أعلن الجهاز الفني لنادي الزمالك بقيادة البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز، تشكيل الفريق الرسمي لمواجهة دريمز الغاني، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.
ويلتقي الزمالك مع دريمز، في إطار مواجهة الإياب لدور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، في ملعب بابا يارا بغانا.
وتنطلق مباراة الزمالك ودريمز، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً اليوم “بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية”.
طالع | جوميز يمنح لاعبي الزمالك تعليمات هامة قبل مواجهة دريمز.. وتذاكر مجانية للجماهير
وكانت مباراة الذهاب التي جمعت بين الفريقين على ملعب استاد القاهرة الأحد الماضي، انتهت بالتعادل السلبي.
ويشهد تشكيل الزمالك، تواجد ثنائي في خط الهجوم سيف الجزيري مع سامسون أكينيولا، مع تواجد زيزو أساسياً. تشكيل الزمالك أمام دريمز الغاني في كأس الكونفدرالية
حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد.
خط الدفاع: أحمد فتوح – حمزة المثلوثي – حسام عبد المجيد – عمر جابر.
خط الوسط: نبيل عماد دونجا – زياد كمال – مصطفى شلبي – أحمد مصطفى “زيزو”.
خط الهجوم: سيف الجزيري – سامسون أكينيولا.
ويلاقي الفائز من مباراة الزمالك ودريمز، المتأهل من مواجهة نهضة بركان المغربي واتحاد العاصمة الجزائري في نهائي كأس الكونفدرالية للموسم الحالي 2024.
Jake Ball has been ruled out of the Lord’s Test against South Africa with a knee strain
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2017
Jake Ball will miss the final against Surrey with a knee injury•Getty Images
Jake Ball will not be available for England’s first Test against South Africa due to a knee strain. He has also been ruled out of Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday, head coach Peter Moores has confirmed.The seamer felt pain in his knee when bowling during the second innings of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship game against Kent on Tuesday. He went for a scan on Wednesday to assess the damage and was unable to take to the field when the third day of the day-night match resumed after a rain delay.Ball is set to miss the next two weeks of action, which puts him out of contention for the start of the Investec Test series against South Africa, which begins on 6 July at Lord’s. England are already set to be without Chris Woakes and have worries over the fitness of Stuart Broad, Ball’s Notts team-mate, after he suffered a recurrence of his heel problem last week.Nottinghamshire hope Broad will be able to play in the Royal London Cup final, having sat out the pink-ball match at Trent Bridge.”Jake is naturally very, very disappointed to miss out on the final, having previously been made available to play by the ECB, particularly after missing out on selection when Notts beat Glamorgan at Lord’s in 2013,” Moores said. “He’s given his all in this competition when he’s been available to us, and we’ll miss him for what will be a really tough game against Surrey.”Jake is a very strong character and I’m sure he’ll bounce back from this. I know he’ll be wanting us to beat Surrey as much as anybody.”
Celtic’s move for Maik Nawrocki is on the verge of being completed, according to an update from reliable reporter Mark Hendry, sharing an update on Saturday morning.
Who have Celtic signed in 2023?
The Hoops have enjoyed a fairly productive summer transfer window so far, with Norwegian prospect Odin Thiago Holm, exciting attacker Hyun-jun Yang, Aussie star Marco Tilio and midfield enforcer Tomoki Iwata all arriving through the doors at Parkhead to work under new boss Brendan Rodgers.
There is still plenty of work to be done to tailor the squad to the returning manager’s liking though, especially after Ange Postecoglou’s star man, Jota, left to join Al Ittihad in a record departure worth close to €30m (£26m).
Former Celtic winger Jota.
A centre-back looks to be next up on the agenda, with reports emerging late last week that the Bhoys board have lined up a move for Nawrocki, a promising 22 year-old Poland youth international who currently plies his trade for Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw.
Reports in the player’s homeland broke the news that Celtic had “entered the game” for the youngster and would compete with Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray for his signature, and it appears the Parkhead outfit have now won the race.
Taking to Twitter from Japan on Saturday, where the Hoops were in action against Gamba Osaka, Football Scotland’s Hendry said: “Nawrocki is in the UK to do medical tests and sort out his contract details with fine tooth comb. Expect real (deal*) to be completed soon.”
