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Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Mark Taylor pose with the Ashes urn after it arrived on a flight from England © Getty Images

It has taken five Tests for the ritual debate to reach full flight, but the home of the Ashes has again become an issue of national importance. Sir Richard Branson’s company Virgin Atlantic is under contract to fly the urn back to England when the series ends, but in a comical performance, in which he was flanked by Ian Botham and Allan Border, he requested it stay in Australia.Branson’s push to end almost a century of tradition – the original sits in a glass cabinet at Lord’s – was upstaged when his seriously flawed account of the symbol was corrected by Gideon Haigh, the writer and historian. “In 1882 the idea was the Ashes were to come to Australia,” Branson said. “They would come home to England, but an England captain grabbed hold of them and kept them ever since.”(Click here for a history of the Ashes)Branson went on to say Marylebone Cricket Club’s view of the urn as a gift was “mistaken”. “I think it was originally a trophy, the Ashes were burned when England lost the 1882 game and it was turned into a trophy that the Australians took back to Australia. I think, I may be wrong, but they are re-writing history.””You’re re-writing history, you’re completely wrong,” Haigh said and then filled in the gaps during a two-minute precise. Border admitted Haigh had a “fair point”, but Branson’s errors continued with his repeated referral to MCC as “MMC”.However, Branson’s idea, which was hatched over dinner with Botham this week, has received strong and predictable support. Ricky Ponting said after the series was sealed in Perth that Australians should prevent the urn from getting on the plane and today John Howard, the prime minister, joined in.”I know there is a lot of tradition surrounding where it has been in the past but I don’t think there is any valid reason why it shouldn’t follow the outcome,” Howard said. “I’m sure it would be treated with immense care and reverence, and protected and left unbroken, and I can assure you that Australians have great warmth towards that symbol of cricket supremacy.”Botham said MCC would “probably throw out my membership” but he and Border, who is also a member, said the issue should go to a club vote. “The space at Lord’s should be left empty until we get them back,” Botham said. “There’s no excuse not to move them around.”The Australian push for the Ashes to stay Down Under grew during their 16-year reign from 1989, but it is rare for such high-profile English figures to support the move. “You’re playing for the Ashes,” Botham said. “To me it seems ridiculous. If you’re playing for the European Cup or the Ryder Cup you get the cup.”Just think of the fun it would have been in 1986-87, to be totally written off, to fly back with the urn on the plane. It would have been fantastic.” It might also have been broken.Border, who lifted replicas in three series wins, said it was the “biggest trophy in the game” and it was time Australia got “the real McCoy”. The only problem – and it’s a big one – is the Ashes are owned by MCC, who say they were never intended to be a trophy, and they have been reluctant for them to travel. The urn arrived in Australia in October to start a cross-country tour in the main capital-city museums and it will depart for England later this month.Branson said he would feel uncomfortable carrying the item back to London considering the result of the series. “We’ll fly it back if we can’t persuade MCC over the next two or three days,” he said. Good luck.

Rahul Dravid congratulated his bowlers – led by Anil Kumble – for taking 20 wickets on a good surface © Getty Images

