Fulham manager Martin Jol celebrated the performance of his side, after their 1-0 Premier League win over Tottenham.
Ex-Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov netted the only goal of the game after 52 minutes to give the Cottagers a memorable victory against their London rivals at White Hart Lane.
The result lifts Fulham into the top half of the table, with their tally of 36 points all but guaranteeing another season in the top flight.
Jol was happy with his players’ performances and the result:
“It was a great win, that’s exactly what we needed. Especially being at White Hart Lane, to get a win is fantastic,” he told Sky Sports.
“It was a collective thing. In the first half we restricted them and in the second half we played ever so well and should have scored a second goal.
“Twice Jermain [Defoe] had shots and the save [from Schwarzer] was incredible.”
The Dutchman went on to praise his team for their efforts since the turn of the year:
“Since the first of January we have had four wins, three draws and two defeats to the two Manchester clubs.
“We are doing well and the top 10, that is good.”
Fulham are now nine points clear of the relegation zone, with their recent form appearing to have evaporated rumours that they could be sucked into a scrap for survival.
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The Cottagers face a trip to QPR next time out, before hosting Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Andy Carroll has only made 12 Premier League appearances during what has been a frustrating 2017-18 campaign for the West Ham United forward.
Carroll missed the beginning of the season with a groin problem, and has been on the sidelines since the start of 2018 with an ankle injury.
It is thought that the centre-forward, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, could return to action later this month, which would be a welcome boost for a West Ham team that are not yet safe from the drop.
Carroll has managed 32 goals and 18 assists in his 128 West Ham appearances since joining the London club from Liverpool.
He actually scored seven times in 18 Premier League appearances last term, but has managed just two league goals this season, and cannot seem to stay fit.
The West Ham supporters have been debating the future of the 29-year-old, and it would be fair to say that many want the striker, who was linked with Chelsea during the January transfer window, to be sold at the end of the season.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Mesut Ozil doesn’t do much to help his case. Gunners fans have tried their hardest to stand up for their £42.5m man, but his anonymous performances, failure to live up to his vast price tag and lack of effort have made the task tough And now Ozil has gone and made things even more difficult, with reports from the Daily Mail stating that he was pictured in a Berlin nightclub just hours after ducking out of the London club’s weekend game against Newcastle.
The German was given permission to link up with his international squad early due to suffering from a cold, yet that didn’t keep him in with a Lemsip! In many lines of work people have pulled to odd sickie, but football isn’t just a normal job, however, Ozil is to alone when it comes to woeful excuses!
I fell, honest!
We all saw you bite him, Luis! This excuse was mental – “I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent, “At that moment I hit my face against the player, leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth,”
50 shades of grey…
A 3-0 loss to an average Southampton team brought this amazing excuse from Fergie, who blamed their grey away kit – “The players don’t like the grey strip. They find it difficult to pick each other out. We had to change the strip,”
Chef Wenger
Spurs blamed a poorly cooked lasagne for loss at the hands of West Ham on the final day of the 2005/06 Premier League season, which denied them a Champions League spot. Ten players went down with a stomach bug having eaten at the Marriott hotel in West India Quay the night before.
Thriller!
Fulham’s old owner Mohamed Al Fayed blamed the Cottagers’ relegation to the Championship in 2014 on the decision made by new owner Shahid Khan to remove a ‘lucky’ statue of pop sensation Michael Jackson from outside Craven Cottage. – “This statue was a charm and we removed the luck from the club and now we have to pay the price.”
The Sirens of Selhurst Park
Okay, we’ll let them off! Palace fans claimed that when their side were in the Championship players were distracted by the cheerleader squad.
Grandma, we love you
“I decided at that stage that I must tell the truth and admit I had told lies, I realise now that it was a massive mistake to say my grandmothers had died and I deeply regret it. It was wrong and I sincerely apologise as I have caused a lot of problems for many people. I would like to apologise to my grandmothers and all my family. I have learnt a valuable lesson from this mess and hope those I have hurt will forgive me.”
Stephen Ireland dodged international duty by claiming that his grandmother had died… journalists then discovered she had not, to which Ireland responded by saying it was his other nan… who was also alive! But what do you expect from a bloke who drives a car like this!
Have his cake and eat it…
Yaya Toure allegedly wanted out of Man City last summer after the club forgot to celebrate his birthday and there was no cake! Shocking!
