According to Milliyet, Fenerbahce are unlikely to offer on-loan Tottenham Hotspur forward Vincent Janssen a permanent move at the end of the season.
What’s the story?
Janssen joined Fenerbahce on loan from Tottenham back in September, with the Netherlands international due to spend the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign in Turkey.
The striker managed two goals and four assists in his first 11 league appearances for Fenerbahce, but he has been on the sidelines for the last two months with a toe problem.
It is understood that Spurs were hopeful of Fenerbahce signing the 23-year-old on a permanent deal in the summer, but according to Milliyet, the Turkish giants are shying away from a move due to the Dutchman’s injury problems.
As a result, Janssen is expected to return to Tottenham at the end of the season, but it seems that the striker is not in the plans of Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Does Janssen have a Tottenham future?
There was a lot of excitement amongst Tottenham supporters when the club paid £17m to sign Janssen from AZ in the summer of 2016.
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Indeed, the striker, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, moved to England off the back of a 31-goal season with his Dutch club, and having also impressed for the Netherlands national team.
Janssen only scored two Premier League goals during the 2016-17 season, however, as he struggled to come to terms with the pace of English football.
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The forward then made one league appearance earlier this term before joining Fenerbahce once Fernando Llorente had made the switch to Spurs as back-up for Harry Kane.
Fenerbahce now seem unlikely to take up their permanent option on Janssen, and the 23-year-old will still have two years left to run on his Tottenham contract this summer.
Spurs will still hope to sell to another party, but much will depend on whether Janssen can get himself back on the field before the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
With the World Cup over and the transfer window in full swing, the 2014/15ÂPremier LeagueÂcampaign is nearly upon us. In fact it’s just 23 days away, which is probably just enough time to watch all the highlights from last season to remind you how amazing it was.Luckily, next term could be equally as exciting, with Arsenal finally splashing the cash, Manchester City determined to produce a much better title defence than last time,ÂManchester UnitedÂwelcoming a new manager in Louis van Gaal andÂChelseaÂseemingly only growing ever stronger under Jose Mourinho.Around Liverpool too, there is a great sense of intrigue. Can the Reds match their runner-up finish from last season? Can they compensate for the loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona?Only time will tell, but to give you some idea of how the Anfield side’s season might pan out, we’ve taken a previewed look of their potential starting XI next season.
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GOALKEEPER – SIMON MIGNOLET
Simon Mignolet may have committed a few costly mistakes last season – most notably against Manchester City – but overall the £9million signing has proved an effective purchase forÂLiverpool.
The Belgium international is an impressive all round ‘keeper; confident with his feet, comfortable in the air and a consistent shot stopper – this save against the Citizens being a classic example:
With Pepe Reina returning from loan to provide some much-needed competition for the No.1 jersey, the Reds will expect an even higher level of performance from the 26 year-old next season.
RIGHT BACK – GLEN JOHNSON
It remains to be seen whether contract rebel Glen Johnson will still be at Anfield come the end of the summer. The England international’s current deal is set to expire in 2015 and there are now rumours he could be on his way to QPR:
But as things currently stand, the 29 year-old remains Liverpool’s resident No.2 for next season. Furthermore, the former West Ham and Chelsea defender’s performances weren’t half as bad as they were made out to be last term, just take a look at his vitals from the 2013/14 campaign:
Johnson’s complete full-back style, offering in both defence and attack, is vital to the Reds’ progressive philosophy. This assist to Wayne Rooney at the World Cup wasn’t too bad either:
But Brendan Rodgers is already preparing for the worst. Not only does he have the highly-rated youngster Jon Flanagan waiting in the wings, but the Ulsterman has also wrapped up a loan deal for Atletico Madrid’s Javier Manquillo:
CENTRE-BACK – MAMADOU SAKHO
Mamadou Sakho’s first campaign in England was by no means an easy ride. The France international looked a little out of his depth at times and his performance against Crystal Palace – a match which arguably cost Liverpool the title – was particularly poor.
