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No clear favourite on who will be Royals’ fifth bowler after Coulter-Nile injury

Srinidhi Ramanujam09-Apr-20222:20

How do Royals deal with Bishnoi?

Big pictureKL Rahul vs Jos Buttler. Ravi Bishnoi vs Yuzvendra Chahal.The two in-form teams Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants clash against each other in a tantalising second game of the day at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Royals faced a minor hiccup, going down to Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets after winning their first two matches comprehensively, and slipped to the fourth position in the points table. A win here against Super Giants, who are placed third with three wins from four matches, will lift Royals to the top.However, that’s easier said than done. Super Giants boast of batting depth where three of their batters Quinton de Kock, Rahul and Deepak Hooda together have notched up 411 runs out of the 693 runs scored by the team and also feature in the top-10 run-getters this season. There is also the young Ayush Badoni, all of 22, who has produced stunning counter attacks, taking on the likes of Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson. As far as captain Rahul is concerned, Wankhede has been a happy hunting ground in the IPL. The opener has scored 399 runs in eight innings – including two half-centuries and a hundred – at a strike rate of 146.Live in the USA

You can watch the match live in the USA on ESPN+.

Royals are also a batting-heavy side, with the likes of Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer providing the fireworks. However, their weak link is the fifth bowling option which the Super Giants would be keen to exploit. The team has tried four different bowlers – including Nathan Coulter-Nile who sat out after getting injured in their opener- and all of them have leaked more than 10 runs an over. Navdeep Saini has been the expensive one, with an economy of 12 from six overs he has bowled so far.Despite managing to defend scores of 193 and 210 when other teams have largely struggled to do so this time, Royals might just start to worry about R Ashwin’s form as well, especially after his 21-run over against Royal Challengers which proved to be the turning point for them losing the game. The offspinner has conceded 90 runs in 12 overs so far, accounting for only a wicket. That there are three left-handers in the Super Giants’ top six could help Ashwin, who has a great record against these batters across formats, find his feet sooner than later.In the newsRoyals’ Australian allrounder Coulter-Nile has returned home after suffering a side strain. West Indies’ left-arm pacer Obed McCoy, who had a memorable 2021, picking up 24 wickets in 14 T20s, could be the team’s fourth overseas player.There is a chance that Super Giants might bring in Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera for Australian Andrew Tye, who has gone for 9.72 runs an over in three matches so far.Likely XIsLucknow Super Giants : 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Krishnappa Gowtham, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Dushmantha Chameera/Andrew Tye Rajasthan Royals: : 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Navdeep Saini/Obed McCoy, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalStrategy punt de Kock may be coming off two half-centuries in four matches, but the opener will be wary of the threat posed by the dangerous spin combination of Ashwin-Chahal. The in-form Chahal has dismissed de Kock five times in seven T20s, while Ashwin has removed him four times in nine innings. Captain Rahul might be targeting Trent Boult, against whom he has enjoyed success, which is evident from his strike rate of 177 against the left-arm pacer. In the nine T20s, the New Zealander has dismissed Rahul only once.Stats that matter Buttler has scored 547 runs at a strike rate of 146.25 in the IPL at the Wankhede Stadium, most at a venue for him. Royals have hit ten sixes against spinners this IPL, the third-most by a team. Super Giants have accounted for ten wickets at the death in this season, most by a team.

Glasgow Rangers have a two-week break in the last international window of the year to reflect on the season so far and how they can improve in the months to come.

Philippe Clement will surely have mixed feelings about how his side have performed throughout the 2024/25 campaign, as the Light Blues have been miles off the pace in the Scottish Premiership.

The Gers have already lost three games and dropped points in four of their ten games, which has left them in third place and nine points behind Aberdeen and Celtic in the table.

They also failed to qualify for the Champions League, losing to Dynamo Kyiv, and are currently competing in the league phase of the Europa League.

The Scottish giants have had success in the League Cup, however, as they secured their place in the final with a 2-1 win over Motherwell in the semi-finals at Hampden Park.

Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen have less than two months to prepare for the upcoming January transfer window, and could use it to bolster the squad and improve the team’s chances of having a successful second half of the season.

Rangers eyeing wing wizard

In fact, the Ibrox chiefs are already reportedly looking at new players who could come in to add to the manager’s options across the pitch in January.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Rangers are interested in Peterborough’s Kwame Poku and are one of a number of clubs in the race to land his signature.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have sent scouts to watch the Ghana international in action in League One in England this season, but they are far from the only team to have done so.