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While the first legs of the Champions League have commenced this week, it is now the time for the Europa League to reconvene as we enter the knock out stages good and proper. English hopes rest with Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, who will all be looking to take comfortable leads going into their second legs next week.
The good people of UEFA have culminated a list of 20 facts ahead of the last 32 showdowns for your viewing pleasure:
1. The round of 32 participants come from 16 countries, with representation split as follows:
4 clubs – England, Germany
3 clubs – Italy, Russia, Ukraine
2 clubs – Czech Republic, France, Romania, Spain
1 club – Belarus, Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey
2. Four of the seven countries with just one participant are represented by clubs that transferred from the UEFA Champions League: FC BATE Borisov (Belarus), Olympiacos FC (Greece), AFC Ajax (Netherlands) and SL Benfica (Portugal).
3. Twelve clubs are competing in the UEFA Europa League knockout phase for the first time – Chelsea FC, CFR 1907 Cluj, Newcastle United FC, FC Anji Makhachkala, Levante UD, FC Internazionale Milano, VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, KRC Genk, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Olympique Lyonnais and Tottenham Hotspur FC.
4. Chelsea, the UEFA Champions League holders, are the only one of the 32 participating teams who have never previously competed in the UEFA Europa League. Of the other 31 participants, only one side has played fewer than six UEFA Europa League matches – Olympiacos with four.
5. Chelsea are joined in the field by five other previous winners of the European Cup – Inter, Liverpool FC, Benfica, Ajax and FC Steaua Bucureşti. Ajax and Steaua meet in the last 32.
6. UEFA Europa League holders Club Atlético de Madrid are one of seven other clubs in the last 32 who have won a major UEFA club competition title. They are joined by FC Zenit St Petersburg, FC Dynamo Kyiv, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Mönchengladbach, S.S. Lazio, Tottenham and SSC Napoli. Newcastle won the non-UEFA-backed Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
7. There are six reigning domestic champions competing in the round of 32 – BATE (Belarus), CFR Cluj (Romania), Olympiacos (Greece), Zenit (Russia), Ajax (Netherlands) and FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland).
8. The field includes eight teams that hold the record for domestic league titles in their homeland – BATE (Belarus), Fenerbahçe SK (Turkey, shared), Olympiacos (Greece), Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine), Benfica (Portugal), Ajax (Netherlands), Steaua (Romania) and AC Sparta Praha (Czech Republic).
9. Of the seven clubs that entered the UEFA Europa League group stage, six made it through to the knockout phase – Tottenham, Lyon, Leverkusen, Napoli, FC Rubin Kazan and holders Atlético. The only ones to suffer group stage elimination were A. Académica de Coimbra.
10. Including qualifying and play-off fixtures, the clubs who have required most games in Europe this season to reach the last 32 are BATE, Basel, Anji and FC Viktoria Plzeň, each with 12.
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11. Anji and Plzeň are the UEFA Europa League’s longest survivors this season, having entered in the second qualifying round. BATE and Basel began their European campaigns at the equivalent stage of the UEFA Champions League.
12. Eleven of the teams in the round of 32 began their European season in the UEFA Champions League – the eight teams that transferred over after the group stage plus Mönchengladbach, Basel and Fenerbahçe, who switched competition after the play-offs.
13. Ajax and Rubin are making their fourth successive appearances in the round of 32. The only other surviving participants that have appeared in all four editions of the UEFA Europa League are Atlético and Steaua.
14. Ajax will be especially keen to reach the final as it is staged in their own Amsterdam ArenA. Should they do so, they will become the first club to appear on home turf in a UEFA Europa League final. Two clubs managed the feat in a one-off UEFA Cup final, Feyenoord defeating Borussia Dortmund in Rotterdam in 2002 and Sporting Clube de Portugal losing to PFC CSKA Moskva in Lisbon in 2005.
15. Diego Simeone (Atlético) and André Villas-Boas (Tottenham) are bidding to become the first coach to win the UEFA Europa League twice, Simeone having captured it with Atlético in 2011/12 and Villas-Boas with FC Porto in 2010/11.
16. Also still involved in the round of 32 are UEFA Cup-winning coaches Juande Ramos (Dnipro), who won the competition back-to-back with Sevilla FC (2006 and 2007), and Chelsea’s Rafael Benítez (with Valencia CF in 2004). Genk’s Mario Been was an assistant coach in Feyenoord’s 2002 win.