But Brendan Rodgers invested £15million in the 24 year-old last summer and will be keen to give him the chance to impress, especially following a strong World Cup campaign with Les Tricolores where Sakho made four starts, earning two clean sheets.
Furthermore, despite widespread assumptions otherwise, the 6 foot 2 centre-back can actually be quite productive on the ball, just check out his passing stats from last season:
These kick-ups aren’t bad for a big and burley centre-half either:
CENTRE-BACK – DEJAN LOVREN
It’s no secret that Dejan Lovren has become the object of transfer desires on Merseyside, with the Southampton defender handing in a transfer request some time ago.
The Croatia international joined the South Coast outfit from Lyon last summer and has since proved to be a major coup, with his 2.7 interceptions per match only bettered by three Premier League centre-backs…
Offering relative pace, comfort on the ball, an astute reading of the game and dominance in the air, the 24 year-old is an incredibly impressive, complete defender, as demonstrated in the video below:
//www.youtube.com/embed/dzENWWAoIlU
Despite Liverpool’s well-documented interest however, Saints boss Ronald Koeman insists the club are yet to receive a refreshed bid for Lovren:
LEFT-BACK – ALBERTO MORENO
Football – Spain v Italy – UEFA European Under 21 Championship Final – Israel 2013 – Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel – 18/6/13Alberto Moreno – Spain U21Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Alex Morton
Securing a resident left-back is a must for Brendan Rodgers this summer, and evidence thus far suggests his priority target is Sevilla starlet Alberto Moreno:
The 22 year-old has enjoyed a sensational twelve months, muscling his way into the Spain senior fold, notching three goals in 29 La Liga outings and claiming the Europa League title with Los Palanganos. Here’s the vitals from his 2013/14 campaign:
And a quick look at the Roja international in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/bdY6ls0SpQM?rel=0
But with Sevilla seemingly holding out for an incredible offer, whilst Real Madrid and Chelsea have also been linked, it’s alleged Brendan Rodgers could switch his attentions to Blues left-back Ryan Bertrand:
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – STEVEN GERRARD
The first name on the team-sheet for the last 15 years, Liverpool’s Captain Fantastic may have reached the ripe old age of 34 but he’s as integral to the club’s successes as ever.
The now-retired England international was in unbelievable form last term to earn a spot in the PFA Team of the Year for the eighth time of his career, as detailed below:
Gerrard has found a new lease of life in a more refined holding role, freeing him from the physical requirements of his more traditional box-to-box style.
Also adding vital experience to an incredibly young and ambitious roster, although the Anfield icon will eventually have to pass the mantle to someone else, he will remain a key figure in the Reds starting XI for at least next season.
Here’s a look at his highlights from last term:
//www.youtube.com/embed/k-T1bgK3k_4?rel=0
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – JORDAN HENDERSON
Jordan Henderson finally begun to pay back some of his £16million transfer fee last season by producing a number of impressive performances with incredible consistency, as detailed below:
The Geordie work-horse proved himself a good partner for Steven Gerrard too, compensating for the Anfield legend’s declining pace and stamina. There were also moments of sensational individual quality – this assist to Daniel Sturridge being a classic example:
Most tellingly, barring a three-game absence due to suspension, the 24 year-old featured in every minute of Liverpool’s domestic campaign, finishing up with the third-most appearances:
Things are changing quickly on Merseyside but Henderson remains an ever-present, now intrinsic figure.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – PHILIPPE COUTINHO
In the more important games, Brendan Rodgers may feel it necessary to consider more defensive options in the middle of the park.
But Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho was a vital influence on Merseyside last season, providing the quality to link the midfield with the attack.
He may lack output in comparison to other Premier League No.10’s, but the 22 year-old’s overall contribution to build-up play cannot be overstated, as detailed below:
Continued Premier League exposure can only further improve Coutinho’s game, but there are concerns that he could soon become overshadowed by Liverpool’s new signings Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic, both of whom can adopt a similar role.
