The Pakistan captain is wary of the challenges posed by Australia and the Zimbabwean conditions, but is confident of the team doing well in the tri-series

Umar Farooq27-Jun-2018

Sarfraz Ahmed promoted himself up the order to make a crisp 89 off 49 balls•Peter Della Penna

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed wants to continue batting at No. 4 in limited-overs cricket.Sarfraz kicked off his T20I career in 2010 batting at No. 8, and had floated around the middle order without much success; his first 400-odd runs came at an average of about 25. It didn’t take much for head coach Mickey Arthur to convince him to bat higher up earlier this year in T20s, a move that worked immediately. The emergence of allrounders Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf to provide cover down the order has also helped Pakistan and Sarfraz make this move. Steady performances at that position could encourage the team management to push him up the order in ODIs as well, ahead of the 2019 World Cup.”I have been continuously batting at No. 4 [of late] and I would like to continue there,” Sarfraz said, as Pakistan prepared for the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe. “We are basically trying to build ahead of the World Cup. If you look at the ODI side, we haven’t made many changes. Fakhar Zaman, Shadab, Haris [Sohail] who is back in the side, Babar Azam at the top, [Mohammad] Hafeez and [Shoaib] Malik are around. So we are settling and it is good that the team is performing and we are going in the right direction with the right combination.”Pakistan, according to Sarfraz, were wary of Australia – the third team in the tri-series – and the conditions in Zimbabwe, but remain confident of performing well. “Our preparation is good. We got a couple of days here (in Lahore) and three days there (in Zimbabwe) to train before the series,” he said. “We will definitely go with our best preparation, as in T20s no team is easy to beat.”We know Australia is a strong team and, although they have got many new players, they know exactly how to adapt themselves.”I have toured Zimbabwe twice, and on both occasions, the conditions were different. In 2013 it was grassy with some bounce and in 2015 it was slow with moisture. This time around, I’ve got to know that it will be colder and I feel the toss will be vital. So we need to assess the pitch to make our decisions. Overall, we are in a good position and hopeful of good results. But this tri-series is going to be tough and you can expect some competitive cricket.”Pakistan are currently ranked No. 1 in T20Is; Sarfraz said that did not add any additional pressure on them. “We actually don’t really think about being No. 1 or ratings. When we were not No. 1, we never thought about the rankings so all we have to do is to play naturally without getting into such details. I only urge the players to give their best and leave all other things aside.”The boys are backing each other and this is something that’s quite evident in the field. Even if someone fields well in the covers or at the boundaries, or has taken a good catch, they all respond to it and back each other up.”Following the T20I tri-series, Pakistan will play a five-match ODI series in Zimbabwe. Sarfraz admitted to being under pressure as an all-format captain, but said he tries to quell that with his on-field performances.”Obviously as a captain you are under pressure because you have to look around at a lot of things, but I always look to grab an opportunity to lead from the front. Whenever I get a chance, I try to win the game with my contribution. I am aware of my individual form and I’ve been working hard to contribute with both the bat and behind the wicket.”

England’s limited-overs captain expects to only be out for a week, but will be replaced in the World XI team by Sam Billings

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2018Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has pulled out of the World XI charity T20 against West Indies after suffering a finger injury. He will be replaced in the team by Sam Billings, with Shahid Afridi taking his place as captain.Morgan sustained a crack to the ring finger on his right hand while fielding in Middlesex’s last Royal London Cup game. England expected him to be out for 7-10 days, meaning he would be fit to lead the ODI side against Scotland on June 10, ahead of their five-match series against Australia.England are set to announce their ODI squad on Wednesday, but Morgan was hopeful of returning for Middlesex before the end of their Royal London Cup campaign.”It caught me on the top of the finger, initially it was quite bruised,” Morgan said. “I went for a precautionary X-ray about two hours ago and there’s a slight fracture at the top of my ring finger on my right hand.”It’s not a huge concern, one we can hopefully manage past about a week, once the swelling goes down. It’s not fractured into the joint, which is a really good result, but obviously disappointing to miss any cricket.”Surrey allrounder Sam Curran, who has yet to be capped by England, and left-arm quick Tymal Mills have also been added to the World XI squad as cover for Thursday’s game at Lord’s.Morgan was absent from the early weeks of the season after breaking a thumb in the nets, but was fit enough to play his first Championship match in three years in May. He has since featured in five Royal London Cup games, scoring two half-centuries, but will definitely miss Wednesday’s game against Hampshire at the Merchant Taylors’ School.

