Provável titular, veja os números de Igor Vinícius no São Paulo nessa temporada

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a saída de Daniel Alves, o lateral-direito Igor Vinícius pode ganhar mais espaço no São Paulo essa temporada. Suspenso contra o Fluminense, no último domingo, o jogador pode ser titular contra o Fortaleza, nesta quarta-feira, pela Copa do Brasil, às 21h30, no Castelão.

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O jogador de 24 anos é o lateral-direito que mais atuou pelo Tricolor nessa temporada, com 29 jogos e 2364 minutos em campo. Daniel Alves, que saiu do São Paulo, fez 22 jogos com 1768 minutos, enquanto o colombiano Orejuela disputou oito jogos, somando 543 minutos.

Nessas 29 partidas, Igor Vinícius foi titular em 25 delas, com 13 vitórias, 11 empates e apenas cinco derrotas. Foram 13 jogos pelo Paulistão, 12 pelo Brasileiro, três da Libertadores e um pela Copa do Brasil.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Igor marcou dois gols nesta temporada, um na vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o Ituano e outro no triunfo por 4 a 2 diante da Ferroviária, todos pelo Campeonato Paulista. Além disso, foram mais cinco assistências do jogador.

Em dezembro de 2019, o São Paulo comprou 50% dos direitos de Igor Vinícius por R$ 2 milhões. Na época, ele estava emprestado ao Tricolor pelo Ituano. Ele tem contrato com o clube do Morumbi até o final de 2022.

Wagner: Unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I'll be doing all I can

Quick looks back on ‘toughest day of Test cricket’ after bowling through the day with a fractured toe

Umar Farooq28-Dec-2020

Neil Wagner bowled nine overs in a spell in which he even dismissed Fawad Alam•Getty Images

Neil Wagner was carrying the pain of fractured toes*, sustained while batting in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan, but he persevered through that injury and bowled 21 overs in Pakistan’s first innings because it would have ‘taken a stretcher’ to carry him off the field where he would be sitting and watching his team-mates do the hard work.Wagner was struck on his right foot by a Shaheen Afridi yorker on the second morning, but was later cleared to play if he could tolerate the pain.”I do take a lot of pride in something like that,” Wagner said about bowling through the pain. “But it comes down to the team. There’s still a way of contributing for them. I wouldn’t be wanting to sit on the side with my foot up and watching the boys doing the hard work out there, and I can’t be there to help out. I feel I’ll be left out, I have a bit of FOMO. Injuries happen and it’s unlucky, but I can still walk, I can still do things, I can run. It’s not going to stop me. It’s sore and it’s uncomfortable but it’s just one of those things you have to deal with.Watch cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand vs Pakistan is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the series

“Test matches don’t come easy. Playing for your country is never anything you can take for granted. I know how bloody hard I had to work to get to where I am now and I’m sure as hell not going to sit on the side and watch other people do it. I want to be part of it and playing my part. Unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I’m going to try and do everything I can, I guess.”Related

