Category Uncategorized

Leeds United have made four additions to their first-team squad during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month.

Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rothwell have all come through the door to bolster Daniel Farke's options across the pitch, with a centre-back, a goalkeeper, a right-back, and a midfielder added.

One area of the pitch the Whites are yet to make an addition in, however, is the final third as they have yet to pounce on a winger or a striker to improve their forward line.

The West Yorkshire outfit have, though, been linked with attackers throughout the summer transfer window and one of them could be their next version of Raphinha.

Raphinha's magical play for Leeds

The Whites signed the Brazilian wizard from Rennes in the summer of 2020 under Marcelo Bielsa and he hit the ground running at Elland Road in the Premier League.

Across two seasons in the top-flight with Leeds, Raphinha showcased his ability to make a big impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Appearances

30

35

Goals

6

11

Assists

9

3

Big chances created

12

10

Key passes per game

2.1

1.9

As you can see in the table above, the South American right winger chipped in with 17 goals and 12 assists in those two campaigns to help his side avoid relegation both times.

Raphinha then completed a £55m move to Barcelona in the summer of 2022 and Leeds could finally replace the magician by landing another South American sensation who operates on the right flank.

Leeds' new Raphinha

In June, it was reportedly in the Brazilian media, via the Yorkshire Evening Post, that Leeds are keen on a deal to sign Fluminense forward Jhon Arias this summer, who had been the subject of a £14m offer from West Ham United at the time.

The 26-year-old ace has only produced one goal and two assists in ten Serie A matches this term but his form throughout 2023 and 2022 suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic signing.

Like Raphinha, Arias is a South American right winger who could provide Leeds with a consistent stream of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Appearances

33

29

Goals

7

7

Assists

10

7

Big chances created

15

4

Key passes per game

2.2

2.0

As you can see in the table above, the Fluminense forward racked up an eye-catching 14 goals and 17 assists across those two seasons

in the Serie A – two more direct goal contributions than Raphinha managed in the Premier League.

These statistics suggest that the Colombian whiz, who was described as an "unsung hero" by South American writer Nathan Joyce, has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.

Pablo Hernandez 2.0: Leeds join race to sign "magical" £19k-p/w EFL star

The Whites are one of a number of teams interested in signing the Championship whiz.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 27, 2024

Arias could arrive at Elland Road and be a Raphinha-esque figure on the right flak diue to his ability to both score and assist goals at an impressive rate, which is why Farke should swoop to land his own version of the Brazilian ace this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with a brutal EA FC downgrade after his missing of a last-minute penalty for Saudi side Al-Nassr.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ronaldo misses penalty in King Cup exit
• His first penalty miss for Saudi side
• Failure from spot sees EA FC rating hit

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr were dumped out of the King Cup of Champions by Al-Taawoun after a horror display by Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. The Portuguese superstar did have a golden chance to equalise in stoppage-time but blazed his penalty over the crossbar. Ronaldo is known for his set-piece ability but his failure from the spot does appear to have had ramifications. The 39-year-old's EA FC penalty rating has since dropped by three points to 87 in the wake of his latest miss.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo did react to his miss, and Al-Nassr's defeat, with a post on social media that read: "Every challenge is an opportunity to grow." Yet Ronaldo struggled to impress again in the big Saudi Pro League clash with champions Al-Hilal, which ended in a 1-1 draw, before finally returning to the scoresheet last time out in a 5-1 win over Al-Ain. The victory means Al-Nassr currently sit fourth in the table but are eight points off leaders Al-Ittihad, albeit with a game in hand.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo's penalty miss was his first in Al-Nassr colours. He had scored on his previous 18 attempts for the Saudi side.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO

  Al-Nassr are back in Saudi Pro League action on Friday against Al-Riyadh. Ronaldo is then set to link up with the Portugal squad for Nations League fixtures against Poland and Croatia.

da betcris： Chelsea are considering a deal for a prolific striker who's scored 148 career goals at club level, and he could even leave for just £20 million this summer.

Chelsea targeting new striker and winger for Maresca

da bet sport： New head coach Enzo Maresca has been seriously backed by Todd Boehly so far this transfer window, with Chelsea spending over £90 million on the signings of Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Omari Kellyman, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian and newest addition Renato Veiga from FC Basel.

