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As well as being named in the World Cup squad, Steven Smith and David Warner have returned to Australia’s central contract list for 2019-2020 following their year-long bans for the ball-tampering scandal. James Pattinson, who is tipped to be included for the Ashes, is also included.Mitchell Marsh and Matt Renshaw are among those who have lost their deals while Kurtis Patterson, who has impressed early in his Test career, is omitted from the list as are fellow incumbent Test players Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne despite them pushing for places on the Ashes tour.Pattinson is included ahead of his Victoria team-mates Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain and Scott Boland who helped form a Sheffield Shield winning attack.From those on last year’s roster, Ashton Agar, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake and Andrew Tye have also been cut. Nathan Coulter-Nile, Marcus Harris and Adam Zampa have been elevated to the contracted group.”We believe the 2019-20 contract list provides us with a versatile group of players who can represent Australia across all three formats over the contract period,” chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said. “Our key criteria focused on selecting a pool of players who are going to help us in our ambition to win the upcoming World Cup and Ashes series in England, and who can also play the various formats over the course of the Australian summer.”Mitchell Marsh had a fall from grace during the Australian summer after being named Test vice-captain, losing his spot across all the formats after playing the Boxing Day Test against India where he failed twice with the bat. However, he did finish the Sheffield Shield season strongly with a century and has been named in the Australia A squads, and therefore remains in the selectors’ thoughts.Agar, Stanlake, Tye and Kane Richardson featured in white-ball cricket over the season – Kane Richardson making a late push for the World Cup squad – but have slipped out of the main pack.2019-2020 CA contracts: Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Alex Carey, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

He looks set to miss the World Cup bus, having been out of India’s ODI side for nearly two years, but the offspinner isn’t ready to think of himself as Test-only player yet

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2019On June 30, when ODI cricket’s top two sides meet in one of the World Cup’s most anticipated clashes, India’s spin discussions will revolve around Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja. One man who almost certainly will not is R Ashwin.On that day, unless India’s selectors spring a major surprise with their World Cup squad, it will have been exactly two years since Ashwin last played an ODI.Since that game against West Indies in Antigua, Ashwin has found himself cast as a Test specialist, another fingerspinning casualty in the worldwide push for wristspin as a wicket-taking force in white-ball cricket. Kuldeep and Chahal have been India’s first-choice spinners in ODIs since then, and if Jadeja has re-entered the picture over recent months, it’s thanks in large part to his utility as a lower-order hitter and gun fielder.

It is not due to my effort that I am sitting out of the team, it is due to the supply and demand that the team requiresR ASHWIN

Ashwin hasn’t reconciled himself to being a Test-only player, however, and says his exclusion from limited-overs cricket is down to a “perception” that wristspin is a must in the shorter formats.”I am not looking at it like that because I am no slouch,” Ashwin said in an event in Mumbai on Saturday. “In the white-ball format, my records are not bad like what it is perceived to be. It is out of perception that wristspinners are required in the modern day one-day cricket format, that [is why] I am sitting out. The last one-day match that I played, I got 3 for 28.”I would always look back at my career and say it is not due to my effort that I am sitting out of the team, it is due to the supply and demand that the team requires.”I went and played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali [domestic T20 tournament] and I had a decent outing and that is how I look at it. I am playing cricket and it is not like I need to specialise in one particular format. It is the challenges of the modern-day game, I will be looking forward to do whatever I can do best.”Perception or not, the rise of wristspin in ODIs has coincided with Ashwin trying to reinvent himself as a limited-overs bowler; during last year’s IPL, he alternated between legspin and his usual offspin, and he’s set to do so again this season for Kings XI Punjab.Kuldeep Yadav practices at training as R Ashwin watches•Getty Images”I have always maintained that you can spin the ball into the batsman or out of the batsman, you can’t do anything more than that,” Ashwin said when asked if he was working on any new variations. “I am just adding more ammunition to my own skill and try and add more strength to my game and that’s all it has always been.”I have never played for the galleries, never really played for the records, never really played for places. I just enjoy the sport, the sport has given me everything. When I picked up the bat and ball as a eight-year-old it gave me everything, I love it. Even today when I play a club game, when I play on the streets, I enjoy it. For me it is all about playing the game that I love and excelling in the best possible way I can.”Ashwin also weighed in on the discussion over whether India’s World Cup contenders should have their workloads monitored during the IPL. Virat Kohli recently said it was up to individual players to monitor their fitness requirements and arrive at the World Cup sharp and match-fit. Ashwin felt a clearer picture would develop as the IPL progresses, and that the bowlers might require rest at some point.”I don’t think as a cricketer you can look far ahead about what needs to be done and how you can manage it,” he said. “As a cricketer or as a sportsperson, you just concentrate on what happens today. The franchise has invested money on you. Obviously it is a massive tournament, everybody plays for pride, everybody wants to perform and excel. It definitely stays at the back of the head because it is being spoken about a lot more right now.”I am sure the players are responsible enough and more fitness-aware and able to handle it better than they ever were. I don’t think going into the tournament people will be thinking about it but as the tournament pans out and the way it goes for each and every franchise and for each and every player, they will take decisions wisely. Probably because of the number of injuries and the amount of premium players that are right now available for the country, and how important every spot is.”It is a dream for every cricketer to represent his country at the World Cup, it is a big stage. I think that is the point of view from where they are coming. Obviously, bowlers have more chances of succumbing to injuries because of the workload they go through, it is physically more hard on the body than the batters. Probably from that point of view, if you look at a [Jasprit] Bumrah or a Bhuvneshwar [Kumar], Bumrah has been fine but Bhuvneshwar has had a few concerns over the last year or so. I think from that point of view the bowlers need to be taken good care of.”