Is Maik Nawrocki good?
Celtic fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about their imminent new arrival, but the 6 foot 2 ace certainly looks like a player with real potential. He's been in the Polish top flight since he was 19, starting with Warta Poznan before moving to Warsaw.
His first season in the capital didn’t exactly go to plan, as one of the country’s biggest clubs slumped to 10th in the final league standings, but he did manage 18 starts in the top flight, forcing his way in as a regular feature in the first XI.
His second campaign with the club – this season just finished – Nawrocki started 23 games in the league as they shot up to a second place finish, and he actually proved to be a consistent source of end product from set pieces too, scoring four times and providing one assist to boot, averaging a direct goal contribution one out of every five lots of 90 minutes, an impressive rate for a centre-back.
The youngster has yet to make his mark on the senior national team setup. He has been able to break into the fold for their Under-21 side though, making his debut for them in 2021 having already featured at various youth levels for the Under-15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 sides, so one would have to assume it’s only a matter of time before that progression leads him into the senior set-up.
What probably appeals most to Rodgers is the defender’s versatility, as not only is he equally comfortable on either side at centre-back, but he can also function as a full-back or even further ahead in defensive midfield, which likely reminds the boss of another towering player he had at his disposal during his last stay in Glasgow, Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers may revisit a target from the past, as Chilean winger Daniel Osorio could become available this summer.
The teenager was linked to Wolves during last summer’s window, with Sport Witness relaying news that suggested the teenager was all but a player at Molineux.
Fast forward to this transfer window, and the 19-year-old is once again circulating in news regarding the Midlands club, with the Express and Star linking the teen with a move back in May.
The saga doesn’t quite end there, with Molineux News relaying reports from Chile that the youngster is likely to be sold this summer, due to a dip in form at Universidad de Chile.
With a reported price tag of £7.5m and West Ham United also circling the winger, it could be now or never to finally bring the Chilean to Molineux.
What could Dario Osorio offer to Wolves?
Having sold Nathan Collins to Brentford and Ruben Neves to Al-Hilal, Wolves will be eyeing signings to balance the departure and arrival ratio, with Joao Moutinho, Diego Costa and Adama Traore departing at the expiration of their contracts.
In Traore's departure, Julen Lopetegui will lose some firepower in his attack, with the Spaniard averaging in the top 5% of wingers in the Premier League last season in terms of successful take-ons, averaging 2.95 per 90, via FBref.
Despite being a threat 1v1, Traore has lacked in the final third in situations where ultimately Wolves were crying out for him to deliver.
The Old Gold ended the campaign scoring just 31 goals in 38 games, cementing themselves as the league’s lowest-scorers.
In a total of 157 appearances in the Premier League for Wolves, the Spaniard netted just ten goals, via Transfermarkt, highlighting that his threat can indeed be replenished on the flank following his exit.
Lopetegui could find himself with an adequate heir to the former Barcelona man in Osorio, who shone last season in Chile.
Hailed as a “talent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Osorio has shown glimpses of the player he could be, hence interest from the English top tier.
Adama Traore for Wolves
Last campaign in the Primera Division, the "flamboyant" teenager – as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – scored seven goals in just 16 starts for Universidad de Chile, deployed as a left-footed right-winger.
The youngster's energy in the final third is something that Lopetegui could benefit greatly from, as well as signifying that he could add more in front of goal than the player he could replace in Traore.
While his seven goals were impressive for a player of just 18 at the time, the Hijuelas-born gem acted as a live wire whenever in possession, as supported by his numbers.
As per Sofascore, the teenager averaged one successful dribble per game, as well as 1.4 shots, despite averaging just 58 minutes per game.
Another element that the Chilean could bring to Lopetegui’s attack in addition to his threat on the ball, is his distribution and eye for a creative pass, as highlighted through his average of 1.1 key passes per game last season, with Traore averaging 0.7 this term.
With West Ham also circling the teenager, Wolves must act fast if they are to finally end the saga between Osorio and Molineux.
Celtic target Yang Hyun-jun 'very much' wants to complete a move to Parkhead this summer according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph via GIVEMESPORT
What is the latest news about Yang Hyun-jun?