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17. Only two coaches involved in the round of 32 have lifted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup – Anji’s Guus Hiddink, a winner with PSV Eindhoven in 1988, and Benítez with Liverpool in 2005. Additionally, Villas-Boas was the Chelsea coach for part of their triumphant 2011/12 UEFA Champions League campaign before being replaced by Roberto Di Matteo.
18. Round of 32 coaches who won the UEFA Cup as a player are Leverkusen’s Sami Hyypiä (with Liverpool, 2001), Simeone (Inter, 1998) and Ajax’s Frank de Boer (Ajax, 1992).
19. Hyypiä and De Boer were also UEFA Champions League winners as players, with Liverpool (2005) and Ajax (1995) respectively, while Dynamo Kyiv’s Oleh Blokhin won the European Cup Winners’ Cup twice with the Ukrainian club in 1975 and 1986.
20. A number of players with English teams will take on former clubs in the last 32 – Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (against Lyon), Liverpool defender Martin Škrtel (Zenit) and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech (Sparta Praha).
It’s been a season of immense ups and downs for Arthur Masuaku, starting with a performance in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford that had pundits questioning his professionalism and commitment. That was, of course, followed by the infamous spitting incident during an FA Cup tie with Wigan in January.
Yet, since David Moyes took the helm and moved Masuaku out to left wing-back, the Frenchman has enjoyed a telling impact on the Irons’ results.
In the Premier League this season, the east London club have averaged 0.6 more points and 0.8 more goals per game with the 24-year-old at left wing-back, and the Hammers fittingly picked up a huge win against Southampton last Saturday upon Masuaku’s return to the starting XI.
With that in mind, we asked West Ham fans earlier this week whether Masuaku is now the club’s most important player in terms of results, and although opinions were relatively split, 59% of those who took part in our poll voted yes.
Have you forgiven Masuaku for his sending off against Wigan, West Ham fans? Let us know by commenting below…
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Since emerging this season as Tottenham Hotspur’s clear top goal-scorer, Harry Kane has received heaps of praise from all quarters within the footballing community, and has thrived as a result of the acclaim. Even those with an irrational dislike of Spurs would certainly be hard pushed to discredit the young star, with the impressive progress the English striker has made in the Premier League admirable.
Over 20 goals in all competitions in 2014/15 is no mean feat whatsoever, but whilst the majority of football fans and pundits alike have congratulated Kane for his seemingly endless goal-scoring exploits, there have been some, albeit rare, claims that the Tottenham no. 18 is been slightly overrated and somewhat overhyped.
Whilst not many agree with such claims, questions are raised… Does Harry Kane deserve his status as a future England hero, or has the rising star in-fact been subject to too much hype across this Premier League season?
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The short answer in this discussion would be to simply say no, Harry Kane has scored the goals, and has rightfully received the expected acclaim for doing so. In the League Cup, Europa League and Premier League combined, the rapidly rising White Hart Lane favourite has proven that he can do the business against most big teams, and on most big occasions. Multiple goals against both title leaders Chelsea, and of course arch North London rivals Arsenal, have developed an already powerful cult-hero status for Kane, who is now seen as the future of Tottenham Hotspur and England.
It seems he can simply do no wrong at the moment. The Spurs academy starlet, who has alas failed to remove himself from his ex-Arsenal youth player status, has been quick on the turn, intelligent with his hold up play, defence-bamboozling with his off-ball runs, and obviously a deadly threat in front of goal. Give Kane even the smallest sniff of an opportunity in the oppositions’ third, and nine times out of ten the White Hart Lane faithful will be seeing the ball fly straight into the back of the net as a result of his efforts.
In the event of Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor misfiring for Spurs of late, Harry Kane’s arrival in top-flight football has come at just the perfect time for Mauricio Pochettino.
Although it is always nice to witness a young English star with great potential ahead of him, it remains important to see where Harry Kane’s detractors are coming from. It’s not as if people don’t want the Tottenham talent to do well for both club and country, it’s just the fact that the England national team should be harder to break into than it currently seems to be.