Rahul Dravid, unusually aggressive when answering prickly or irritating questions at the post-match press conference after India beat Sri Lanka by 188 runs in the second Test at Delhi, laughed off suggestions that the Kotla was a lucky venue. Meanwhile Tom Moody found plenty of positives to take from the defeat, and Marvan Atapattu pin-pointed the first-innings collapse as the reason for his team’s defeat. Excerpts:Rahul DravidOn whether Delhi is a lucky groundI don’t think it is fair to call it a lucky ground. We are playing good cricket, and I am proud that we fought hard for this victory. This wasn’t a win that came easy or was totally one-sided. It was a hard-working win in a game of ups and downs, and all credit to the bowlers for taking 20 wickets on a reasonably good surface.On prospects at AhmedabadSri Lanka are a good side, and to beat them again, we will have to play well for five days in Ahmedabad too. We were very disappointed with our batting in Chennai, and even here in the first innings, we frittered a good position away on the second morning. But I am glad that in the second innings, we showed application. We have to do that every game, every innings. When you are up against quality bowlers like [Chaminda] Vaas and [Muttiah] Muralitharan, you can’t think of the previous innings. You begin every innings on zero and we need to bat with the same determination and concentration next time too.On whether he was able to declare when he did because he was comfortable with the lead or because he needed time to bowl out Sri LankaA bit of both. I was very comfortable with the fact that I had Anil [Kumble] and Harbhajan [Singh] in the side. They are two great spinners to have in the fourth innings of a Test match.On the selection dilemma caused by Yuvraj’s knockIt’s a happy problem to have, if it is a problem at all. It’s unfortunate that someone is going to miss out [with the return of Sehwag], and it will probably not be right on him, but that’s how international cricket is. It just shows us also that we can call on different players to do the job at different times, and it gives us a lot of heart.Tom MoodyWe have many positives coming out of this game. We let ourselves down in two small periods of the game. Late on the second evening, we lost numerous wickets from a commanding position in 45 minutes of madness. Then last evening, when we lost four wickets inside the last half hour, that’s when we sort of finally lost it. With more wickets in hand, we could have played out time, if not had a go at the target.

‘Murali is a wonderful bowler, but we can’t rely on him getting wickets every time’ – Tom Moody © Getty Images

On Indians negating Muralitharan in the second inningsThe first hurdle we tripped at was not capitalising on our start in the first innings. We should have had a lead of at least 100 on the first innings. Murali is a wonderful bowler, but we can’t rely on him getting wickets every time. He tried everything he could, gave it his all but they played him very well. There is nothing to say he didn’t give hundred percent.On his team’s batting collapseWe weren’t the only side that collapsed. It was a good wicket, no doubt, but it was always going to be tough for the new batsmen coming in. It was the downfall for us in both innings, just as it was India’s downfall in the first innings, when they lost seven for 45 on the second morning.Marvan AtapattuOn the turning point in the matchThe two sessions where we lost lots of wickets were towards the close of the day’s play. That’s where we need to concentrate better. I won’t be too critical about shot selection, it is more to do with lapses in concentration.On the pitchThe pitch was not unplayable. But it was slow and strokemaking was not that easy. It called for patience and concentration. That’s why India did a lot better in the second innings than the first.On the batting collapse in the first inningsBatting collapses do happen. We dominated for most of the second day until the last session, but lost the grip from then on. From there, it was a long haul.On Murali coming to bat with a runnerHe had a slight thigh strain, nothing serious. He should be okay for the third Test.

Enamul Haque Jnr: fined© Getty Images

Enamul Haque Jnr has been fined 25% of his match fee for arguing with the batsman Brendan Taylor during Bangladesh’s one-day international with Zimbabwe at Chittagong.Taylor was officially reprimanded by the match referee for his part in the incident which arose as the pair collided when the 18-year-old spinner Haque tried to field off his own bowling. It was just Haque’s second one-day international for Bangladesh. He took no wickets in this match, but had taken 2 for 37 on his ODI debut in the previous match, which was also held at Chittagong.Bangladesh went on to win the game by 40 runs, a result which brought them right back into the five-match series: they now trail 2-1. The fourth match will be played this Saturday (Jan 29) at Dhaka.