Related Chelsea planning seven-year deal offer to sign Raheem Sterling replacement

The Englishman could depart Stamford Bridge.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 11, 2024

Veiga passed his Chelsea medical on Wednesday and becomes the latest addition to Maresca's squad, taking Chelsea's expenditure to exactly £93 million on incomings with £89 million made back through player sales (Nizaar Kinsella).

While Boehly and BlueCo have spent lavishly yet again, their net spend of around £4 million, when factoring in departures, has seemingly put Chelsea in good stead in regard to PSR.

Chelsea's best-performing players in the Premier League last season

Average match rating (WhoScored)

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Attention now turns to whether the west Londoners will look to sign a senior attacking option, as has been widely reported. Chelsea are keen on signing a right-winger to alternate or even replace the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.

Indeed, Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi has been heavily linked this week for that role as one option. It is rumoured by some media outlets that Chelsea are planning to offer Adeyemi a seven-year contract to join them, and are ready to make a bid for his signature.

The 22-year-old could also cost just £25 million to prise away from Dortmund, which may well be in Boehly's thinking. In terms of an out-and-out striker, links remain to Napoli star Victor Osimhen, but the Nigerian will be a costly operation.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is holding firm on Osimhen's £110 million release clause for the time being, which may have motivated Chelsea to look elsewhere in search of a new number nine.

Lille star Jonathan David, who's been highly prolific in Ligue 1 for a few years now, could be a far cheaper alternative to Osimhen. The 24-year-old, who's racked up an impressive tally of 148 career goals already for club and country, could be available for a cheaper price at around £20 million.

Chelsea considering deal for Lille star Jonathan David

That is according to 90min, who also claim that Chelsea are considering a deal to sign David from Lille this summer among other names.

The Canada international has already scored 27 goals over 53 caps for his country as well, making it quite a surprise that David has not secured a big blockbuster transfer just yet. Chelsea may well offer him that chance, but they face competition from their London rivals in Tottenham and West Ham, who are also eyeing moves.

The Blues have not yet made an official decision on whether to formalise their interest in David, but his age, goalscoring record and price tag arguably make this a no-brainer.

The state has been able to gain the leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker from last season

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2021The long-expected moves of Elyse Villani and Molly Strano to Tasmania have been confirmed along with the signing of Hayley Silver-Holmes from New South Wales.Securing Villani and Strano is especially significant as it gives Tasmania both the leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker from last season’s WNCL.Villani was prolific with the bat as she scored 611 runs at 87.28 with three centuries while Strano captured 14 wickets at 14.42.Offspinner Strano, who was part of Australia’s successful T20 World Cup squad last year, was a late addition to Australia’s tour of New Zealand although did not feature in any of the matches but Villani has not been selected since early 2019.Silver-Holmes made her WBBL debut for Sydney Sixers aged 15 and her WNCL debut for New South Wales at 16 making her the second-youngster player for state. She will bolster Tasmania’s pace-bowling resources as they look to build on last season’s third-place finish.”It’s a really exciting group of players we’ve got here at the Tigers,” head coach Salliann Beams said. “We’ve worked to build both our program and our list over the past few years, and with the additions to our playing group this year, it’s a testament to the staff and players within our program – as well as the wider organisation – that we have players of this calibre wanting to be a part of our team.”Amy Smith, the 16-year-old legspinner, is among the current Tasmania players to sign new deals along with former New Zealand wicketkeeper Rachel Priest. Emma Thompson will miss the 2021-22 season on maternity leave.Tasmania squad Chloe Abel, Nicola Carey (CA contracted), Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Corinne Hall, Emma Manix-Geeves, Sasha Moloney, Rachel Priest, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Emily Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Emma Thompson (maternity leave 2021-22), Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani.