With his current side Gangwon FC struggling to survive in their league despite his impressive performances, it seems as if a move away is something that appeals to the 21-year-old as he believes that he is ready to take the next step of his career and foray into European football, and Celtic seems like the perfect club for that next step.
He stated: "I will not change my mind about moving to Europe. But if I am blocked from making the move in this transfer market, I have to do my best for Gangwon FC and I will. I accept this and understand I will act professionally.”
What we do know is that the Scottish club have reportedly made a large bid for the attacker, but it remains to be seen as to whether anything will materialise at this moment in time.
What has Anthony Joseph said about Yang Hyun-jun to Celtic?
When asked about the potential transfer, Joseph told GIVEMESPORT: "Celtic did make an approach last week for Yang Hyun-jun and he very much wants to move to Celtic. And he has been trying to push it with his agent as well, the club aren’t too happy that his agent is really pushing it and some of the comments he’s made publicly as well.”
Former Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers.
Will Yang Hyun-jun be a good signing for Celtic?
Indeed, with Brendan Rodgers at the helm, it remains to be seen as to how he might change things potentially at Parkhead and how he will line the side up, upon his return, with all players potentially getting a chance to impress in pre-season.
But, one thing that we do know is that the winger possesses a great dribbling ability, having completed 1.2 dribbles per match with a success rate of 61%, as well as averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 36 K-League outings in 2022 and chipping in with a very impressive eight goals, and created six 'big chances'.
Of course, one thing that Ange Postecoglou managed to do well during his time at Celtic was the recruitment, as the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Reo Hatate have all been nothing short of superb since making the move to Scotland. So, it seems a no-brainer for Celtic to bring in another exciting player from the same region.
Colin Munro became the third New Zealand player, after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, to hit a T20I century as the hosts flattened Bangladesh to wrap up the series in Mount Maunganui
The Report by Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:12
Isam: Munro’s big-hitting made the difference
Colin Munro’s marauding 52-ball hundred – his first in T20 internationals – powered New Zealand to a series win with a game to spare. Munro struck seven sixes and seven fours to lead the hosts to 195, which proved 47 too many for Bangladesh.New Zealand, though, had to deal with the anxiety of Luke Ronchi leaving the field in the eighth over of the chase because of a groin injury. He did not return, with rookie Tom Bruce taking the wicketkeeping gloves.Bangladesh threatened briefly with a rapid 68-run stand between Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman, but lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs to be dismissed for 148 in 18.1 overs.Bangladesh had started positively, though, after opting to bowl in Mount Maunganui. Their captain Mashrafe Mortaza struck with the first ball to remove Ronchi, before the spinners made further inroads to reduce New Zealand to 46 for 3 within six overs.Munro took charge and added 123 runs – a New Zealand record for the fourth wicket in T20Is – with Bruce, who helped himself to an unbeaten 59 off 39 balls, including five fours and a six.Munro signalled his intent with a blast down the ground off Mashrafe in the first over. Despite the loss of Ronchi, Williamson, and Corey Anderson, Munro went on a boundary-hitting spree. He hit Rubel Hossain for back-to-back fours in the second over and then launched offspinning allrounder Mosaddek Hossain for two sixes in the eighth over.Munro reached his fifty off 31 balls in the 11th over before hammering Shakib Al Hasan for a six over cover and four to long-on. He found excellent support from the newcomer Bruce, who rotated the strike well in addition to putting the bad balls away.Munro hit top gear when he nailed Mahmudullah behind square for two sixes in three balls in the 13th over. Mahmudullah eventually conceded 28 runs off that over as Munro zoomed from 64 to 92.He brought up his century with a quick single in the 16th over, becoming the third New Zealand batsman, after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, to score a T20I hundred.Tom Bruce struck his first T20I fifty in his second match•Getty Images
Munro was dismissed in the next over by Rubel, who proceeded to dismiss Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham. He also ran Mitchell Santner out and finished with impressive figures of 3 for 37.Bangladesh’s start strangely mirrored New Zealand’s. The visitors lost three early wickets before the fourth-wicket pair lent the innings some impetus. Imrul Kayes holed out in the first over, Tamim Iqbal fell to a horrible mix-up in the fourth, and Shakib chipped Ben Wheeler to cover-point, leaving his team at 36 for 3 in 4.1 overs. The early losses put additional pressure on Sarkar, who had managed only 1 and 0 in his last two innings.He regained form with a glance past fine leg and two sixes over long-on. He went on to hit Trent Boult for two fours in the 11th over before top-edging a pull to short fine leg. He had made 39 off 26 balls.Sabbir played some adventurous shots, including a scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head and a number of blasts over long-on, but sliced Ish Sodhi to long-off for 48. Sodhi then combined with Williamson to derail Bangladesh’s chase.Sabbir missed out on a fifty despite having batted so well with his three sixes, ranging from the scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head to big blasts over long-on.Ish Sodhi, who conceded 16 off his first over, removed Sabbir before taking the wickets of Mahmudullah and Mashrafe Mortaza as Bangladesh sunk fast in the chase.Mitchell Santner’s ripping catch at long-on to dismiss Mosaddek Hossain was another highlight in a game in which New Zealand ran into trouble twice, but bounced back strongly to wrap up the series.