Wisden Asia CricketBrian Close (England, 1976)
So much for respecting your elders. With England about to front up to West Indies’ all-new four-pronged pace attack, there was only one man to call – the masochistic Yorkshireman, Close, who was still up for a bit of rough and tumble at 45. Nine years after his last Test appearance, and a staggering 27 after his first, Close took one hell of a beating as Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Co got stuck in. It would’ve been sickening if Close didn’t seem to be relishing it so much: he took to chesting short balls down like a centre-back. One gruesome evening at Old Trafford in particular, the Windies quicks painted Close’s body all the colours of the rainbow. And black.Wayne Larkins (England, 1989-90)
No more than a decent, if occasionally devastating, county batsman to most, Larkins had not played for England for over eight years and 85 Tests when Graham Gooch hand-picked him on his first tour as captain, to play against West Indies in their prime. In a rich, pre-Atherton era of duff England openers, it was still a major surprise: Ned Flanders seemed to have as good a chance as Larkins. Gooch said it was because Larkins had always been impressive against his county, Essex; closer inspection showed that Larkins had hardly scored a run against them. No matter, it worked: Larkins hit the winning runs in England’s historic victory in the first Test – their first against the West Indies in 16 yearsColin Cowdrey (England, 1974-75)
At the age of 42, and after 109 Tests of outstanding service, Cowdrey had earned the right to put his feet up. But when English fingers starting snapping and crackling like Rice Krispies in Australia, Cowdrey was flown down in an emergency. Four days later he was facing Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson at their most rampant on the Perth trampoline. Cowdrey couldn’t turn a tide that was already swimming violently against England – they were battered 4-1 – but as always he got in line and hung around, courageous to the last.Younis Ahmed (Pakistan, 1986-87)
Nobody has missed more consecutive Tests between appearances: 104, over a whopping 17 years spent serving a ban for touring South Africa. At 39, Younis came back into the hottest kitchen of all – Pakistan against India, in India. He lasted only two Tests. During the second, at Ahmedabad, he complained of back trouble, but instead of resting made his way to a discotheque. Imran Khan, the captain, made sure that it was his last game.Cyril Washbrook (England, 1956)
It was just another day at the office. But then Cyril Washbrook’s fellow England selectors asked him to leave the room. When Washbrook, aged 41 and out of Test cricket for over five years, returned, they asked him to return to the side for the third Test against Australia at Headingley following England’s defeat at Lord’s. He did, and coming to the crease at 17 for 3, struck a splendid 98, with England going on to an innings-victory.Bob Simpson (Australia, 1977-78)
At the age of 41, 10 years after his last Test appearance and nine years after he had retired from first-class cricket, Simpson was invited to captain, coach and cajole a young, Packer-gutted Australian side against India and West Indies. He thwacked 176 in his second Test back, and played spin as imperiously as ever, though his team went down in the Caribbean. Being a father figure to a group of young Aussies was good practice for Simpson: 10 years later he coached them to World Cup glory on the subcontinent.Carl Hooper (West Indies, 2000-2001)
Unlikely on any number of counts. First, that he’d quit international cricket two years earlier on the eve of the World Cup, when he was roundly castigated for leaving his country in the lurch. Second, that this most laconic, laissez-faire of men, once seemingly the antithesis of a team player, should return as captain. Yet for a time it worked: it was under Hooper that West Indies first saw light at the end of the tunnel. And it was telling that such an eternal underachiever should average 46 as captain as against 34 when not. Fate had another card left to play, however: the 2003 World Cup campaign, in which Hooper did very little wrong apart from lose the odd toss and fail to control the weather, turned out to be his last.Simon O’Donnell (Australia, 1988-89)
Most comebacks are dependent on selectorial whim. For O’Donnell, it was more serious than that. As a hard-hitting batsman and hard-to-hit death bowler he was a key member of Australia’s 1987 World Cup-winning squad. But after the tournament O’Donnell, in his mid-20s and in peak physical condition – he had earlier been offered professional terms to play Australian Rules football – was diagnosed with a cancerous lump on his ribs. Yet within a year he was back under the Baggy Green, and soon carting 74 off 29 balls in an Austral-Asia Cup semi-final. The cliché of the brave innings never seemed quite the same again.Fred Titmus (England, 1974-75)
Many cricketers have got down on one knee to slog-sweep; quite a few have played on one leg. But one toe? Titmus did. Aged 42, and seven years after he lost four toes in a sickening boating accident in the Caribbean – his left foot got stuck in a propeller – Titmus was recalled for his third Ashes tour. And though his offspin wasn’t especially successful, he stood up to Lillee and Thomson and crashed England’s highest score, 61, on the same Perth flyer that greeted Cowdrey, in his first Test back.Srinivas Venkataraghavan (India, 1982-83)
Dumped after the series against Australia in 1979-80, having gone nearly a decade without a Test five-for, it was a major surprise when Venkat returned, at 37, for a trip to the West Indies, partnering bowlers (Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Maninder Singh) who hadn’t even been born when he made his Test debut. Venkat’s last five-for had been in the Caribbean, in 1970-71; this time around he offered control, as always, but struggled for penetration. The following winter he drifted off towards a successful umpiring career.Aasif Karim (Kenya, 2002-03)
Karim retired after captaining Kenya in their disappointing 1999 World Cup campaign, and as his insurance business took off he hardly touched a bat or ball for four years. But he was whistled up, Roger Milla-style, for the 2003 World Cup to give Kenya a bit of experience, and despite a portly, balding figure that was a picture of innocuousness, gave the otherwise omnipotent Australians the heebie-jeebies with a surreal spell of 3 for 7 off 8.2 overs in the Super Six match at Durban. They were the last wickets of his career; as Verbal Kint said of Keyser Soze, “Like that, he’s gone”. But Karim had had his 50 balls of fame, and when the romance of the World Cup is on the agenda, he will not be forgotten.The ExtrasBob Taylor (England, 1986)
Having retired from first-class cricket two years earlier Taylor was at Lord’s for the first Test against New Zealand, as host for the sponsors Cornhill. On the second day, however, he found himself keeping wicket at the age of 45 as a substitute for the injured Bruce French.Ian Bishop (West Indies, 1992-93 & 1995)
It got him in the end – ending a career of ridiculous promise at 30 – but Bishop overcame serious back trouble to come back twice, each time with a serious bang, first in the crunch series Down Under in 1992-93 and then in England in 1995.