The 18-year-old striker recently became the Red Devils' 250th academy graduate to make their debut and far bigger milestones lie in wait for him

Manchester United's dismal season has can be blamed on many factors, but the lack of a regular goal-scorer has been one of their biggest problems. Just take the fact that Scott McTominay was their leading scorer for most of the campaign. Or that they are the joint lowest-scoring side in the top half of the Premier League with only 54 goals, as many as Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.

Rasmus Hojlund has had a difficult debut season adapting to a new league, while Antony Martial has been injured since December and barely contributed in the preceding months. Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, could be heading for the exit door after a desperately disappointing campaign.

But what if the solution to United's striking woes was already at the club, knocking on the door of the first team after scoring for fun at youth level? Step forward, 18-year-old Ethan Wheatley…

Getty Where it all began

Wheatley was born in the Greater Manchester town of Stockport, which has gained fame in football circles lately after producing Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo. He has family heritage in Malaysia, where his grandmother comes from, making him eligible for selection for their national team, though he has already represented England at Under-17 level.

Wheatley has been with United's academy since he was a child, signing his first contract with the club when he turned 16 in 2022. He used to be known as a shy personality, and club staff recall him being so homesick during a tour of the Czech Republic aged 11 that they had to bribe him with chocolate pancakes for him to play!

AdvertisementThe big break

After making his way through the various age-group sides, Wheatley had been scoring steadily for the U18s side this season, but saved one of his best performances for the visit to arch rivals Liverpool in April, bagging a hat-trick in an incredible 9-1 win.

It was a fixture Wheatley must have been looking forward to for some time and with revenge on his mind after being punched and elbowed by Luca Furnell-Gill in a previous match against the Reds. And Wheatley clearly had that incident on his mind when he scored his first goal and United's second on enemy territory, re-enacting Wayne Rooney's iconic celebration by pretending to be a boxer before falling flat on the floor.

He imitated another legend of the game when he arrowed in his second goal, meanwhile, doing a knee slide while crossing his arms in a manner reminiscent of Kylian Mbappe.

GETTYHow it's going

If that was a good way to kick-off April, then Wheatley had a week to remember at the end of the month. He was part of the matchday squad for United's FA Cup semi-final tie against Coventry City at Wembley, and then two days later scored twice against Manchester City in the final of the U18 Premier League Cup.

He was taken off at half-time in the 3-1 win, but it was for a very good reason. The next day he was at Old Trafford and joined the first-team squad for the Premier League match against Sheffield United, making his senior debut when he replaced Hojlund in the 91st minute of the 4-2 win.

A chunky amount of stoppage-time meant Wheatley got some time to express himself and was almost teed up by Bruno Fernandes inside the area, only for the cross to be blocked. It was not just any old cameo either, as Wheatley had become the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for United's first team.