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Wagner had continued to bat after being struck on the toe, getting treatment from the physio and eventually being the last man out for 19, to stretch New Zealand’s first-innings total to 431. Wagner then sent down 21 overs – three on the second day and 18 on the third – picking up 2 for 50 to bowl Pakistan out for 239. Wagner’s effort included a long spell of nine overs, during which he dismissed Fawad Alam before going off the field.Play on the third day was interrupted by several rain breaks, and taking a pain-killing injection in the first one helped Wagner soldier through till the end.”Hurts every time I walk, to be fair,” he said, responding to whether the pain was more acute while bowling. “Just walking to fine leg, doing anything, twisting, turning…as soon as you bend the toe a little bit. I guess obviously standing on it hurts. It’s just one of those things, I guess. Try and put it out of your mind and get on with it. Try to get into the battle and try not to think about it too much. Obviously that’s hard because it’s at the back of your mind the whole time. At the start it sort of felt like – not having to change my action but it felt a little bit awkward towards it. It wasn’t until the first rain break where I just went down and said I can’t bear the pain, got a jab done and that sort of took the pain away for a lot of it and it helped. It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to find a way and deal with it.”To focus his mind more on the task at hand than on the pain, Wagner said he didn’t keep track of the number of overs he had bowled either, and expressed confidence in being able to bowl again in the second innings.”I’ve bowled – I don’t even know how many overs – didn’t want to count them and think too much about it,” he said. “So I’m pretty confident I can bowl again. It’s going to be damn sore, no doubt about it, but bowling is always… I’ve never bowled in a game where something doesn’t hurt, so it’s sort of part of it. It’s a different pain but I’ve just got to find a way of still being able to contribute to the team. There’s still a role to play out there and we still have to come back to get ten wickets again and try and win a Test match. So whichever way I can play a role, still going to have to try and do it.”Wagner called the third day one of the toughest he had experienced, harking back to a Test match against India in October 2016 for a comparable experience.”I went back in the change-room and said it was probably one of my toughest days of Test cricket I’ve ever experienced. Took me back to Kolkata against India, probably one of the toughest matches I’ve played. It was pretty hot and dealing with the heat, humidity and going off and changing your clothes after every four-over spell… I went through four sets and was just completely knackered off the exhaustion of the Indian heat. Today was right up there. It was pretty tough.The possibility of Wagner being available to bowl in the fourth innings will be a boost to New Zealand. Pakistan had collapsed to 80 for 6, and seemed in danger of falling well short of the follow-on mark, but fighting half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan (71) and Faheem Ashram (91) meant they avoided that fate. New Zealand still have a handsome lead of 192, and are likely to press for quick second-innings runs and a declaration when they start batting again on the fourth day.Wagner praised Pakistan’s grit, but also lauded his team-mates for not letting the intensity drop.”The wicket’s deteriorating at the moment and we knew we had a big task to try and bowl them out today. I think today was the best time to bat, but also it was tough in periods because there was a bit of variable bounce and the ball went up and down a fraction,” he said. “Those cracks are starting to come into play a little bit more now, as the game goes on. But they batted really well. They’ve played well this whole Test match. They bowled really well which gave us nothing, and obviously took a lot of time out of the game. The way they batted – I thought we bowled really well and put them under pressure but they still managed to get a really good partnership. We kept throwing everything at them and they kept counter-attacking against us. But credit to all the guys, everybody kept running in and bowling for each other, working really hard. We bowled as a pack and knew rewards would come our way.”The second and final Test of the series starts on January 3, and it’s one Wagner does not intend to miss if he can help it.”Don’t want to look too far ahead, but you’re going to have to try and force me away,” he laughed. “We’ll sum it up after each day and hopefully it gets better. Hopefully we can do the job and get a couple of days rest for the foot, but we’ll see how it goes.”*This copy was updated on Dec 30 at 11.00am GMT to reflect that Wagner had two broken toes and not one.

Luciano volta a marcar após oito jogos e briga pela titularidade no São Paulo

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo tem nos últimos jogos a presença do atacante Luciano entre os relacionados após dois meses com ele sendo desfalque por conta de uma lesão na coxa. E o retorno do camisa 11 rendeu frutos na vitória sobre o Atlético-GO, por 2 a 1, no último domingo.

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Luciano marcou o segundo gol da vitória do Tricolor, quebrando um jejum de oito jogos sem marcar. O último tento dele havia sido na vitória do São Paulo por 9 a 1 sobre o 4 de Julho-PI, pela Copa do Brasil, ainda no dia oito de junho.

Dois jogos depois, Luciano se machucou na derrota por 2 a 0 sobre o Santos e desfalcou o Tricolor por dois meses, até voltar contra o Sport. Ele jogou ainda diante de Fortaleza, Juventude, Fluminense e Fortaleza (Copa do Brasil), antes de voltar a balançar as redes.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Voltando a marcar e com mais confiança, Luciano briga para se firmar cada vez mais na vaga de titular no ataque do São Paulo, que vem tendo bom rendimento com ele e Rigoni.

Nessa temporada, Luciano disputou 26 jogos, com 12 vitórias, sete empates e sete derrotas. Foram sete gols marcados e uma assistência.

"Oh my god" – McAvennie buzzing as West Ham eye "great" free transfer

Former West Ham United forward Frank McAvennie has been left excited about a transfer rumour he's heard involving the Hammers.

West Ham looking at signing new striker

The Irons and technical director Tim Steidten have already made three summer signings ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s first season in charge at the London Stadium, with Max Kilman becoming the latest addition from Wolves. Kilman’s joined winger Luis Guilherme, who arrived from Palmeiras and experienced goalkeeper Wes Foderingham who joined on a free transfer after his contract expired at Sheffield United.

