Virgil van Dijk provided an update on his future at Anfield as the Liverpool captain nears free agency.
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Tahlia McGrath played with Covid and India had their target in sight, but Australia still found a way to win yet another title, writes Valkerie Baynes
Valkerie Baynes08-Aug-20222:42
Gardner proud of the ‘fight we showed with our backs against the wall’
It might just be official, Australia are invincible.Even when they seemed cursed, the all-conquering Australian Women’s cricket team added the first Commonwealth Games gold medal for their sport to the T20I and ODI World Cups already in their collection with a pulsating nine-run win against India at Edgbaston on Sunday.In an inauspicious start for title favourites Australia, allrounder Tahlia McGrath woke with mild symptoms of Covid-19 and subsequently tested positive. After negotiations between Commonwealth Games Australia, Cricket Australia, the Commonwealth Games Federation and the ICC, McGrath was allowed to play under the Games’ policy of treating such matters on a case-by-case basis.McGrath had been one of the players of the tournament with 128 runs at an average of 42.66 and strike-rate of 148.83 putting her ninth on the run-scorers’ list, while she was the second-highest wicket-taker with eight scalps at 12.12 and an economy rate of 6.92.Related
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Tahlia McGrath plays CWG final despite testing positive for Covid-19
She didn’t have the best day on the field on Sunday though, making just 2, and conceding 24 off her two wicketless overs.But one of the more bizarre sights of the day – if it could get any more unusual than seeing a player sitting all alone in an entire section of the stand wearing a face mask while waiting to bat – came when McGrath took a steepling catch to dismiss Shafali Verma, who had skied Ashleigh Gardner to midwicket.Australia were elated given that Gardner had seen Shafali dropped by Megan Schutt in the covers four balls earlier, but they couldn’t show McGrath their full appreciation as they initially ran towards her on instinct. They heeded her warning to “stay away” as she held her hands out, smiling. Jess Jonassen, whose arrival in Ireland for Australia’s warm-up matches ahead of the Games was delayed by a bout of Covid, bumped wrists and boots with McGrath, but that’s as close as anyone got until victory was sealed.Jess Jonassen has a foot-tap with Tahlia McGrath, who was cleared to play despite testing positive, after a catch to dismiss Shafali Verma•Getty Images
At that moment, McGrath stood outside the team huddle as they awaited India’s review to confirm Yastika Bhatia’s lbw dismissal and, as the others embraced and jumped up and down in celebration, she remained outside the group with her arms aloft before the circle opened and she jumped into an embrace with team-mates.Schutt described the moment: “We didn’t want to get in trouble. I think we felt bad for Tahlia at the end there,” she said.”That was probably the strangest part of it all, just not being able to celebrate with her. Obviously, when you’re part of a game that’s so thrilling like that, that’s all you want to do. At the end, you know, screw it, if we get Covid so be it.”In Australia, it probably wouldn’t be the case but the fact Tahlia got to go out there, take a crucial catch and be part of a thrilling win is very special.”The sides didn’t shake hands at the close, instead filing past each other a metre or so apart with raised hands, and McGrath wore a mask on the podium as Australia received their gold medals after a close contest in which they, almost predictably, came out on top.India were sublime in the field and claimed 36 for 5 in the last five overs to restrict the target to 162 with Renuka Singh, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and Sneh Rana taking two each.Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning combined for a second-wicket partnership worth 74 after Alyssa Healy fell lbw to Renuka in the third over, extending a lean patch with the bat in which Healy hasn’t passed 23 in eight innings since her match-winning 170 in the ODI World Cup final in April.Mooney notched up 61 off 41 balls, her second half-century of the tournament. But this time Mooney batted largely without McGrath, with whom she had shared century and half-century partnerships in Australia’s two previous matches.After helping New Zealand beat England in the bronze-medal playoff earlier in the day with an unbeaten half-century, which also made her the leading run-scorer at the time, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine joked that one of the Australians would probably make a big score to overtake her. Sure enough, Mooney’s knock took her two runs clear of Devine to end the tournament on top with 179 runs.India’s pursuit progressed well via a half-century to Harmanpreet Kaur and 33 from Jemimah Rodrigues. But when Australia took 3 for 3 in nine balls via Schutt and Gardner, the latter removing Pooja Vastrakar and Harmanpreet with successive balls, India needed 41 off the last four overs.The wickets continued to fall as Australia kept the pressure on and Jess Jonassen, the wily left-arm spinner entrusted with bowling the final over, combined with Alana King to run out Meghna Singh and then trapped Yastika to ensure victory with three balls to spare.”That was absolutely crazy,” Schutt said. “One of the best games I’ve ever been a part of, by far. The way we scrapped at the end there – that definitely wasn’t our best game. We didn’t field the best, we didn’t bowl the best, and we scrapped with the bat, but we fight, that’s what we do.”It ebbed and flowed like we knew it would and it was absolutely thrilling. We just kept pushing and that’s the way we play cricket and for that to go our way is amazing.”Fireworks go off after the medals ceremony•Getty Images
And therein lies Australia’s secret to success. They keep fighting no matter what is thrown at them and they always seem to have someone who can step up.Mooney said it was important for the side to continue “evolving”.”The adjustments we make and the adaptability we have within the group is critical to our success, having an environment where it’s okay to fail and for things to look a little bit ugly,” she said. “Certainly a great performance tonight and one to remember for a long time.”Jonassen described the win as “absolutely huge”.”I’ve been blessed enough to be part of some winning World Cup teams but to win the first gold medal for women’s cricket in the Commonwealth Games, we’re only ever going to do that once and I’m proud to be part of that,” she said.”For that final over, my heart was absolutely through the roof. I was pretty nervous, I’m not going to lie, but I just looked down the other end and saw Alyssa Healy behind the stumps there and she was just putting her arms out and putting her shoulders up getting me to take a deep breath. Ultimately, that’s what helped me.”It was unfortunate that such a high-quality match fell under the spectre of Covid, but there is no surer sign of the times and this match may have marked the evolution of a sport as much as the evolution of a team.
Arsenal have been tipped to make a mega-money move next summer as they look to add world-class talent to Mikel Arteta’s squad to usher in a period of Premier League dominance.
Arsenal had been expected to spend big this summer, but after strong links with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, they opted not to sign a forward permanently, only moving in the final hours of the transfer window to sign Raheem Sterling on loan, a deal which even Edu admitted surprised the club.
Arsenal nearly signed 'the new Henry' for £0, now he's a £152m phenomenon
Arsene Wenger came close to signing a Ballon d’Or nominee in the making.