It has been a series of ups and downs for Jaiswal, but with the bat, he managed to end on a high

Sidharth Monga02-Aug-20253:22

Bangar: ‘Jaiswal’s Sehwag-esque impact makes it easier for batters to follow’

A five-Test tour can feel like a lifetime within a life. It can be a selfish existence, even for those working on it on the outside, but more so for cricketers. There is no other responsibility or commitment other than to look after every aspect of your game. Everything else is taken care of for you, which is a privilege, but it takes a huge emotional toll to deal with this constant examination of your game, the variety of conditions and situations, and the vagaries of sport.For Yashasvi Jaiswal more than others, this tour of England has been a lifetime of ups and downs. He started with a dominating century at Headingley, but dropped catches and saw them play a huge role in losing the unloseable Test, was taken out of the cordon, has had the odd spray from the captain for not being on the field, and has also seen the team’s fortunes go up and down.Jaiswal might have got starts but a second big score eluded him till the end. He has tried to do all the right things, he has tried to keep his emotions on an even keel, but he is also an intense person, whose reaction to anything is to go into the nets and face more balls. He does that any break he gets: before the start of play, lunch, tea, between innings or whenever anyone is available to throw balls at him. It must have taken some effort to keep him away from training two days before this match. Or perhaps his family’s presence in London might have helped.Related

• England made to toil amid mishaps of their own making

• Jaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites

• Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances

What must have really freed up Jaiswal’s mind, though, was the nature of the pitch. This was not the kind of pitch where you can battle it out and hope for things to get easier. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley enjoyed success by being attacking. When Jaiswal walked out for his final innings of the series, India were trailing by 23 – only 23, thanks to a big effort from just the three fast bowlers – and needed a big third innings to give themselves hopes of levelling the series in the tour finale.There was an hour and 40 minutes on the second day to go to stumps, so it wasn’t as if India needed to bat time. Jaiswal came out and cut the first ball hard. The sound echoed in the stadium although Duckett denied him any runs. This much was clear, though: Jaiswal was going to look to score off anything remotely loose. He was not going to let the three standing England bowlers settle into any rhythm.Opening in Test cricket is a lot about taking care of many things that can go wrong, and it isn’t always possible to cover them all. Here, Jaiswal was focussing more on what can go right. It was as though he told himself he had done what he could in preparation, and now just needed to trust the universe.Throughout the whole innings, Jaiswal showed an exaggerated return to what has worked for him in the past: both in attitude and with his rituals. His walks to square leg between balls became longer, sometimes ending up in hand-shaking distance of the square-leg umpire. Even at the non-striker’s end, he would walk almost to midwicket between balls, switching off into a world of his own. It was as though his emotions were bubbling up and he wanted to keep them in check. So was his attacking intent, but that he didn’t want to check.Yashasvi Jaiswal brought out his own version of Bazball•Getty ImagesJaiswal’s first six scoring shots were boundaries, the last of those hit so hard that the worst possible result would be a half chance, which burst through the hands of Harry Brook at second slip. The universe was now beginning to look after him. A hook shot later in the evening didn’t stick in Liam Dawson’s hands. If a series is a life, it was coming a full circle. He dropped four at Headingley, and was now the beneficiary of two in a crucial period before stumps on the second day.This innings was not about head position or stance or guard or being in control. This innings was more about trusting his game built on painstaking hard work, about trusting everything will fall in place if he let instinct take over. This was more about his emotions.This innings was also about squaring certain things off, about the circle of life, about collecting receipts. Like Faizal Khan in , Jaiswal was now saying he will avenge dropped catches, low-control innings, and even time-wasting, which he did almost comically by cramping up at the non-striker’s end in what proved to be the last over before lunch. Although it wasn’t necessarily gamesmanship; he has tended to struggle with cramps in a few of his long innings.Jaiswal’s emotions were on an all-time high when he was in his 90s, going off at non-striker Karun Nair for not alerting him to a change in the field and then not running a third that could have got him his hundred. The release of emotion upon reaching the hundred said a lot.Jaiswal has ended his series as he began: a belligerent century to end up with a tally of 411 and an average of 41.10. Top-six batters overall have averaged 48.77 in the series so far; Jaiswal is used to being head and shoulders above his peers in his young career so far. That is probably why he was edgy.A century in challenging conditions should be succour if Jaiswal had been hurting. It is said you don’t become a great cricketer without having at least one bad tour of England. Jaiswal, who clearly aims to end up as a great, hasn’t had a bad tour by any measure, but has had all the extremes in one tour. A whole lifetime’s worth of ups and downs.

da prosport bet： Aston Villa are now chasing another signing as they look to bolster their ranks this summer ahead of their first season in the Champions League, it has been reported.

Villa go into overdrive

da betobet： Aston Villa and NSWE have been by far the busiest Premier League side since the transfer window opened, despite having little to show for it at present.

