Category Uncategorized

The four-team tournament comes after last year’s initial red-ball edition with two-day games

Mohammad Isam14-Dec-2024The Women’s Bangladesh Cricket League (WBCL), the country’s first three-day competition for women, will begin at two venues in Rajshahi on December 21. The BCB has organised the tournament to set in motion the process to build its first Test side, although the board is yet to put a timeline in place.”We have to be ready in red-ball cricket,” head of women’s cricket at BCB, Habibul Bashar, said. “Most of our female cricketers haven’t seen the red ball at all. It is all about white-ball cricket for them, as all our domestic cricket is with the white ball. They have only played two red-ball games, maybe. We will apply for first-class status as we have all that’s needed for this type of cricket.”The tournament is going to be played between four teams, grouped by the regions – North, South, East and West. Nigar Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan and Sobhana Mostary have been named captains of the four sides.”It is a very good initiative from the BCB,” Bashar said. “The challenge was to start it, so we got a bit of time this month. We have the West Indies tour coming up. We needed to start the tournament. We won’t have time until June next year.”Bashar said that the plan was to give the Bangladesh players bound for the West Indies next month enough time, so four matches will be held in December. The rest of the tournament will be played in January.Bangladesh received the Full Member status in women’s cricket in 2021 alongside Afghanistan (which doesn’t have a women’s national team) and Zimbabwe, and this is the second edition of the WBCL, which was played in a two-day format in 2023. Of the countries that have women’s multi-day cricket, there’s the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy in India, while Australia have recently begun three-day trial games for their red-ball team.

The Canada international showed just why the north London side forked out £1 million for her services this summer with an outstanding Emirates bow

For a while on Saturday, London City Lionesses looked like they were about to make the sort of statement they'd have dreamed of when the Women's Super League fixtures were announced back in July. The newly-promoted side have not been shy about their ambitions for this year, setting a new world-record for a transfer fee in the women's game just two days ago, and the reasons for that internal belief were shown to the outside world when they went 1-0 up away at Arsenal, at the Emirates Stadium, in their first-ever game in the top-flight.

The Gunners, though, made their own splash in this summer's transfer window, and it was fitting, really, that it was the electricity of Olivia Smith who sparked them into life in a 4-1 comeback win.

Arsenal made Smith the first million-pound women's player back in July and she showed her new fans that she was more than fitting of such a fee here, producing a sublime solo strike to get the Gunners back on level terms midway through the first half. Renee Slegers' side had started surprisingly slowly and London City took early advantage, with Katie Reid's foul on Kosovare Asllani allowing them to go ahead from the penalty spot. However, the game changed completely once Smith found the back of the net.

From there, Arsenal looked more like Arsenal. Chances came for Smith, Victoria Pelova, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo before the latter teed up Kelly on the stroke of half-time for what was a deserved goal.

While the Gunners were unable to add to their lead, there would still be precarious moments, with Daphne van Domselaar sure to have had her heart in her mouth as Rofiat Imuran's cross drifted over her head and hit the woodwork. But Arsenal deserved to win and that they did, with Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum both scoring from the bench to ensure they started the new season with three points as they look to really challenge a dominant Chelsea for the title this time around.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):

  Had very little to do in terms of saves. Commanded her area well, though.

  Emily Fox (7/10):

  Caused problems when she drifted into central areas, able to pick out passes that put the opponent on the back foot, and was solid at the back despite Imuran looking lively down London City's left.

  Katie Reid (7/10):

  A shame she gave away the penalty with a rash challenge because there was so much to like about her performance away from that. Showed what a good defender she is otherwise in a surprise start.

  Steph Catley (7/10):

  A solid performance in which she did very little wrong. Great on the ball, as per.

  Katie McCabe (6/10):

  Surprisingly quiet in an attacking sense but honoured her defensive duties well.

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• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Kim Little (7/10):

  Oozed class all afternoon, showing her wonderful intelligence in possession in particular.

  Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

  Couldn't really make her mark on the game, which was a surprise given how outstanding she has been over the last 12 months.