By
Matt Dawson
Sep 9, 2024
Both Sesko and Williams are likely to return to the transfer market next summer alongside a host of other names, and it appears that Arsenal have opted to keep any mega-money signings for then, with the club ending the transfer window with a net spend of just £4m according to Sky Sports.
It is a decision that may well reap rewards going forwards, with Arsenal having banked plenty of financial fair play goodwill over the summer, and now they could spend heavily next summer. Indeed, they may have already identified their main target.
That comes as one transfer insider has linked Arsenal with an audacious move to sign Newcastle’s Alexander Isak next summer. Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the Swedish striker, even reportedly tabling a bid during his time at Real Sociedad, only to be told he would cost £75m to prise out of the Basque region in January 2022.
Instead, Newcastle pounced and reaped the rewards of his mercurial talent. The 24-year-old took to the Premier League like a duck to water, scoring on his debut against Liverpool and going on to rack up 10 goals in his debut campaign, following it up with a 21 goal season last time around, which marked him out as one of the Premier League’s top strikers.
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Alexander Isak in the Premier League |
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Appearances |
55 |
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Goals |
32 |
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Assists |
5 |
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Minutes per goal/assist |
110 |
That has led to repeated speculation that he may have been Arsenal bound over the summer, though they made no move to sign him. That is set to change next time though, according to transfer insider teamnewsandtix, who expects Arsenal to seriously push for Isak in 2025.
“I’ve been told Alexander Isak will be very, very high on Arsenal’s list — He’s definitely someone I expect them to revisit next summer”, he explained. “If Newcastle don’t get Europe, you’d imagine he’d be angling for a move.”
They will be met with stiff resistance from Newcastle though, with Eddie Howe’s side having reportedly slapped a massive £150m price tag on the Swede’s head as they look to ward off interest from interested parties and keep their talisman at St James’ Park.
Still just 24 and under contract until 2028 as things stand, they will be in no rush to sell and should Isak not push for a move, it would likely take a ludicrous sum to persuade them to part ways with him.
Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney was blown away after seeing his team score a late winner to beat Crawley Town 2-1 in League One.
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Bumrah-less India pay for lax fielding and death bowling as Rahul and Hardik’s fifties go in vain
Deivarayan Muthu20-Sep-20222:54
Is India’s bowling a concern heading into the T20 World Cup?
Cameron Green blitzed a 26-ball half-century in his first innings as an opener in professional cricket and Matthew Wade provided the finishing kick as Australia hunted down 209 on a flat pitch in Mohali to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.Green unleashed some Mitchell Marsh-style slog-sweeps during his 30-ball 61 to lay the platform for Australia’s tall chase. Axar Patel then applied the brakes on Australia with figures of 3 for 17 in his four overs – he was the only bowler to go at under seven an over on the day – but Wade accelerated in the end overs to ice the chase, with four balls and four wickets to spare.It was Australia’s second-highest successful chase in T20I cricket. They made Jasprit Bumrah-less India pay for their lax fielding – they dropped at least three chances – and death bowling, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel ended with combined figures of 8-0-101-0India stay true to their attacking approach
Although both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell early, India kept attacking through KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Rahul took on the pace of Josh Hazlewood and Green while Suryakumar picked off 22 runs off nine balls from legspinner Adam Zampa.Rahul went on to notch up a half-century off 32 balls in the 11th over, but in the next, Hazlewood returned to dismiss him. Suryakumar unfurled some delightful pick-up shots and punches before Green found extra bounce and cut his innings short at 46 off 25 balls.Hardik Pandya struck a rapid 30-ball 71 not out•BCCI
Pandya-monium
The placid track, a lighting-quick outfield and incredible ball-striking formed the ingredients of a Hardik special. He smashed an unbeaten 71 off 30 balls to propel India beyond 200.He set to work with a clubbed six over midwicket off Green in the 14th over and proceeded to even squeeze yorkers – or near yorkers – away for fours. That he often flitted around the crease also threw bowlers off their lines and lengths. He reached his own fifty off 25 balls at the end of the 19th over and with only No.8 Harshal for company, he farmed the strike in the last and closed out the innings with 6,6,6.Aaron Finch gambled with Green for the final over and the allrounder ended up conceding 21. Nathan Ellis, fresh off a stint with London Sprit in the Hundred, was more impressive with his pace and length variations, returning 3 for 30 in his four overs, including the key wickets of Kohli and Dinesh Karthik.Green shows his range with the bat
Green might not have even played had Marsh or Marcus Stoinis been fit, but he seized his opportunity, giving Australia the blistering start they needed. He sent his first four balls – all from Umesh Yadav – for fours, with the third one demonstrating his firepower. Umesh took pace off and bowled a slower legcutter, but Green generated his own pace and flat-batted it back so hard that it burst through the hands of the bowler and sped into the straight boundary. Green was similarly strong against spin as well, taking Yuzvendra Chahal for 21 off a mere eight balls.Green got another life, on 42, when Axar dropped him at deep midwicket. He added 19 to his tally before Axar got him with the ball.The endgame
Green’s dismissal triggered a wobble as Australia lost three wickets for 14 runs in 12 balls. When Josh Inglis was bowled by Axar, Australia still needed 64 off 35 balls. Wade alone hit 45 off 29 balls, to expose India’s death bowling, providing a throwback to his heroics against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year in the UAE.At one stage, it looked like Wade would finish the game off with Tim David after having handed David his first Australia cap. However, David fell trying to clear the boundary. Pat Cummins, though, got the job done with a four off the next ball.
Amol Karhadkar15-Oct-20158:18
‘Give me a reversing ball and I still get excited’ – Zaheer
How tough is it to finally give up on what you say is your life?
It was tougher than I thought, and that is summed up in my press release as well. For any cricketer it is the toughest decision you have to make. You always think that one last push is there. Especially with me, knowing that “Zak is Back” can happen, I thought that I can give that push. Somewhere during the training, as I was preparing for the season, I realised that it is the right time to walk away from international cricket. This is how the whole process happened. What happened post that was discussion with people and letting them know that this is what is going on in my mind.You wrote in your press release that your mother was happy with your journey. Are you satisfied with your career or are there any regrets?
Very, very satisfied. She summed it up very nicely. That kind of consolidated my decision. The decision was very clear post that discussion I had with my family members.Whom did you consult?
The decision was made, and then I went and spoke to everyone. I did go and meet Sachin [Tendulkar] also. I had a good word with Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar. I had a good word with all my coaches. I spoke to Sudhir Naik sir, I spoke to TA Sekhar as well. Pretty much, they were all also happy. Pretty much everyone I have been talking to, they have been talking about the journey, too. That’s the highlight of it.Did anyone urge you to give another try?