Glasgow Rangers have made an excellent start to their transfer business and June is still in full swing. Michael Beale has signed four players already at Ibrox, luring Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, and Sam Lammers to Scotland, with surely more to come.
Indeed, the Gers are reportedly set to bid for striker Anastasios Douvikas while a move for Cremonese forward Cyriel Dessers is still in the works, despite the Gers facing competition for the player.
It isn’t just forwards that Beale is targeting either, with the Light Blues keen on making a move for Fenerbahce player Bright Osayi-Samuel during the summer transfer window according to Turkish outlet Fanatik (via Sport Witness).
The report states the Turkish club value him at €7m (£6m) and this figure could perhaps be problematic in terms of any potential move materialising.
Although deployed as a right-sided defender during his time in Turkey, Osayi-Samuel could also operate slightly further forward on the right wing and this is where Beale could potentially get the best out of him next season.
Could Bright Osayi-Samuel shine at Rangers?
With captain James Tavernier a mainstay at right-back, and new signing Dujon Sterling looked upon as a backup to the Englishman should he suffer an injury or require a rest, the Nigeria international would certainly be utilised much further forward than he was used to at times last term.
Tavernier scored 18 goals and registered ten assists across all competitions during 2022/23, underlining his attack qualities and he also created 13 big chances and made 2.9 key passes per game, however, adding in Osayi-Samuels into the mix slightly further forward than the captain could add another string to Beale’s bow.
During his final season with Queens Park Rangers, where he was usually deployed on the right of the midfield, the 25-year-old scored three goals and grabbed three assists while also creating four big chances and making one key pass per game.
Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier.
Although not quite as impressive as Tavernier’s numbers, this was only over 21 matches, meaning he could well have doubled these numbers had he remained with QPR for a full term.
Beale could certainly form a scary duo on the right-hand side with Tavernier and Osayi-Samuel, especially with their attacking qualities shining through over the previous few years.
Dubbed a “very tidy footballer” by reporter Oma Akatugba, it’s evident he could complement Tavernier well in the first team.