Last evening’s zonal club match under lights at Newlands saw the Western Gladiators squeak home by one wicket against the Academy Panthers off the last ball of the match.The final over began with 6 runs needed to overtake the Panthers total of 219/6 (scored in 45 overs). Wickets fell off the first two balls and 4 runs were still required with the last pair at the crease when Ryan Bailey ran in for the final delivery, which UCT captain Ryan Ten Doeschate dispatched into the Railway Stand to grab a thrilling victory for his team. Ten Doeschate’s cameo innings of 36 not out off 32 deliveries saved the day for the Gladiators, who lost wickets at regular intervals after a 98-run 2nd wicket partnership between Graeme Smith (63 off 48 balls) and Andrew Puttick (52 off 81) had put them firmly on the road to victory.Earlier a fine innings of 95 not out by matriculant J-P Duminy (121 balls 5 sixes and 3 fours) had rescued the Panthers from a parlous 46/3. He received able assistance from Ryan Bailey (28), Dominic Ridley (27) and Faizel Simon (24). Opening the innings, Alistair Gray (who later took 3 for 38 off 9 overs with his legbreaks) scored 23.Panthers 219/6 lost to Gladiators (222/9) by one wicket.Gladiators 8 points Panthers 2 bonus points (thanks to the narrowness of the defeat).

Match facts

November 1-5, 2015
Start time 10am local (0600 GMT)1:28

Team changes for England and Pakistan

Big Picture

It’s been an unexpectedly tough struggle for supremacy, but after 10 out of a possible 15 days of their series against England, Pakistan have established the primacy that they had always assumed would be on the cards. The valiant struggles of Alastair Cook’s men to stay in touch and, for a heady afternoon in Abu Dhabi, to surge into the ascendancy have come to nought. The hosts are now dormie as they head into the Sharjah finale, their proud unbeaten record in series in the UAE guaranteed for another year.England have had a week to recover from the agony of their near-miss in Dubai, where Adil Rashid’s late-evening aberration against his legspinning counterpart Yasir Shah rendered futile the resolve he had shown through his preceding 171 deliveries. Thirty-nine more deliveries of dead-batted obduracy and England could genuinely be scenting a slice of history this week. From bad light to bad shot selection, the margins in both Tests have been extraordinarily fine.However, the fault, as Cook rightly pointed out after the Dubai defeat, lay not in that lax moment from Rashid but instead in England’s hopeless performance on the third morning of the match. That day had dawned amid visions of a decisive first-innings lead; instead it degenerated into the session from hell that England had always feared might come to pass in such hostile conditions.It has been isolated in its ignominy as well. The competitive spirit on show for the other nine-and-two-thirds days of the series has been faultless, but that morning’s loss of seven wickets for 36 would prove insurmountable.And so, with lessons learnt and changes – enforced and otherwise – made, England regroup and Pakistan restart, with one last five-day push to the finish in the offing. The batting of both teams has proven fallible and faultless in equal measure, with the magisterial performances of Alastair Cook and Joe Root for England and Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan for Pakistan atoning for some notable weaknesses elsewhere in both line-ups.For Pakistan, Shan Masood has spent most of the series in James Anderson’s pocket, while even Shoaib Malik, with series scores of 245, 0, 2 and 7, has been more bust than boom. And as for England’s middle order, the less said the better. The best of a bad bunch have been Ian Bell, who with scores of 63 and 46 appears to be battling himself as much as the conditions, and Jonny Bairstow, who has shown grit on occasions as well as a technique against the spinners that is fraught with danger.The unsung heroes on both teams have been the seam bowlers – Wahab Riaz’s Man of the Match award at Dubai was hugely deserved and a tribute to his stamina and impact in strength-sapping conditions, even though his overall match figures of 5 for 144 aren’t much to write home about. He has been matched in menace if not method by England’s quiet achiever, Anderson, whose canny spells with new ball and old have been repelled (or not, in Masood’s case) with utmost respect and caution.Jos Buttler is set to be replaced behind the stumps by Jonny Bairstow•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WDWLW
England LDLWW