Jokingly, my friends keep telling me that. They are pulling my leg till today, asking if I am going to take a U-turn. But, [Javagal] Srinath was the only one who said that I could have played for one more year easily. I told him, being a pace bowler yourself, you shouldn’t be telling me all this. You should relate to me, and not tell me to play another year.Considering that you played 15 years of international cricket, how much did you have to unlearn and learn new things to keep yourself fresh and relevant?
That process goes on throughout, and will continue as I am just watching the game. That thing never stops. As you see, cricket is evolving and batters are adapting new techniques. They are trying different tactics to counter what bowlers are throwing at them.Do you think injuries shortened your career or did they play a role in making you the player that you went on to become?
I have done well with all of it. That’s one thing I feel proud of, that whatever things which have been thrown at me at different situations, I have dealt with it well. That’s why “Zak is Back” is there. That’s one thing I have always looked at as a learning curve. Every experience has made me and changed me as a person in a better way.Have you counted the number of surgeries or injuries you had?
Surgeries I have had only two. That way I was lucky. Yeah, I did have niggles and stuff like that here and there.On his preparations for the 2011 World Cup final: “I was fully zoned out, focused only on the job on hand.”•Santosh Harhare/Getty ImagesFrom a schoolboy cricketer who traveled to play MLA Trophy with tennis-ball matches all over Ahmednagar district to winning a World Cup. Can you recall your journey on a day like this?
Since the time I have made my decision, I have been thinking about all of that. It’s been a special journey. At no point in Shrirampur did I think I would make it to Indian cricket. There are a series of events that happened and if one link was missing, I don’t think I would be sitting here and talking to you guys.
Leading up to international cricket, the journey was very critical. I started way back in 1996 and I came to National [Cricket Club]. Right from Sudhir Naik telling me to take cricket seriously to [Vidya] Paradkar [Naik’s assistant coach at National Cricket Club, Mumbai] spending a lot of time just working on my bowling, going to [MRF] Pace Foundation and working with Dennis [Lillee] and TA Sekhar that time, and also getting exposed to fitness training. Even physios and trainers, all have played their part. From Chennai, I landed up in Baroda to make my Ranji Trophy debut. So, from Shrirampur I have gone to many places to make it to the Indian team. That’s what I really feel proud of.You mastered the art of swing, both with the new and old ball. Was it a self-taught process?
As I was playing more and more, things were falling into place. I would think of approaching certain situations in a certain way, and then it kind of formed a pattern. If it’s 80 overs in a day, how different situations are played. If you are playing in Australia or South Africa, especially with the Kookaburra balls, batters would look to come at you between 60 to 80 overs, because that’s when the ball is not doing much. If it is a really flat wicket, they will start at 50. Initially they will be very watchful. When they are watchful, it’s your time of attacking. You have to force them. When they are attacking, it’s your time to be defensive.
These are the things you learn with experience, and also different balls react differently. [The] Kookaburra ball reacts differently to [the] SG ball. Later on, in Test cricket here in India, you would have seen that I did not bowl longer spells with the new ball, but saved myself for reverse-swing, so that I am fresh and I have enough strength because the wicket is not going to offer you much. Those kind of things happen with experience. That’s what the learning curve is all about. As I was playing more and more games, I started understanding these situations and helping speed up that process of understanding for the youngsters.Chaminda Vaas has said that he learnt reverse-swing by watching Wasim Akram on television, because no one shared the secret with him. How did you master it, especially when there was no tradition in India?
In Indian conditions, the ball would go reverse on most occasions. There is a particular way in which you can release the ball to get the maximum amount [out] of it. If you don’t do that and hide the ball appropriately, you won’t get that.I started hiding the ball and it just happened to me. I cannot really pinpoint any particular moment. I just started bowling it, and I started running in trying to hide the ball with the other hand, and it kind of amplified the effect of reverse-swing.The current crop of fast bowlers is not able to master that. Why is it [reverse-swing] dying?
In one-dayers, it is dying. In Test matches, it is still there.Zaheer Khan stated that his stint with Worcestershire helped him become a more attacking bowler•BCCIYou spoke about experience. Do you think the 2006 county stint with Worcestershire played a role in your transformation as a bowler?
It played a huge role, but I must tell you that leading up to it I had been advised to cut short my run-up. Just that I was just not able to do that because I was playing international cricket regularly, and those are things you just cannot go in the international game and change. So, when I was away from international cricket, I got an opportunity to work on that.Cutting my run-up short gave me more control. With technology and by asking people even you all will know the faults of the batters, but as a bowler you have got to be able to execute that. And to execute that you need control. That process happened in county as I bowled more and more with a short run-up. That kind of helped me become a more attacking bowler, in terms of exploiting a batsman’s weakness.In 2005, when India lost the ODI series to Pakistan 4-2 you were in an important phase of your career. Can you recall what happened in that phase, and the people who came up to you and gave you the idea of playing county cricket?
It just happened. Murali Kartik, who is good friends with Vikram Solanki and had played with him, called me. He said there is a place available and, honestly for me, there was no option. I didn’t think about it and just said that I want to play. I looked at the next six months and playing some kind of cricket. I just wanted to be on the field as it was the off season in India. Then, Vikram called me, and I spoke to Steve Rhodes, the coach, and Mark Newton, the [chief] executive, and that’s how Worcestershire happened. There was no thought process as such. I would just go and train. There was no cricket. I was just training in Mumbai in that phase, completely blank. I was not sure [of] what’s next.More than returning mentally and physically in tune after a county stint, was the idea of constantly picking up wickets more appealing?
The way I approached my bowling was to focus on the right areas and keep asking questions. If I knew a batsman’s weakness, then I would just keep bowling there or go according to the situation. If there is a partnership happening and someone is coming hard at you, then have a plan which is going to restrict him from achieving that. That, itself, is a victory in that particular phase. So, I used to approach that way.You were seen in a different light after returning from England. In the Wanderers Test against South Africa in 2006, Sreesanth took more wickets, but you were a different bowler. Was it because you were secure about your place in the Indian team?
I was just enjoying the game. I would say that’s what Worcestershire taught me. I was just there playing the game of cricket, and enjoying it. I just continued that mindset from thereon. Leading up to that, yes, there were a lot of things happening in India, which kind of put pressure on me. It was all about getting back into the team, doing this and that, or you have to show the wickets. Going to Worcestershire was an enjoyment factor.Very few players have managed to make the second part of their career far more impressive than the first one. What would you attribute your success to?