"It's not been a bad 24 hours. It's a great club with a massive history, especially in the academy. It's an honour to make my debut and that number – 250. That's a little bit extra," he said. "Bruno pulled me to the side and said: ‘I've got nine minutes to try and get you a goal!' So I was just trying to get in that position for him and obviously it didn't come, but hopefully soon."

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Getty Biggest strengths

Wheatley has an insatiable hunger for scoring, demonstrated by his 22 goals this season across all competitions, for both the U18s and U21s. He is capable of scoring goals of all types, with his right foot, his left and his head, and from all angles.

His awareness, clever movement and sharp reactions in the area help him mop up loose balls and score, while he relishes dribbling around goalkeepers. He also has a knack for scoring from tight angles, as he demonstrated with his strikes inside the near post against both Liverpool and City.

Wheatley has a good physique for a striker, standing at 6'1, but his stature does not affect his ability to dance around defenders and make them look like fools.

Spectators in the MCG’s famous Bay 13 were ejected and others warned after racially motivated taunting of Indian players and spectators raised multiple complaints over the first three days of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.Chants of “show us your visa” were a regular feature of the first two days, leading to a formal warning from Cricket Australia to spectators in the public area in the bottom tier of the MCG’s Great Southern Stand that if the chanting did not stop then the entire bay would be ejected from the ground. Monitoring of the crowd on day three led to several fans being evicted.Footage of the chant, obtained by ESPNcricinfo, was passed on to Cricket Australia, who in turn passed the video on to Victoria Police and stadium management.A CA spokesperson said: “Cricket Australia takes a zero tolerance stance against any form of abuse or racial vilification at any of our matches, whether it be towards fans, players, or staff. Fans are able to report this to stadium staff or security. Victoria Police and MCG stadium security monitored the behaviour of the crowd in a section of the stadium today and evicted several fans for inappropriate behaviour. They will continue to monitor the area for remaining days of the Test.”Other chants from the bay, such as “Kohli’s a wanker”, were the cause for some complaints from other spectators but not deemed worthy of a warning. Similar chants about opposition players have been part of the MCG atmosphere for some years, famously including New Zealand’s Sir Richard Hadlee among others.A view of the MCG on Boxing Day•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Crowd members are encouraged to report “anti-social behaviour”, while CA’s ticket and entry conditions expressly prohibit any sort of racist taunting, stating in part: “I will not engage in any conduct (whether through the use of language, gestures or otherwise) which is likely to offend, insult, humiliate, intimidate, threaten, disparage or vilify any other person (including any player, match official, other official or other patron) on the basis of their gender, race, religion, culture, colour, sexual orientation, descent or national or ethnic origin.”If I fail to comply with this condition, I may be refused admission to, or evicted from, the Venue by any Authorised Person without refund or compensation of any kind; and I must deliver up any and all Tickets that I have in my possession at the request of an Authorised Person. In addition, I acknowledge that the failure to comply with this condition may result in the imposition of other sanctions (such as being banned from the Venue in the future) and possible further action including criminal prosecution.”Booing of various players has also been a feature of the match so far, including that of India captain Virat Kohli and also the Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh, who came into the side in place of Peter Handscomb. His teammate Travis Head stated his disappointment at the booing of Marsh on Boxing Day.”I don’t think it’s great,” Head said. “Obviously we’ve seen it with Kohli as well but for Mitch, who worked his bum off today, I thought he bowled exceptionally well. I thought he created pressure in tough conditions and fought really hard. I don’t think any Australian cricketer in Australia deserves to be booed.”I understand the Victorian crowd, Petey obviously missing out, but I think it’s pretty poor for Mitchy to cop that.”Crowds at the MCG so far for the Test have been 73,516 on day one, 36,524 on day two and 33,447 on day three, for a total of 143,487.

Everton's current woes appear to be going from bad to worse, with talks over a new deal for a "fantastic" player now being shelved, according to a new claim.

Everton's 10-point deduction

It has been a hugely testing period at Goodison Park off the pitch of late, ironically coming at a time when things appear to be improving under Sean Dyche on the field. Everton have been handed a monumental blow with the news that the Blues have been handed an immediate 10-point deduction for a Financial Fair Play breach, putting them straight into the Premier League relegation zone and hampering their chances of remaining in the top flight beyond 2023/24.