In the spotlight

The most likely quick bowler on either side to open up a game, Wahab Riaz continues to mature as Pakistan’s attack leader. His pace, stamina and ability to extract significant reverse swing have been impressive but he will have to back it up again after a five-day gap, particularly with his new-ball partner, the steady Imran Khan, missing through injury.James Taylor is back in an England Test shirt and raring to go. A confident player of spin, he thrived on his return to the ODI side in Sri Lanka last year and added a maiden hundred against Australia in September. Looked in good touch during his one tour appearance so far and is ostensibly in the sort of form to shore up England’s middle-order issues.

Team news

Azhar Ali missed the first Test with a toe infection and the second because of the death of his mother-in-law, but he is ready and waiting to resume his place in the side, with Masood making way. Whether it will be in his preferred slot at No. 3 or as an opener, for only the fourth time in Tests, remains to be seen. Pakistan are definitely on the lookout for a replacement opener in the bowling stakes, following the news of Imran’s hand injury, sustained while fielding on Friday and requiring four stitches and ten days’ rest. Rahat Ali, the left-arm seamer, is set to resume his place in the side having missed out in the second Test to accommodate Yasir Shah’s return. In better news for Pakistan, their reserve spinner Bilal Asif has been cleared to resume bowling by the ICC after undergoing biomechanical testing in Chennai.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Zulfiqar Babar, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Rahat AliChanges are afoot in the England line-up, for a variety of reasons. Mark Wood’s gallantry at Abu Dhabi and Dubai cannot mask a bowling style that seems destined to send him to the knacker’s yard before his spirit is even close to waning. He has received injections in his troublesome ankle and will rest up ahead of the one-day series next month. Into the picture, most probably, comes Liam Plunkett, although Samit Patel retains a chance of playing if England think the pitch will support a third spinner. Plunkett is arguably the fastest of the England quicks on tour and a man who can be relied upon to keep up the aerial bombardment that has been a feature of England’s competitive spirit in this series.England have confirmed that Jos Buttler will be given a break from the front line – a top score of 42 in seven Tests since July would be no justification for selection even if his wicketkeeping was at its sharpest, and as a couple of galling errors behind the stumps in Dubai would testify, his all-round game has suffered. Bairstow is primed to take over the gauntlets, with Nottinghamshire’s Taylor making his first Test appearance since 2012. Moeen Ali has been backed to continue as Cook’s opening partner, so Taylor’s county team-mate Alex Hales will have to wait at least until the South Africa tour in December to make his bow.England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Ben Stokes, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 James Anderson

Pitch and conditions

Cricket in Sharjah has come a long way since pitches were just “rolled sand”. England played their warm-up matches at the ground, with Steven Finn recording notable success in the second, but the Test surface is very dry and likely to favour spin – if it favours anything other than run-making. The forecast, unsurprisingly, is for another hot one.