It states that Premier League duo Southampton and Ipswich Town, who are both battling relegation this season, and Championship side Burnley have also been keeping tabs on the forward ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the January window.

The Boot Room adds that the 23-year-old winger is also out of contract at the end of the season, which means that Peterborough are in a difficult position where they cannot demand a huge sum of money for his signature, as he could leave for nothing next summer.

Rangers also have an advantage over Southampton, Ipswich, and Burnley as – due to being a team outside of England – they can agree a pre-contract agreement with Poku from January onwards, whereas the English sides have to wait until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Clement and Koppen must, now, take advantage of this and strike a deal for the young whiz, whether that is in January or next summer, as he could arrive at Ibrox as an upgrade on current right-sided flanker Vaclav Cerny.

Vaclav Cerny's form this season

The Light Blues swooped to sign the Czechia international on a season-long loan from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg during the summer transfer window.

Cerny has enjoyed a relatively strong start to life at Ibrox, despite reacting emotionally to supporter frustration against Hibernian earlier this term, and has contributed with six goals and five assists in 18 appearances across all competitions.

His form in the league phase of the Europa League has been particularly impressive. The left-footed winger has produced two goals and two assists in four starts in the competition, including two goals and an assist in the 4-0 win over FCSB.

Cerny has, however, had mixed success with his performances in the Premiership for the Light Blues, with struggles out of possession and moments of quality on the ball.

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old ace has contributed with five direct goal involvements in nine appearances, which is more than one every other game on average.

This shows that, even though he has not been an outstanding creative threat, the Wolfsburg loanee has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

However, his duel success rate of 28% and his failure to average even one tackle and interception combined per game shows that the winger has struggled badly out of possession, as he has not offered much defensively and has been dominated by opposition players in physical battles.

Why Kwame Poku would be an upgrade on Vaclav Cerny

The Light Blues must now swoop to sign Poku from Peterborough as the 23-year-old star has the potential to offer more in and out of possession in comparison to Cerny.

Journalist Josh Bunting once hailed his work rate as “immense” and that is backed up by his 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game in League One this season, more than twice as many as Cerny’s per match.

The Ghana international has also won 47% of his duels, winning 5.7 duels per game, which shows that he fares far better than the Rangers man in physical contests, and these statistics suggest that the youngster would be a significant upgrade on the wing from a physical and defensive perspective.

Poku’s attacking displays for Peterborough in the 2024/25 campaign also suggest that the potential is there for him to be an upgrade on Cerny in the final third for the Scottish giants.

As you can see in the table above, the current Rangers forward would need to score six goals and provide four assists in his next six Premiership games to equal Poku’s return for the Posh.

The Peterborough star, who scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in the 2023/24 campaign, has also produced two assists in two games in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy combined, taking his tally to ten goals and seven assists in 17 games.

If he can carry that kind of form over to Scotland then Clement could have a ready-made upgrade on Cerny to take over from the loanee when he returns to Wolfsburg at the end of the season.

Rangers could replace Lawrence at Ibrox by signing De Bruyne-like star

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal for the attacking midfielder.

2

By
Dan Emery

Nov 13, 2024

Bangladesh’s new batting coach arrived in the country last week

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2022Bangladesh’s new batting coach Jamie Siddons has tested positive for Covid-19. Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman, confirmed to the Dhaka-based that Siddons has mild symptoms.The 57-year-old Australian, who arrived in Dhaka last week, didn’t initially have a role specified by the BCB – board president Nazmul Hassan had said in December that it was “not yet finalised in which area he will work in, whether it is the High Performance, Under-19s or the senior team.”Related

BCB president names Jamie Siddons Bangladesh's new batting coach

Ashwell Prince quits as Bangladesh batting coach

Three days ago, Siddons was announced as Bangladesh’s batting coach, shortly after Ashwell Prince resigned from the same position, citing family reasons.Since arriving in the country, Siddons has spent most of his time watching BPL matches, having also traveled to Sylhet. He will be in quarantine in his hotel in Dhaka for the time being.Siddons was Bangladesh’s head coach from 2007 to 2011.

Leeds United will be hoping to fight their way into the top two in the Championship when they play host to Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have drawn three of their last five games in the division and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 0-0 draw at Bristol City last time out.