For all the hype and sensation that surrounds the striker, Harry Kane has only just burst onto the scene and showed the type of performances that warrant an England call-up. He has not yet completed one full campaign at a consistently strong level, and as it should certainly take more than that to become England’s next hero. The poor state of our country’s national squad has been subconsciously highlighted as a result of Kane’s form.
England teams of the past, which boasted a whole host of tried and tested Premier League strikers who had earned their place within the national team, would not have been subject to such a revamp in structure on the back of one new player’s emergence. Harry Kane’s recent good spell would never have displaced the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Alan Shearer or Michael Owen in their pomp, which clearly outlines the lack of English striking talent available in today’s game.
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Ultimately then, Tottenham’s latest striking sensation deserves all the hype he can get right now. His performances warrant it, and if his goal scoring frequency is anything to go by, we will certainly see a lot more positive things from Harry Kane in the next ten years. However, one good season should never be enough to justify immediate national team status, no matter how promising this young marksman looks set to be. As the England national team is in a desperate state of affairs right now though, perhaps an England call-up for young Harry Kane is currently the only sensible way forward.
It was another game and yet another unwanted moment in the spotlight for Manchester United’s David De Gea last night.
The back pages may not have poured the sort of scorn the Spaniard was subjected to in the light of his performance against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, but his part in Southampton’s first-half opener has done little to dampen the question marks over his long-term suitability for the number one jersey at Old Trafford.
Although it’s worth noting the key element in that passage is that De Gea did indeed only play a part within Jay Rodriguez’s third minute opener. Michael Carrick’s diabolical back pass would usually be enough to see him take the full-brunt of responsibility had he been playing in front of any other goalkeeper in this league.
De Gea’s current media profile however, ensured that Carrick’s blushes have been relatively spared.
Of course, United’s much-maligned ‘keeper didn’t exactly shower himself in glory with his meek attempt at a 50/50 challenge, although ultimately, he was put in an impossible position by yet another spot of calamitous defending by the rest of his teammates. And it’s this exaggerated sense of defensive responsibility that De Gea seems to be shouldering, which seems dreadfully out of proportion with the bigger overall picture at Old Trafford.
Having shipped in a total of 31 goals so far this season, only Steve Clarke’s West Bromwich Albion have conceded more in the Premier League’s top eleven. The fact they manage to sit seven points clear of Manchester City having conceded a staggering 12 more goals is testament to their outstanding array of attacking talent.
The musings of how well this United side would have fared without Robin van Persie may seem tired, but given their sorry state of affairs defensively this season, it’s become verging on the impossible to argue with that sentiment.
Yet although the concept might seem unattainable to some, it’s also worth noting where United might be in this table had David De Gea not been around. Because while the lynch-mob were happy to descend upon the Spaniard following his poor punch which gifted Clint Dempsey the recent equalizer at White Hart Lane, the plaudits weren’t exactly queuing up to congratulate him on his top class-save from the American earlier on in the half.
In one respect, he may well have cost Manchester United a point, yet he ultimately still saved them two.
And until the wider, more gloomy defensive picture is acknowledged and then addressed at Old Trafford, it’s difficult to see when the stinging critique aimed towards De Gea is going to stop.
So far this season, we’ve seen Patrice Evra lauded in many quarters for having one of his best seasons yet at Old Trafford. Ferguson himself has recently gone on record claiming that Rio Ferdinand has enjoyed a great season while also lauding Rafael’s maturing process and Nemanja Vidic is readily seen to be their returning defensive white knight.
Now part of Ferguson’s managerial aptitude is to protect his players from criticism and you’re unlikely to seem him give his back four a public rollicking, despite his side’s woeful defensive record. But it seems somewhat bizarre that public opinion seems to be looking so favorably upon the rest of United’s defensive unit, yet so menacingly upon its goalkeeper.
For however fine the likes of Evra, Ferdinand or even Jonny Evans may have performed individually at times this season, collectively, they’re not enjoying a good season at all. And ultimately, it’s David De Gea who seems to be paying the price.
For any goalkeeper of any age or ability, the circumstances that De Gea had to work under last term were about as difficult as he could have possibly hoped for from his debut season. Instead of walking into a solid, stable and reliable back four, De Gea formed part of an-ever shifting plateau of defensive instability, shorn of its best stopper in Nemanja Vidic and plagued by a perpetual habit of leaking cheap goals.