It all came back to knowing more about the game and understanding how the whole thing is going. If a particular team is doing a media conference in a certain way, then what’s the reason behind that. Those things do happen, right? Later on, I started using it to my advantage.So you secretly enjoyed it when the media started projecting Graeme Smith as your bunny?
Of course, yes. That’s the fun part of it. Aggression is important, but these things are also important. If you saying something as a bowler is going to affect his game, that’s what you want, right?Would you go and grin at Smith between deliveries?
I would say things. Sometimes, I did not say anything and just looked at him because he would not look at me on the field. That itself is enough at times. It was a good battle. I have been a part of many battles. Sometimes you are fielding for long, long days and you come back. That’s what I enjoyed about Test matches. The ability to make things happen is exciting and when your plan succeeds, it’s most satisfying.Zaheer on his rivalry with Graeme Smith: “Sometimes, I did not say anything and just looked at him because he would not look at me on the field.”•AFPHow much did you act up the jelly bean incident during the 2007 Test series in England?
I did act up a bit, and that’s what everyone does. I am happy about that. I didn’t act it up on the field, but post the match I did, because I thought there was an opportunity.What went into the making of your 2011 World Cup performance and did the memories of the 2003 World Cup final linger?
Actually, in a way it was a good learning for me. Obviously, I was disappointed when it happened to me. After the national anthem [in 2003], everyone was so charged up and I was about to bowl. That didn’t help and I was acting out of my character. That was not my natural way of approaching situations. I did go at the batters and in the process I lost control in those two overs. Then, it was hard for me to get back. Australia, of course, was playing good cricket at that time. They had not lost a single game in the World Cup, and had the edge and good players to put the pressure back on us.That experience did help in 2011. As I was standing for the national anthem, I was kind of zoned out and we happened to bowl again this time. The night before, I was saying that I have worked at it, I have got a second opportunity and I know what to do. I looked at it [2003] as an experience which is going to help me do better, and not as the pressure of not doing well.Considering what happened in 2003, did playing the 2011 final at the Wankhede Stadium add more pressure or was it good to have home support?
I was fully zoned out, focused only on the job on hand. It started with winning the Pakistan game (semi-final) in Mohali. We did celebrate our win, but we all were very aware that we will be playing the final in two days’ time. So, that was very clear with everyone, that we will mingle with people but not relax as it was not the end. The talks in the dressing room were like that and it was a great thing. Personally, I was saying that I have come this far and I know what’s going to come next.Were you relieved after that opening spell of five overs in the final?
I remember it was a very, very hot day. It was probably one of the hottest days in Mumbai. The conditions were tough and the first spell was critical, but I was not relaxed after that. I remember walking up to MS [Dhoni] and asking him to give me the final over. He wanted Munaf to bowl that. These are the decisions you take on the field, and I am glad we could win the match so easily.Between these two World Cups, there was the 2007 edition. Was it the worst India dressing-room you have been a part of?
It was tough (laughs). Everyone was planning the next thing, but we had to cut short the trip. It was a tough couple of weeks.Zaheer Khan and Kevin Pietersen exchange words during the 2007 Trent Bridge Test, famous for the jelly bean incident. “I did act up a bit, and that’s what everyone does,” Zaheer said about the incident.•Getty ImagesWhen you walked out of Lord’s in 2011 with 2 for 18 on the first morning, what was running through your mind?
The hamstring has always been a tricky thing with me, and I knew that it might not be an easy thing. With hamstrings, you never really know when it has healed fully. I did play the next practice match, but within three overs I knew I won’t be there for a while.In 2011, when you broke down in England, it came after a heavy international calendar and the IPL. You did not travel to the West Indies for the preceding tour, but do you think your career could have panned out differently if you had taken a break after the World Cup?
Not really. Before I took a decision on any niggles, I consulted enough guys. So, the call was right. It just happened. You don’t have any control over an injury. I was actually waiting for the tour to get over and go for an ankle surgery. That surgery was not mandatory. And, the injury I had was of the hamstring, and had nothing to do with the ankle. But, because I was missing the series, I went for the surgery at that point. Whatever calls you take, you take after discussing with experts.Talking about numbers, there were many four-wicket hauls but you could not convert them into five-fors. Is that a regret?
Not really. If I can create that impact in a spell by taking three-four wickets, then I am happy. I was always looking for the kind of situations where I could have an impact on the game, and I am happy that I have achieved it and changed the course of many games.You have been given a lot of compliments. Sachin Tendulkar said that you out-thought the batsmen. Kapil Dev said that he would have loved to share the new ball with you had you been his contemporary. How do you want to be remembered. What is Zaheer Khan’s legacy?
Someone who just kept trying, never gave up is what I look at. That’s the approach I carried on to the field every time. I think sometimes even when you are defensive, that’s also attacking. You got to know that.Kumar Sangakkara rates you among the toughest bowlers he has faced. Are you happy that some of the top batsmen have rated you the most difficult to play?
When I look back, these are the things which make you proud about yourself. Sanga is a top guy. He has his record to speak for itself. Someone like him, praising you, you tell yourself that you deserve a pat on your back. You have done well for yourself.Javagal Srinath told ESPNcricinfo that perhaps you could have managed your body better. Do you agree or do you think you understood your body better in the latter half of your career?
There are ifs and buts in every aspect of life. He told me this, and I told him that every time we used to restrict a team to 220 or 230, he used to say that we could have restricted them to 180. It’s all part and parcel of the whole process. When I look back, I am happy and proud with what I have achieved.Zaheer on his later battles with fitness: “You don’t have any control over an injury.”•Associated PressCan you recall one day or one spell you bowled with complete control?
I can’t pinpoint, but that 2006 phase is where I could just make it happen. Just land up at the ground, and do it right. That was the phase when I managed pretty well. If you guys were travelling, you would have seen that I hardly bowled in the nets. It was a phase where my rhythm was good until I got that plantar fascia injury [in 2007]. Injuries are a stop-gap and you rebuild again.Indian bowlers are unable to find the right combination between pace and swing. Pace bowlers try to go for swing, and swing bowlers go for pace. What is your suggestion?
You need both. If you can adapt your skill level to what the wicket is offering, to a certain extent, then you can create more impact. If you have to bowl on a dampish wicket, hit-the-deck bowlers usually lose that edge. If you can adapt your skill to releasing and kissing the deck, then you are going to get maximum number of wickets.There is a lot of talk that Bhuvneshwar Kumar has lost his swing in order to up his pace. What is your advice?