Stats and trivia

• This will be England’s first Test in Sharjah, although they have tasted ODI success here, winning the 1997 Akai-Singer Champions Trophy
• Two of Pakistan’s three lowest Test totals – 53 and 59 – came in the same match against Australia at Sharjah in 2002
• The team batting second has won the last two Tests at the ground

Quotes

“Obviously you have to think positively and we will do our best not leave any stone unturned and play well and win. Obviously your confidence is high after winning the last game and our team’s confidence is high, so its an important match for us and we will do our best to win it.”
Misbah-ul-Haq promises there will be no let up now Pakistan are ahead in the series“Over this tour I think we’ve been a fairly consistent side, just that third morning in the second Test has cost us the result. Nine-and-a-half days we’ve matched Pakistan really well. The challenge is not having that session and about coming into the latter stages of the game and putting Pakistan under some pressure with the series at stake.”

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has raised an intriguing possibility about what Jesse Marsch’s tactical plans at Leeds United might be…

What’s the story?

In a fan discussion for The Athletic, Hay said: “Marsch has used a front two before. When Bamford is back, does that create and opportunity to pair Bamford with Rodrigo? Or Gelhardt? Fascinated to see what he does formation wise. It surely won’t be 4-1-4-1.”

Bamford will be key

Having missed such a large part of the season, Patrick Bamford’s return to the starting line-up at Elland Road can’t come soon enough.

The England international has led the attack for the Whites for the past few seasons now, and while the defence has been a real issue for them this season in the Premier League, they’ve missed that cutting edge and focal point Bamford offers up top too.

What Leeds fans could expect though in the future, is seeing Bamford being joined alongside by another forward, perhaps someone like Rodrigo as Hay suggests.

In an analytical piece done by Mark Carey and Hay for The Athletic, they noted: “As a former employee of three teams from the Red Bull stable and a self-confessed disciple of Ralf Rangnick’s swashbuckling style, Marsch makes no bones about the fact that his style is focused on physical intensity, direct play, and collective aggression from his players.

“True to the RB philosophy, a glance at Marsch’s most common formations used in all competitions from his period at Salzburg and Leipzig shows that has implemented the well-known 4-2-2-2 structure more often than not.”

Rodrigo has already played in a more withdrawn role for Leeds, so the idea of playing the support striker role next to Bamford and giving him the licence to get into the box rather than come much deeper could potentially get the best out of the Spaniard.

After years of getting used to Bielsa’s unique tactical style, Marsch’s seeming preference for a 4-2-2-2 and having a strike duo should surely excite Leeds fans and the prospect of seeing them find the back of the net much more regularly than they have done this season.

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Meanwhile, this Leeds star could explode at Elland Road…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips…

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, the Magpies are preparing to make a move for the defensive midfielder in the summer transfer window, with Manchester United also keeping tabs on the England international.

The report claims that the Toon are able to offer him £120k per week, which is a significant bump from the £25k-a-week he is currently earning at Elland Road.

Leeds are said to want a fee in the region of £50m for their star midfielder but it remains to be seen whether or not Newcastle are willing to meet that amount.

Rock

Italian legend Andrea Pirlo previously dubbed Phillips a “rock”, and that is exactly what the 26-year-old would be for Eddie Howe at St James’ Park next season.

The Leeds midfielder was once described as a “destroyer” by Steve McClaren, and his impressive statistics in the Premier League back up that praise. In the top flight last term, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.21 for the Whites across 29 appearances. 

He averaged a monstrous 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game, also winning 5.3 individual duels per match in the middle of the park. Over the last 365 days, Phillips ranks in the 99th and 97th percentiles for pressures and blocks per 90 respectively in Europe’s top five leagues, which further goes to show how strong he is at the defensive side of his game in midfield.

The Leeds machine is exceptional at screening the back four, as shown by his impressive statistics, and that is why he can be Howe’s rock next season. Phillips could sit at the base of the midfield and provide protection for the likes of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, for example, having more license to get forward and join in with the forwards.

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Along with his ability to cut out opposition attacks, he has also shown that he can start some of his own with his passing quality. Last season, he created 1.2 key passes per game and created a whopping five ‘big chances’ despite playing in a number six role.