Granted, Dyche's men have shown enough in recent weeks to suggest that they can still avoid being relegated to the Championship even with this deduction, but it is a piece of news that has understandably rocked the club. There is still an appeal to come, with Everton no doubt hoping that the amount is reduced, or ideally that the punishment be deemed entirely excessive considering their cooperation during the investigation, but it remains to be seen what will happen.

On top of these current concerns, a key claim has now emerged regarding the future of one influential Blues hero, adding to the club's woes at the moment.

Everton dealt Dominic Calvert-Lewin blow

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Everton have decided to shelve talks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin over a new deal, acting as another blow for the Blues.

"Everton have placed contract talks for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on hold following their 10-point deduction, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed the Toffees don’t want to rush into a decision on sanctioning a big-money new deal while their Premier League status remains unclear."

This is clearly a worrying update over Calvert-Lewin's future, with the 26-year-old still such an important figure when he is fully fit and firing. Former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was an admirer of the Englishman in the past, saying of both him and Richarlison:

"We have two fantastic strikers. They are really young, they can improve. They combine well together. They have different characteristics. It’s not easy to find these kinds of strikers so I am really pleased to be their manager. They have it all in their hands, because they are modern strikers in my opinion who have everything."

Calvert-Lewin is someone who could easily be the subject of interest from a number of other Premier League clubs in the coming transfer windows, so the importance of Everton tying him down to a new deal cannot be understated.

Aerial duels

Defensive contribution

Finishing

Passing

Link-up play

Fitness

The England international is currently contracted to the Bues until the summer of 2025, meaning they are increasingly at risk of losing him on the cheap the more that time goes on.

A new deal would not only mean he is committing his future to Everton, however, but also ensure that the club are in a strong bargaining position, demanding a huge amount of money for his signature in the process.

Wrexham star Jacob Mendy appears to have ruled himself out of their League Two promotion push due to a hamstring injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mendy out with hamstring injury
• 'Gutted' to miss Wrexham's last push
• Red Dragons aiming for promotion

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gambian international pulled up with a hamstring injury during Wrexham's 2-1 win over Colchester United earlier this month and missed the 4-1 victory at home to Crawley Town on Tuesday night. Now, the former Wealdstone man has vowed to come back stronger but has suggested his season is over.

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• WHAT JACOB MENDY SAID

  The 27-year-old tweeted on Wednesday afternoon: "Gutted to not be able to help on the last push. Injuries are part of the journey and it’s time for me to experience this side of the game. I’ll be back stronger 💪🏿❤️"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The wing-back, who can also play as a winger, has been an important player for the Welsh outfit since signing from Boreham Wood in 2022 – scoring six goals and bagging five assists in 67 matches. However, it seems he won't play again this season as second-placed Wrexham eye a second straight promotion, following their National League triumph last season. His efforts, however, will have been appreciated by the club's fans.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  While Mendy is on the sidelines, Wrexham will try and achieve promotion in his absence. Phil Parkinson's men host lowly Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, knowing that a victory for them, and a loss or a draw for MK Dons and Barrow, will ensure they secure automatic promotion.

An update has emerged on Leeds United and their plans to make further additions to their playing squad during the upcoming January transfer window…

Leeds United transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei

According to Fotboll Direkt, the Whites are one of the teams interested in signing Hammarby central defender Nathaniel Adjei to bolster their defensive options.

The report adds that Sunderland and Middlesbrough are also keen on the 21-year-old titan, who is attracting interest from a number of clubs this season.

It is stated that the Swedish side are looking for a fee within the region of €4m (£3.5m). However, it remains to be seen how much Leeds would be willing to splash on his services as they line up a move for the gem.

Manager Daniel Farke must now avoid a swoop for the centre-back in January as it could be a transfer howler from the German tactician, due to the options he already has at his disposal.

Joe Rodon's statistics this season

Leeds have central defender Joe Rodon on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales international has been in terrific form so far this season.

The right-sided colossus has featured in 12 of the club's Championship outings and impressed in possession with a pass completion rate of 90% in total and 81% in the opposition's half.

He has also been a frontfoot defender with 1.3 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game for his team, along with zero errors leading to goals or shots for the opposition.