Another superb spell by Cecil Pervez helped Canada stave off USA’s lower order and retain the Auty Cup, as they secured a 17-run win in the second match at Woodley Park on Friday. Pervez followed up his 3 for 38 in the first match on Thursday with 3 for 42, including the key scalp of Akeem Dodson for 73.USA, who had won the toss earlier, got off to a shaky start in their chase of Canada’s 216, when they stumbled to 10 for 3 in four overs. Abdullah Syed was bowled for a golden duck by a Pervez inswinger in the first over, before Alex Amsterdam and captain Steven Taylor were both caught driving to Canada captain Nitish Kumar at backward point, off Satsimranjit Dhindsa.Dodson and opener Fahad Babar then put on a USA fourth-wicket record partnership of 127 – also USA’s best ever stand against Canada for any wicket – to dig the hosts out of a major hole. Dodson counterattacked early in his innings, exploiting the short straight boundary as he skipped down the track to loft offspinner Nikhil Dutta over long-on for six in the eighth over. He eventually brought up his fifty off 62 balls in the 25th over, while Babar brought up the same landmark off 79 balls in the 30th.Kumar rotated his spinners in an effort to slow down the scoring rate and build pressure. It had its desired effect by the 32nd, when Dodson offered his first chance on 54, drilling a return catch to Varun Sehdev that ricocheted off the bowler’s hand and had the crowd gasping as it nearly carried to the fielder charging in from the long-off boundary. Babar eventually cracked at the other end with two balls to go in the 36th, when he tried to guide Junaid Siddiqui’s legspin behind point but played on to his stumps instead. This opened the door to the rest of USA’s fragile middle order.Dodson offered another chance just two balls later, driving Dutta flat to long off, where substitute fielder Shehan Kamileen spilled the chance. Dutta plugged away and eventually got his first wicket later in the over as Nicholas Standford played around his pads to be trapped in front for a third-ball duck.With USA needing 64 off nine overs and Dodson still at the crease on 73, Kumar brought back Pervez for his second spell. The seamer struck with his fifth ball, getting one to jag back from outside off and bowl Dodson. It was the first of four wickets in consecutive overs, as keeper Hamza Tariq caught Timil Patel – down the leg side – off Dhindsa in the 43rd over, and Hammad Shahid off Pervez in the 44th. Dhindsa then induced a leading edge from Jessy Singh for the ninth wicket, to put Canada within one wicket of victory at 163 for 9 in the 45th.Elmore Hutchinson, the only other USA player to reach double figures, gave them hope briefly when he sandwiched a cut through point for four between two monstrous sixes over the sightscreen to take Pervez for 19 in the 46th over. Dhindsa followed that up with a sloppy over that included two wides and another four through point, to bring the equation down to 21 off 18 balls.A long Canadian team discussion ensued before Kumar gave the ball to left-arm spinner Salman Nazar, who had figures of 0 for 25 in four overs at that stage and hadn’t bowled since the 17th over. After three singles off the first five balls, Nazar ended the match with an arm ball to No. 11 Prashanth Nair, who tried to dab it past the keeper, expecting turn, but instead chopped it onto his stumps. Hutchinson was left stranded on 37.Earlier in the day, five Canadian batsmen crossed 20 but nobody reached 50. Dutta, promoted to No. 4 after making a second-ball duck on Thursday at No. 8, top-scored with 43. He came in after Hutchinson dismissed both openers inside the Powerplay, having Bhavindu Adhihetty caught slogging to mid-on for 14, and Srimantha Wijeratne edging a flick down the leg side for 18.Nitish Kumar made a brisk 32 at No. 3, before he was caught in the covers off Nair’s left-arm spin. Coming together at 74 for 3, Dutta and Sehdev then produced Canada’s best partnership of the day, putting on 53 for the fourth wicket, before legspinner Patel had Sehdev caught behind for 26. Nazar then spooned a catch to Taylor at midwicket in Patel’s next over before Dutta fell in the 37th, chopping onto his stumps off Shahid, who was USA’s most troublesome bowler on the day and finished with 1 for 28.Singh came back for a late spell after going wicketless with the new ball and won three lbw appeals to dismiss Hamza Tariq, and then Siddiqui and Dhindsa off consecutive balls. Canada were reduce to 197 for 9, but USA’s inability to polish off the tail for the second time cost them. No. 9 Dilon Heyliger crashed Singh’s hat-trick ball for six over long-off to start the 49th, and followed it with a four over midwicket and another towering six over long-off. He finished with a vital 31 off 17 balls that helped add 19 runs for the last wicket which eventually accounted for the winning margin.
Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte ahead of a summer move, according to an intriguing update journalist Rob Pratley.
Is Ugarte a transfer target for Chelsea?
The 22-year-old is a wanted man this summer, with a number of top European clubs interested in signing him. He has been a key figure for Sporting all season long, shining in defensive midfield and catching the eye with his tackling ability and maturity beyond his years.
Chelsea are one of the clubs in the conversation when it comes to snapping up Ugarte, but the likes of Paris Saint-Germin and Liverpool have also been linked. The Uruguayan is arguably seen as one of Europe's top young prospects in his position, and while his current Sporting deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, he may jump at the opportunity for a fresh challenge at a bigger club.
Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Has Ugarte agreed personal terms with Chelsea?
