There was likelihood of play for at least an hour in the evening session, but that was just the cue for another spell of rain
The Report by Mohammad Isam in Wellington09-Mar-2019Rain continued to play havoc with the Wellington Test with two full days now washed out. The call-off came at 4.30 pm local time after umpires Ruchira Palliyaguruge and Paul Reiffel had conducted their third inspection.It probably didn’t help that there was no wind all day – which is ironic since this is the windy city – ensuring dark clouds kept hovering over Basin Reserve.Unlike the first day however, both the Bangladesh and the New Zealand players turned up at the ground at around 4 pm and there was likelihood of play for at least an hour in the evening session. But just after the groundstaff had completed most of their work, another spell of rain came by and ruined everything. There is more forecast of rain on the third day too.Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes said it was a frustrating time for his team but probably best that neither side had to bat for such a short period in the third session.New Zealand’s batting coach Craig McMillan said, “Three days is a long time. Conditions are challenging for the batsmen. All three results are possible in this game. We have to be switched on tomorrow and ready to go.”The last time there was no play over the first two days of a Test in New Zealand was in 2001 – the Hamilton game between the same two teams.
The first half of the season was all about the rise and subsequent fall of Ange Postecoglou's swashbuckling Tottenham team.
Spurs had looked like title contenders in the early stages of the term, unbeaten in their first nine league matches. However, four consecutive games without a win later saw them fall out of the top four.
That said, as 2023 drew to a close, they were still only a point behind bitter rivals Arsenal who currently sit in fourth spot.
Injuries have ravaged Postecoglou's side but fortunately, Johan Lange and Co now have a transfer window to sink their teeth into.
Tottenham's January transfer window plans
One area the club are looking to strengthen is the centre of defence with Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin having already reportedly agreed personal terms with the club.
Lange also has plans to bolster Spurs' midfield, with Borussia Monchengladbach powerhouse Manu Kone lined up for a potential move to the Premier League.
That's according to Rudy Galetti who suggested in the dying stages of 2023 that Tottenham were one of the sides interested in making a deal happen. They will, however, face the arduous challenge of fighting away PSG.
A deal won't come cheap with Transfermarkt currently rating Kone at a valuation of £31m. It's expected he may well cost a fair bit more than that though.
How Manu Kone compares to Mousa Dembele
Try as they might, Spurs have struggled to replicate the sincere impact that Mousa Dembele had on the spine of their team.
The likes of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur have been signed in a bid to offer similar attributes but truth be told, neither are cut from the same cloth.
arthur-vermeeren-mousa-dembele-tottenham-opinion
You only need to look at how some in the game regard the Belgian to understand his impact at White Hart Lane.
Indeed, Jack Wilshere once stated: "You couldn’t get the ball off him, his dribbling was unreal.” There was finer praise from Kyle Walker who said: "Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football." As for Eric Dier, he aptly suggested he was a "monster".
Arguably one of the best press-resistant midfielders to grace English football, Dembele was perhaps ahead of his time. Though, in Kone, Postecoglou could have a like-minded player at his disposal.
Detailing the Frenchman's playstyle, scout Antonio Mango commented: "Strong stance when receiving the ball, fantastic ball-carrier & extremely difficult to overturn. One of the best in Europe. Koné very rarely loses possession & always looks to play forward, that’s key."
kouadio-kone-liverpool-transfer-news
That certainly sounds a lot like Dembele, but let's compare some of the finer details a bit more closely.
Progressive Carries
2.35
3.16
Progressive Passes
3.24
10.1
Expected Goals (xG)
0.05
0.02
Pass Success Rate
88%
92%
Key Passes
0.88
0.86
Shot-creating Actions
2.50
2.39
Tackles Won
1.18
1.15
Tackles & Interceptions
3.24
3.30
Take-ons Attempted
5.44
3.88
Carries into final 3rd
2.06
2.82
While Dembele tallied up a rather ridiculous number of progressive passes per game during the 2017/18 campaign, the two players are largely very similar. Their key pass rate and number of shot-creating actions are nearly identical while they both love to attempt take-ons and carry the ball into the final third.
Postecoglou certainly has some fine ball progressers in his side at the moment, chiefly the likes of James Maddison and Heung-min Son but there is still something lacking from the midfield. Kone could bring that to Spurs, just as Dembele did all those years ago.
French legend Zinedine Zidane wowed fans with his ball-juggling skills on his return to Bordeaux for their 100th anniversary match.