New West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui

It is shaping up to be a busy summer in the market, just as Steidten predicted during Lopetegui’s first press conference as Hammers boss:

“I can’t tell you specifics, but it will be a busy summer for us for sure. The owner and the board have done a really good job over recent years, so we’re in good shape financially. We’re trying to build up the squad. We’re not limiting ourselves to one position – we’re looking at all areas.”

Next on the agenda for Steidten and Lopetegui appears to be a new striker, with Danny Ings and Michail Antonio the only two o8t and out centre-forward options at the club currently.

Latest West Ham transfer news: £35m ace and La Liga superstar on radar

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ByMark Marston Jul 11, 2024

Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran appears to be a firm target, with personal terms already agreed with the Colombian. Meanwhile, a bid worth more than £12m has reportedly been submitted for Chelsea forward David Datro Fofana.

Another attacking link has been former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, with both West Ham and Wolves eyeing up a free transfer for the Nigerian.

McAvennie reacts to West Ham links for Iheanacho

Talking to West Ham Zone, McAvennie gave his reaction to the idea of the Irons signing Iheanacho. The pundit seemed excited at the prospect, calling it a “no-brainer” and Iheanacho a “great player”.

“I like Iheanacho. I think he’s a great player. Oh my god, on a free transfer, I’d take him. It’s a no-brainer for me, though I’m not sure who this new manager will want.”

Kelechi Iheanacho warming up for Leicester City.

The 27-year-old has scored 42 goals in 196 games in the Premier League for both Leicester and Manchester City and is currently valued at €12m by Transfermarkt.

Former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is also a fan of the striker, previously saying: “Since he has come into the team he has just been fantastic. I am delighted for him because he is such a conscientious guy, such an honest guy, and as you can see now, a very talented player.

"I know when I came here that there were probably times when there were grumbles if he was playing but he has very quickly won over people. That is just through hard work, resilience and talent. What you are seeing is a young player at the top of his game."

A move could be one to keep an eye on, and with a big transfer fee not required, it may make sense to bolster Lopetegui attacking options with the acquisition of Iheanacho.

مدرب البرتغال السابق: تلقيت عروضًا للتدريب بـ مصر.. والأهلي يظهر بشخصية قوية في آوروبا

كشف فرناندو سانتوس، المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب البرتغال، عن متابعته للكرة المصرية منذ فترة طويلة، مشيرًا إلى أن مانويل جوزيه يعد أفضل مدرب برتغالي عمل في مصر.

وقال سانتوس في تصريحات عبر برنامج رقم 10 المذاع على الفضائية الأولى: “كنت أتابع مانويل جوزيه وكارلوس كيروش لأنني كنت أتوقع أنني سأكون في مصر يومًا ما لتدريب فريق”.

بشكتاش يعلن إقالة فرناندو سانتوس من تدريب الفريق

وأضاف: “جوزيه كان عنيدًا ومخضرمًا، وحقق نجاحات كبيرة، وكان الأفضل في مصر من وجهة نظري”.

وعن بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، تابع سانتوس: “البطولة مهمة جدًا، ومشاركة 32 فريقًا قرار مناسب ويزيد الحماس”.

وأشار: “الأهلي في مجموعة قوية تضم أربعة فرق كبيرة، وأي مواجهة ستكون صعبة، ولا يمكن توقع الفائز لأن الأمر يعتمد على الحظوظ”.

وتابع: “بالميراس هو أصعب فريق يواجه الأهلي، لكنه فريق قوي وصعب التغلب عليه إفريقيًا، ونحن في أوروبا نسمع دائمًا عن الأهلي ونشاهد فريقًا بشخصية قوية في مبارياته”.

واختتم سانتوس تصريحاته قائلاً: “تلقيت عروضًا للتدريب في مصر بعد رحيلي عن تدريب منتخب البرتغال، وسأدرس الخيارات المتاحة”.

Fortaleza é finalista do maior prêmio de criatividade do Brasil

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a ação Câmera do Desrespeito, realizada no Dia Internacional da Mulher em 2020 para conscientização sobre o feminicídio, o Fortaleza concorre, pela primeira vez, na categoria “Transporte, Turismo, Viagens, Entretenimento e Lazer, de Criação – Negócios”, do 46º Anuário do Clube de Criação. O resultado da premiação será divulgado na próxima quinta-feira (30).