Mark Stoneman’s England Test opportunities might have resulted in disappointment but when will England’s selectors take a serious look at Rory Burns?

George Dobell09-Jun-2018
ScorecardThe streaker is not – thankfully – a common sight in Championship cricket. It’s not just that the atmosphere of the game hardly warrantsit – it’s a bit like crowd surfing in a library – but, with the schedule pushing matches to the margins of the season, it’s not very warm, either. And the cold is neither comfortable or flattering.So it was hard to imagine why anyone would strip off and run around the Ageas Bowl pitch in light drizzle towards the end of the first dayof this match. Insanity was one theory. Stolen trousers another. Or could it be Rory Burns in a desperate attempt to be noticed?The answer to that we should make very clear – we live in litigious times, you know – is a resounding no. But if Burns were driven to such measures it might, to a point, be understandable. After all, he keeps churning out runs. But it doesn’t seem to make any difference.But Burns is becoming, for the best of reasons, hard to ignore. After finishing the 2017 season as the third-highest run-scorer in DivisionOne, he is now the second-highest run scorer in the division this season.Here, against an attack boasting 623 Test wickets (Sean Ervine, who hardly bowls these days, is not included in that tally), he made hissecond century of the campaign. Only Hashim Amla has scored more runs in Division One this year, no England-qualified batsman has morecenturies and nobody in either division has faced more deliveries.At a time when it appears just about every opening batsman with a pulse and bladder control has been considered by England, it is puzzling that Burns – with a career average of 42.51 in first-class cricket – has not had as much as a Lions call. Indeed, to talk to those who know him at Surrey, it seems he has not had as much as a phone call from the selectors or England management.That will surely be rectified soon. The Lions play India A at New Road from July 16 and it would be bizarre if Burns does not win an opportunity to impress. While England may feel they have settled upon an opening pair for the India series, it remains possible that Burnscould slot in at No. 3, thereby allowing Joe Root to revert to what appears to be his favoured No. 4 position. He may be just the thing anEngland side crying out for stability requires.One of the arguments against Burns is that he scores his runs – or many of them, at least – on relatively flat tracks at The Oval. And there is some truth in that. But developing a game on those surfaces also builds confidence and technique. So, unlike some openers, who have adapted to testing conditions in the county game by attempting to smash their way to runs as fast as possible in the hope they can score a few before an unplayable delivery arrives, Burns has the confidence to build an innings. He leaves well, he drives sweetly – some of hiscover drives in this innings were a thing of beauty – and he is good off his legs.He is not especially pleasing on the eye – not in his stance, anyway, crouching with his bottom stuck out far behind him and his head turning at the last moment as if the square-leg fielder has just said something appalling about his mother – but this should not put off the selectors. Alastair Cook’s batting is hardly pretty, after all, and he has done rather well.And there is no ignoring runs against this attack. With Dale Steyn (419 Test wickets) keen to prove his fitness ahead of a potential return to Test cricket bowling, forming a formidable opening pair alongside Fidel Edwards (165 Test wickets) with Kyle Abbott (39 Test wickets) and the vastly underrated Gareth Berg in support, this innings cannot, in any way, be dismissed as soft. While it is true this sluggish surface meant he was hardly tested by the short ball in this innings, there was lateral movement and he coped with it admirably.”It’s an outstanding attack,” Surrey coach Michael Di Venuto said afterwards. “There aren’t too many better in Championship cricket.”That was a terrific innings from a fantastic player. Hopefully he gets recognition and higher honours soon. He just scores runs and that’s the name of the game for a batsman.”Surrey were grateful for Burns’ resistance. They were two down after the first over after Mark Stoneman was caught in the slips and ScottBorthwick attempted a sharp single only to be run-out by Brad Taylor’s direct hit from cover.Stoneman’s poor luck continues. After a horrid second-innings dismissal at Lord’s – the ball keeping low – ended his Test career fornow, here he was victim of a fine piece of bowling. With Edwards – the pick of the bowlers – generally moving the ball back into the left-hander, Stoneman was obliged to play the delivery just outside off stump. But this time it was angled across him and caught the edgeon its way.With Mason Crane – who has worryingly experienced a recurrence of pain in his back – and Liam Dawson – finger – injured, Hampshire wereobliged to give an opportunity to the off-spin of Taylor. And, while he ended Ryan Patel’s promising stay – the batsman simply missed onehe had attempted to turn into the leg side – Ben Foakes, in particular, took a bit of a shine to him. At one stage he was plundered for three boundaries in an over.Foakes endured some nervous moments at the start of his innings. Edwards beat him a couple of times outside off stump and Burns mayhave survived an edge in between the keeper and first slip off Abbott when he had 74, but generally the pair were sound and resourceful inadding an unbroken 133 for the fourth-wicket.Edwards, who will shortly depart to represent Winnipeg Hawks in the Canada Cricket League – a somewhat surprising turn of events – was the pick of the bowlers. Steyn, being the class act he is, was tidy and, in his first couple of spells, occasionally dangerous. But, playinghis first first-class came since the first week of January, he is still feeling his way back to full pace and was not helped by a pitchon which, once the hardness of the new ball has gone, is slow. He later announced himself happy to simply be out on the pitch. There’smore to come from him.There’s more to come from Burns, too. Not only will Surrey be keen for him to add substantially to his overnight score, but it seems hisopportunity – at Lions level, at least – must be imminent. His is a hot streak that cannot be ignored.