RIGHT FORWARD – ADAM LALLANA
//www.youtube.com/embed/nlpmDjYVfTE?rel=0
Brendan Rodgers wasted no time in launching a swoop for Southampton’s Adam Lallana this summer and clearly has high hopes for the England international’s future on Merseyside.
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No doubt, the 26 year-old was in incredible form for the Saints last season, as detailed below:
This solo effort against Hull City was a particular highlight:
An elusive, fluid and versatile playmaker, Lallana is a perfect fit for Brendan Rodgers’ breakneck paced attacking philosophy.
For this Xi, he’s featuring on the right hand side, but expect Brendan Rodgers to use the £25million signing in a variety of positions throughout the season.
LEFT WING – RAHEEM STERLING
After a captivating season for Liverpool and an impressive World Cup campaign with England, it seems logical to assume that Raheem Sterling will be given a regular role in the Reds’ starting line-up next season.
The 19 year-old really came into his own last term, scoring and providing regularly as detailed below, and offering the Reds unique pace to make them particularly proficient on the counter-attack:
His dribbling at the World Cup caused Italy and Uruguay huge problems, and it also completely bamboozled Manchester City’s defence last season:
There is some debate however regarding how Sterling can be best utilised. As viewable below, his ultimate position remains unclear:
STRIKER – DANIEL STURRIDGE
Liverpool may have lost one talismanic striker to Barcelona in Luis Suarez, but they’re still privy to the exceptional goalscoring skills of Daniel Sturridge.
As viewable below, the 24 year-old was the second-top scorer in the Premier League last season – and the highest-scoring Englishman:
He also netted for the Three Lions at the World Cup against Italy:
With his SAS partner now departed, Brendan Rodgers will expect an even bigger contribution from Sturridge next season.
Per Mertesacker feels Arsenal must quickly regain the strength they had before the international break after two shock defeats in a row.
It has been suggested that the break to allow for international matches has adversely affected the players. The Gunners had been doing well before the break, including securing a draw with champions from last season, Manchester City and a 3-1 win at West Ham.
However, after returning from the break for international matches, Arsenal have had two shock losses, in the Premier League to Norwich and in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Schalke, where they went down 2-0, with the German side replacing them at the top of their Champions League group.
In many quarters, the Gunners have been criticised for seeming to be ‘asleep’ in the two performances. Talking to Arsenal’s official website, defender Mertesacker said how Arsenal need to come back from the defeats and become strong again.
“We have had a difficult week. The results are kind of an accident, now we have to find our game again. The international break was kind of a killer for us. We have to find our strength again quickly. We have the potential in us, but first we have to fight,” he said.
Mertesacker feels the Gunners must now learn from the defeats and get back their self-confidence.
“We have to learn quickly from what happened [at Norwich last weekend] and against Schalke. If we do not find these solutions, it’s going to be difficult in the Premier League and the Champions League.
“It is our task now to find our self-confidence, we have great players with great potential. So it will be good to have a game in three days so we can show our potential again. We will try to be positive before the next game.
“In our training sessions, we will look to get our confidence back. Sometimes you need one game to find your strength and quality so let’s do it on Saturday.”
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Steve Bould, the assistant coach, expressed after Tuesday’s game how the players were lacking confidence, but the club’s fans will be hoping they can reverse this slump against QPR this weekend.
Schalke midfielder Max Meyer could fill the hole left by Christian Eriksen if the Denmark international decides to leave Tottenham Hotspur.
What’s the word?
There is no indication that Eriksen intends to leave the North London outfit this summer, but his performances from last season have attracted interest from many clubs.
Sport reported on Monday that Barcelona could offer Rafinha to Spurs as part of a swap deal to land Eriksen.