I don’t relate it to that. Bhuvi has never been an out-and-out pace bowler. I don’t think he is trying to bowling at 145kmph. He is still focussing on his skills and trying to swing the ball. That he is not able to swing it is a different story.What are you going to miss the most?
Going out there and trying to figure out batsmen. Going with the game on the field. I really enjoyed that part. Being outside [the team]and seeing things, you can’t do much really. But, being inside you always had a chance of doing something. That’s what I will miss the most.Are you going to miss mentoring or do you plan to become a bowling coach?
It depends. Yes, it comes naturally to me. So, I am always there if anyone needs any help. How exactly that is going to happen, I have not really given it a thought. I will right now focus on playing maybe play some club cricket just for the fun of it.
It is hard to recall a less experienced squad, in recent years at least, flying out of Australia for a Test tour. This is the first glimpse of how the team will look in the Steven Smith era
Brydon Coverdale14-Sep-2015The dizzying disorientation brought on by the premature arrival of the future. That’s how author Alvin Toffler defined his concept of “future shock” back in the 1970s. Next month in Bangladesh, Australian cricket might suffer from a case of it, for it is hard to recall a less experienced squad, in recent years at least, flying out of Australia for a Test tour.
57 – Siddle
46 – Lyon
33 – Smith
22 – Starc
15 – S Marsh
9 – Khawaja
7 – M Marsh
7 – Voges
4 – Nevill
3 – Maxwell
2 – Burns
1 – Cummins
1 – O’Keefe
0 – Bancroft
0 – Fekete
The table at right tells the story. It is a list of Australia’s 15 squad members for the Bangladesh series, ordered by number of Tests played. If those figures were on a scorecard, it would suggest an exceptionally long tail. It is a glimpse at the future of Australia’s Test team and through retirements, injury and workload management, the future is now.First, let’s consider who is there. Michael Clarke retired at the end of the failed Ashes campaign. So did Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson. Ryan Harris pulled the pin before the Ashes even started. David Warner is absent with a broken thumb, and the selectors have chosen to rest Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood after a busy few months.Warner, Johnson and Hazlewood will return for the home Tests against New Zealand and West Indies, which will add much-needed experience. But otherwise this squad – plus men from outside the group such as James Faulkner, James Pattinson and Ashton Agar – is Australia’s future. This is the first glimpse of how the team will look in the Steven Smith era.And at first glance it is a squad with some promise, though with much to learn. The make-up of the top order remains undecided, but what is certain is that it will be raw. Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are all in the mix to open the batting and while it might be tempting to leave out the uncapped Bancroft, it may also be an error.Last summer Bancroft displayed his remarkable patience with a 13-hour innings of 211 in a Sheffield Shield match at the WACA and, oxymoronic as it sounds, that makes him an exciting prospect. He used his feet and the sweep to great effect against the Indian spinners in the recent A series and scored 150 in Chennai, and could be just the man Australia need in Bangladesh conditions.Burns was unlucky not to make the Ashes squad after scoring a pair of fifties in his second Test against India last summer, and his lack of runs in the one-day series against England should not be held against him – the format, conditions and opposition will be vastly different next month. Though he debuted as a Test No.6, Burns is an opener for Queensland.Whatever XI is chosen for the first Test in Chittagong, the batting order will lack Test experience. Of the batsmen, only Smith and Marsh have played more than 10 Tests, and it is far from certain that Marsh will even be in the starting line-up. The situation is clear from the fact that Adam Voges, who four months ago was uncapped, is suddenly the stand-in Test vice-captain.There is more experience in the bowling line-up through Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, but Australia may yet regret leaving Johnson at home. Their attack was flaccid on the UAE pitches against Pakistan last year and Johnson’s pace through the air at least made him of some value in the first Test in Dubai.Bangladesh’s batsmen do not boast the sturdiness of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, but nor are they to be underestimated in their own conditions. They will be thrilled not to face the speed of Johnson; it might be left to Pat Cummins, in line for his first Test match in nearly four years, to deliver the extra pace that may rattle the local batsmen. If his body holds up to it.The selectors will also need to determine how to balance their attack, with the spin of Steve O’Keefe and Glenn Maxwell available as backup to Lyon. It is not the first time Maxwell has been viewed as a valuable all-round option in Asian conditions, but none of his three Tests in India and the UAE have borne out that belief.Undoubtedly the most surprising selection was that of Andrew Fekete, a 30-year-old fast bowler who has spent only two years as a first-class cricketer. One good Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania last summer led to an Australia A call-up and while his tally of five wickets in two first-class games against India A may not look much, the selectors liked his ability to find reverse swing.A debut for Fekete appears unlikely, but his very presence in the 15-man squad highlights just how much things have changed. Even among Australian cricket’s more serious fans, many would struggle to pick him out of a line-up. The fringe cricket watchers who emerge in the home summer would never have heard of him.Bangladesh’s only Test wins have come against Zimbabwe and a third-string West Indies team, so there are worse places to take a team this low on experience. But, weather permitting, anything except a 2-0 series win will be viewed as a failure. The pressure is on Smith and his men to ensure Australia’s tour of Bangladesh is more Dizzy Gillespie than dizzying disorientation.