  Victoria Pelova (6/10):

  Made good runs and picked up good positions as she continues to work her way back to her best after an ACL injury. Unlucky not to score when she watched Kumagai clear her effort off the line.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Olivia Smith (8/10):

  Arsenal's liveliest player throughout. Scored a special equaliser and always looked capable of making something else like that happen when she picked up the ball.

  Alessia Russo (8/10):

  Lacked service herself but created so much for others, showcasing that side of her game brilliantly in a fantastic display.

  Chloe Kelly (7/10):

  Grew into the game and had a few looks at goal as she did, eventually getting on the scoresheet to put Arsenal ahead.

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  Subs & Manager

  Frida Maanum (6/10):

  Wrapped things up late on with an opportunistic header, despite struggling to get really involved until that point.

  Caitlin Foord (6/10):

  Had a tough act to follow in replacing Smith but brought plenty of energy to the pitch and caused all sorts of problems down the left.

  Beth Mead (7/10):

  Didn't have long to make an impact but she sure did, providing two late assists as Arsenal wrapped up victory.

  Stina Blackstenius (6/10):

  Showcased her poaching instincts with her finish just six minutes after entering the game.

  Taylor Hinds (N/A):

  Replaced McCabe in the final minutes for her second debut at the club, having returned on a free transfer earlier this summer.

  Renee Slegers (7/10):

  Made a big call in starting Reid ahead of Wubben-Moy but, despite the penalty incident, it paid off, as the teenager was solid as a rock. Substitutions ensured her team kept their foot on the gas and made it the comfortable win they deserved.

Kishan slammed a 126-ball 111 on his proper comeback to red-ball cricket since making his Test debut last July

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-2024

File photo: Ishan Kishan hit 14 fours and three sixes•Getty Images

Ishan Kishan marked his return to first-class cricket with a counterattacking 126-ball 111 that helped India C dominate proceedings on the opening day of the second round of matches in the Duleep Trophy, in Anantapur.Not originally part of the revised squads named by the BCCI on September 10, Kishan was a late inclusion on match-eve. Having made a late dash from Bengaluru, 200 kilometers away, Kishan slotted in for India C, not India D who he was originally set to play for, before picking up a groin injury that forced him to miss the first round of matches last week.Kishan dominated during the course of a 189-run stand for the third wicket with B Indrajith, which formed the bedrock of India C’s batting performance; they ended on 357 for 5 after 79 overs. Indrajith contributed 78, his second half-century in three innings.Kishan, who brought up his seventh first-class century, hit 14 fours and three sixes in all during his knock, which officially marks his comeback to proper red-ball cricket for the first time since his Test debut in the Caribbean in July 2023.Last month, he had led Jharkhand in two games of the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Tamil Nadu – the scores of which aren’t classified under first-class records. There, Kishan had struck a hundred in his very first outing against a Madhya Pradesh XI.Three of the five India C wickets were picked up by seamer Mukesh Kumar, while Navdeep Saini and legspinner Rahul Chahar picked up one apiece.India C, however, will be encouraged by the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad, their captain, who had retired hurt in the very first over after twisting his ankle. Gaikwad, who returned to bat at the fall of Indrajith’s wicket, added 42 more to his score to remain unbeaten on 46 at stumps.B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar, both seeking to firmly cement themselves as first back-up middle order picks, couldn’t build on strong starts, making 43 and 40 respectively.

Birmingham City now want to sign an “outstanding” midfielder with experience at the highest level on a free transfer this summer, according to a recent report.

In preparation for their season back in the Championship, the Blues have been busy in the transfer market, adding nine new players to Chris Davies’ squad, with Kyogo Furuhashi their most expensive capture to date.

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However, their business appears to be far from finished as they remain interested in signing Kieran Dowell from Rangers. The attacking midfielder spent last season on loan at St Andrews, and the Blues are said to be keen on striking a permanent transfer. However, they face a fresh problem, and that is Rangers boss Russell Martin has been using Dowell in pre-season, after it was expected that he would be surplus to requirements on his return to Ibrox.

As they continue to look into a deal for Dowell, Birmingham are also interested in signing attacker Hwang Hee-Chan from Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. It is reported that Hwang is considered a top target, given his experience in the Premier League.