With that in mind, perhaps the player that Tottenham should really be going for as a replacement for the midfielder is Meyer.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
The 5 ft 8 German has been linked to the Premier League outfit before, and he certainly has the potential to thrive in Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
Soccer Football – FA Cup Quarter Final – Swansea City vs Tottenham Hotspur – Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Britain – March 17, 2018 Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen celebrates scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Is he good enough?
Eriksen was one of Tottenham’s standout players last season as he scored 14 goals and created 11 assists in all competitions.
Meyer is only 22 years old and is not the finished product yet, but he certainly has the quality in his locker, as well as versatility.
The German predominantly plays in the centre of the park, but he can also drop back to do defensive duties as well as occupy an attacking midfield role.
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Pochettino has had success with young players, so if Meyer was to join, he would be developing his game in the best hands.
On top of that, the midfielder is expected to be available on a free transfer this summer, which makes the move a no-brainer from Spurs’ point of view.
West Ham United’s academy director Terry Westley has paid tribute to the performance of Marcus Browne in the club’s Under-23 defeat at Sunderland on Monday night.
Browne, 20, captained West Ham Under-23s in the 1-0 loss to the Black Cats.
The attacking midfielder is yet to make his first-team debut for the Hammers, but is said to be on the radar of head coach David Moyes following some impressive performances this season.
Westley was full of praise for the young Englishman after the match, claiming that he was ‘head and shoulders’ above anyone else on the football pitch.
The likes of Toni Martinez, Reece Oxford and Reece Burke have recently left West Ham on loan, but Browne is still with the club, and will be targeting a first-team bow in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.
Westley told West Ham’s official website:
“I thought Marcus Browne was head and shoulders better than anyone else on the pitch. He was driving on the ball and the way he led as a captain.”
West Ham have only won one of their last five matches in all competitions, and suffered a 3-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
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We can establish the kind of person Robin van Persie is by analysing and comparing his most recent outburst against his club or teammates with what has happened in the past. There’s previous and there’s symmetry. It’s now no longer bitter Arsenal fans who are rifling criticism at the Manchester United striker.
Were van Persie’s comments about his teammates after the loss at Olympiakos taken out of context? Is there a frustrated team player in there who is struggling to gel in a new setup created by a new manager? That’s the easy conclusion to hold if he hadn’t done this sort of thing before.
The story away from van Persie individually is that David Moyes has lost the dressing room. Based on the way the team have been playing, it’s difficult to argue that point.
But van Persie has a method of getting what he wants from a football club, first getting his much-desired exit from Arsenal to a club closer to title honours, and now creating tension and raising questions as to his position at Manchester United. An exit during the summer is very much a talking point.
For footballing reasons (heh) there is a case to be made that Manchester United should move on the Dutchman anyway. He’s a better player than Wayne Rooney, unquestionably, but those two simply aren’t working as an attacking one-two punch. Seeing as the club committed to one via a ludicrously-sized new contract, it leaves van Persie as the odd one out and the easier individual to usher out the door.
You can’t help but think that talk of a new contract or wanting to see out his career at Old Trafford is an act to take away from the reality of the situation. Van Persie may be scoring – though not to the same effect as his previous two campaigns – but his interest in being at United looks to be up.
For the club, it’s not the end of the world. They’re capable of reinvesting and replacing; regardless of on-pitch difficulties this season, this isn’t a club who will struggle to attract very good players.
For van Persie, however, other clubs around Europe may be asking if the reward, which may or may not come, is worth the risk. This isn’t a player who is approaching his prime with plenty of time left at the top of the game; depending on fitness, he may only have a couple of seasons left at the very top of European competition.
And it’s hard not to believe clubs or long-standing managers won’t be concerned about his attitude and behaviour. There’s been a lot of criticism for Rooney and for the club handing him such a sizeable new contract, but Rooney doesn’t need much motivating to go out and perform. The same can’t be said for van Persie, who allegedly kept himself away from first-team action this season, prolonging his stay on the treatment table, because he wasn’t happy with life under Moyes.