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Zidane retired from football 20 years agoShowed he still has the skills in friendly gameCelebrated Bordeaux's 100th anniversaryWHAT HAPPENED?
To celebrate 100 years of the French club, Zidane and other legends took on Varietes Club de France on Tuesday. And the former Real Madrid and Bordeaux midfielder wowed the 32,000 supporters with his tricks and flicks; showing he has still got it 18 years after retiring from the sport.
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Zidane played 179 times for Bordeaux, scoring 39 goals in the process, before moving to Juventus in 1996. The Frenchman went onto become one of the greatest players of his generation and won multiple trophies, both across Europe and internationally. He was a remarkable talent and it seems those skills have not left Zizou.
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Zidane, who has had two successful stints as Real Madrid manager since retiring, is looking to get back into the dugout but the wait for a new post continues. He has been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, among others, but has been out of management since May 2021.
Although the legspinner has become Australia’s No. 1 option in the one-day side he is taking nothing for granted ahead of the World Cup
Daniel Brettig20-Mar-2019If Australia’s selectors have ceased to, in the words of the chairman Trevor Hohns, “bury our heads in the sand” about the need to use spin bowling more effectively in the ODI team for this year’s World Cup, then Adam Zampa is still wary of being discarded as he seeks to rebuild confidence shaken by his on again/off again recent history with the national team.The winning ODI series in India was the first time that Zampa had been selected for a whole series of 50-over matches since 2016, his first year in international cricket, and his return of 11 wickets at 25.81 was his most prolific in any series. Zampa had been dropped entirely from Australia’s limited-overs squads for the tours of England and Zimbabwe last year, at the end of a period in which neither Zampa nor the selectors ever looked entirely comfortable.While Zampa has admitted to making changes both in terms of his approach to the crease and his use of variations, also working at sharpening the torque on his leg-break, he is also now benefitting from a change in philosophy from Australia’s planners, who realised at the outset of 2019 that they had become an outlier relative to the rest of the world in their reluctance to use spin bowlers consistently. Where one spinner in a squad and one or none in a team had been the norm, now Zampa and Nathan Lyon appear likely to accompany each other to England for the World Cup.But even so, Zampa is conscious of the fact that his place in the team is perennially tenuous. “Throughout my short career I’ve found it can change really quickly,” he said in the UAE ahead of the series against Pakistan. “I started my career really well, but I’ve had some ups and downs.
“So trying to build on the momentum I have would be great – I know what it’s like to be in and out of the team and be dropped from the squad altogether. Just trying to make the most of my position at the moment…I guess taking it one series at a time – it’s a bit of a cliché, but that’s how it is.”I’m obviously happy with how they came out in the Indian series. It’s nice to try and make an impact, especially through the middle overs. After that series I feel really confident about my role in the team. I feel as though the first couple of games I wasn’t at my best, but to get the wickets on the board built my confidence up a little bit. So I feel like, particularly the last game, it was probably the best I bowled. I’m feeling confident at the moment.”Zampa’s inconsistent use in the ODI team since 2016, where he was picked and dropped almost irrespective of how he was performing, led to the attitude come January last year that he was quite simply a conditions-based selection. “I’ve played a lot of Big Bash [games] on pretty flat surfaces, like the MCG and Adelaide Oval when I was at the Strikers,” he said before last summer’s series against England. “So I do back myself in any conditions. But the feedback is, and I’m used to it now, that if conditions suit I’ll play and if not then I won’t.”That’s the way I see it, with the strength of our fast bowling that we have too, I am going to miss games. So I pretty much see it as that, with the conditions, if the conditions suit, I’ll play, if not then I might sit out.”Pushed to reconsider this policy by events around the world, where England and India have notably used twin spin as a matter of course, Hohns has said that Zampa and Lyon are now much more central to team plans. “Most teams around the world seem to be including one at least and probably two spinners in their World Cup squad. We expect them to,” Hohns said during the tour of India.”We can’t bury our heads in the sand and just say we’re going with fast bowlers when spinners in world cricket, and in one-day cricket in particular, are being very, very successful. Nathan we know is a world-class bowler…very experienced. Zampa is coming along quite nicely, so we’re comfortable at the moment. It’s a good combination.”With this in mind, Zampa is eager to face Pakistan, a team known for taking the attack to spin bowlers, though often with plenty of risk attached to the attempt. “The Indians are really good at milking, they like to go at five or six an over through the middle without taking too many risks,” Zampa said when contrasting the teams of Virat Kohli and Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shoaib Malik. “Whereas the Pakistani guys go quite hard…they’ll choose a period during the game when they’ll take me on, so that’s something I’m up for. I’ll just do my preparation, watch a lot of footage and go from there.”