Under threat from financial fair play, they have engineered a swap deal with Juventus that will see Douglas Luiz make the move to Turin this summer, while Unai Emery's side will receive Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenchea in return alongside a further 20m euros.

Related £125k-p/w Aston Villa player now working to terminate his contract

The Villans spent £17 million on him but Emery is happy to see him leave.

Posts ByTom Coates Jun 24, 2024

Elsewhere, they are set to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea in a deal worth £37.5m, while in a completely separate transaction and in no way related, youth talent Omari Kellyman is heading to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £19m, having made six senior appearances for Villa.

In two equally unrelated moves, Tim Iroegbunam has headed to Everton in a deal worth £10m, while Lewis Dobbin has joined the Villans from Everton in an £8m move.

There is also the matter of Ross Barkley, who is set to join the club from relegated Luton Town this summer, though it could be that Villa are waiting until the 30th June deadline for financial fair play has passed before making the move official for the Englishman. They are not planning to stop any time soon though, and are already lining up their next target if reports are to be believed.

Villa want Bundesliga forward

Now, Sky Sports have linked Aston Villa with a move for impressive Hoffenheim attacker Maximilian Beier. The 21-year-old attacker enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough campaign, scoring 16 times in 33 Bundesliga games, and was rewarded with a call up to the German national side.

He made his debut in the most recent round of June internationals and came on as a substitute in their final Group A game, which saw them rescue a draw against Switzerland to top the group and set up a last 16 tie with the runners-up in England's group.

Beier's Hoffenheim season

Appearances

33

Starts

29

Goals

16

Assists

3

Minutes per goal/assist

128.1

Hoffenheim’s sporting director, Alexander Rosen, has praised Beier, claiming that: “Maxi is a super guy and an extremely talented striker. He is incredibly fast, dangerous and can kick really well.”

But there is a release clause in his contract with the German side, believed to sit at €30m (£25.3m). This has attracted plenty of attention from Premier League clubs, with Chelsea and Manchester United among those linked.

Now, it is Aston Villa's turn, with Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg explaining on X that the Villa Park side have a "concrete interest" in the youngster and have "gathered information" about the striker ahead of a potential move, though any deal will have to happen after the European Championships.

This may suit Villa, given their financial issues, and allow them plenty of time to work their way into pole position for a move.

MatériaMais Notícias

da cassino online： Através das redes sociais, o Figueirense tornou oficial a data na qual realizará a Solenidade de Posse sobre a composição administrativa no novo modelo de gestão do clube que foi consolidado, desde dezembro do ano passado, como de Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF).

RelacionadasParanáIrmão de Everton Brito pode também reforçar o ParanáParaná29/12/2021FigueirenseFigueirense é condenado a pagar mais de R$ 500 mil para ex-técnico e ex-jogador do clubeFigueirense16/12/2021FigueirenseGol na decisão da Copa SC teve sabor ainda mais especial para BrenerFigueirense17/11/2021

da betsul： Receba as principais notícias com o novo canal do LANCE! no Telegram

O evento, programado para a próxima quinta-feira (13), acontecerá de maneira presencial no Espaço Memorial do Estádio Orlando Scarpelli, as 9h (horário de Brasília).

Para os torcedores e demais interessados em acompanharem a solenidade onde serão conhecidos o Conselho de Administração e do Conselho Fiscal, o canal oficial do Alvinegro no YouTube, a TV Figueira, fará a transmissão ao vivo.

Se fora das quatro linhas esse será o primeiro grande evento do clube no ano de 2022, dentro de campo o primeiro jogo oficial está marcado para o próximo dia 20 de janeiro. Pela Recopa Santa Catarina, o Furacão do Estreito fará o clássico da capital com o Avaí, em jogo único, que será disputado na Ressacada.

As the Arne Slot era begins on Merseyside, there is no doubt that there will be plenty of changes at Anfield during the transfer window with a number of players set to leave the club.

Liverpool braced for big changes this summer

As the curtain draws on Jürgen Klopp's nine-year spell with Liverpool, his successor looks set to oversee a major rebuild of the playing squad at Anfield.

Liverpool considering swoop for “unstoppable” £87m Nunez upgrade

This fearsome marksman has already scored 49 times under Slot.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 2, 2024

Improvements will likely be made all over the pitch with recent rumours linking the Reds with a move for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian has interest from across the Premier League's top six with Arsenal courting the midfielder for a number of seasons. Valued at around £60million, it would be a major statement if Liverpool are to secure this deal.