Only Sam Byram (1.4) and Ethan Ampadu (1.5) have made more interceptions per match, and no Leeds player has matched his 3.8 clearances per clash.

Statistic

Rodon vs Leicester (3/11/23)

Sofascore rating

7.2

Clearances

Seven

Blocks

One

Duel success rate

100%

Pass accuracy

86%

Rodon's most recent Leeds performance (via Sofascore)

These statistics suggest that the Spurs loanee has been an outstanding defensive option for Farke and it would, therefore, take a lot to find a better player than him in January.

Nathaniel Adjei's statistics this season

Adjei is a promising and impressive young defender, who is also a right-footed enforcer, as evidenced by the clubs showing an interest in his services and the £3.5m price tag.

However, his performances for Hammarby this season suggest that he would be a downgrade on Rodon and that the Whites would not improve their squad with a swoop for the gem, particularly if it is with a view to him taking the Welshman's place after his loan expires.

His former manager, Marti Cifuentes, once claimed that he will be a "top-notch" defender and that the gem has a "bright future" ahead of him in the game.

The 21-year-old has shown glimpses of his quality with a pass completion rate of 88% and an impressive duel success rate of 64% across 20 Allsvenskan matches in 2023. This shows that he is a reliable passer and can dominate opposition forwards with his physical stature.

However, Adjei has only made 0.8 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per game, along with two errors directly leading to goals or shots for the opposition, in that time.

This suggests that the 21-year-old ace would offer less than Rodon, who can cut out opposition attacks with greater regularity, whilst also being more prone to making blunders at the back, which is why Farke could be on course for a howler with his interest in the defender.

Aged 36, fast bowler cements place at the top of the ICC World Rankings with match haul of 9 for 43

Andrew Miller at Lord's13-Aug-20181:35

‘So much fun’ bowling in those conditions – Anderson

James Anderson could keep on bowling at his best in Test cricket until he is 40, according to England’s head coach Trevor Bayliss, in the wake of Anderson’s starring role in the second Test win over India at Lord’s on Sunday.Anderson, 36, cemented his place at the top of the ICC World Rankings with a match haul of 9 for 43, and in attaining a career-high points total of 903, he became the first England bowler since Ian Botham in 1980 to cross the 900 mark.In so doing, he helped carry England to their third Test win in a row this summer, and a 2-0 lead over an Indian team whose highest score of the match was R Ashwin’s second-innings 33 not out.None of Anderson’s opponents looked remotely comfortable against his relentless combination of high-class swing and seam and probing line and length, and asked if he was surprised that England’s attack leader was maintaining such high standards even after his 36th birthday, Bayliss admitted that yes, he had been somewhat taken aback.”If you compare him with other bowlers around the world, yeah,” he said. “A lot of other bowlers do start to drop off in their mid-thirties or so. It’s only the very, very best that are able to keep it going. I think he’s showing that he is the very, very best.”He’s not just good when the conditions suit him, but in these conditions he’s the best in the world. It’s a test for any batsman in the world to try to face him in these conditions.”Anderson was already 33 when Bayliss took charge of England’s fortunes in the summer of 2015, and he might therefore have expected to be overseeing a changing of the guard among England’s new-ball bowlers. But in Anderson’s case in particular, the economy of his approach to the wicket, coupled with the careful management of a bowler who has not played in white-ball cricket since the 2015 World Cup, has given the impression that he could go on forever.James Anderson was in menacing form•Getty Images”I don’t think there’s any age [when he’s too old],” said Bayliss. “He’s fit and keeps himself fit. As long as he keeps his body fit there’s no reason why he can’t go on for three or four years.”Let’s wait and see! He keeps surprising everyone. At the moment, the last 12-18 months, he has had a shoulder problem, but at the moment he seems to have got over that pretty well and he just bowls and bowls and bowls. Hopefully that continues for a few years yet.”It wasn’t just Anderson among England’s bowlers who thrived in the swinging conditions at Lord’s, however. Stuart Broad enjoyed a four-wicket burst to break open India’s second innings, while Chris Woakes was named Man of the Match after capping a superb performance with the ball with his maiden Test hundred.For a man not given to overt shows of emotion, Bayliss’s reaction to Woakes’ hundred was notably effusive, and he admitted afterwards that he had been particularly pleased for one of the genuine nice guys of world cricket.”Woakesy is one of those guys who is very well respected in the team,” Bayliss said. “He has done a lot of hard yards, not just with the ball but with the bat over the last few years too. He’s a lovely bloke, and one of those guys who everyone genuinely wants to do well, so to see him go out there and do so well when we thought we were in a bit of trouble, to go and play the way he did with Jonny [Bairstow] was fantastic, and the boys were very happy for him.”Woakes had only stepped into the starting XI due to Ben Stokes’ ongoing court case in Bristol, and Bayliss admitted that the manner in which he had taken his chance in the side could prove to be the making of him as a Test cricketer.”After Anderson and Broad, who put so much pressure on the opposition, there could be a bit of relaxation, ‘awh good, they’re off’, but the other guy who comes on is just as good in these conditions. He might catch a few off guard, but I thought he bowled beautifully in this game. His command of line and length with some away swing was fantastic.”However, Bayliss also cautioned that the real challenge for Woakes – as with many of England’s players – would come overseas.”There’s no reason why he can’t [succeed],” he said. “Lord’s would have to be his favourite ground, and the challenge for him is away from home, as it is for a lot of the boys, being able to do that away from home. At the moment we are playing at home and we look forward to some more success.”When the ball is swinging around [India] have some difficulties, as it is when it’s spinning and we go to the subcontinent. It’s a challenge for any team to play in conditions you’re not used to and some of them are struggling a little bit. They have some extremely good players so our job is to try and stay on top.”