Manchester United are in a race with Everton and several other Premier League clubs to try and add a talented Champiosnhip midfielder to the ranks at Old Trafford, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils returned to winning ways at the weekend in the Premier League, disposing of Burnley by a score of 1-0 courtesy of a fantastic Bruno Fernandes strike on the stroke of half-time.

Cited by BBC Sport, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag praised his side's fighting spirit and desire to secure all three points in Lancashire during his post-match press conference, stating: "It was clear, of course, we needed that win. We had a tough run of games against good opponents. It wasn’t necessary to lose those games. Today was a must-win. The team spirit and how they fight together [was impressive]. It was a team attacking with 11 and defending with 11. They supported each other."

He then added: "A lot has been against us, like injuries and decisions. Like tonight, Murphy’s Law, where everything goes against us. You have to fight and find a turning point. It shows the dressing room is together. They fight together."

In the aftermath of Manchester United's victory over the Clarets, England international Marcus Rashford was involved in a car crash near Carrington training complex; though luckily he escaped without injury from the collision, as per The Burnley Express. Taking to social media platform Instagram to reassure the general public, Rashford said: “Three points on the road. I’m alright guys, thanks for the messages."

According to The Daily Mail meanwhile, United midfielder Mason Mount could make his anticipated comeback from injury in the Red Devils' Carabao Cup clash against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

Who could Manchester United sign?

As per Alan Nixon on Patreon via TEAMtalk, Everton and Manchester United are joined by several other Premier League sides in the hunt to sign Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton. Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers all expressed interest in the 19-year-old across the summer, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur monitored the youngster earlier this year.

Versatile midfielder Wharton has already racked up nine appearances across all competitions this term, registering one assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt. Labelled a "great player" by Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, Wharton has made his presence known in the engine room this term, winning an average of two challenges and two interceptions per fixture in the Sky Bet Championship, according to WhoScored – more than double the interceptions Casemiro is making this season, to put that into perspective.

The England youth international has also been able to demonstrate his ability to fashion opportunities for his teammates in the English second tier too, with 19 shot-creating actions in 2023/24, as per FBRef. Wharton's value as a homegrown player cannot be understated either, given that he would ease concerns regarding continental squad registration if he were to complete a move to Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, Manchester United look to have a fight on their hands to land the talent amid interest from several Premier League clubs in his services.