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

A ação ocorreu em março do ano passado em período que ainda era permitida a presença de público nos estádios. O Tricolor do Pici aproveitou o Dia Internacional da Mulher e criou uma ação de conscientização sobre o feminicídio.

O clube aproveitou a “Câmera do Beijo”, em que casais são filmados dentro do estádio e aparecem no telão para então darem um beijo. A ação acontecia normalmente até que um homem começou a agredir a companheira após ter seu beijo negado.

A imagem foi cortada e, quando voltou, trazia uma gravação do mesmo casal explicando que fizeram uma encenação para conscientizar as pessoas em relação à violência contra as mulheres. A ação acabou gerando enorme repercussão nas redes sociais.

– O Fortaleza já havia sido premiado em diversos festivais de propaganda ao redor do mundo, mas nunca havia sido selecionado pelo Clube de Criação. Trata-se da principal curadoria criativa do país, com 45 anos de credibilidade e seriedade. Somente peças muito, muito criativas entram no shortlist do festival. E saber que estamos disputando com marcas mundiais, multinacionais, grandes conglomerados de comunicação e que, portanto, estamos no mesmo nível de excelência criativa nos dá a certeza de que estamos no caminho certo dentro e fora de campo – destacou o diretor de Marketing do Fortaleza, Marcel Pinheiro.

Leeds lodge bid for £14k-p/w star who can finally replace Phillips

It seems unlikely that Leeds United are already done with their summer business, as Daniel Farke and Co worryingly wait it out until next month's deadline when it comes to a number of stars leaving.

Of course, incomings into the building won't be wrapped up by any stretch of the imagination just yet either, as the Whites aim to strengthen all over the pitch, with central midfield one priority as was revealed by the Leeds boss recently.

Leeds could now press on and sign this desired target in the centre of the park, therefore, with Farke potentially raiding the German leagues again for a top talent if a move gets off the ground.

Leeds bidding for Bundesliga midfielder

According to German outlet BILD, Leeds are very keen on bringing in FC Koln ace Dejan Ljubičić to the building this summer, with Ilia Gruev just one success story in the Whites camp who was purchased from the Bundesliga, away from the new target.

Leeds have already faced a stumbling block in their early pursuit of the 27-year-old, however, as a £3.3m bid has been reportedly rejected – with Ljubičić's valuation nearer to the £4m mark, according to Football Transfers.

Dejan Ljubicic for FC Koln.

Leeds won't just give in here though, knowing that the new Championship season is gradually coming more and more into view now, and the fact the likes of Oliver Skipp and more potentially coming in to strengthen the central midfield spots are dead deals.

Therefore, Farke and Co could bid more for the Austrian star shortly, with the very real possibility that the current Koln number seven could be Leeds' next Kalvin Phillips, if everything goes smoothly.

How Ljubičić could be Leeds' next Phillips

Leeds have sorely lacked a similarly aggressive and tenacious spirit to the one that Phillips used to give them week in, week out since their homegrown product left for Manchester City in 2022, a bumper move that now he must really regret putting pen to paper on.

There was some speculative talk in the air that the former Whites great was planning a dramatic return to Elland Road this summer, but Leeds falling short of their promotion goal stopped that dream move from ever coming to fruition, with Ljubičić now their desired choice to sign centrally.

Ljubičić's Bundesliga numbers (22/23)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Ljubičić

Games played

27

Goals scored

5

Assists

1

Shots*

1.3

Big chances missed

2

Big chances created

3

Stats by Sofascore

Although Ljubičić struggled last season for Koln as his side were relegated, the table above indicates he has shone brightly in the past for his German employers in the top division to warrant Leeds being intrigued, with five goals and one assist managed during the 2022/23 campaign by the Austrian.

Yet, even when everything was stacked against Koln, Ljubičić would battle away to try and make a difference last season, with three duels won on average per game last campaign, as the now German second-tier outfit succumbed to their relegation fate.

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips had to play in a similar manner for Leeds towards the back end of his glittering time with the Whites, winning 4.9 duels on average per game during his final swansong campaign, as the West Yorkshire side constantly stared dropping down to the Championship square in the face that same season.

Yet, the 28-year-old also showed he had an eye for goal too, like Ljubičić has shown away from the English game, with 14 goals and 13 assists mustered up from his extensive Whites back catalogue of 234 games.