Largie Ramazani missed out through injury and the other forwards in the team failed to step up to score the goals for Daniel Farke, as Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James were selected on the flanks in his absence.

Scoring goals has not been a major issue for the West Yorkshire outfit this season, though, as they have found the back of the net 19 times in 12 games.

Only Sunderland (23) and Norwich City (22) have scored more goals than Farke’s side, which shows that he has created a potent and exciting attack at Elland Road.

They are now preparing to take on a Plymouth side that are currently one place above the relegation zone and have conceded 22 times in 12 games.

Their head coach, though, certainly knows a thing or two about scoring goals, as they are managed by former Premier League icon Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney's goalscoring records

The former Derby County and Birmingham boss enjoyed a stunning career and established himself as a legend for both Manchester United and England.

He did hold the record for the most goals in England history, with 53 goals in 120 caps, but has since been overtaken by Harry Kane’s haul of 68 goals in 100 caps, which shows that the forward was an elite goalscorer at international level.

During his time with Manchester United, Rooney racked up a staggering 253 goals and 139 assists in 559 matches in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The English ace, who played as a centre-forward or a second striker for the majority of his playing career, consistently provided quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Along with plenty of goals and assists, Rooney also collected his fair share of trophies throughout his career. He won five Premier League titles, one Champions League, four League Cups, and one FA Cup with United.

Whilst he may not go on to achieve the amazing success that Rooney did at club and international level, Leeds have an emerging talent brewing who could be their own version of the England legend in Mateo Joseph.

Mateo Joseph's academy form for Leeds

The Spanish striker, who previously played for England at youth level before declaring for Spain, joined the Whites in January 2022 from Espanyol’s academy.

He had a slow start to life in the country, with a return of two goals in 11 academy matches, in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign before hitting his stride in his first full season with Leeds.

In the 2022/22 term, Joseph caught the eye with a superb return of 16 goals and two assists in 21 appearances in the Premier League 2 for the U21 side as a centre-forward.

He showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at youth level in the academy for Leeds and earned himself three Premier League appearances off the bench for the first-team that term, as Leeds were relegated to the Championship.

U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed him as a “wonderful” player and a “major talent” after his performances for Spain and Leeds at U21 level, with four goals in four caps for Spain’s U21s, after a return of three goals in ten matches for England’s U20s.

His form for club and country at youth level earned him a chance in the senior squad under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign, and he showed promise in his limited minutes on the pitch.

All 20 of his appearances in the Championship last season came as a substitute, scoring one goal in that time, but he did score twice at Stamford Bridge as a starter against Premier League giants Chelsea in the FA Cup.

This term, however, Joseph has emerged as a genuine starting-calibre centre-forward for Leeds and is emerging as a huge prospect for the club, at the age of 21.

Mateo Joseph's form this season

The Whites have their own version of Rooney brewing at Thorp Arch as the 21-year-old sensation has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Championship.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Like the England legend, Joseph is a powerful and aggressive striker who likes to hold the ball up and get involved in play, by holding off defenders and finding teammates with passes, whilst also scoring goals.

Whilst he does not have the bulky build that Rooney was known for, the clip below illustrates how well the academy graduate uses his body to get the better of experienced defenders.

That was one of the two goals that the Spanish youth international has plundered for the West Yorkshire outfit in the Championship this season, to add to the one he managed last term.

Whilst he has not been a prolific scorer at senior level, yet, his aforementioned form for the academy suggests that the potential is there for him to eventually develop into a lethal goalscorer for Leeds.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has also showcased his creative quality in a Whites shirt this season in the Championship, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts.

This shows that the attacker is unselfish and looks to constantly get other players involved in the final third, hence why he has already registered three assists in the second tier.

Joseph, therefore, has the potential to develop into a complete centre-forward due to his pace, physicality, goalscoring potential, and creative quality, with plenty of time for him to fulfill his potential at the age of 21.

Leeds could move on from Solomon by unleashing "immense" star in new role

The Leeds United star has thrived in an attacking role for his country this season.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 29, 2024

This is why Leeds may have their own version of Rooney brewing in Yorkshire, ahead of the legendary forward’s trip to Elland Road on Saturday.

