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State Auckland Aces coach and convener of selectors, Tony Sail has today named a strong team to play current State Max and State Championship title holders, the State Wellington Firebirds in a three-day warm up game starting on Monday at the Devonport Domain.Changes to the team that played the New Zealand Academy team in Christchurch last week include the selection of Rob Nicol and Richard Morgan for Aaron Barnes and Mark Haslam, who are both unavailable because of work commitments. Reece Young replaces Stephen Pearson as wicket-keeper having fulfilled his duties with the New Zealand Academy.Eighteen-year-old Nicol, New Zealand Cricket’s Young Player to Lord’s for 2001, will make his debut for the State Auckland Aces.”Rob Nicol has been putting in some top performances for Cornwall in the early rounds of the Crown Relocations Cup.”This gives him an opportunity to further his claims for selection in the State Aces, and the New Zealand Under-19 team to be named at the end of November.”Rob further strengthens the middle order and gives us another slow bowling option in the game,” Sail said.The State Auckland Aces team is:Tim McIntosh, Matt Horne, Llorne Howell, Richard Pudney, Rob Nicol, Tama Canning, Kyle Mills, Brooke Walker (captain), Reece Young, Andre Adams, Richard Morgan, Chris Drum.

There are likely to be a number of clubs who eye up a move for Wolves centre-back Max Kilman this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Kilman a key figure at Wolves

The 24-year-old is enjoying an exceptional season for Wanderers, standing out as one of the first names on Bruno Lage’s team sheet at Molineux.

Kilman has shone on the right-hand side of a back-three, making 27 Premier League appearances , playing 90 minutes in all but one game and finding himself tipped to be named in Gareth Southgate’s next England squad.

The defender’s form could alert some of the country’s leading sides, however, so perhaps after all the attention on Ruben Neves’ future – reports believe talks are underway with Barcelona and the midfielder is ‘likely’ to depart – the Portuguese superstar may not be the only high-profile exit from Molineux this summer.

The Latest: Journalist talks up exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Kilman won’t be without suitors, as Wolves desperately look to stave off any interest in their emerging star:

“Everything’s going well for Max Kilman at the minute, but Wolves will be desperate to keep hold of him.

“But I’m sure there will be a few clubs looking in the summer, ready to test their resolve.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Got to stay

While Kilman is sure to be in the headlines this summer, as the rumour mills back him to move away, it would be a surprise if he left at this point in his career.

His current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026 and he is still very much maturing as a player, with 24 no age for a top centre-back in the slightest.

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Granted, it may be that Kilman feels he needs to take a step up in his career in the future, but for now, Wolves is the best place for him to continue developing and playing week in, week out, having averaged two aerial duel wins and 3.4 clearances per game in the league this season.

In other news, the exit of another Wolves player has also been talked up. Find out who it is here.

Jamie Siddons has been involved with the Australian team in a coaching role since his retirement from first-class cricket © Getty Images

Jamie Siddons has become the latest Australian to take charge of a Test team after accepting the role as coach of Bangladesh. Siddons, an assistant coach with Australia, will arrive in Dhaka on Monday to finalise his contract.Last month it was reported that Siddons was unlikely to become the team’s coach after his terms and conditions did not match those of the Bangladesh board. But today Siddons said: “I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted an offer from the BCB to coach the Bangladesh national team.”Siddons is considered one of Australia’s greatest domestic players never to win a Test cap. He made 11,587 first-class runs at 44.91, playing for Victoria and South Australia between 1984-85 and 1999-2000, and played a solitary ODI in Lahore in 1988.Siddons has been continually involved with the national team since retirement. He was appointed as a senior coach at the Centre of Excellence before the 2005 Ashes and then became an assistant coach with the Australian team.Bangladesh have been looking for a coach since Dav Whatmore decided to quit the post following India’s tour of Bangladesh in May. Shaun Williams, the assistant coach, has been in charge of side since then. Siddons’ appointment means Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all have former Australian state or international players coaching them.

Chino shares his skill and love of the game © ICC

Japanese wicketkeeper-batsman Tatsuro Chino may be small in stature but he is making a big splash in East Asia Pacific cricket circles.The talented Chino has been selected in the EAP squad for the 2007 Australian Country Cricket Championships, and through the support of Cricket Victoria’s partnership with the Japan Cricket Association, is spending an Australian summer playing with Balwyn CC in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.In addition to his playing activities Chino also stepped out on Tuesday 28 November to help Cricket Australia launch a new school resource titled ‘CricKids Playing in Harmony’.Tackling social and community issues such as bullying, racism, prejudice, leadership and fair play, as well as curriculum subjects such as English, Art and Information Technology using cricket as a basis, the resource aims to reach 70,000 students and teachers over the next 12 months.The resource launch, held at Melbourne’s Federation Square, saw hundreds of students take part in cricket activities with Chino providing encouragement and advice throughout the day.Chino is also spending time coaching junior players at Balwyn CC while in Melbourne, and is scheduled to travel to Fiji in late January to assist the Japan team in the EAP Under 15 Cricket 8s. A conversation with Chino will leave you in no doubt about as to where this impressive young man is heading … as far and wide as his cricket journey will take him!