Celtic decided to go back to a familiar face last summer as they opted to bring Brendan Rodgers to Parkhead for a second spell in charge of the club.
The Hoops were rocked by Ange Postecoglou's move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which culminated in a domestic treble for the Scottish giants.
They will not be able to match, or better, that feat this time around as the Bhoys were knocked out of the League Cup, which was subsequently won by Rangers, by Kilmarnock in August.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers' side have also been knocked out of Europe already as Celtic finished bottom of their Champions League group with one win in six matches.
They are currently eight points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership. However, their rivals have two games in hand on them as it stands.
The January transfer window opened for business at the start of last week and the Northern Irish head coach could dip into the market to improve his playing squad.
Celtic transfer news – Lawrence Shankland
Earlier this month, journalist Graeme Bailey reported that Celtic are considering a swoop to sign Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland to improve their attack.
He added that the Scottish club could struggle to keep hold of their skipper in January amid interest from a host of clubs, including a number of English sides.
Teams from the Premier League and the Championship south of the border are said to be keeping an eye on the forward, as per the accompanying report from Bailey's post.
Everton, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Sheffield United are the top-flight clubs in England who have been keeping tabs on the Scotland international. Meanwhile, second tier sides Southampton, Hull, and Middlesbrough have also shown an interest in him.
Lawrence Shankland on international duty with Scotland.
At the end of December, Football Insider reported that Rangers are tracking the Hearts star but look set to be priced out of a move for him this month.
The Premiership team are set to demand a fee of at least £3m and this means that Philippe Clement's side may not be able to strike a deal until the summer.
This means that Celtic could steal a march on their rivals by swooping to land his services this month, five months before the other team in Glasgow can afford to.
However, they look set to face serious competition from a host of sides in England and may have to hope that Shankland would prefer to remain in his home country instead of wanting to test his luck south of the border in either the Premier League or Championship.
Rodgers could now ignite Kyogo Furuhashi's season at Parkhead by swooping to sign the Hearts skipper, who could play alongside him to take the pressure off him in the final third.
Kyogo's drop-off in form
The Japanese centre-forward, who has not been selected to represent his country at the Asian Cup this month, has not hit top form in a Celtic shirt this season.
Kyogo has failed to replicate the immense form he displayed in front of goal throughout the 2022/23 campaign for Ange Postecoglou in the Premiership.
Appearances
36
Starts
31
Goals
27
Assists
Two
Minutes per goal
86
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old marksman was a prolific scorer for the Hoops in the top-flight with more than one goal every 90 minutes on average.
He proved himself to be a lethal and reliable attacking threat for the Scottish giants throughout the campaign, which earned him the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award for his efforts.
However, the right-footed dynamo has not been able to reach those levels so far this season. Kyogo has produced eight goals and three assists in 22 Premiership games.
The Celtic attacker has found the back of the net once every 190 minutes on average in the top-flight, which is a significant drop-off in form from the previous campaign.
Kyogo has only won 1.3 duels per game, including 0.2 aerial contests per match, in the Premiership this season, and signing a striker who can take on the physical workload whilst also offering a goal threat could be the perfect way to get the best out of him.
The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Shankland
Rodgers must now push for the club to win the race to sign Shankland from Hearts as the Scotland international has the attributes to be that foil for the Japan international.
The Jam Tarts talisman has won 4.0 duels per match, which includes 1.6 in the air, across 21 Premiership appearances this season, and won 4.2 per game across the 2022/23 league campaign.
Hearts attacker Lawrence Shankland.
This suggests that the £3m-rated ace has the physicality to cause problems for defenders and to offer an outball for Celtic when they are under pressure. Whereas, the ball rarely sticks with Kyogo due to his lack of involvement in duels with opposition players when the ball comes forward.
Shankland, who was once lauded as "different class" by journalist Joel Sked, has far more to offer than his ability to win duels against centre-backs, though, as he is also a prolific scorer.
The 28-year-old striker has outperformed Kyogo in front of goal this season with a return of 13 goals in 21 Premiership matches for Hearts – one strike every 145 minutes on average.