However, the £14 million fee Wolves would want plus the player’s wages mean a deal may be hard, and the Championship side are now turning their attention to alternative targets.

Champions League winner could join Blues in free signing

According to EFL Analysis, Birmingham City are among the teams from the EFL who are interested in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old, who has been capped 35 times by England, is leaving Turkish giants Besiktas, as they have decided to agree to a settlement on the final year of his contract. Oxlade-Chamberlain is now expected to head back to the UK, as he is in talks with a number of clubs over a possible transfer.

As well as Birmingham, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United, Coventry City, Stoke City and former club Southampton have been made aware of his situation. North of the border, Rangers are also interested in a deal and are considering making an approach.

Apps

18

Starts

14

Goals

1

Touches per game

34.7

Passes per game (accuracy)

23.2 (85%)

Key passes per game

0.1

Interceptions per game

0.3

Tackles per game

0.9

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who won the Champions League back in 2019 with Liverpool, has been with Besiktas for two seasons, during which he has struggled for regular game time in the Süper Lig. He has played 38 games in total across the two league seasons and has scored a combined five goals.

His time in England was more successful, as he scored 20 goals in 235 Premier League games, and while he wasn’t always a regular at Liverpool, former boss Jürgen Klopp labelled the England international an “outstanding” player.

Klopp said: “Ox is an outstanding player, an outstanding player, was always and will always be.”

England batter steps up senior status with first leadership role since Under-19 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2024Harry Brook has been handed his first taste of captaincy since his England Under-19 days, after taking over from Wayne Parnell at Northern Superchargers for this year’s men’s Hundred.The appointment is a significant step up for Brook, 25, who is seen as a potential successor to Jos Buttler as England’s white-ball captain, in the wake of their disappointing World Cup defences across 50 and 20 overs in recent months.His prior captaincy experience included leading the Under-19 team in their World Cup campaign in New Zealand in 2018, but he has been given the chance to lead Superchargers by their incoming head coach, Andrew Flintoff, who has been working with the England white-ball team in an assistant capacity in recent months.”It’s an honour to captain Northern Superchargers, and I’m really excited for it,” Brook said. “It’s always special to play at Headingley and to represent the area, and to do that as captain in the Hundred this year will be extra special.”Brook played one of the greatest innings in Hundred history in his most recent appearance for Superchargers, against Welsh Fire at Headingley last August, an unbeaten 102 from 42 balls out of a total of 158, which helped to make his case for inclusion in the 50-over World Cup squad.The Superchargers squad includes England Test captain Ben Stokes, as well as West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran and two of Brook’s team-mates from the recent World Cup campaigns, Adil Rashid and Reece Topley. It was recently reinforced by the signing of former England opener Jason Roy, who takes over from the suspended Brydon Carse.”I really like the look of the squad we’ve formed, and I think there’s a lot to be excited about,” Brook said. “I can’t wait to work with Freddie and the rest of the group and hopefully it’ll be a year to remember.”In the women’s team, Hollie Armitage will continue as captain, alongside head coach Dani Hazell, after finishing the 2023 campaign as runners-up to Southern Brave.

Everton have been strongly linked with a move for Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker, but another Premier League player is also seen as an option.

Everton make contact over Walker signing

The Blues are looking to seal the high-profile signing of Walker this summer, with the 35-year-old allowed to leave City after a legendary stint there that has seen him win six Premier League titles.

Walker may not be the player of old, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t still have plenty to offer, and Everton would see him as an upgrade on the departing Ashley Young, as well as a player with a winning mentality and a huge amount of experience at the top level.

The fact that David Moyes has reportedly approved the transfer can only be a good thing, too, with the manager needing to have a big say in any transfer business that happens at the club this summer.

For now, it looks as though Walker may complete a move to Everton, even though there is also interest from other clubs, but different targets also need to be looked at in case the move doesn’t happen. Now, a new name has now been thrown into the hat as a potential addition for the Merseysiders.

Everton eyeing "underappreciated" Walker alternative

According to The Guardian‘s Jamie Jackson and Will Unwin, Everton are also interested in signing Fulham right-back Kenny Tete, should they decide not to strike a deal with Walker.