يصر تروي ديني، مهاجم فريق واتفورد السابق، على كون النجم المصري محمد صلاح لاعب فريق ليفربول لا ينتمي إلى فئة اللاعبين من الطراز العالمي.

وسبق أن صرّح تروي ديني، أكثر من مرة، برأيه تجاه محمد صلاح، حيث يرى أنه لا يُعد لاعبًا من طراز عالمي، رغم مستواه المميز رفقة ليفربول.

وكرر تروي ديني تصريحاته بعدما فشل محمد صلاح في قيادة ليفربول إلى تحقيق كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية أمام نيوكاسل، بخلاف الخروج المبكر من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفشل محمد صلاح في توجيه أي تسديدة على المرمى أو صناعة فرص لزملائه طوال نهائي كأس كاراباو، لأول مرة في مسيرته.

وقال تروي ديني، في تصريحات لشبكة “talksport” الإنجليزية: “عندما تنظر إلى الإحصائيات، تجد أن محمد صلاح لم يسجل أو يصنع أي هدف، وعندما تنظر إلى الأمر بهذه الطريقة، يصعب عليك الجدال، يمكنك القول إنه لم يظهر في تلك المباريات”.

وأضاف: “لم أر لحظة واحدة في نهائي كاراباو من جانب محمد صلاح بدا فيها وكأنه سيسجل، لقد لعب ضدهم بشكل رائع في الدوري الإنجليزي”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جيمي أوهارا: محمد صلاح يشبه هاري كين.. ويمكن تصنيفه كبطل لـ ليفربول في حالة واحدة

وواصل: “عندما يكون ليفربول في أفضل حالاته، يكون صلاح هو الأساس، لقد اتضح مدى افتقادهم لـ أرنولد (لم يشارك في النهائي للإصابة)، لديهم كوانساه وبرادلي، لكنهما ليسا بنفس الجودة”.

وأردف :”عندما ينظر المدربون إلى المباراة في اليوم السابق، سيقولون إننا إذا ضاعفنا رقابتنا على محمد صلاح، فسنمنح ترينت مساحة للكرة الميتة (يقصد إمكانية التسجيل من فرص ضعيفة مثل الركلات الثابتة) وسيدمرنا، يصبح الأداء متوقعًا”.

وأكد: “أنا من أشد المعجبين بصلاح، لكنني لا أعتقد أنه لاعب من الطراز العالمي، أرقامه وإحصائياته ممتازة”.

وأوضح: “ما أعتبره لاعبًا من الطراز العالمي هو ذلك الشعور الذي ينتابك عندما تشاهد لاعبًا مثل رونالدينيو، أو إيدن هازارد ولويس سواريز، عندما كانت لديهما مثل تلك المواسم في الدوري الإنجليزي”.

Amid an injury crisis at the heart of their midfield, Leeds United could now sign a World Cup winner who is already reportedly training at the club in the hope of earning a contract.

Leeds transfer news

Just when Leeds were finding their form, Daniel Farke’s side were hit with a double injury blow in the middle of the park with both Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu suffering long-term blows. Creating a crisis to send those at Elland Road scrambling for options, Leeds have been left with just Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell to fill the two starting places at the base of Farke’s midfield, leaving no room for any further injuries.

£60,000-a-week Junior Firpo eyeing Leeds exit in January as club plot move

The left-back has been impressive under Daniel Farke.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 18, 2024

To solve that problem, it looked as though Leeds were going to turn the way of Premier League veteran Cheikhou Kouyate, who went as far as having a medical at the club before failing that process in an unexpected twist.

Back to square one, the Yorkshire club did not end their search at Kouyate and scoured the market of free agents before potentially unearthing a previously unnamed German player who could now steal plenty of headlines. According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Christoph Kramer is now training with Leeds in an attempt to earn a contract at the club and secure his first move since leaving Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of last season.

It’s at the Bundesliga club that Kramer worked under current Leeds boss Farke in the 2022/23 campaign, before he moved on to Elland Road in the summer of 2023. Now, almost 18 months later, the duo could be reunited for at least the rest of the season to ease Leeds’ injury woes and hand Kramer the move that he so desperately needs.

A World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, it’s fair to say that Kramer certainly ticks the box for the experience that should be more than welcomed by both Leeds and Farke.