Six weeks since Peter Moores was sacked as England coach, he speaks for the first time about his second spell in charge, where things went wrong, and banishing the “data” myth
George Dobell22-Jun-20153:26
Dobell: Moores frustrated with treatment
“Frustration” is a word that crops up often in Peter Moores’ sentences at present.He is “frustrated” that he cannot finish the job he started in rebuilding the England team. He is frustrated that he will never lead England through an Ashes series. He is “frustrated” that history appears to have repeated itself. And he is, in his words, “doubly frustrated” that his portrayal in the media differs so markedly from reality.That portrayal stems, in part, from a radio interview conducted by the BBC moments after England’s World Cup exit. In it, Moores was alleged to have said that England would need to check the “data” before coming to any conclusions about the reasons for their failure.It came to be a defining moment in his downfall. It has been used to illustrate his perceived faults: an obsession with stats and a propensity to overanalyse. England’s talented young players, it was said, were stifled by such a policy.But it never happened. As was reported by ESPNcricinfo, Moores actually said “later” in that BBC interview. But his words were misheard – an honest and understandable mistake as there was a minor microphone malfunction during the interview – and while the BBC subsequently apologised to him (at first verbally and then in writing), the error was public and the apology was private. The damage, in terms of public perception, was done.The image of Moores as stats-driven has little basis in reality. So frustrated was Nathan Leamon, England’s analyst at the World Cup, by the lack of use of his statistics that it was briefly feared he may go home. Meanwhile Paul Farbrace, Moores’ faithful deputy and the man who has recently been portrayed as a liberator of the England team, has said repeatedly that the Sri Lanka team he coached to success in the 2014 World T20 used such data far more.”I don’t have regrets. I look back with quite a lot of pride”•Getty ImagesWhile it is true Moores used the word “data” during an excellent eight-minute interview on Sky (he said “we’ll have to analyse the data”) it was in response to several detailed questions and after an initial answer that started: “Now is not the time to be analysing.”It is Moores’ frustration – that word again – at such a characterisation that has prompted him to talk now. While he remained silent the first time he was sacked as England coach, declining lucrative invitations to give his side of the story, this time he has decided to speak in an attempt to correct at least a few of the misconceptions about his period as coach. He was not paid and the only item he would not discuss is how he was sacked.While Moores will not be drawn on it – he is simply not the sort to be dragged into mudslinging – ESPNcricinfo understands that he learned of his fate after his wife read about it on Twitter and phoned him. Whatever you think of him or Paul Downton (who learned of his fate a similar way), they deserved better than that. The ECB, to its credit, apologised in private and public.He does not comment, though. He hardly ever does. When he was sacked as England coach at the start of 2009, he said nothing. When England went to No. 1 in the Test rankings in 2011, largely with players he had selected, he said nothing. When Kevin Pietersen’s book came out, he said nothing. And each day he woke up and read another column from an ex-player – usually an ex-player he had dropped during his first spell as England coach – rubbishing his methods and caricaturing his personality, he said nothing.”I have to accept my time as England coach has gone,” Moores says. “It’s pretty hard to accept. But it’s done. The umpire’s finger is up. I have to look at where I go next.”But I am frustrated. The portrayal of me as a coach in the media is just wrong. If people said ‘I don’t rate you as a coach’ then fine. But when it’s not what you are, it’s really frustrating.”I don’t know how to change that. I’ve not spent my life trying to be really good with the media; I’ve spent it trying to make players better. I still passionately want to do that.”I have an official letter from the BBC. It’s a tough one, I didn’t say it. I know what I am as a coach. I’ve done it for a long time. I’ve been in the game for 33 years and I’ve coached for 17. I know the game. And what I’ve learned is, my job is to simplify the game for players and free them up to go and play.”We moved away from stats and data. Coaching doesn’t work like that at all. You watch a lot to say a little. It’s not a numbers game. We kept it simple. We tried to give the players responsibility to lead themselves.”There is a big support staff with England. And they’re all valuable. You need the security staff, the physio and the doctor. But there are times when you just want the 11 players and two coaches to watch the game and talk about it together. We were creating that environment. We were getting there.”
“In Test terms, we felt we had turned a corner. Would I have been sacked had we won in Barbados? You’ll have to ask the people who made the decision”
The “we were getting there” phrase is another recurring theme. Moores felt his England side were on the right track. While he accepts the World Cup was wretched, there was evidence in Test cricket, that they were making progress. At the time he was sacked, England – a side containing half-a-dozen young or inexperienced players – had won four and lost one of their last six Tests.Against relatively modest opposition that is perhaps decent rather than exceptional. But Moores did inherit an England side that had just been beaten 5-0 in the Ashes and was clearly in a transitional phase. It was always going to take time.”In Test terms, we felt we had turned a corner,” Moores says. “We were getting there. Would I have been sacked had we won in Barbados? You’ll have to ask the people who made the decision. I was aware that things were building but I wasn’t expecting it.”The frustration is not being able to carry something through. When I took the job, I knew we would go through this period of trial. And transition is difficult. You will lose sometimes.”The evolution, of a team, of a player, is that you’re going to be inconsistent. You’re going to lose. But in Tests we were moving and moving quite fast. You could see it happening. Young players were developing fast. And you know there is a timeframe for that.”I’m also confident in my ability to evolve teams to become very good teams. And, given time, I’ve always gone on to be successful. And you’re not trying to be successful for a short time, but for a long time.”So to not have time to finish the job with England… I thought we were getting there. I was genuinely excited when we got back from the Caribbean.”Moores denies any mixed emotions at watching England’s improved showing against New Zealand. But it has not gone unnoticed that, just as he built the side that Andy Flower went on to lead to such success (Flower, it should be noted, was always the first to praise Moores’ contribution), he will spend the next few years seeing some of those he selected this time flourish in international cricket.It was, after all, Moores that replaced the new-ball pair of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard with James Anderson and Stuart Broad. He installed Graeme Swann as first-choice spinner and Matt Prior as wicketkeeper. He laid many of the foundations on which Flower built.This time, his commitment to Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Gary Ballance (originally selected by Flower), Joe Root (who had been dropped by the time Moores took over) and others could have similar long-term benefits.Moores brought new faces into the England side during both spells in charge•AFP”I didn’t go into the job to get the credit,” he says. “But yes, history probably has repeated itself a bit. I’d love it if England won the Ashes. I’m an England fan.”I’ve probably debuted more players than most England coaches. You hope when you introduce players that they’ll carry on in the long term. I think we picked some good players who will become good England players over time. They’ll go through ups and down.”I know I left a united group of people – players and coaches – with a clear vision of where we were going and working towards it. I don’t have regrets. I look back with quite a lot of pride.”It seems he was rated in his second spell as England coach, in part, by the mistakes he made in his first. Famously described as “the woodpecker” by Kevin Pietersen – an image that suggests a man forever tapping away at players and, as a result, preventing them from relaxing – Moores admits he made some mistakes the first time around.”I don’t think there was any truth in the woodpecker thing, no,” he says now. “But I do think the version of me as a coach now to the version that first coached England is a better version.”I evolved quite a lot as a coach, as a player would. It’s no different. This time I knew what I was going into. You understand the real challenges for players, as you’ve been there before.”I’ve reflected on that first time. We needed to change. And I look back and think, yes, in my enthusiasm, I pushed too hard. You should allow that to happen. I wanted them to be fitter and, yes, you can push too hard.”So I knew when I came in this time, there had been mistakes made. I wanted to allow captains to evolve themselves and create a place where the players felt supported.”Part of the skill of a coach is to disappear. You’re in the room but it’s as if you aren’t. You’re not making anyone nervous. Because if you need 40 to win in four overs, nobody wants a coach who is twitchy.”Look, I’ve made loads of mistakes as a coach. But you make fewer as you learn. That side of my coaching, I know, I’ve got better.”England’s performance – or lack of it – at the World Cup does not reflect well on anyone, though. While they went into the event talking an aggressive game, they played pretty timid cricket, with Moores’ selections – Ian Bell as opener and Gary Ballance at No. 3 – contrasting starkly with the approach in the recent ODI series against New Zealand.So does he accept that either the selections were flawed or he was unable to coax the best out of the players?