He has a record now of kicking up a fuss. He won’t play for the current manager, if news on his lack of interest to return from injury is to be believed, and his teammates certainly won’t have appreciated his comments post-Olympiakos if their interpretation of it was the same as everyone else’s. And this is completely discounting his horrendous injury record at Arsenal.
It’s telling that very, very few came in for van Persie when he publically confessed to his desire to leave Arsenal. Perhaps he was thinking Real Madrid and Barcelona. Maybe even Bayern Munich or PSG. Instead, the only serious interest outside of England came from Juventus, who failed to meet Arsenal’s asking price. And this is at a time when he was arguably Europe’s best out-and-out striker, firmly in his peak years.
It never made much sense for United to retain Rooney and van Persie now that Juan Mata has joined. It will make even less sense if Adnan Januzaj is to improve even further and perform as a regular in the No.10 role at the club, and they go on to spend heavily on attacking players in the summer.
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There is sure to be another striker merry-go-round this summer, yet how many clubs capable of spending will be interested in van Persie, 31 in August, who can’t be relied upon to get his head down when the going gets tough?
His Champions League comments following the loss in Greece smacked of apportioning blame elsewhere; at Arsenal, it was the club who couldn’t match his ambitions, despite Arsene Wenger regularly being without van Persie for prolonged spells throughout his time in north London.
For a player is perceivably can only perform to a world-class standard when happy, van Persie is doing a lot of damage to a brand which needs to extract as much from these final few years as it can.
Manchester City are reluctant to offer star player Yaya Toure a new contract, according to Mirror Football.
The midfielder is one of the Premier League’s top earners, receiving £150,000-per-week in basic pay, which could rise to 220k based upon appearance and performance bonuses.
Toure’s current deal expires in 2015, by which time the Ivory Coast international will be 32 and could have his best playing days behind him. The powerful midfielder’s representatives have been seeking a new deal to keep him at the Etihad Stadium amid rumours that the player could leave in the summer.
However, club officials are in no rush to extend Toure’s contract, despite him being somewhat of a talisman for the Citizens. They would prefer to hold off any negotiations until the end of next season when the player will only have a year left on his contract.
City team mates Vincent Kompany and David Silva have both been handed long-term contracts by the club already this season, however neither are in the top bracket of earners at the club which includes the likes of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Toure.
Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk has a track record of linking his player with other top European clubs. Two days after the reigning champions won the league last season, Seluk announced: “Toure has done all he can do at City and needs new motivations. He would like a new challenge. He would not cost much.
“He could sign for many big clubs, like Chelsea or Bayern Munich. We would like to see Barcelona join the race.”
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Should Toure’s contract issues not be resolved by the Club, the player could move on at the end of the season.
The Tasmania allrounder continued an impressive season while Australia crashed to defeat in Perth
AAP25-Nov-2024Beau Webster sent a timely reminder of his all-round capabilities, posting a half-century and taking three top-order wickets in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales.The hosts went to stumps on day two at 235 for 4 at the SCG, with Kurtis Patterson out for 99 just before the close. Patterson’s runs and Webster’s form have come in the background of Australia’s first-Test embarrassment against India in Perth.Related
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If changes do come before the second Test in Adelaide, it is likely to be Josh Inglis who comes into the side as the current reserve bat and pressure on Marnus Labuchagne.But there is a case to be made for Webster. The Tasmanian was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer, and his 61 on Monday helped take his red-ball season record to 401 runs at 57.29. Included in that are unbeaten scores of 61 and 41 for Australia A against India A in the past month.Webster brought up his 50 off 66 balls on Monday, after two cover-drives went to the rope early in the day against Jackson Bird. Another boundary came from a clever paddle-sweep off Adam Zampa, before he was caught behind off Bird shortly after lunch as part of a collape of 3 for 0.The other factor in Webster’s favour are the overs he can offer with the ball as both a seamer and spinner. Bowling workloads have suddenly become crucial after Cameron Green’s injury, and the use of Labuschagne to shoulder some of the load in Perth.He trapped Maddinson lbw for 34 on Monday with his medium-pace, before having Oliver Davies and Patterson caught behind in his 3 for 56. He also had two catches dropped off his bowling.For now though, Webster is resigned to the fact Australia are unlikely to go away from their set up of three specialist quicks and only the one allrounder in Mitch Marsh.”It seems like they are pretty traditional with three quicks, spin and allrounder for a lot of years,” Webster said. “Those big three quicks are very hardened and bowl a lot of overs, and Nathan is unbelievable [with his workload]. That’s usually the way they go, I don’t see them going any other way.”My way in is if someone does need a rest, or God forbid an injury. You never wish that on anyone. But that is a way I might find my way in the squad at least.”Patterson is also starting to make something of a selection case, with this his fourth straight score above 50 since being recalled to the NSW team.A Test player who scored a century in his last match back in 2019, the left-hander has made scores of 91, 66, 71 and 99 this summer.Earlier Sam Konstas had looked particularly good, cover-driving anything too full to the boundary before chopping on a cut shot on 39.