With 4.7 long passes per match in 2020/21, he has the passing range to open up defences with his creative play, which shows that he offers quality at both ends of the pitch. Therefore, he would be a fantastic signing for the Toon, and he would surely be a player that Howe would love to have on Tyneside for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news, NUFC had an “absolute steal” with £13m “colossus” whose value has doubled in 3 months…

Mohammad Yousuf is still involved in a tug of war between the PCB and the ICL and faces legal action over his decision to quit the league © AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to defend Mohammad Yousuf and said that the Indian Cricket Leage (ICL) cannot stop him from playing for his country after the league organisers sent out a legal notice to the batsman.”The ICL has no case against Yousuf and they cannot stop him from playing for Pakistan,” Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, told the . “Yousuf did sign a contract with them but later he changed his mind and cancelled it. As a player he had the right to opt for any offer which he thought was better for him.”Yousuf, who after cancelling his contract with the ICL, signed a national contract as well as signing up to play in the India Premier League (IPL), a recognised league that is run by four different national boards and is approved by the ICC. He was served a legal notice by the ICL after several attempts to contact him failed.”We can confirm that we have indeed sent out a notice to Yousuf,” Ashish Kaul, executive president of the ICL, told Cricinfo last week. “We have been trying to reach out to him and sent out three reminders to discuss some crucial issues after the PCB clarified recently that Yousuf will not play in the ICL and make himself available for Pakistan.”However, Ashraf rejected the impression that the ICL can use any legal ways to stop Yousuf from playing for Pakistan in India next month. “The ICL is claiming that they will not stop any of their recruits from playing for their country then how can they stop Yousuf from representing Pakistan.”The ICL did have a clause in their contract that said that a player cannot give priority to national duty over the ICL but now they say that the clause has been removed and they claim that their players can leave the league to play for their national teams whenever required. I believe in such circumstances they have no justification to stop Yousuf from playing in India.”Ashraf confirmed that if the matter was to go to court, Yousuf will have the full backing of the PCB. “We will fully defend Yousuf, if he is taken to court using all legal means.”Yousuf recently represented Pakistan in the second Test against South Africa and is currently involved in the five-match ODI series against the same opposition, where he scored a match-winning hundred in the second match in Lahore.

The versatile Shandre Fritz will add captaincy to the list of her international duties – aged just 21 © Getty Images

Shandre Fritz has been announced as South Africa’s captain at the age of just 21. Fritz will take the reins for the five-match ODI home series against Pakistan which starts on January 20 and takes place in Pretoria.She has vowed to play brave cricket and follow her male counterpart – and fellow young skipper – Graeme Smith by leading from the front. “I am not a big talker,” the allrounder Fritz admitted, “but will try to lead by example. I am young and leading an inexperienced side, but there are some very old heads in the team, too.”One of those is the 17-year-old Johmari Logtenburg, who has been announced as vice-captain for the series. Logtenburg, a hard-hitting batsman of natural talent, already has considerable international experience under her belt, having played two Tests and 19 one-dayers.There are four players lining up for their debut against Pakistan. Annelie Minnie, Marcia Letsaolo, Tricia Chetty and Sunette Loubser have all been included.But there is no place for the up-and-coming wicketkeeper Yolandi van der Westhuizen of Western Province: while she was invited to the national training camp, she could not attend. Yet the national coach Noor Rhode expects her to be pressing for national honours and to put pressure on Chetty and Shafieka Pillay.South Africa could also tour India in 2007. The BCCI have invited the South Africans over but the South African board has yet to approve the tour and offer funding.Squad Alicia Smith, Annelie Minnie, Ashlyn Kilowan, Claire Terblanche, Cri-Zelda Brits, Daleen Terblanche, Johmari Logtenberg, Marcia Letsoalo, Shafeeqa Pillay, Shandre Fritz (capt), Sunette Loubser, Susan Benade, Tricia Chetty (wk).Fixtures
1st ODI – 20 January (Laudium)
2nd ODI – 22 January (Harlequins)
3rd ODI – 23 January (Sinovich Park)
4th ODI – 26 January (Sinovich Park)
5th ODI – 27 January (Harlequins)