupy the crease.It’s very hard for the opposition to stop our players because of their attacking nature. But sometimes our players have been guilty of perhaps going from gears one and two, skipping three and four, up to five and six straightaway – because of the excitement or perhaps because of a bit of clouded judgement. So we saw what was achievable with little things like the whiteboard, by just chatting about the different stages of the games or getting to drinks and breaking the game down and keeping it really simple.How do you ensure Afghanistan don’t get carried away after beating better teams like England? For instance, Afghanistan lost heavily to New Zealand in the game just after winning against England.
That was because it’s such a new and exciting thing for Afghanistan [to beat England]. It’s great when you win, but the challenge, like I always say, is to back it up and do it again. If you lose, the great thing about cricket is, you get another opportunity with another game to try and correct what happened in the last game. So the challenge is always to win back to-back games.Fazalhaq Farooqi (centre, with black wristband) after the win against England. Players like Farooqi have been changing Afghanistan’s reputation of having a spin-dominant bowling attack•ICC/Getty ImagesIf you look back at the New Zealand game, we dropped four simple catches. We dropped two players that went on to get over 50, and also two catches in the powerplay after choosing to bowl first. I feel that decision was the right one. If we had executed it, we could have bowled them out for quite a low score. But New Zealand also played fantastically. [Glenn] Phillips and [Tom] Latham had a really good partnership after being about 115 for 4. We were in a good position there, but then they batted for something like 25 or 26 overs.And that’s what I mean when I say there’s still room for old-fashioned cricket; not typically old-fashioned, but different types of cricket – like consolidating. New Zealand did that really well and showed our players just how important partnerships are, and how important it is to have impact players going into the last ten overs. And it’s very hard to stop those players.That’s something our players saw when we were batting against India. And then they were able to do that against Pakistan. So that shows to me the players are learning from playing in World Cups like this one, and by playing against better opposition. They’re starting to see the traits and the habits of the top players and teams. So the New Zealand game was obviously very disappointing, but I think we learned how ruthless international sport is.How did you motivate the players after the loss against Australia?
It was a tricky one because New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, which then almost eliminated us. But, you know, we had to play against South Africa, which is a fantastic side, in the amazing stadium in Ahmedabad. So there was really no need for me to motivate them. What I said to them was, “Let’s make sure that we try and leave here with five victories, because that sets the standard for the Afghanistan side playing in the next 50-over World Cup.” It’s always about the process. You’re not going to play for Afghanistan forever. I’m not going to coach Afghanistan forever. But what I can make sure is I try and leave it in a better place, and set the standards as high as possible for the next person and players to take over.Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get there. Rassie van der Dussen just played a really good innings, and we didn’t bat as well as we could. Azmat didn’t have as much support as he could have had. But the Australia game was tough and we saw something very, very special from Maxwell to beat us. If people are going to have to play like that to beat us, then as long as we are doing as much as we can, you can’t complain too much. But I still complain a little bit!”I think it’s good when international cricket is catching the headlines. It’s good building towards a World Cup, whereas franchises seem to be together for a month and then there’s another franchise in another country”•Matt Roberts/Associated PressWhat did the ODI Super League mean for Afghanistan in the lead-up to the World Cup?
It’s a good case of seeing how you’ve gone over the course of quite a long period of time. That’s how qualification is done, and all sorts of things are taken into account. So every game and series, you’re playing against good opposition, every game’s important, and there’s always something on the line. For me, there are lots of benefits to that. And there’s also the case that the major playing nations get to play against sides that perhaps they previously wouldn’t play against. Sometimes South Africa, Australia or whoever, played a game in Ireland or in the Netherlands, it was as a sort of warm-up game, but with the Super League there was importance to it.A year ago we saw England go and play three games [against Netherlands] in Amsterdam. The cricket was not only very important to the side, it also took cricket to the Netherlands, who saw a world-class side playing there. And the players got to test themselves. So whenever we get the opportunity – like how we’ll be going to India in January to play T20Is – it’s fantastic and really exciting.So does the absence of the Super League now take some motivation away? Added to it, nowadays ICC tournaments alternate between ODIs and T20Is. And though Afghanistan have qualified for the next Champions Trophy, it’s more than a year away.
For me, world tournaments are good because they get everyone’s attention onto the game. It gets the world’s imagination, really. I think it’s good when world cricket or international cricket is catching the headlines. Maybe that’s just me being old-fashioned. I like it when there are tournaments and trophies to be won. And it’s always good building towards a World Cup, whereas franchises seem to be together for a month and then there’s another franchise in another country. And I think the meaning and the feeling behind winning a World Cup or a Champions Trophy brings a lot of happiness and joy to whole nation instead of just to people supporting a region because they’re from that city or area. I think when you can bring countries together, that’s very powerful.What are the challenges now for Afghanistan looking to the T20 World Cup next year?
The one thing I would say is, we need to make sure that we start the T20 World Cup having taken the positives from what we learned [during the ODI World Cup], and deal with the pressure and the anticipation. The spotlight has suddenly been thrust on the players, so [it’s about] making sure that we don’t just rock up because we won four games and did well in that World Cup.We can’t think we’re going to be just as successful, or are entitled to win games. We’ve got to go out there and beat opposition. Oppositions are going to be more ready for us. They’re going be more wary, and they’re going to expect us to play better cricket. So it’s about managing those levels of expectation from the players to make sure that we can go one step further. That’s the ambition, or the challenge.Would you like to continue as Afghanistan coach if you were given the chance?
Yeah, I’d like to, obviously. But I’m still waiting to see if they want me to stay on or not. I’m not sure what the process is or what’s going on, but I know there are matches in January against India and UAE. Obviously I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with them so far. It’ll be nice to be able to build on the success we had at this World Cup.

The women have played eight World Cups so far and Cricinfo asked former and current players what their lasting memories from each tournaments was

07-Mar-2009
Bird: wouldn’t stand for physical violence © Getty Images
1982, New Zealand
Gill McConway
I am struggling to remember stories from 27 years back, really.An interestingfeature of the 1982 World Cup was that Dickie Bird had been invited to umpirethroughout the tournament.It was so windy we had to play without bails, because eventhe heavy ones wouldn’t stay on. Dickie’s first game was a warm-up, which a lot ofpeople had come to watch. There were lots of them pointing and saying, “That’s thefamous England umpire.”And then one of the big Australian girls from ourInternational XI, Rhonda Kendall, hammered the ball to the square-leg area. She hitit so hard that Dickie, probably still jet-lagged, just dropped to the ground as itsmashed into his leg. I really felt for him.I noticed he stood a lot further back after that!