Professional cricketers in England and Wales have come out overwhelmingly in favour of the retention of a two-division Championship with promotion and relegation in a powerful message to the ECB working group currently debating the future structure of the first-class game.The players’ message will quicken the belief that a move to a Conference system – variously advocated over the past few months by Yorkshire and Sussex in an attempt to protect the 18-team county structure – is gradually losing support.Players are even more adamant that they want to play the three county formats – four-day, 50-overs and Twenty 20 – in distinct blocks, even though they know that the ECB has indicated that this will be impossible once The Hundred becomes the centrepiece of the English summer.The Hundred, envisaged as English cricket’s groundbreaking challenge to the IPL and Big Bash – and worth an extra GBP £1.3m to the 18 first-class counties – has invited widespread debate, including ridicule from many established county supporters, as proposals about how it will work have gradually emerged.Disappointingly, the opinion of the players on The Hundred has yet to be surveyed on the grounds that it is outside the remit of the working party, chaired by the Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan.As far as The Hundred is concerned, the ECB is keeping decisions within an inner circle and allowing limited opportunity for opposition.With 89% of PCA playing members surveyed believing Test Match cricket is the most important format of the world game, those thoughts are supported in domestic male cricket too.The structure of the County Championship is one key area which is under review and feedback from players suggests 79% would like to keep promotion and relegation with members agreeing the current system maintains an intense standard of competition for both players and spectators.Players firmly believe there should be no four-day cricket played during The Hundred, therefore not compromising the Championship which a large majority of players still view as the most important.But if players can express preferences, turning those into a workable fixture list is much more problematic.As many as 93% of players have called for the county white-ball season to be played in blocks so they can avoid the chopping and changing that they believe causes a fall in standards.That led PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell to warn as the survey results were revealed that some switching between formats is inevitable.”With the desire to create blocks for different formats over recent years, it has meant that the Championship has been slightly marginalised with a huge proportion of games being played in April and September,” he said.”Players feel there is a need for more four-day cricket to be played in the middle of the summer for members and supporters to watch as well as to enable players to play in better conditions. This will therefore mean switching between formats is inevitable.”The survey, carried out to gain members thoughts on how male county cricket will be played from 2020, will feed into the ECB’s working group. Disappointingly, it was completed by only 240 of more than 350 regularly active professionals.PCA director of development and welfare Ian Thomas and former PCA Chairman and current personal development manager Mark Wallace are on the ECB’s working group to represent the views of current players.The PCA chief executive David Leatherdale is on leave of absence from his role due to stress with non-executive chairman Matthew Wheeler taking on Leatherdale’s responsibilities in the interim.The volume of T20 Blast games to be played from 2020 is also yet to be decided and 72% of players would like there to be either 14 group games per season as now, or a rise to 16 to allow for each county in North and South Group to play each other twice.As long as 50-over cricket remains the format played internationally, there is a strong feeling that domestic cricket should mirror the international level with only 10% of players wanting to move away from the current 50-over competition.PCA Chairman, Daryl Mitchell, said: “It was great to see a large number of PCA playing members respond to this survey and this is a vital piece of research to understand members’ views to further influence the PCA’s stance on the domestic structure.”I am pleased to see the results support views which we are always informally gathering through conversations around the county circuit.But Mitchell again sidestepped the issue of The Hundred, even though many players have expressed disillusionment or anger that the eight-team tournament will not be played in the accepted worldwide gold standard of T20.”2020 it is an exciting time for cricket in this country with the new competition bringing huge opportunities to our playing membership and with that it is imperative we get the domestic structure right,” he said.