Appearances
37
Starts
31
Goals
24
Assists
Four
Minutes per goal
127
As you can see in the table above, Shankland enjoyed a similar level of production during the 2022/23 campaign and this shows that he has been a consistent performer for his side over the last 18 months.
The experienced finisher is a proven SPFL marksman who has showcased his consistency and quality since the start of last season, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Parkhead if Rodgers is able to strike a deal for him this month.
Shankland's arrival could then ignite Kyogo's campaign and help the Japan international to get back to his best by allowing him to focus purely on his work in front of goal instead of needing to compete with opposition defenders in physical battles, either behind the Scottish striker or out on the wing with a license to drift inside into scoring positions.
Celtic would then, in theory, have two prolific centre-forwards who could fire them to success during the second half of the season for Rodgers.
He is expected to feature in six of their final seven red-ball matches starting June
ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2019India offspinner R Ashwin will join Nottinghamshire for the second half of the county season. Ashwin will replace Australia’s James Pattinson as Nottinghamshire’s overseas player at the end of June and is expected to feature in six of their final seven red-ball matches.His stint will start at home against Essex on June 30, followed by matches against Somerset and Surrey. He will miss the away fixture against Yorkshire but will return to play against Kent, Warwickshire and Surrey.”I’m really looking forward to joining up with Nottinghamshire, to playing cricket at an iconic venue like Trent Bridge and hopefully contributing to some County Championship victories,” Ashwin said. “I enjoyed my previous stint in England with Worcestershire. It’s a good, competitive standard of cricket over there and I can’t wait to get started.”ALSO READ: Ajinkya Rahane scores hundred on debut for HampshireThis will be Ashwin’s second stint in the county circuit. In 2017, he had played four matches for Worcestershire to take 20 wickets at an average of 29.15, and scored 214 runs at an average of 42.80.”We knew what we wanted to sign and that was a world-class bowler,” Nottinghamshire director of cricket, Mick Newell said. “Whether that was a fast or a slow bowler, we were prepared to look at all options.”As it happens, we’ve signed a very good spinner, a very experienced spinner and one we hope can contribute with the bat as well. We’ve seen world-class slow bowlers have a huge match-winning effect in county cricket over many years. Ravi certainly has that potential – and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming him to the squad and letting him loose on our opposition.”Ashwin will be the second Indian to play county cricket this season. Ajinkya Rahane had signed for Hampshire earlier and started his season with a century on Wednesday, against the team Ashwin has signed for.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has been ruled out of the Copa America, the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed.
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Ederson suffered fractured eye socketHas been ruled out of Copa AmericaVeteran keeper Rafael replaces himWHAT HAPPENED?
Ederson suffered a fractured eye socket when he collided with defender Cristian Romero during City's recent Premier League match against Tottenham. The injury saw the shot-stopper miss his team's title-clinching final league game of the season and he will also be out of next week's FA Cup final.
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The 30-year-old will now also miss the Copa America in the United States, which begins on June 20. Brazil coach Dorival Junior has now replaced Ederson in his final squad for the tournament, having called up 34-year-old Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rafael, who has never represented the Selecao at senior level.
DID YOU KNOW?
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson will most likely be trusted to start in goal for Brazil throughout the Copa America. The Selecao are looking to win the Copa America title for the 10th time in their history and are drawn in Group D alongside Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica.
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City star Ederson will watch on as his team take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final next weekend and will continue his recovery as his compatriots head to the United States to compete in the Copa America.
Everything you need to know about the new Borussia Dortmund kit, including leaks, where to buy and more.
Borussia Dortmund and Puma are starting to release their 2024-25 kit and jersey collaborations, as the Bundesliga heavyweights look to cap off a successful campaign on a high by lifting only their second-ever Champions League trophy when they come up against serial winners Real Madrid in the grand final in early June.
Having secured Champions League qualification for next season via a fifth-placed Bundesliga finish, Edin Terzic's BVB side would love to slip into their new fit next season as the kings of Europe.
Shop Borussia Dortmund 2024-25 kits at PumaBuy now
PUMA launched the Borussia Dortmund 2024-25 Home kit on May 17, which is intended to be a classic iteration of the BVB jersey that honours the rich heritage of the iconic German side and embodies the club's enduring legacy.