The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of this month, with his deal at Craven Cottage expiring, and he is mentioned as an option for the Blues, as are West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal and Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters.

Tete, a 14-cap Netherlands international, may not be as renowned or as explosive a player as Walker, but he is six years younger and could be an astute signing by Everton, having been lauded by pundit Robbie Mustoe for his “unsung” style of play.

“I just love the way they defend as well. Kenny Tete I think is often another one who is underappreciated. He doesn’t half do a good job, he’s a good defender, steady on the ball, I think he’s a fan favourite and he was missed last year, I think it was last year that he was out for a while. I just made a quick note about him, he was one of those unsung guys at a club that is really important to the way they defend.”

Tete vs. Walker in the Premier League in 2024/25

Tete

Walker

Appearances

22

15

Starts

21

9

Minutes played

1779

967

Clearances per game

2.8

0.7

Tackles per game

2.5

1.1

Interceptions per game

1.5

0.2

Aerial duel wins per game

1.2

0.6

Goals

0

0

Assists

2

0

Tete has always been a steady performer for Fulham, averaging 2.8 clearances and 2.5 tackles per game in the Premier League last season, and he could be a solid addition for Everton.

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Burnley didn’t blow anyone away in attack during their recent promotion-winning feat out of the Championship as their rock-solid defence instead stole all the plaudits.

That is understandable considering the Clarets only leaked a seriously impressive 16 goals all season long, but only 69 goals would actually be scored by Scott Parker’s men on the flip side.

To add context, Leeds United were crowned champions ahead of Burnley purely because of their heftier goal difference, helped by their mammoth 95 strikes.

Therefore, upon their re-entry into the top division, Burnley could be on the hunt for a new, potent attacker to call their own, with Parker praying he can uncover his next Aleksandar Mitrovic in the process, having worked alongside the lethal Serbian at previous employers Fulham.

Mitrovic's potency under Scott Parker

Mitrovic is the very definition of a modern-day legend at the Cottagers, having ended his 206-game association with the West London side by bagging a ridiculous 111 strikes.

30 of those would come under the bumpy reign of Parker, before the now Al-Hilal attacker became an even more ice-cold finisher of chances when Marco Silva took on the managerial reins after the 44-year-old’s dismissal.

Still, the deadly 30-year-old first kicked on donning Fulham white under the guidance of Parker with the Clarets boss arguably also playing a key part in Dominic Solanke’s development at AFC Bournemouth prior to his major switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

Off the back of this, Burnley could be tempted to go after an experienced striker to lead the line next season, knowing he has been as clinical as Mitrovic when previously performing at the peak of his powers.

Parker could sign his new Mitrovic

Most of the chatter involving Burnley this summer has honed in on the alarming amount of potential outgoings as both Maxime Esteve and Josh Brownhill reportedly continue to be eyed up by higher up suitors.

Thankfully, rumours involving who they could add to their promotion-winning squad are also now coming to the surface, with former hero Danny Ings being lined up for a stunning Turf Moor return.

Before the “phenomenal” veteran – as he’s been previously labelled by pundit Noel Whelan – would go on to cement himself as a Premier League distinguished striker for the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton, the 32-year-old first burst onto the scene as a dangerous goal machine in Lancashire.

After ripping up the Championship with Burnley by firing home 21 goals – much like Mitrovic had shown on the books of Fulham – Ings would get his first big break in the Premier League with the Clarets during the 2014/15 season, with a temptation surely on the ageing attacker’s end now to return to his ex-side shortly to try and recapture his frightening best and help Parker’s underdogs beat the drop.

24/25

West Ham

15

1

2

23/24

West Ham

20

1

1

22/23

West Ham

17

2

2

22/23

Aston Villa

18

6

0

21/22

Aston Villa

30

7

6

20/21

Southampton

29

12

4

19/20

Southampton

38

22

2

18/19

Southampton

24

7

3

17/18

Liverpool

8

1

0

15/16

Liverpool

6

2

0

14/15

Burnley

35

11

4

As can be seen looking at the table above, when Ings isn’t in and out of the treatment room with injuries, he is a reliable goalscorer at Premier League level which is what Burnley are crying out for after a mediocre campaign in front of goal in the league below.