Leeds United's Crysencio Summerville is another name linked with a move to Merseyside. Following the West Yorkshire outfit's Wembley heartbreak, it appears almost inevitable that the winger will be leaving Elland Road this summer.

Joining Summerville on Slot's wishlist is reportedly Nice's Khephren Thuram. The midfielder would provide much needed depth in the middle of the park as Liverpool make their return to the Champions League.

Whilst news of incomings will catch the eye of the Liverpool faithful, this summer will also see a number of players shown the door at Anfield with one man making clear his intentions to leave during the transfer window.

Defender "waiting for the green light" to leave Liverpool

As first reported on the X account of Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Sepp van den Berg "has clearly informed Liverpool that he wants to leave the club this summer", with a whole host of clubs making contact to find out if a deal is possible.

Plettenberg states that van den Berg's prefence is to remain in Germany with Mainz reportedly interested in keeping the player beyond the expiration of his loan. The journalist states that a fee in the region of £12.5million would be needed to secure a deal and with the 22-year-old commanding a wage of around £9,000 this would also likely have to be matched.

Since arriving from PEC Zwolle in 2019 the defender has only managed four appearances for Liverpool, spending much of his time out on loan. Van den Berg's most recent spell at Mainz saw him make 33 appearances in the Bundesliga as his side avoided the relegation playoff by just two points.

The 22-year-old's best time in England arguably came during a loan spell at Preston. Spending the 2021/22 season with the Lancashire outfit, van den Berg earned significant praise from then manager Alex Neil who branded the player "excellent" after his debut telling the press: "We know Sepp is very good on the ball, he's quick and gives us good size in terms of defending crosses into the box.

"I thought he had a really good performance for his first game, really strong."

After struggling for minutes with his parent club, there is no wonder why van den Berg is pushing for a move away from Merseyside this summer. With the defender playing a key role at Mainz last season, there is every chance that the German club will permanently sign Dutch youth international if he is surplus to requirements this summer.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has left the door open to a potential future move to Liverpool, admitting that while he is focused on his current role, "you never know what can happen" in football, amid intense speculation linking him with a return to Anfield. The coach's response comes amid claims he is in danger of being sacked, while questions have been asked of Arne Slot's future at the Merseyside club.

• Alonso and Slot under pressure

  The former Reds midfielder has found himself at the centre of a managerial merry-go-round rumour mill. While Slot is currently feeling the heat at Liverpool due to his side languishing in 10th place in the Premier League despite significant summer investment, Alonso is navigating his own storm at the Santiago Bernabeu. Following a chaotic 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo, the Spaniard is facing a defining week, with a Champions League clash against Manchester City looming.

  However, despite the immediate pressure in the Spanish capital, questions about a potential switch to the Premier League have persisted. Alonso reportedly turned down the chance to replace Jurgen Klopp in order to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, before eventually taking the Madrid job in the summer.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Madrid boss addresses his future

  When asked directly about the possibility of managing in England, specifically regarding a return to his former club Liverpool, Alonso offered a tantalising response that stopped short of a full denial.

  "For sure, it's something to consider with the English clubs, with my former club," Alonso admitted. "But for now, this is the place that I want to be, and in the future, you never know what can happen."

  Slot's situation grew even worse as the coach finds himself in a dressing room rift involving talisman Mohamed Salah, who sensationally criticised the Dutchman after their 3-3 draw against Leeds at the weekend. Alonso remained diplomatic, however, when asked about the situation.

  "Those are decisions they have made at Liverpool. No doubt we're missing a lot of details. So it's not for me to give an opinion on that," he said.

• Two giants in crisis

  The comments come at a fascinating juncture for both clubs. Liverpool's title defence has crumbled spectacularly, leaving Slot on the brink. The Dutchman's relationship with Salah has fractured, with the Egyptian forward omitted from the squad to face Inter this week.

  Meanwhile, at Madrid, Alonso is fighting to keep his own tenure on track. The defeat to Celta has left Los Blancos trailing leaders Barcelona by four points, and reports suggest a heavy defeat to Manchester City could be fatal for his prospects.