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Fraser Forster has heaped praise on an arguably unsung Spurs player, saying he's been training brilliantly behind the scenes.

Spurs player ratings 2023/2024

Ange Postecoglou's table-topping Spurs side have quite simply blown away on-lookers. Some had them finishing in the bottom half after star striker Harry Kane quit for Bayern Munich in the summer window, but things haven't quite gone in that direction. Instead, the north Londoners find themselves unbeaten over their opening eight Premier League matches, winning six of them, and standing out as the division's most in-form side on paper.

Few could've envisaged this sensational start to the new campaign, especially after Kane's departure. A few star players have gone on to catch the eye under Postecoglou, too, perhaps most notably Yves Bissouma, Son Heung-min, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. The latter has already bagged two goals and five assists in a Spurs shirt since arriving from Leicester City for £40 million.

“I always rated him [Maddison],” Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle told Premier League Productions (09/10/23 at 5:30 pm).

“I felt Tottenham three years should have gone and got him with Harry (Kane) in the team. I always felt that he was ahead of players who were getting ahead of him in the England squad when he was at Leicester. With better players around him, and certainly in that England team, I think you would see the best and that’s coming out of him now. He has matured. He’s got three or four years where he is going to be at his peak.”

The aforementioned have quite simply starred in a Lilywhites jersey, but one lesser-mentioned star of their starting eleven has been goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Guglielmo Vicario praise

The Italian, who was brilliant for Empoli last season, attracted Tottenham's interest over the summer transfer window as chairman Daniel Levy sought to bring him in for around £17.2 million. Since his arrival, Vicario has usurped long-serving number one Hugo Lloris as Tottenham's first choice keeper, going on to make some crucial saves against the likes of Luton most recently.

Back-up Spurs keeper Forster, speaking to Tottenham's Off The Shelf podcast, heaped praise on his counterpart and revealed that Vicario is training brilliantly.

"I think as you see this season, I think every game, even as a team the way we want to play, we look better and better at what we want to do because those relationships are coming and can only get stronger and better as the season goes on," said Forster, later praising Vicario.

"He's been brilliant," admitted the Tottenham goalkeeper. "I think his performances in the games have been very good and he's made big saves. [It's] not easy coming to a new club, new country. His English is very good which has really helped him.

"One of my mates from Celtic actually played with him at Empoli and he's raved about him for ages, so as soon as he was coming here he said he's a very, very good goalkeeper. Top guy. He's been brilliant in the games, he's been brilliant around the place, trains well and works hard, so it's a good start for him."