One season later, and the only thing that really seems to have changed are the further amounts of criticism that David De Gea seems to be taking. United are still leaking cheap goals, at an even more alarming rate than they did last season, but the emphasis continues to be focused upon making De Gea a scapegoat.
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Does the amount of points he may have saved his side account for the ones he has also cost United? It’s difficult to say, but considering Ferguson’s side are only two goals short of the amount they conceded for the entirety of last season, those thinking a change in-between the sticks would represent an instant remedy are dreadfully mistaken.
David De Gea’s not been without his faults, although since his move to Old Trafford, he’s hardly been cultivated within a defensive unit that inspires much in the way of confidence.
The blame that’s been thrown his way is grossly out of proportion to the current state of defensive affairs at Manchester Untied and although the levels of expectation at the club allow little for some of the basic errors De Gea has been guilty of, that level also expects far more of the four men that currently sit in front of him, too.
There are no easy answers or shortcuts to be taken when addressing Manchester United’s defensive issues, but using David De Gea as a scapegoat is a measure of convenience rather than one that’s likely to fix their problems anytime soon. It’s time for the rest of his defensive counterparts to stand up and take responsibility – because there’s only so long De Gea can last in the firing line.
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Bosch, de Klerk, Shangase and Dercksen are also first-timers for an ODI World Cup
Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2025Karabo Meso, the 17-year-old wicket-keeper batter, will go to her first World Cup after being included in South Africa’s squad for the ODI tournament in India and Sri Lanka which starts later this month.She has just two ODI caps to her name and has played seven senior internationals in all, but has featured in two Under-19 World Cups and won the SA20 Schools title with Steyn City earlier this year. Meso is one of two players who will play at a World Cup for the first time. Offspin-bowling allrounder Nondumiso Shangase, who was recalled to South Africa’s squad in May, is the other.Top-order batter Anneke Bosch and allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen will also feature in an ODI World Cup squad for the first time; they have previously been in T20 World Cup squads.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
The rest of South Africa’s 15-player group is as expected, led by Laura Wolvaardt with significant experience in different departments. Allrounders Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon and seamer Ayabonga Khaka all played important roles in South Africa reaching the last ODI World Cup semi-finals and will be present again.As reported last week, there was no room for former captain Dane van Niekerk, who was included in a training camp but her international comeback remains a while away.Others present in that camp but not making the squad are batters Lara Goodall and Faye Tunnicliffe, seamer Ayanda Hlubi, legspinner Seshnie Naidu and allrounders Eliz-Mari Marx and Luyanda Ntuza. Miane Smit, an allrounder who bowls offspin, has been included as the lone travelling reserve.”The make-up of the squad is underpinned by the consistent selection process that was adhered to during the recent ICC Women’s Championship cycle, while taking into account the subcontinent conditions and the different characteristics of the group required for a successful tournament of this nature,” Clinton du Preez, South Africa’s convenor of selectors, said.Under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, SA have lost four ODIs in 10 outings•Cricket South Africa
This will be the first major tournament South Africa will play under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who succeeded Hilton Moreeng in a permanent capacity last year. In Mashimbyi’s tenure, South Africa have been inconsistent, with four wins in ten ODIs, including a series win over West Indies in June. Mashimbyi was occasionally without some senior players – such as Kapp for the tri-series in Sri Lanka – but will have one more opportunity to fine-tune his combinations before the tournament starts.South Africa tour Pakistan for three ODIs to be played between September 16 and 22 before moving on to India for their World Cup opener against England. Their recent tournament run has included two ODI World Cup semi-finals and back-to-back T20 World Cup finals, and there is expectation for them to take the next step and claim a cup. Mashimbyi is confident this group of players can deliver.”From the moment I joined this team, and even before my time when the squad went through the qualification phase, it was all about working towards this moment,” Mashimbyi said. “We can look back at the amount of preparation we have put in and know that we have done our best. We are ready to send a squad to the World Cup that will make South Africa proud.”We believe we have the squad of players that can go out there and deliver on the world stage. Now it is all about carrying that belief with us every step of the way, along with the support of the entire nation.”