Tiger, tiger…burning bright? © Getty Images

Sourav Ganguly has received a letter from Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, seeking an explanation for his absence from a crucial Ranji Trophy match involving Bengal and Gujarat at Surat.Only a day after Kiran More, the national selection committee chairman, showed his disapproval at Ganguly missing the match, sources from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have stated that a “two-line letter” addressed to Ganguly was received by the player himself.The reports that the letter was not addressed to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the CAB president, or Saradindu Pal, its joint secretary. Pal remained non-committal on the matter, stating that he had spoken to Ganguly. “I spoke to Sourav last Friday, the day before the Indian team for Pakistan was selected,” he said. “He told me he’d missed Bengal’s Delhi match, and would also not play the Gujarat match because of unavoidable personal reasons.”Pal also stated that he had been trying to contact Ganguly since December 24 – the day the Indian squad was selected – but had no luck in doing so. Dalmiya, having earlier stated that Ganguly had missed the match against Gujarat for “logistical, and not personal” reasons, refused to comment on the matter today.Ganguly’s absence from the match seems to have agitated the BCCI, given that More emphasized that it was important to members of the Indian team to “engage in domestic matches as much as possible” prior to their departure to Pakistan on January 5. Speculation remains as to whether the message was passed on to Ganguly.Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman turned out for their respective state sides in the ongoing fifth round of the Ranji Trophy.

Five former Test players have been included in the South Africa A team for their three-day match against England which starts in Potchefstroom on Saturday.HD Ackerman, Mark Boucher, Justin Ontong, Martin van Jaarsveld and Charl Willoughby have the chance to stake their claim for future Test selection, and Ackerman will lead a side which also includes some younger players. “He has vast experience as a captain and has been in fine form with the bat,” explained one of the selectors, Haroon Lorgat.Boucher has the opportunity to make a strong case for a return to the Test fold, and has already received the backing of Ray Jennings, the South African coach. “I don’t really know why he was taken out of the equation, but I think he’s paid his dues and I think he will definitely be back in contention for the national team,” Jennings told the SuperSport website.Boucher was left out of the South African team that toured India in November. His replacement, Thami Tsolekile, hardly distinguished himself, although he has been named in the squad for the first Test against England which starts on December 17.Van Jaarsveld and Ontong each played one Test during the recent two-match series in India but did not distinguish themselves. Van Jaarsveld, a top order batsman, scored a total of 15 in his two innings in the first Test, while Ontong picked up one wicket in the second Test. Langeveldt, meanwhile, was selected for the Indian tour but withdrew through injury.Squad HD Ackerman (capt), Justin Ontong (vice-capt), Mark Boucher, JP Duminy, Charl Langeveldt, Ethy Mbhalati, Alsbie Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Alfonso Thomas, Martin van Jaarsveld, Charl Willoughby. Coach: Vincent Barnes.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a proposal regarding a two-match one-day series to be played later this year.Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the PCB’s chairman, told a press conference on Tuesday that the friendship series would consist of one match in each country. “We have proposed that India first come to Pakistan to play the first one-day international of the friendship series in September,” said Zia. “Pakistan will then find a slot and visit India in October to play the second match.”India and Pakistan have rarely clashed on the cricket field since the Kargil skirmishes in 1999. They did play each other in the Carlton and United World Series in Australia in December 1999-January 2000, but have met only once since then – at the recently concluded World Cup. The Test matches scheduled between the two teams as part of the ICC’s World Championship have also not taken place, with the Indian government refusing to sanction the participation of the national side.

The second day of the West Indies first warm-up game in Sri Lanka was completely washed out after heavy rains in Colombo on Saturday night and Sunday morning.Frustrated players waited throughout the morning, before the umpires officially called off play at 2pm. Worryingly, the monsoon rains were so heavy that the outfield is now saturated. Further rains before the start of play could well force the abandonment of the match.This is not good news for the West Indies. The batsmen had a good workout on Saturday, but the bowlers will be itching to acclimitise to the slow pitches and steamy climate.They are only two warm-up matches scheduled before the first Test at Galle on 13 November; this match in Colombo against Sri Lanka A, and another three-day game down south in the coastal town of Matara on 8-10 November.Traditionally, November and early December is a monsoon period in Sri Lanka, so the scheduling of the tour at this time was always a calculated risk.West Indies last tour of Sri Lanka in 1993 was also marred by frequent interruptions because of the weather. The one-off Test match, controversially played in Moratuwa, was eventually abandoned because of a waterlogged outfield.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Pablo Sarabia… 

What’s the talk?

According to reports in Spain, the Magpies are one of three teams keen on a deal for the Spanish playmaker at the end of the campaign.

He is currently on loan to Portuguese giants Sporting but Villarreal, Sevilla and Newcastle are now hoping to snap him up in the summer on a permanent deal.