Daryl Mitchell, chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association, insisted that the 100-ball format is “not set in stone” after a meeting between the ECB and a players’ delegation at Edgbaston

George Dobell08-May-2018Daryl Mitchell has warned the ECB that “there’s no competition without any players” and insisted the future of The Hundred is “not set in stone” as England’s professional cricketers press for more information about the controversial tournament.Mitchell, the chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association, was among a delegation of players who met ECB representatives at Edgbaston on Tuesday to discuss plans for The Hundred – the ECB’s new-team 100-ball a side competition proposal.Among the 27 professional players in attendance were Paul Collingwood, Jonny Bairstow and Tammy Beaumont, while the ECB were represented by their chief executive, Tom Harrison, and the managing director of the new competition, Sanjay Patel.And while Mitchell described the meeting as “a good starting point” and stressed the union’s desire to “work with the ECB” to find consensus, he also confirmed there were “an enormous amount of unanswered questions” over the new competition and described the lack of plans for a domestic women’s T20 league as “a huge negative.”As a result, he has warned the ECB the cooperation of the players cannot be taken for granted and requested more clarity over their plans as a matter of urgency.Part of the players’ frustration would appear to be a lack of consultation – only three players (Mitchell and England captains Eoin Morgan and Heather Knight) were alerted to the idea ahead of its announcement a couple of weeks ago.But there is also a concern over moving away from the T20 format that is now accepted worldwide as cricket’s biggest revenue raiser and changes to playing regulations that could see a 10-ball over each innings. The prospect of losing the KSL – the women’s domestic T20 competition – has also caused dismay.”What would it take for this competition not to happen?” Mitchell asked rhetorically. “Probably the players saying they don’t want it. We have the power to do that but whether it does happen or not, I’m not sure. It’s important we work with the ECB and try and shape how it looks for the benefit of our members and the game as a whole.”One of our huge concerns is time frames. Here we are, two years out and there are many, many unanswered questions. The ECB don’t officially have a format that is set in stone. The drafts, general managers, the pay bands… there’s an enormous amount of unanswered questions and the worry for me is that we don’t even have a timeframe as to when we’re going to get those answers.”Why we are moving away from the T20 format, which has been successful around the world? That was a big concern.”And there might not be a domestic T20 for the ladies, which is a huge negative. There’s no getting away from that: they need to be playing T20 cricket if there’s world competitions in that format.”There is no competition without any players, is there? As a union, we would have to feel very, very strongly to go completely against it. Whether that is likely to happen, I don’t know. We need to canvas opinions when we have more details of what it looks like.”The ECB are very keen to stress that the idea is still a concept. It’s an idea that all stakeholders will be consulted on and we’re a huge part of that. So it is not set in stone. It is a concept, but one they are very keen on.”While few more details were provided how the competition would work, there was a little more detail over the payment structures. As things stand, it seems each of the eight new teams would have a salary cap of GBP £1m with the top pay-band likely to be somewhere between GBP £110,000-130,000. As the competition is likely to clash with the CPL, however, that figure may need to rise.There is also no change in the expectation that England cricket’s biggest stars – the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes – would not be available for the new competition as they would be involved in a Test series.”That’s another concern,” Mitchell said. “The likes of Root and Stokes will be allocated to a team for marketing purposes, but they won’t be playing. The ECB made the point that this new audience won’t necessarily know who Stokes and Root are anyway.”Mitchell also confirmed that, as far the 27 representatives at the meeting were concerned, it would wrong to play Championship cricket at the same time as the new competition.”We’re still very keen that the pinnacle of the domestic game is the Championship and the pinnacle of the international game is Test cricket,” Mitchell said. “The ECB also said their No.1 priority was red ball, Test cricket which was reassuring to hear.Championship cricket is very marginalised at present. We’ll have to have a bit more red-ball cricket – and more changes of format – in the summer months rather than April and September. We’re probably going to have to move away from the blocks we have now to a degree.”The next step in the negotiations is for those PCA members who were present at the meeting to go back to their county dressing rooms to discuss the issues raised. “The ECB have promised we’ll meet more often and be kept in the loop more,” Mitchell said.The ECB also released a statement following the meeting. Repeating the word “concept”, they sought to reassure the players that no firm decision had been taken over the format of the new competition at this stage.”Today’s meeting with the PCA’s Player Representatives gave us constructive and valuable feedback on the 100-ball concept,” they said. “It was invaluable to talk through the concept after sharing it with the ECB Board, first-class county chief executives and chairmen and PCA management.”Players are the core of the game and we look forward to further discussions with them as we continue to develop the new competition.”