It will all just rest on whether Ings can break free of his recurring injury issues, but with Parker’s track record with Mitrovic, he could well be an ideal figure for the 32-year-old to shine under.

The nervous Clarets will also be able to land their ex-number ten on a free transfer, meaning it could go down as a very shrewd deal if he rolls back the years on his return.

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Newcastle United’s fantastic second half of the season ensured they will return to the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign. Eddie Howe’s magnificent Magpies came fifth in the Premier League and managed to cling onto that final Champions League spot despite defeat on the last day of the season at home to Everton.

Since Boxing Day, the North Eastern giants looked like strong contenders for a top-five finish. They were fifth in the league just one day after Christmas, and never really looked like dropping out of that race in 2025.

With a huge season ahead, it will be an important few months for Newcastle to build a squad worthy of competing with Europe’s elite. Already, they have been linked with some elite-level players.

Newcastle’s latest summer targets

There is a report from one Spanish news outlet that links the Magpies to four players this summer. One of those includes Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo, who could be available for as little as £67m. Former Manchester City winger Ferran Torres, now at Barcelona, is also linked.

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However, one of the most concrete links for Newcastle right now comes from CaughtOffside. They suggest that the North East side are targeting a move for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lee Kang-in. They are thought to be one side who have ‘made contact’ for the South Korean attacker.

The key phrase there is one of, because the Magpies are set to fight seven other sides across Europe. They include Spanish side Atletico Madrid and Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

Interestingly, the Gunners were linked with Lee by The Athletic back in January, who reported his transfer fee as £36m, double what the French side paid for him. Perhaps it will be a similar fee this summer, too.

Why Lee would be a good signing

It has perhaps been a slightly frustrating season for Lee in the French capital. He has struggled for regular opportunities, given he is fighting to break into an attack that includes Ousmane Dembele, Desiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

He has played 30 games in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering the same number of assists. Crucially, Lee has played just 1667 minutes in the top flight of France, the equivalent of just 18 full games. 12 goals and assists in 18 games is a superb return.

One of the standout features about Lee’s game is his versatility. Luis Enrique has been able to rely on him in numerous positions this season. He has played 13 times as a right-winger, 12 times as a number ten, six games as a centre-forward and even once at right-back.

If the Magpies did sign Lee this summer, they would surely hope he could have the same impact at St James’ Park that their last midfield signing from Ligue 1 has done.

Bruno Guimaraes has been a revelation in midfield since his £30m move from Olympique Lyon in 2022.

He has amassed an impressive 154 appearances in that famous black and white shirt, scoring 22 goals and registering 24 assists in that time.

At the start of his time in the North East, he said he had ambitions of becoming a “legend” at the club. After helping to deliver the Carabao Cup this season, he may well have reached that level.

Interestingly, talent scout Jacek Kulig said he believes Lee can become a “future legend” of football, further drawing parallels between the pair. If he can have any sort of similar impact on the club as Guimaraes, it would have been a successful transfer.

There are some standout underlying stats on FBref for Lee, which indicate he could become a key player for Newcastle. For example, he averages 7.69 progressive passes and 5.19 shot-creating actions per game, which rank him in the top 3% and 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, respectively.

Goals and assists

0.51

96th

Key passes

3.08

99th

Progressive

7.69

97th

Shot-creating actions

5.19

99th

Progressive carries

2.91

96th

Take-ons completed

1.56

97th

The last time Newcastle bought a midfielder from Ligue 1, it turned out to be one of the best signings they have made in recent memory. They will surely hope that, if Lee joins, he can be the second coming of Guimaraes in terms of impact on the club.

At just £36m, this could be the bargain of the summer for the Magpies, if Howe and co can get this deal over the line.