They have suggested November 11, instead of November 12 which is also the date of the Hindu festival of Kali Puja
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2023The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has requested the BCCI to move the England vs Pakistan ODI World Cup game, scheduled to be played at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on November 12, to another date, suggesting November 11 as an alternative. The development came after the city police informed CAB that they are expecting enhanced security for the game as Pakistan are one of the teams. November 12 is also the date for Kali Puja, one of the city’s, and the region’s, most important Hindu festivals.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that CAB officials had a meeting with city police authorities on Thursday, and were informed about the law-and-order concerns on the day of the festival. Following that, the association wrote to Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, requesting the date change.This comes close on the heels of the Ahmedabad police expressing its inability to provide security for the India vs Pakistan game on October 15, since it clashed with the first day of the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri, one of the most important festivals in Gujarat, of which Ahmedabad is a part, and many other parts of northern India. The game – still in Ahmedabad – has since been moved to October 14, though the ICC or the BCCI is yet to make an official statement to that effect.Related
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Kolkata Police’s position is not ideal, managing a major religious event and a high-profile cricket match on the same day.The CAB’s position is an unenviable one. In 2011, when the ODI World Cup was last played in India, Kolkata, and the city’s iconic Eden Gardens, was deemed unfit to host the India vs England game. The venue did host three games, which did not involve India, in 2011.CAB, and cricket fans in Kolkata, wouldn’t want to be in a situation where the big-ticket England vs Pakistan game is moved to another city, and it is understood the association officials have also reached out to Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, to try and intervene.The original schedule of the World Cup had Eden Gardens marked to host five games: Bangladesh vs Netherlands on October 28, Bangladesh vs Pakistan on October 31, India vs South Africa on November 5, England vs Pakistan on November 12, and the second semi-final on November 16.The schedule of the World Cup was released after a long delay on June 27, just 100 days before the scheduled start of the tournament on October 5 in Ahmedabad, whereas the schedules for the last two editions of the tournament, in Australia and New Zealand (2015) and England and Wales (2019) were out more than 12 months in advance.The World Cup is scheduled to begin with reigning champions England taking on New Zealand and end on November 19, but there is still no update on when the tickets will go on sale.