Bumrah has undergone surgery for his broken left thumb in Leeds and has returned to India

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2018Fast bowler Shardul Thakur will replace the injured Jasprit Bumrah in India’s ODI squad for the three matches against England.Bumrah had already been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series in England, having broken his left thumb during India’s 76-run win in the first T20I against Ireland on June 27.On Friday, the BCCI confirmed that the fast bowler would miss the ODIs too, stating that he had undergone surgery in Leeds on July 4 before returning to India.This is the second injury to hit India’s ODI team before the series, with spinner Washington Sundar being ruled out earlier with an ankle problem and replaced by Axar Patel.Shardul, 26, last played for India in the Nidahas Trophy T20I series in Sri Lanka in March, and hadn’t been picked for the T20I or ODI squads for England. He is already in the UK though, and was an important part of the India A squad that won the tri-series involving England Lions and West Indies A.Shardul took eight wickets in four matches at an average of 21.37 and an economy rate of 5.02. He was on standby to replace Bumrah, with India A coach Rahul Dravid praising his performance for the A side.Despite Bumrah’s absence, India have several pace options to call on in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Siddarth Kaul and Hardik Pandya, with Shardul now added to the mix.

The batsman said the sweep had been a key weapon during his innings of 101 in the second Test at the SSC

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC23-Jul-2018For most of this series, it appeared as if no South Africa batsman would bat for 100 balls in an innings, let alone score a century. Even getting to triple figures as a team seemed difficult enough. On the last day of the series, though, two relatively new batsmen saved some face for the visitors. Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma put on 123 together – South Africa’s best partnership of the series by a distance.De Bruyn then went on to score his maiden Test hundred, in his sixth Test, in a series in which much more senior men had failed dramatically. He had had a feeling he just might manage a breakthrough in Sri Lanka, after having made only modest scores in his five previous Tests.”It’s been quite a journey – it’s been tough. My international career didn’t start the way I wanted it to,” he said. “But I just had a bit of calmness landing in the airport here in Sri Lanka. As we drove to the hotel, I looked at the ocean and said to myself: ‘Yep, there could be something special.’ As a team, it wasn’t special, but for me it was special.”De Bruyn was especially effective square of the wicket against the spinners, employing the sweep, which he said he had learned in South Africa’s spin camps. He batted 232 balls all up, which made his the longest innings of the series, even if it wasn’t the biggest in terms of runs.”Back home you don’t need the sweep, because we play on bouncier wickets and you can play spinners down the ground,” he said. “But here, you know they’re bowling in good areas, and the wickets don’t bounce as much. The sweep is a better option.”For me, it was important to get the fielders out on the boundary, early on – especially with the new ball. If you’re just defending, it can be difficult. So if you put the bowlers slightly under pressure, you can get the fielders out. I didn’t know it was going to take that long to get a hundred. They just don’t let you go. They keep on bowling very accurately. It’s Test cricket. It’s not easy.”Bavuma was the more positive partner during their long partnership, making 63 off 98 balls before a spitting Rangana Herath delivery took the outside edge. Bavuma’s was the only other fifty-plus score for South Africa in this series.”Temba actually came in and played quite comfortably,” de Bruyn said. “He scored runs all the way through his innings and could start ticking over the strike. I think we almost had the same game plan – to sweep a lot and reverse sweep, and hit your ones over the legside. I think we both learned a lot over the last few hours, playing against the Sri Lankan spinners on this wicket.”De Bruyn had batted lower down the order in his earlier jaunts in Test cricket but said he felt more comfortable at No. 3, where he bats in domestic cricket.”For me, it does make a difference batting at No. 3. I’ve batted there my whole career, even as a youngster. The waiting game when you’re batting at six and seven mentally drains you – I don’t know, I’m not used to it. But I wanted to do really well batting at No. 3. It’s a place I really cherish and I’d like to make it my own one day if I get more opportunities.”

USMNT defender Sergino Dest revealed a bizarre bet he has with PSV's assistant coach to reach three goals by the end of the season.

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• PSV defeat Go Ahead Eagles 1-0
• Dest scores winner
• Revealed bizarre bet with coach

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 23-year-old fired PSV to victory over Go Ahead Eagles on Friday with a wonderful curling effort in a 1-0 victory to push their unbeaten streak in the Eredivisie to 25-straight games. Celebrating after the match, the USMNT defender shared the motivation behind his effort.

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  WHAT DEST SAID

  Speaking to , the USMNT defender revealed the bizarre bet he has with a PSV assistant coach.