Masterclass

Eddie Howe could seal a masterclass by securing a move for Sarabia ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as he could be an incredible addition to the squad.

The 29-year-old has been in fine form this season, whilst he has also proven his quality throughout his career at the top level. He has produced 13 goals and nine assists for PSG and Sporting combined this term, which means that he has 22 direct goal contributions in 34 appearances.

This shows that he is capable of making a big impact in the final third as he has the ability to both score and create goals for his side.

Sarabia has a wealth of experience in Europe too, having played over 200 games in La Liga with Getafe and Sevilla before moving to France in 2019. He managed 13 strikes and 13 assists in his final season in the Spanish top-flight and has 22 goals and 12 assists in 79 matches for the Ligue 1 giants to date.

Former PSG coach Thomas Tuchel previously lauded the Spaniard’s ability, saying: “Pablo is really impressive. He runs well, with and without a ball. His game without the ball is a great example. He plays with a lot of intensity and does not stop [working] defensively.”

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These comments suggest that he also has the work rate required to be a fan favourite at St. James’ Park. His statistics throughout his career show that he has the potential to come in and be an eye-catching player for Newcastle in the final third, but his play off the ball is also important and means that he will not be a lightweight who needs to be carried through games.

Instead of signing a luxury player who could negatively impact the side’s defending, Howe could pull off a masterclass by finding a gem who can impress at both ends of the pitch. This is why the Toon must ensure that they win the race for the Spanish international’s signature at the end of the season.

AND in other news, Howe can finally axe £37k-p/w “weapon” as Newcastle eye swoop for 66-goal “phenomenon”…

Caribbean Premier League chief executive Damien O’Donohoe has said that the league is committed to put development over profits as the key aim of the CPL’s foray into the United States for the 2016 season. The CPL announced on Wednesday that six games will be held in the USA this July and O’Donohoe says making tickets affordable to bring in new fans is a high priority.”I think the opportunity to play games is obviously a huge opportunity both for ourselves and for the ICC in terms of developing the game,” O’Donohoe said from the CPL draft in Barbados. “We’re going to be the first professional league. We’ve seen the All-Stars games go in there in November and it was great to see the turn-out even though the ticket price was very expensive.Less than 15% of the available tickets for the Cricket All-Stars matches in New York, Houston and Los Angeles originally went on sale for $50-75, while the overwhelming majority of tickets were priced at $150 or more all the way up to $325 in Los Angeles. Though the crowds were large compared to other venues around the world, the vibrant scenes were dwarfed by empty seats, especially in Los Angeles with a crowd of 20,900 showing up to the 56,000-seater Dodger Stadium.When West Indies hosted New Zealand in 2012 at the Central Broward Regional Park [CBRP] in Florida, general admission on the grass bank on the north boundary cost $20 while reserved seats under the south grandstand were priced at $30. The low prices produced an estimated crowd of 15,000 people for the opening T20I of that series. It was recognised as a sell-out crowd for the CBRP, though temporary seats could have been added to accommodate up to 5,000 more people. O’Donohoe hopes that same formula will lead to success for the CPL in the USA.”We’re going to go in a very low-end ticket price and make these games accessible to everyone because this is about developing the game, building a fan base in the US and growing the game internationally. The West Indies have hosted games there but we’re going to be the first professional T20 league. Now that’s an opportunity obviously but it’s also a risk.”Although the CPL release stated only that games would be played in the USA, the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida is the only ICC-certified ODI stadium venue in the country. Multiple sources told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday that the CBRP has been reserved for use by the CPL from July 17 to 31. Even though O’Donohoe would like to plant the seeds of CPL interest beyond Florida, having a lone ICC-certified turf pitch venue limits his options.”We haven’t confirmed exactly where we’re going to play the games just yet,” O’Donohoe said. “Obviously the lack of stadiums is always going to be a challenge. There’s only one at Lauderhill as we know but we’ve always wanted to play games in the US as part of CPL and we’ve said that from day one. So now we have the opportunity and we’ve been working very closely with Tim Anderson and Dave Richardson at the ICC in terms of just how we’re going to enter the US market but we really have one chance and we need to make sure we get it right.”With everything that we do there’s a Caribbean flavor and hopefully we can mirror what we did in the Caribbean in the US. Cricket has been on the decline a little bit here. No one makes any secret of that and I think CPL has done amazingly well to revitalize and reenergize cricket here in the Caribbean and we want to take that same approach to the US.”O’Donohoe says both the quantity and quality of player applications took a big step up for this year’s competition, an indication to him that the CPL is fast turning into a desirable destination for both players and fans. He hopes that bringing matches to the USA is another forward step in building up the profile of the league one he feels is worth mentioning in the same category as the IPL and Big Bash.”The standard of players that we’ve had apply and from 14 or 15 countries around the world, it just shows how far CPL has come,” O’Donohoe said. “I think playing the games in America is just another statement just to show how serious we are and hopefully that we’re seen now as one of the big three in terms of the T20 leagues around the world.”