KKR coach will stand down from IPL role at end of season after signing a four-year deal
Andrew Miller12-May-2022Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, has been confirmed by the ECB as England Men’s new Test head coach, on a four-year deal.McCullum, who will step down from his role as Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach at the end of the ongoing IPL, played 101 Tests for New Zealand between 2004 and 2016, scoring 6453 runs at 38.64 with a highest score of 302 against India in 2014, which remains the only triple-century made by a New Zealander.Although he has never before taken charge of a red-ball team in his coaching career, McCullum was New Zealand captain for 31 Tests from 2013 until his retirement, earning plaudits for a positive approach which was also instrumental in the white-ball team’s run to the World Cup final in 2015. In 2020, he also coached Trinbago Knight Riders to the Caribbean Premier League title.His exact arrival date in the UK is dependent on KKR’s qualification for the IPL play-offs, although with two group-stage games remaining – the last of which comes against Lucknow Super Giants on May 18, they are an outside bet to reach the competition’s final four.Work permits permitting, he is expected to link up with the squad – which will be led by England’s newly-appointed captain Ben Stokes – ahead of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting June 2, and will now have an input in next week’s selection meeting too.Rob Key, England’s director of men’s cricket, acknowledged that McCullum’s appointment was a calculated gamble, adding that it was “time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride”, but praised his proven ability to change team cultures for the better – an attribute sorely needed after a grim 12 months for England’s Test team, in which they have won one of their last 17 Tests and sunk to their lowest ICC ranking since 1995.”I’d like to say how pleased I am to be given this opportunity to positively contribute to England’s Test cricket set-up and move the team forward into a more successful era,” McCullum said in an ECB press release.”In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on.”I’ve enjoyed several robust conversations with Rob Key about the direction of travel for the team and have found his enthusiasm contagious. I’m no stranger to bringing about change within a team environment, and I can’t wait to get started.Related
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ECB back to square one in hunt for new chair as Kalifa withdraws
Hopps: Stokes carries wisdom of experience into ultimate England honour
“Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us.”McCullum had initially been earmarked for England’s white-ball coaching role, not least because of his close personal and professional relationship with the captain Eoin Morgan – he was master of ceremonies at Morgan’s wedding in 2018 and last year the pair guided KKR to the IPL final.However, once it became clear he was interested in the Test job, McCullum emerged as the unanimous choice of an ECB selection panel comprising Key, CEO Tom Harrison, performance director Mo Bobat, and Andrew Strauss, who is a strategic advisor to the board having stood down from his interim MD role in the wake of Key’s appointment.In particular, it was felt that his vision for the Test team was in alignment with that of the new captain Stokes, who last week called for “selfless” cricketers to help revive the team’s fortunes, after being unveiled as the successor to Joe Root, who stood down last month after a record 64 Tests in charge.”We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England Men’s Test head coach,” Key said. “It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game. I believe his appointment will be good for England’s Test team.”He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I believe he is the person to do that for England’s red-ball cricket.”We were incredibly fortunate to have a seriously strong list of quality candidates for the post, with Brendon demonstrating he was our number one choice.”I’d like to thank Tom Harrison and the ECB Board for their support in this process. I believe in Brendon and Ben Stokes – a formidable coach and captain partnership. Time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride.”Venky Mysore, CEO of the Knight Riders franchises, joked that the ECB were taking all of KKR’s successful coaches, having earlier seen Trevor Bayliss move into the head coach role from the IPL. Mysore, who recruited McCullum as head coach at the two Knight Riders franchises in IPL and CPL, said the former New Zealand captain’s biggest strength was being transparent and positive.”First of all he is a good human being. It starts with that,” Mysore said. “A national coaching role is a little different because you have so much more time with work with someone around the year. But it starts with being a good human being and then being able to connect with people and build relationships. When you do that and earn their trust that’s when people are open to listening to you.”At the core of it, you’ve got to be a trustworthy person who people take a liking to. It takes time. Then they are open to listening to what you are saying. That is the key. It seems simple but it is such a hard thing to get. Ultimately you need to have that core capability, which is to be able to be transparent, be honest and build those relationships. And that’s his strength. He has got a very positive vibe about him, always.”England’s white-ball team is not in action until their three-match ODI series against the Netherlands which starts on June 17, and so there is less urgency in filling the second of England’s coaching vacancies.Candidates for that role include Gary Kirsten – who had been among the frontrunners for the Test role – alongside the Australia women’s coach Matthew Mott and Paul Collingwood, who filled the interim coaching role for both the red- and white-ball legs of England’s recent tour of the Caribbean.