Injury-prone left-arm seamer plays eight games in a Shield season for the first time in his career including five in a row to bag 39 wickets and lead WA’s title-winning attack
Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2024With Western Australia just one wicket away from a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles after an electric passage of play late on day four, Joel Paris was in a reflective mood and turned to experienced teammates Sam Whiteman and Hilton Cartwright.”I reckon this means more than the other two [titles],” he told them.Moments later Paris sealed WA’s comprehensive victory over Tasmania with a blinder of a catch in the gully to trigger scenes of jubilation on-and-off the field at the WACA. “The boys reckon I put a little bit of mayo on it,” laughed Paris as he recalled to ESPNcricinfo his diving effort to his right.”I was just happy it stuck. We had to grind away, we haven’t had it all our way. We played unbelievably well in Victoria to get a home final and then we’ve probably played our best cricket this week.”This one probably sits right at the top for me. We haven’t had the quicks available this year that we normally have and we’ve just had to keep going. It’s very special.”Related
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Without frontliners Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Matthew Kelly for most of the season, WA had to rely on their fringe quicks. Cameron Gannon, who took eight wickets in the final, and Charlie Stobo stepped up at the backend of the season, but it was the reliable presence of left-armer Paris that held the attack together.Paris was unlucky to only take two wickets in the final as he again set the tone with menacing new ball bowling in both of Tasmania’s innings. He exploited the grassy surface superbly and consistently beat the bat with sharp seam movement.Paris finished the season with 39 wickets at a remarkable average of just 15.2. In 44 first-class matches since debuting in late 2015, he has taken 174 wickets at 20.05 and striking at 45.9.As can be gleaned from his relatively limited number of first-class appearances, Paris has endured a litany of injuries during his career forcing WA to be cautious with his workload.After a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring injury suffered playing for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane, Paris’ durability impressed as he played five straight Shield matches – along with WA’s triumph in the Marsh Cup against New South Wales – culminating with the Shield final.”When you’re in a situation where you just have to keep going, I think your body senses that and just finds something,” Paris said. “I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve this year. The amount of cricket I’ve been able to play…certainly haven’t been able to do it before.”We’ve probably been in a position in past seasons where I’ve been able to rest a little bit more than what I have this season. To get through was really special.”Paris, 31, played two ODIs against India in 2016, but his injuries and the depth of quicks in Australian cricket have kept him away from the international stage.Paris, however, remains on the radar of the Australian hierarchy. Along with playing for Australia A last year, Paris was in the frame for selection on the last Ashes tour.”That desire to play for Australia is always there. For me that will never go away until I put up the boots,” he said. “If an opportunity comes up, I’ll absolutely take it.”Paris is unsure of his offseason plans, with a stint in the UK a possibility but dependent on his body. Right now, however, he is eyeing a well-deserved breather.”I’ll be putting the feet up for a little bit,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy this one [title] as much as possible.”
Former Australia allrounder has enjoyed success with Brisbane Heat and Queensland Fire
Matt Roller11-Nov-2022Ashley Noffke, the former Australia allrounder, is a contender for the vacancy as England women’s head coach, ESPNcricinfo understands.Noffke, who played one ODI and two T20Is for Australia in 2007-8, has enjoyed recent success as head coach of Brisbane Heat and Queensland Fire, winning the 2019-20 Women’s Big Bash League and 2020-21 Women’s National Cricket League.He signed a contract extension last year that runs until 2025 but is understood to have been interviewed for the vacancy created by Lisa Keightley’s departure. Noffke is highly regarded in Australian cricket and previously worked as Australia women’s assistant coach under Matthew Mott, who became England men’s white-ball coach earlier this year.Jonathan Finch, the director of England women’s cricket, interviewed several candidates last week and an appointment is expected in the next 10 days. The job was advertised in September and the successful candidate will start on a three-year fixed term until November 2025.Two other contenders share the name Jon Lewis: the former Gloucestershire seamer who is men’s pace-bowling lead at the ECB, and the former Durham batter who has worked with England’s women as a batting consultant over the last 18 months.Further candidates for the role include Jon Batty, who has coached Oval Invincibles to the title in both editions of the women’s Hundred, as well as Michael Bates, the wicketkeeping and fielding coach who has worked extensively in the women’s game, and Gareth Breese, the Welsh Fire and England women’s performance pathway coach.Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain and current Southern Brave, Southern Vipers and Sydney Sixers coach, has previously ruled herself out of the running.England are expected to name a squad for their upcoming West Indies tour shortly after a coach is announced.