So, what new kits will Borussia Dortmund wear in 2024-25? GOAL takes a look at the jerseys that are set to be sported by Karim Adeyemi, Donyell Malen, Emre Can, Julian Brandt and more, while we also give you the lowdown on rumours and leaks alongside details on how to buy them online.
GettyBorussia Dortmund 2024-25 home kit, release date & priceShop Borussia Dortmund 2024-25 kits at PumaBuy now
As alluded to above, Dortmund have already revealed their new shirt for the 2024/25 season, which the team wore in the final match of the current Bundesliga season against Darmstadt in what was legend Marco Reus' last home game before he bids farewell.
With the stripe design at the front inspired by the 1996-97 Champions League winning home kit from Nike, Dortmund claims the new jersey "stays true to Dortmund's roots while embracing the future."
Their classic black and yellow home strip also incorporates small pinstripes in its design. The back of the kit only has stripes on the bottom, and it is mainly solid yellow. There is an additional detail in the back of the neck where it reads "Borussia united".
The Puma Dortmund 2024-25 home shirt retails at €140 for the authentic version, and €90 for the replica.
AdvertisementPumaBorussia Dortmund 2024-25 away kit, release date & price
Information on what Borussia Dortmund and Puma have planned for the 2023-24 away uniform remains under wraps heading into next season, while there are next to no leaks as to what kind of jersey they could be set to deliver.
Regardless of style, it appears that the club will stay with their standard form throughout the PUMA tenure, essentially providing an inverted change strip with a black main body and yellow accents.
In terms of price, we can expect the away kits to be sold at a similar price to the home one, so somewhere in the region of €90-140.
Imago ImagesBorussia Dortmund 2024-25 third kit, release date & priceShop Borussia Dortmund 2024-25 kits at PumaBuy now
As with the away strip, nothing is known about the specifics of Borussia Dortmund's 2023-24 third kit for the upcoming season.
Third kits in recent seasons for Dortmund have often featured a white-bodied structure with black and yellow-hued graphics in homage to the club's official colours, however, they did wear an all-yellow uniform with thin solid black stripes and sleeves last season.
Ultimately, however, actual concrete details on the strip's design are under lock and key for now, and could yet face a much later release date than the away edition.
As with the rest of the club's locker, not much is known about an exact release date, but you can expect it to match the price of their other strips, retailing at an anticipated £70.00 through PUMA.
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Borussia Dortmund 2024-25 training kit release date & price
It is not yet clear what look Dortmund will go with for their training gear in 2024-25, but if last season's efforts are any indicator, there will be a mixture of classic black and yellow with intricate designs.
West Bromwich Albion's barebones squad could do with some positive reinforcements this month, with the likes of Jayson Molumby, Jed Wallace and John Swift all ruled out for the Baggies in their FA Cup win over Aldershot Town at the weekend piling up even more injury concerns.
Yet, one major plus from the 4-1 win over the non-league Shots was the returning figure of Daryl Dike leading the line and scoring after battling with a whole host of injuries since joining the Baggies in 2022 from Barnsley.
But, if Dike was to pick up another knock and find himself back in the Hawthorns treatment room, West Brom would only really have Brandon Thomas-Asante to fall back on as an out-and-out centre-forward.
Carlos Corberan and Co could well be looking for a potent striker to come into the building this month therefore to help out, the Baggies in the running for this promising sharpshooter according to reports.
West Brom transfers latest – Callum Marshall
A report from West Ham blog Claret and Hugh recently opened up about the possibility of young Hammers starlet Callum Marshall moving to West Brom on loan, but there could well now be a spanner in the works for Corberan's men in getting this deal over the line.
An injury recently sustained by Michail Antonio in training is yet to have a timescale attached to it according to the report, and so whilst David Moyes' Premier League side await the prognosis of their first team striker with bated breath, the Hammers could well give Marshall first-team minutes over loaning him out if Antonio is sidelined for the majority of January.
Still, West Brom should do everything in their power to try and land Marshall this month who has even been nominated for a Player of the Month accolade in the Premier League 2 for December as recognition for his goalscoring expertise.
Why Callum Marshall would be a good signing for West Brom
The obvious statistic that matters when it comes to a striker is their goal output, with the 19-year-old definitely showing to everyone this season in his age bracket for West Ham that he's a deadly finisher of chances.
This season alone, the Northern Irish sensation has bagged a staggering 19 goals from just 13 starts in all competitions with his blistering form even winning him a senior International call-up to Michael O'Neill's squad whilst still just a teenager.