The £14k-per-week talent joining this off-season would surely see Leeds improve in their midfield spots, therefore, alongside the recent addition of Joe Rothwell on loan from AFC Bournemouth.

He will have to really excel moving to the Championship side to be as engrained into the Elland Road masses' hearts as Phillips is, but he will be adored away from any outlandish comparisons if he can help Farke's men return to the Premier League on his arrival.

Farke can forget about Szmodics after Leeds star's 9/10 Hannover display

Daniel Farke could now be prepared to give this Leeds United gem more chances in the spotlight next season.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 25, 2024

يوفنتوس عن صفقة أراوخو: نأمل الحصول على أخبار إيجابية قريبًا

تحدث مدير يوفنتوس كريستيانو جيونتولي، عن ارتباط النادي بالتعاقد مع مدافع برشلونة رونالد أراوخو وراندال كولو مواني، لاعب باريس سان جيرمان.

وظهرت تقارير صحفية على مدار الأيام الماضية، تؤكد وجود محادثات بين يوفنتوس وبرشلونة بشأن صفقة أراوخو.

وينتظر يوفنتوس نهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني بين برشلونة وريال مدريد المقرر خوضه غدًا الأحد، لحسم الصفقة.

اقرأ أيضًا | بيدري يوضح حقيقة تهديده بالانسحاب من منتخب إسبانيا.. ومستقبله مع برشلونة

وقال جيونتولي لـ DAZN: “الاستراتيجية هي تعزيز الفريق في الدفاع والبحث حولنا عما إذا كانت هناك أي فرص في مناطق أخرى من الفريق”.

وأضاف: “يجب أن نحترم العديد من المعايير المختلفة، سواء الاقتصادية أو الفنية، ومن الصعب الحصول على لاعبين رائعين في يناير، لذلك نحتاج إلى التحلي بالصبر”.

وسُئل ألا يكون من الأفضل ليوفنتوس أن يبحث عن مدافع على دراية بكرة القدم الإيطالية، وأجاب: “بشكل عام، قد يكون من الأفضل إحضار شخص يعرف بالفعل الدوري الإيطالي، لكن يتعين علينا أيضًا أن ننظر إلى ما هو متاح ولا يوجد الكثير من البدائل في إيطاليا”.

كما سُئل جيونتولي بشكل خاص عن مدافع برشلونة أراوخو ومهاجم باريس سان جيرمان كولو مواني، ورد: إنهما لاعبان جيدان، لكن نافذة الانتقالات بدأت للتو ونأمل في الحصول على بعض الأخبار الإيجابية خلال الأسبوع المقبل”.

Global investors inject funds into Rajasthan Royals

The founders of Laver Cup and Betfair, and the CEO of British Telecom among fresh funders

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jan-2021

The Rajasthan Royals finished last in IPL 2020•BCCI

The creator of the Laver Cup in tennis, the CEO of British Telecom, the founder of Betfair are among the global entrepreneurs who have invested in the Rajasthan Royals in a fresh funding drive. The investors injected the funds via the franchise’s lead stakeholder Emerging Media IPL Limited (EMIPL), which is owned by UK-based businessman Manoj Badale.The franchise has not disclosed the value of the funding exercise, but the development means EMIPL is now the leading investor in the Royal with over 50% stake, further establishing Badale as the lead owner. The Royals, one of the eight original IPL franchises, won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. Their fortunes have swung differently since then as the Royals finished last in IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE.”Funds were raised from a small number of new individual investors, including Ian McKinnon, one of the founding partners of TEAM8, a leading sports and entertainment company and the creator of the Laver Cup, UK business leaders including BT CEO Phil Jansen, FutureLearn and Network International Chairman Ron Kalifa and Betfair founder Ed Wray have invested, as well as Arizona-based tech entrepreneurs Kal Somani, Simer Mayo and Mihir Patel,” the franchise said in a media release on Friday.Despite being billed as an Indian domestic T20 franchise tournament, the IPL has grown into the most lucrative cricket event in the world. In 2017, Star India bought the five-year global media rights for a record sum of US$ 2.55 billion (INR 16,347.5 crore). Recently, the BCCI approved to make the IPL a ten-team event from the 2022 edition.While Somani said the IPL’s “huge potential” could not be ignored, Badale said the growing appeal of the IPL globally – the tournament has its own free window for nearly two months in the Indian summer – was what investors recognised. “Investors are now recognising the value of sports franchises,” Badale said. “EMIPL’s increased ownership of the franchise and expanded network of US-based, value-add investors presents an exciting opportunity to drive the growth of both the Rajasthan Royals and the IPL.”Mike Fordham, new Royals CEO
The Royals have also announced Mike Fordham as the Group CEO. Fordham was part of the International Management Group (IMG) team that helped the IPL take off in 2008. According to the Royals’ release, Fordham also helped the ECB in “development” of The Hundred, which is scheduled to start this summer in England after its launch was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phlegmatic Ben Foakes prepared for Test recall after two years on the sidelines