Kramer could prove to be crucial arrival

After 10 years at Gladbach, Kramer bid an emotional farewell at the end of last season, but now he seems ready for a new challenge and potentially one that will feature the race for promotion in the Championship. At 33 years old, the German’s final big move could come courtesy of Leeds and former boss Farke, as he puts his experience to the ultimate use in England’s second tier.

Of course, as seen in the case of Kouyate, nothing is certain and those at Elland Road will want to be sure about Kramer before pulling the trigger. Meanwhile, if the World Cup winner does complete a swift move, it remains to be seen just how quickly he’ll adjust to life back on the pitch after going a summer without any football.

Farke would be wise to ease any fresh face into his side at this stage, perhaps allowing Tanaka and Rothwell to keep their places and using Kramer as a backup option. On paper, it must be said that signing free agent Kramer would be a shrewd piece of business.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Ceará finalmente tem o seu camisa 9 para a temporada 2022. Trata-se de Zé Roberto, que passou a última temporada no Atlético-GO.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Assim que sacramentou o acordo, o Vozão divulgou nas redes sociais e mostrou alguns gols do seu novo artilheiro.

A chegada de Zé Roberto serve para suprir o buraco deixado por Jael, que teve uma lesão no joelho e fica fora de combate por seis meses.

Números

Em 53 jogos com o Atlético-GO na última temporada, Zé Roberto marcou 16 gols entre estadual, Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil e Sul-Americana.

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Lions seamer returns to home county after nine seasons at Lord’s

Matt Roller02-Aug-2021James Harris, the seam-bowling allrounder, will leave Middlesex at the end of the season to return to his boyhood club Glamorgan on a three-year deal.Harris, 31, is a product of Glamorgan’s youth system and made his first-class debut for the club as a 16-year-old back in 2007. He was long considered to be a future England international, having been on several Lions tours early in his career, and several counties were interested in signing him when he left the club in 2012.He eventually decided to join Middlesex, but has had two spells back at Glamorgan on loan and struggled for consistency during his early years at the club after attempting to add a yard of pace in order to put himself into England contention.His form returned in 2015, when he took 69 Division One wickets at 25.74 to take Middlesex to second, and while his average doubled the following summer, he played seven games in their Championship-winning season.He developed his batting over the next few seasons, scoring his first professional hundred in the 2019 Royal London Cup, but struggled to nail down a regular spot in the side across formats. He has also developed his career off-field, becoming the PCA’s chairman earlier this year.”I always saw myself one day returning to Glamorgan, and this this is the perfect time for me to do so, and I am excited for the next chapter in my cricket career,” Harris said. “I still believe I have a lot to offer on the pitch and I want to use my experience to assist the younger players and help us push for silverware.”Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, said: “From the moment James left, we’ve wanted to re-sign him. He’s a fantastic acquisition for the club. He’s a high-class seam bowler, a strong lower-order batsmen and a great voice in the dressing room given his leadership experience.”

Dani Olmo has made a final decision on his Barcelona future as his agent explained the plan amid the current contract chaos at the club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Barcelona yet to register Olmo for second half of season
• Club has struck €100m deal to raise funds
• Player's agent reveals intention to stay at Barca

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Olmo’s move to Barcelona from RB Leipzig last summer came with significant fanfare after the Blaugrana secured his services for €62m (£51m/$64m). However, due to ongoing financial struggles, the club have to this point been unable to register him with La Liga for the second half of the season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona recently received a €100m (£83m/$104m) cash injection by selling VIP boxes at the newly renovated Camp Nou to Middle Eastern investors. This substantial boost is expected to allow the club to register Olmo and other players, bringing them back under La Liga's 1:1 financial rule for player signings.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It has been reported that the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United were closely monitoring Olmo's situation. A clause in his contract stipulated that he could terminate his deal with Barcelona if he wasn't registered by January 1, sparking interest from top clubs across Europe. City had been tracking Olmo even before his move to Barcelona, considering him a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s system. In the summer of 2023, it is said City attempted to sign him but ultimately missed out. Meanwhile, United’s board viewed Olmo as a golden opportunity, with his potential availability as a free agent offering a chance to secure a high-calibre player without a transfer fee.

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• WHAT OLMO'S AGENT SAID

  Despite growing interest, Olmo’s agent decisively ended the speculation. Speaking to , he stated, "The decision made by Dani is to stay at Barcelona as he wants to play for Barca. We are not considering any other option. Dani wants to play for Barcelona."