“This is the first summer for 33 years I’ve not been involved in the game in a professional way. But I’m a coach, it’s what I do. I love England and I love cricket”
“In terms of selection, we got to the final of the tri-series with Ian Bell playing very well. I think he made two centuries and we made 300 against Australia. And Moeen was playing with freedom.”We moved James Taylor down the order as we felt he was a good finisher and brought Gary in as he has a very good record in limited-overs cricket. He’s a very good player. Ravi Bopara was struggling a bit and not really getting a bowl. It all felt natural at the time and we tried to stay consistent in selection.”As to getting it out of them… great players don’t always play great cricket. It didn’t happen for them. Senior players didn’t grab the game by the scruff of neck. But you learn from failure and the reaction of those players who went through it is encouraging.”But yes, I felt hollow at the end of the tournament.”The one thing Moores will not ever do is blame the players. Never, in public or private, does he seek to do so. In fact, it is notable that, on or off the record, he does not criticise anyone. Not Andrew Strauss, not Kevin Pietersen (about whom he says, “he’s a funny mix. There are things I admire”) and not Colin Graves, who was in Barbados at the time of Moores’ last Test but didn’t find the time to tell his coach he was about to be sacked. His only gripe, really, is with his public image as a stats-driven, robotic coach and the interview that may have cemented that reputation.It is notable, too, that several of the players have made their support of Moores public. Joe Root, who called him “brilliant” and praised him as knowing “how to get the best out of me”, crediting Moores for his “drastic improvement”, was the most vocal but also far from atypical. Whoever Strauss consulted before making his decision, it certainly was not the England Test squad. Many of them remain in touch with him. “Once your coach, always your coach,” Moores says with a smile. “They know they can call me.”Joe’s words were appreciated. It was brave of him to say that at that time.”And yet, after two sackings and some treatment that can only be described as shoddy, Moores says he would still work for the ECB again. While he has not yet been approached for a role at Loughborough – an organisation that is about to have a radical overhaul – it remains highly probable that he will be. His eye for young talent, his record as a developer of that talent, and his ability to impart knowledge to other coaches, remain assets.”Yes, I’d work for the ECB again,” he says. “A role at Loughborough would be exciting. I love coaching and that would be working with the best players and coaches. Yes, it appeals.”Professional sport can be cruel. Or maybe ruthless is a better word. You know that when you go into it. You are immersed in it.”His fault, as much as it is one, was his inability to play the media or political game. His failure to understand that style is as important as substance when it comes to selling yourself to the public. His failure to understand the dark side of the organisation that had employed him.While a perception that he was closely aligned to an unattractive ECB regime – the regime of Downton and Giles Clarke that talked of people being “outside cricket” – no doubt hurt him, his main fault may well have been simply being a decent man in an increasingly indecent world. A man who thought that, if he worked hard, planned for the future and forged a strong relationship, it would be enough.And that’s the lasting impression of Moores. For whatever you think of his coaching – his international record is modest; his county and development record excellent – as a man, he has a dignity that is rare in professional sport.A sense of perspective, too. After England lost to India at Lord’s last summer, Moores was asked if he was at “rock bottom”. His reply – “who knows what rock bottom is, but it isn’t losing a cricket match” – sums him up better than anything else he said in his period at the helm. Even after his second sacking, he found a positive. “If feels as if I’ve got my wife and kids back,” he said.Following this interview, he went to see his son, Tom, a hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman, play for Nottinghamshire seconds against Warwickshire. The sacking has hurt, but he will cope. “A glass of wine helps,” he says.”I don’t put this on,” he says as the interview draws to a close. “I don’t know if it’s from my mum or what. But I am a calm person who can see the value of looking at people in their best light. It was such a slanging match last time. There were so many opinions. And so much of it was wrong. I didn’t want to get involved. It’s all so easy to do that. I’m not going down that route.”I’ve been offered book deals, but it’s not who I am. And if I did one, I would want it to be things I’ve learned and stories to help people get the best out of themselves and others. I have to be true to what I am. There’s not a lot of mileage in negativity, you know.”Of course it’s been tough. This is the first summer for 33 years I’ve not been involved in the game in a professional way. But I’m a coach. It’s what I do. I love England and I love cricket. The game doesn’t owe me anything. It’s been great fun working in it. And the hunger… it’s just starting to come back.”