Foakes is set to keep wicket from the second Test onwards with Jos Buttler rested

Matt Roller31-Jan-2021As Ben Foakes picked up his oversized Player-of-the-Series cheque following England’s clean sweep in Sri Lanka in November 2018, it was unthinkable – barring injury – that he would play only two out of their next 23 Test matches. But after a pair of underwhelming games in the Caribbean two months later he was squeezed out of the side, and with Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler ahead of him in the pecking order, he has found it impossible to get back in.Heading into the impending series in India, Foakes has an opportunity to show England what they have been missing. Buttler is due to fly home after the first Test, with Bairstow already back in the UK as the ECB rest and rotate their multi-format players, clearing the way for Foakes to take the gloves from the second Test onwards.”Obviously the way I started in Sri Lanka, I did expect to play for longer,” Foakes told the media from his hotel-room quarantine in Chennai on Sunday. “I did expect to get more of a run at that stage. I guess it’s tricky to control your emotions in that sense: I obviously got pretty high with all the things going on then and it gets taken away from you because I didn’t get runs in the West Indies. It happened so quickly.”It’s a tricky thing to get your head around I guess. I didn’t perform as well as I’d have liked when I went back to Surrey, had a bit of a break from cricket and came back pretty fresh and performed alright.”I know the strength of competition with the keepers is so high [that] there are going to be times when I’m not playing. That’s something I have to accept and be at peace with. If I do get a chance at any stage just try to enjoy it and embrace it, and do as well as I can.”The past 12 months have been frustrating for Foakes. After being named in the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka last year, he admitted in an interview with ESPNcricinfo that he had felt “burned out” by the end of the 2019 season, in which he averaged 26.13 in first-class cricket for Surrey.As a result, he took some time off the following winter rather than travelling to Australia with the Lions or seeking out a chance to play franchise cricket, and travelled to Sri Lanka with his love for the game rekindled. Two weeks later, the squad flew home with the Covid pandemic sending the world into lockdown, and he had to endure the frustrations of a summer running drinks while in the Test bubble as cover for Buttler.Foakes was man of the series in England’s clean sweep in Sri Lanka in late 2018•Getty Images

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that he is phlegmatic in his outlook on his imminent recall. “I haven’t had as much cricket as I would like in the last year and a half so I’ll just try to get back into competitive cricket and give it my all,” Foakes said.”I would expect it’s probably a case of Jos is the number one, and I’m just seeing these three games as a chance to try and stake my claim and do as well as possible and enjoy playing for England, and enjoy the experience.”India is an incredible place to play: [they have] a star-studded line-up and a country that is so passionate about the game. To get an opportunity out here would be amazing and something I’m really looking forward to.”Related

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If Foakes is somewhere near his best in India then the debate around England’s keeping options will doubtless rumble on. With the bat, he is excellent against spin but unproven against the quicks and lacks Buttler’s panache; with the gloves, Buttler has made clear strides in recent months but there remains little doubt that Foakes is the better keeper.And while he was fulsome in his praise for Buttler – “he’s been amazing, he’s a world-class player” – Foakes provided a glimpse into his own thinking on the role of the modern wicketkeeper when asked by a local reporter about his take on India’s parallel situation, which sees Wriddhiman Saha competing with Rishabh Pant.”I think you need a blend of both,” Foakes said. “You can’t have someone that can’t keep who is scoring loads of runs but makes loads of mistakes, but at the same time, however good a keeper is, they’re going to have to contribute with the bat.”It depends on a few things, like the balance of the side – I suppose if you’ve got a batting line-up that is banging out 600 every time then you go for a specialist keeper, but if you want a frontline batter then potentially you sacrifice a bit of the keeping ability.”Performances in the coming weeks will help England determine which combination they think is more attractive.

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