  "A wonderful goal, I can't say anything else. I am proud of it," he said. "I need one more. I had a bet with Rob Maas. I have to score three goals before the end of the season. Otherwise I'll have to wash his car by hand. And I'm not going to do that. If I score three times, he has to fill my car with gas. I have a big car with Euro 98."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dest is already up to nine goal contributions across all competitions in 2023-24 for the Dutch club, excelling on nearly every level possible for PSV while on loan from Barcelona. His performances have impressed so much that the Eindhoven-based club are now looking to make his loan there a permanent move. However, if he wants to avoid scrubbing Maas's vehicle with his own hands, he only has a few months to bag another goal!

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PSV?

  The Dutch side will clash with Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League next week in a leg two meeting. They drew 1-1 in the first leg, and with no away goals advantage this year, the winner of Wednesday's clash advances to the final eight.

Jenni Hermoso has dedicated Spain’s Nations League triumph to herself after enduring a testing few months in the wake of a World Cup kissing scandal.

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Caught in a storm after World Cup winLooking to move on from scandalHas another trophy for the collectionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old forward found herself at the centre of a sporting storm following a non-consensual clinch with former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales during the medal ceremony which accompanied the capturing of a global crown in Australia.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With a legal and social battle now over, Hermoso – who currently plies her club trade in Mexico for Tigres – is free to focus on her football once more. She has another major honour for the collection, with Spain seeing off France 2-0 in the final of the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League.

Getty ImagesWHAT HERMOSO SAID

Hermoso told after that contest when asked who she would like to dedicate the title to: “I'm going to be very honest. It has been difficult for me to stay strong all this time and I continue to improve myself. Of course I remember my mother, my brother… but I have fought a lot and I am going to dedicate this victory to myself no matter what. Because I think I deserve it.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Hermoso added on the long-running Rubiales saga that she hopes will deliver positive change in Spanish football: “It has been a long process but the most important thing is that the player knows that she comes only to enjoy football.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as a possible Premier League destination for one young star who's left them "very impressed".

Will Spurs replace Hojbjerg?

Over the last month or so, there have been many reports suggesting that Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could depart north London as early as the January transfer window. Despite being a mainstay under Antonio Conte last season, and throughout his entire stay at Tottenham really, the Dane is no longer a lynchpin of their midfield as both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are preferred by new boss Ange Postecoglou.

Hojbjerg scored four goals and assisted five others over 35 league starts last term, but this season, he's not even started a single top flight match; making all six of his appearances from the bench. As a result, there have been suggestions that Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is a target for Tottenham, among others. A new midfielder appears to be on the Spurs agenda if Hojbjerg quits in the winter window, while Spurs are rumoured to be targeting a new striker and new central defender for 2024 as well.

Postecoglou's side have started the season remarkably well; tasting victory in five out of a possible seven league matches so far while scoring 17 goals. However, there may still be some gaping holes to fix in the squad, as injuries to key players could threaten to ruin their exceptional early-season form. Ivan Perisic, Brennan Johnson, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Alfie Whiteman, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have all found themselves injured at Spurs recently.

If one of James Maddison, Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – Tottenham's arguable star players right now – are sidelined, Postecoglou would be in big trouble.

Quinten Timber transfer news

A new option who may emerge for Spurs, as per journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers Podcast, is Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber; who would seemingly come in as a potential alternative to Hojbjerg. The brother of Arsenal star Jurrien, he already has a very interesting connection to the top flight through Tottenham's arch rivals.

Timber has been in brilliant Eredivisie form this campaign, scoring one goal and assisting three others in seven Dutch top flight starts. According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old is among Feyenoord's best-performing players per 90 this term, a fact not lost on Tottenham.

Dribbling

Aerial duels

Tackling

It is believed that Spurs are "very impressed" by Timber's form, and Bailey urges supporters to "keep an eye" him potentially making a move to England.

“I like Quintin Timber in this role, and so do the teams who have been watching Feyenoord, the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, they have all been very impressed by this young lad, he’s more a midfielder than his twin brother, so let’s keep an eye on him, could we see Timber’s brother in England? I wouldn’t rule it out." said the 90min journalist.

The Dutch midfield ace facing off against his brother would make a rather intriguing development.