Time away from the game due to a stress fracture helped Jaydev Unadkat gain physical strength and perspective and has driven his success this season
Arun Venugopal17-Feb-2016When Jaydev Unadkat tells you that ‘switching off’ is integral to his game it is easy to mistake it for the kind of jargon that spontaneously seems to roll off a modern cricketer’s tongue. He has, after all, been as ‘switched on’ as only somebody who has prised out 20 wickets in two matches can be – his destruction of Vidarbha and Assam in the knockouts saw Saurashtra make the final of the Ranji Trophy for the first time since 2012-13.But you only need to go back to August 2014 to see where Unadkat is coming from. During India A’s tour of Australia, Unadkat developed trouble in the lower back region which was eventually diagnosed as stress fracture. For four months thereon, Unadkat was forced to push the ‘pause’ button. He didn’t go anywhere close to the ground during the first two months, following which he kept bowling off short strides for four weeks before eventually bowling off a short run-up. Unadkat played only one Ranji Trophy game in the 2014-15 season, four in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and made one appearance for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2015.The downtime helped him indulge in luxuries he had missed – spending time at home, catching up with friends and cousins, and a family holiday. More important, however, was the perspective that kicked in. “Sometimes it happens that you take things for granted and in times like these you start counting your blessings,” Unadkat tells ESPNcricinfo. “When you are going through a season you don’t really pause to reflect where you are standing at present in life. Sometimes we just look at the negatives, don’t look at the positives of how our career is going. All of us are really blessed to pursue something which we really love.”Switching off only helped me. I was thinking a lot about my game during that period. I guess I would have become that [a cricket nut]. [Now] I don’t keep on talking about the game. Probably that has helped me overcome this. I was refreshed and eagerly waiting to start playing again so that motivated me again when I came back.”Combating negativity was the biggest challenge for Jaydev Unadkat as he made his way back to cricket after the injury•Associated PressBy his own admission he emerged a better person at the end of a phase where combating negativity was the biggest challenge. “[It was] probably the time after the injury that did that [made me a better person],” he says. “Rather than those four months the next three months were more difficult when I started bowling. I wasn’t feeling as if I was the same bowler. It was in the back of my mind, ‘What if I try to give my full effort and it occurs again?’ That can be the limit of self-belief going down. I have felt that in those two months. I wasn’t really feeling that I could really bowl at the highest level.”[I] probably [developed] a bit of control over my thoughts. I was talking to a couple of coaches – I don’t want to name them – who said the technical faults in my action – a semi-open action is probably a mixed action – won’t allow me to bowl fast and will keep giving me injuries. That has kept haunting me… if I can I manage with those technical flaws? I wanted to be clear with my thoughts [and] that’s one thing I was working on.”A welcome consequence of Unadkat’s injury and his non-selection for India or India A matches was the time he found to work on his strength and stamina and the mental aspects of bowling. He has also looked visibly quicker than he was a year or two ago. “These two-three months in between, the off season that I got, were really crucial. Because of the work I put in the period I can see the difference in my bowling [speed] and I have been able to persist with it throughout the season. Someone told me I clocked 138-139 [kmph in the Assam game]. I have increased my pace by at least 4-5 kmph.He also attributes his improved performance to a better balance between his bowling sessions and gym work. “I have bowled a lot in the off season. I wasn’t bowling this much in the past. I mean I was focusing on gym and all, but I wasn’t bowling much,” he says. “You need to have a work log for yourself where you can see it’s not going above the limit. But it’s important to keep bowling, keep pushing yourself in the nets as well.”I would say during the season [bowling in the nets] is not much. But in the off season I have really pushed it a lot. My workload has increased 20 or 30% more than in the past. I bowl probably eight to ten overs in a session and I do at least five sessions of bowling a week apart from the running and agility sessions.”Unadkat has sought to upgrade his skill quotient and in the process has acquired some valuable pointers from Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan. “I have met a lot of good people on the way. Bharath Arun sir was in the NCA when I used to go to NCA a lot in the last couple of seasons. He has been guiding me.”Zaheer bhai used to use the angles a lot. He would always tell us that it is about going one step above the batsman. You should be knowing as a batsman what would you think if you were in his place. I have seen him do that [go round the stumps and move the ball away from the right hander]. I have practised that a lot in the nets. That angle is really difficult for a batsman.”I was also making sure [during the Ranji semi-final] that I don’t fall over at the time of delivery. I don’t want to bowl faster and in the process end up losing my bowling shape. I wanted to hold my non-bowling arm till the end. Those are a couple of things I am working on.”
“When you are going through a season you don’t really pause to reflect where you are standing at present in life.”
Unadkat also gets his adrenalin rush from movies and songs. He listened to from on the way to the ground before unleashing a fiery spell against Assam in the second innings in Vadodara. “I have my specific playlist when it comes to listening songs on match days – a couple of songs from or , and English songs like and . My favourite movies have been Lagaan, Iqbal and I like those movies related to the army as well.”All the movies which have positive vibes like conquering something and proving something to your country or yourself… I just get that sense of inspiration. When you are going through your routines this helps you to get that adrenaline high.”His biggest influences off the field are his older sister, Dheera, and team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara. “The only girl that I adore at present is my sister. I am very close to her. There was one time when I was playing for RCB and she felt that season would be the turning point for me. She would send me something in red to wish me luck before every game as it matched the colour of our team kit. She doesn’t talk cricket at home and motivates me at the right time.”Cheteshwar has been my best friend since the last five-six years now. I have gained a lot of maturity from him. I have tried to learn from him is his approach for the game and the discipline he has in all his schedules. We share rooms. Even if we get single rooms we try to stay together. That bond is something we cherish. Whatever cricket I talk about is with him.”
Leeds United centre-forward Mateo Joseph is a good example of how difficult it is to translate regular goalscoring from academy level to the first team.
The 21-year-old ace, who joined from Espanyol at the start of 2022, scored an eye-catching 19 goals in 33 games for the Whites at U21 level.
However, the Spain U21 international has only found the back of the net five times in 47 appearances for the club since his rise to the first-team, with two goals in 15 Championship games this season.
He has made the step to the senior team, though, and has time on his hands to fulfil his potential, which was not the case for one former Leeds youngster who initially arrived with plenty of hype around him.
Leeds swooped to sign a teenage centre-forward from Barcelona in the summer of 2017 after he had scored 30 goals in 30 league games for the Spanish giants at academy level in the 2016/17 campaign.
If you haven’t guessed already, that player was none other than Kun Temenuzhkov.
The Guardian named him as one of the 60 best young talents in world football in 2017 and wrote that the striker had ‘the same predator’s instinct’ as former Barcelona and Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez, who was idolised by the youngster and scored 195 goals in 283 games for the LaLiga outfit.
It is not hard to understand why that comparison was made after such an incredible year of goalscoring for the Spanish side in the previous season.
After playing for the Leeds’ U18 side for 18 months, Temenuzhkov made his first-team debut for Leeds against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2019, with an 11-minute cameo off the bench under Marcelo Bielsa.
Given his extraordinary goal record for Barcelona’s youth teams, his comparison to Suarez, and his senior bow under Bielsa, you could forgive the Whites for thinking that they had their own version of the Uruguayan hero on their hands.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Unfortunately, though, after loan spells with CF La Nucía and Real Union during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, the Bulgarian centre-forward was released by the Whites in the summer of 2022, having failed to live up to the hype.
The young marksman made the move to join Navalcarnero in the fourth tier of Spanish football and scored eight goals in 29 league games during the 2023/24 campaign.
He then spent six months with Zamora CF, scoring just one goal in ten games, before moving to Lincoln FC in Gibraltar at the start of 2023.
Temenuzhkov produced six goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Lincoln during the second half of last season, before a free transfer to Moscardó in the summer transfer window earlier this year.
It was the fourth free transfer since the start of 2022 for the 24-year-old attacker, who has been unable to enjoy more than one season with a club since his exit from Leeds.
Moscardó currently play in the fourth tier of Spanish football and the ex-Whites and Barcelona man has had a difficult start to the campaign, with zero goals and one assist in eight league matches.
Temenuzhkov is yet to replicate his sensational goalscoring output at academy level in his first-team career and Leeds will now be hoping that Joseph, who has already played 46 more times for Leeds than the Bulgarian forward did, fares better in his development over the coming years.
Leeds can replace Firpo by signing "best full-back in the Championship"
Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship star.
By
Dan Emery
Nov 11, 2024