Taking to Twitter, Pratley claimed that personal terms have now actually been agreed between Chelsea and Ugarte, acting as a potential boost in their quest to snap him up, although an issue surrounding his termination clause could be a potential problem:
"I understand further to this that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Ugarte and his agent over personal terms. The remaining point is deal structure as CFC reluctant to trigger termination clause in one payment and would prefer a staggered deal."
This is certainly an encouraging update regarding Ugarte, who looks like such a massive talent, having been lauded for his "great timing, anticipation & positioning" and "superb ability to read the game" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. He is already an eight-cap Uruguay international, and it would be a big surprise if he didn't significantly add to that tally as his career progresses.
The £16,000-a-week midfielder averaged 4.8 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the Champions League in 2022/23, showing what a tenacious presence he is out of possession. That could be perfect in a Chelsea midfield that needs an injection of youth in it, considering N'Golo Kante is now 32 years of age, and Mateo Kovacic is 29.
The biggest issue could be if Ugarte wants to be playing European football next season – something that PSG could guarantee, for example, among other clubs – with Chelsea's dreadful performance in the Premier League meaning that they will only have domestic action to focus on in 2023/24.
David Saker has been named as Australia’s new full-time assistant coach, taking over the role vacated by Craig McDermott earlier this year. Saker, who served as England’s bowling coach from 2010 to 2015, is also expected to step in as Australia’s acting head coach at some point next year to give Darren Lehmann a break, as occurred when Justin Langer stood in during the recent tri-series in the Caribbean.Saker’s appointment means Victoria will now be searching for a new head coach, after he took Victoria to the Sheffield Shield title in 2015-16, his only season in the role. South African great Allan Donald is acting as Australia’s bowling coach during the tour of Sri Lanka, which has just begun, and Saker will take over in time for the one-day tour of South Africa in September-October.”David’s experience working around the world with international teams will be invaluable, especially as we work toward the upcoming Indian Test series and the Ashes,” Lehmann said. “His technical expertise in all facets of the game is a real bonus and very important when working with the young group we have.”We spoke with a lot of people about this role and really took our time deciding what direction we wanted to go. David’s appointment gives us good clarity in our senior coaching group. What impressed me most about David was his vision of where he is heading as a coach and also where he wants to take our young group of bowlers and players.”He and I have always had robust discussions about the good of Australian cricket, he is passionate and I appreciate that. I love his attitude and he will bring great energy to our group.”Those “robust discussions” might have taken place behind closed doors, but spilled into the public arena on a couple of occasions last year. In October, Saker said he believed Victoria fast bowler James Pattinson was not yet ready for a return to Test cricket, which prompted Lehmann to suggest that: “David Saker should concentrate on coaching Victoria and leave us to pick the side for Australia”.Later in the summer, Saker said during a radio interview that it was “ridiculous” that the selectors had chosen Nathan Coulter-Nile in the squad for the Hobart Test against West Indies, when he had not played a first-class match since the previous season. But now, Saker will find himself working within the Australian camp.”David has had proven success with Victoria in the short time he has held the role, as well as success on the international stage, and that was a key part of the recruitment process,” Pat Howard, the Cricket Australia general manager of team performance, said.”It’s a testament to the success of our coaching pathway program in Australia, that Justin Langer and David have been elevated from within the system to senior roles in the Australian cricket team. The fact that David has been a head coach previously, also gives us an option should Darren be absent or need a break from touring. We anticipate he will lead the Australian team at some stage during 2017.”Saker, 50, played 72 first-class matches for Tasmania and Victoria during the 1990s and 2000s, taking 247 wickets at 30.10. As England’s bowling coach, he was part of one of the country’s most successful eras, during which they won their first Ashes series in Australia for 24 years, and collected the World T20 trophy in 2010.”The opportunity to work with Australia’s best cricketers and coaches is one that I simply couldn’t pass up and I am incredibly excited,” Saker said. “With two day-night Tests against South Africa and Pakistan this summer, it’s a great time to enter the Australian set-up.”Having reflected on the role and spoken to my family, I feel that it is the next logical career step for me and that I can add more value at the national level, particularly next year with the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK and when England tour for the 2017-18 Ashes.”I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past year with the Bushrangers and will miss the squad, especially as we managed to retain the Sheffield Shield. I have no doubt I’ll still be regular contact with many of the players I’ve coached when they play at the national level.”