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The two came together at KKR in the IPL some years ago, and Brendon McCullum played his part in shaping the Shubman Gill that’s been the star of the England vs India series so far

Matt Roller09-Jul-20251:45

Monga: Gill set the example for India’s batting success at Edgbaston

“A saying that I’ve used throughout my career is that, ‘If you can’t change a man, change the man’,” Brendon McCullum said, chewing over a defeat in the eerie setting of a massive empty stadium in Ahmedabad during IPL 2021. “We’ll probably have to make some changes and try and bring in some fresh personnel who will hopefully take the game on a bit more.”McCullum’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had just been thrashed by Delhi Capitals, and his frustrations focused on their top-order batters. “You’re not always going to be able to hit every ball for four or six, but you can have the intent to do so,” he said. “It’s very difficult if you don’t play shots to score runs, and unfortunately tonight, we didn’t play enough shots.”Both openers were in the firing line: Nitish Rana made 15 off 12 balls, but Shubman Gill’s 43 off 38 was particularly painstaking. After striking at 117.85 across the first seven games of the season, Gill was widely assumed to be the opener who would make way – until the second Covid-19 wave worsened, pausing the IPL season for five months.Related

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“There was a clear disconnect between the style of play the management wanted and what was being produced on the field in the first half of that season,” recalls one insider. McCullum and his captain Eoin Morgan made a point of giving their players free licence to play their shots, but they had overseen two wins in seven games when the league was suspended.But when it resumed in the UAE, both players kept hold of their spots. Rana was pushed down into the middle order, with Venkatesh Iyer making his debut as Gill’s opening partner, and his form – 370 runs in ten innings – was a major factor in KKR’s resurgence, winning five of their last seven group matches and eventually falling just short in the final.McCullum had been an early advocate of Gill, adding him to KKR’s leadership group as a 20-year-old; Dinesh Karthik, Morgan’s predecessor as captain, recalled on the Sky Cricket podcast this week that Gill had been sufficiently headstrong to tell him, “DK , I think it’s time I can open now,” after a run in the middle order.Brendon McCullum was Shubman Gill’s coach at KKR during IPL 2021•BCCIThe trouble was, ahead of the 2022 mega auction, KKR could only retain a maximum of four players. Keeping hold of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy was a no-brainer; for the fourth spot, KKR decided Iyer was their man. “It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill,” McCullum said before the auction. “But that’s the way life is sometimes.”Gill became one of the first signings for Gujarat Titans, where he has become an IPL superstar. He won the title in 2022, the Orange Cap in 2023, and became captain last year. A KKR official told ESPNcricinfo that Gill did not actively agitate for a move, and that his release owed simply to a familiar situation where the franchise wanted to retain more players than was permitted.He has rarely addressed his change of franchise publicly beyond a light-hearted comment last year. Gill was filming promotional content with British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and Indian comedian Tanmay Bhat when Sheeran mentioned his dinner plans with Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner. “Ask him why they did not retain me,” Gill said, before bursting out laughing.McCullum only had one more season with KKR, leaving to take up the England job after the franchise missed out on the playoffs in 2022. Gill has come up against him in eight Tests and three ODIs since, and McCullum has watched the player that he helped shape consistently prove himself to be a thorn in England’s side.Gill scored 430 runs in the Birmingham Test•Getty ImagesEighteen months ago, Gill scored hundreds in Visakhapatnam and Dharamsala in India’s 4-1 series win, averaging 56.50 and winding England’s bowlers up. “I said something to him like, ‘Do you get any runs outside India?’ and he said, ‘It’s time [for you] to retire,'” James Anderson recalled; a few weeks later, McCullum told Anderson that England were moving on from him.Anderson’s comment hinted at the popular perception of Gill as a home-track bully, and before the current England tour, he averaged just 27.53 outside of India. But he has been faultless over the first two Tests, with 585 runs in four innings: “Shubman Gill was batting at an elite level,” McCullum said after his 430-run match in Birmingham last week.As captain, Gill has worked closely with two coaches who are very different to McCullum in Ashish Nehra and Gautam Gambhir. There have been small hints of McCullum’s influence when he has spoken about leadership, and his focus on “making players feel secure” in their positions with consistent selection, but he is proving to be his own man.England will have to find a way to combat him this week – not that Ben Stokes was giving much away on Wednesday. “Very good players are allowed to play well, and he has played very well in the first two games,” Stokes said. McCullum knows that all too well: now, his challenge is to cut the monster he helped create back down to size.

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