23/24
13
19
3
22/23
32
21
5
21/22
18
9
1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Marshall's national team boss did temper his excitement about what heights the 19-year-old could reach when talking about his remarkable rise recently, stating that the West Ham youngster is "very talented" without going overboard.
West Brom will hope Marshall isn't fazed by jumping into the deep end of Championship action if signed, yet to taste men's football away from representing Northern Ireland.
Yet, the Baggies gambled on Thomas-Asante when signing the then unproven second-tier striker from Salford City and it's paid off to date – the 25-year-old attacker finding the back of the net 17 times with 14 of those coming in the Championship since joining.
Also, even if Marshall isn't as potent playing for the Baggies as he has been in the Premier League 2, he could still have a valuable squad role to play if Dike isn't finding the back of the net regularly or is out alongside Thomas-Asante potentially firing blanks.
West Bromwich Albion striker Daryl Dike.
Corberan needs to add bodies into the building at the Hawthorns and fast, with Marshall a worthwhile addition if a deal can be arranged to add a level of freshness to proceedings and gain an attacker who could explode into life in the Championship if everything clicks.
On the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo’s Talking T20 podcast, Vettori talks about Kohli as a leader, the role of data analytics in cricket, and more
ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2019Virat Kohli’s IPL captaincy has polarized opinion in recent times, and the debate is unlikely to go away given Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wooden-spoon finish in IPL 2019. So, just what kind of a T20 captain is Kohli? Someone who “relies on intuition” and is “exceptionally open to ideas”, according to Daniel Vettori, who has worked with him for six seasons as player and coach at the franchise. Vettori, a well-travelled coach who has also had stints with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and Middlesex in the T20 Blast among other teams, weighed in on a range of topics, on the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo’s Talking T20 podcast.Vettori was part of both Royal Challengers sides which finished runners-up in 2011 [as captain] and 2016 [as coach], apart from a run to the playoffs in 2015. However, dismal performances in subsequent seasons meant they parted ways ahead of IPL 2019. Despite another forgettable season for the franchise, Vettori only had high praise for his former captain.”When I used to speak to him or any other coaches [used to] speak to him, there’s always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work,” Vettori said. “It wouldn’t always be a numbers-driven conversation, it would be around some intuition and understanding of the game. I think, ultimately, when you sold a compelling story to Virat, he was always on board, open to listen and that made him such a good captain.”A widely-discussed aspect of Kohli’s game is his on-field personality, his “energy, enthusiasm and desperation to win” which Vettori said “is contagious”, and when “you couple that with [him being] the best batsman in the world, and with a work ethic that has probably led India into the situation they are now [in]. Everyone wants to follow his gym [routine], and everything he does off the field, the way he basically prepares to play the game. That’s a huge part of leadership. That’s a huge part of captaincy.”Vettori, regarded as a smart bowler even during his playing days, also spoke about the challenges in getting T20 teams to buy into data and analytics-driven wisdom by “telling a compelling story” to players and team managements, as the field is still in its “infant stages” with small sample sizes making it harder to present a convincing case.”For me, I think there’s such a strong correlation between thorough planning and the use of data to performance. I think it’s so important because I think cricket, in general, is quite immature in terms of its exposure to this and…the sport I like is baseball, and I think they use it as strongly as anyone. The thing they have in their favour is huge sample sizes, and the thing that I always battled with [as a coach] was ‘[you say], here’s a plan’ and then go back to how many times it’s worked. ‘Oh, it’s worked four times’. And four times doesn’t seem like a lot to base things on. I think that’s what [the challenge is]. When you’re presenting to the captain or the owner or the rest of the coaches, you want to be overwhelming with it.”And I know that with baseball, and a lot of the sites that I follow, they want 500 instances of that to happen before they can sort of guarantee a prediction that they can rely on. And when you’re dealing with David Warner facing Yuzvendra Chahal, [say], 33 times over the course of his career, and then you make a prediction from that, I think that’s the thing they have, but that’s only gonna grow. So, while we’re in these infant stages, I think it’s hard for people to get their heads around [analytics]. But, the people who are gonna buy into this first, get their heads around it, I think they’ll get the jump-start on everyone.”Vettori singled out former team-mate and current Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond as one of the trailblazers in making the most of data and insights, as Mumbai’s “structured, planned” approach to T20 cricket has paid dividends over the years.