  "The next one is the best one. I think I know myself, and the fans know Manchester City very well from facing them many times in recent years, but I see it as an opportunity more than anything," Alonso said.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  Alonso also touched upon his own player management challenges, drawing a parallel between the Salah situation and his handling of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian forward reacted poorly to being substituted against Barcelona earlier in the season, a flashpoint that Alonso insisted he would not handle differently in hindsight.

  "I would not change anything," he noted, reinforcing his stance on discipline – a trait that German legend Lothar Matthaus recently highlighted as a potential point of friction with Madrid's creative stars.

  "It’s not about changing, it’s about adapting. I knew pretty much what it was, that’s why Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world. You need to adapt to it, to learn from it. After you have to perform, you have to have that interaction with the players. Some days are good, some days are not so good. But from every game, we take steps, and we are in this position now, and we have to face it with good energy, positivity, that’s the only way to turn it around."

Josh Philippe believes he’s batting as well as he ever has ahead of the BBL final at the SCG on Saturday, with his form earning him the Player of the Tournament title, but is eager to develop into an all-format player.Heading into the final Philippe is the second-highest scorer in the competition behind Alex Hales and has a chance of taking top spot with Hales’ Sydney Thunder side eliminated. Philippe pipped Hales and Jhye Richardson to the individual award with votes cast by the on-field umpires throughout the season.Since joining the Sydney Sixers for the 2018-19 season, having played one match for his home club Perth Scorchers, Philippe is the third-highest scorer in the BBL behind Marcus Stoinis and D’Arcy Short. This season’s tally of 499 runs has bettered his 487 from last season when he was a key figure in the Sixers’ title including a matchwinning innings in the final.Related

• Josh Philippe aiming to take lessons from AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli into his international debut

• Philippe masterclass ensures thumping win over Scorchers

• Vince's unbeaten 98 earns Sydney Sixers BBL final at the SCG

• Australia's T20I squad unchanged despite SA tour call-off

He praised the environment at the Sixers where he has formed a strong connection with coach Greg Shipperd and will speak to him even when not on duty in the BBL.”Playing under Greg Shipperd, he’s the most recognised coach in Australia, he’s been around forever and he’s been a massive help for my game,” he said. “He’s always been a phone call away even when I haven’t been in Sydney. He keeps it super simple and allows me to play with freedom.

BBL Player of the Tournament voting

Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers) – 22 votes

Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder) – 20 votes

Jhye Richardson (Perth Scorchers) – 19 votes

Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars) – 18 votes

Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes) – 17 votes

Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat) – 17 votes

Colin Munro (Perth Scorchers) – 17 votes

D’Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes) – 16 votes

Shaun Marsh (Melbourne Renegades) – 15 votes

Jake Weatherald (Adelaide Strikers) – 15 votes

“Also, playing under Moises [Henriques], he’s no different. The way they let me play my game, almost like no-consequence cricket, it’s pretty special to go out there at bat feeling like I’m back by every player in the team and all the staff.”He also pinpointed his time at the IPL, where he played for Royal Challenge Bangalore, for helping fine-tune some technical aspects.”I feel like I’m hitting the ball better than ever,” he said. “Some of the technical stuff I’ve really tried to iron out the creases over the pre-season. Getting the opportunity to be over at the IPL, being around guys like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, guys like that, see how they go about their business and for me seeing how simple they take the game.”I’ve definitely tried to over-think less and just back my ability this season, the result doesn’t matter, I just try to play my way to the best of my ability.”While the IPL may have aided his T20 game, it has also meant no chance to build on a first-class career for Western Australia that is stalled on 19 games. He was in the UAE when the tournament was played in Adelaide earlier this season and with the next IPL scheduled for April, and the T20 tour of New Zealand straight after the BBL, it would appear unlikely he’ll get any Sheffield Shield cricket this season.”The dream as a kid, I’ve said it before, is to get a baggy green,” he said. “I definitely want to try and establish myself at first-class level as well. The dream would be to be considered as an all-format player. I definitely want to chip away and work my red-ball game. I just hope next season there’s an opportunity there for me.”In the shorter term, his international debut could come later this month in New Zealand where he has made a strong case to be at the top of the order alongside captain Aaron Finch. There are various wicketkeeping options in the squad with Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott also touring but not having the gloves wouldn’t be an issue.”I’ve fielded a lot in my career so it doesn’t worry me,” he said. “Whatever that role looks like I feel like I’ll be ready to take it with both hands.”