Chris Woakes has conceded that his winter of inaction with England “felt like a bit of a waste”, and revealed that he had received an apology from the team management and the ECB over the shared car ride that led to him having to self-isolate on arrival in Sri Lanka in January.Woakes has not played international cricket since last September, having travelled to South Africa, Sri Lanka and India without making it into the starting XI in any format of the game. He was recalled this week to the T20I squad for the first time in almost six years, and while admitting that had come as a surprise he said he would be hoping to push himself into the selectors’ thinking ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.”I haven’t been in this squad for a while and I look at this as an opportunity” he said. “It is great for me to be back amongst the squad. I don’t take any squad selection for granted, I am certainly not just here to make up the numbers – if I get a go I will be trying to stake a claim. I also realise there are a few injuries knocking around but that doesn’t take anything away from me being part of this England team and putting my hand up to be part of this World Cup – with two World Cups around the corner.”T20 is the only format Woakes has had any game time in recently, initially at the IPL and then with Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast. After being named PCA Men’s Player of the Year last summer, Woakes was part of the ODI squad that flew to South Africa only to return without playing a game after concerns over bio-security. He then missed the first Test in Sri Lanka – a game he felt he was “a shoo in to play” – after being deemed a close contact of Moeen Ali, who tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in the country.When the Test team moved on to India, Woakes was repeatedly overlooked before returning home as part of the ECB’s rotation policy, then missed the three ODIs due to the logistical demands of travel and quarantine required to rejoin the England bubble. “I just want to put it behind me really and look to what’s ahead,” he said. “It’s certainly been a tough seven or eight months since last September.Related

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• Woakes makes his mark on winning return for Birmingham Bears

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“It all bubbles up to a really frustrating time. Not playing a single game all winter, after the summer I had, almost felt like a bit of a waste for me. Still great to be with the squad but you want to be playing cricket and making the most of your form when you’re hot.”On the decision to send him and Moeen in a shared taxi from Birmingham to Heathrow, despite the multitude of protocols in place to protect players from potential Covid-19 transmission, Woakes said that he had “vented” his frustration at the time, with his period in isolation effectively costing him his place in the side.”I felt like I was kind of a shoo in to play that first Test match in Sri Lanka, and obviously having had what happened, therefore obviously it did have a knock-on effect, [if] the team wins or the team does as well, all of a sudden it becomes hard to break back in. It doesn’t mean that I’d have played all the Test matches for the winter, but it might mean that I’d have had an opportunity to put my hand up before in a strong performance. And then the thoughts around selection for further Test matches might have been different.”I vented my frustration at the time, and apologies were given. [No] stone was [left unturned], but unfortunately that was the one thing that we did not quite get it right, and I did pay a price for that.”Having opted to go to the IPL after being picked up at auction by Delhi Capitals, Woakes then missed England’s two-Test series with New Zealand earlier this month. That decision was agreed between the player and ECB, with Woakes saying time away from home had “taken its toll mentally” – but he was keen to find a way to press his case for a Test return against India later in the summer, despite few opportunities to play red-ball cricket over the next six weeks.”I spent a lot of time away from home in that period and it had kind of taken its toll mentally,” he said. “The IPL was very much a decision which I took on, it’s on my shoulders, but I felt it was a great opportunity to learn and play some cricket after the winter I’d had.”Those two Tests versus New Zealand were put in [the schedule] quite late and I think the issue was as soon as getting out of isolation in London I’d have had to have a few days at home then play for Warwickshire to make myself available for any part of that Test series. Then there’s the tricky side of Covid restrictions and getting back in that bubble. Once we’d made the decision it was never really an option to play the second Test match. You’d have had to be in the bubble from the start.”It’s a real tricky situation. I felt I needed a refresh and some time at home with the young family. I kind of put up the pros and cons of missing that two-match series. It was very much in our hands, I spoke to Spoons [head coach Chris Silverwood] and the rest of the backroom staff here and they said ‘as much as we feel you probably should have a breather and get away from cricket, it is on you. If you want to be part of that we’ll definitely let you’.”I decided that little break would do me good in the long run. They certainly know I want to play Test cricket, don’t get me wrong. I haven’t played much red-ball cricket but they know I want to be a part of that Test squad and I believe they want me to be part of it so hopefully come that India series I’ll be fit and firing and ready to play a big part of that.”