Everton: Dyche Could Ditch Gray With Swoop For £26m "Beast"

Everton are reportedly interested in signing Serie A-winning Napoli winger Hirving Lozano this summer, though will face competition from a host of other outfits.

Sean Dyche's side have churned into action after a slow start to the transfer window, and have now completed deals for Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma while agreeing to a £13m deal to sign 19-year-old Sporting Lisbon striker Youssef Chermiti.

Who are Everton going to sign this summer?

According to Mexican publication W Deportes, Everton are pursuing a move for Lozano – with English outfits Leeds United and Stoke City also interested – following the breakdown of the 28-year-old's transfer to MLS outfit LAFC.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

A previous report illustrates the tenuous relationship between the player and the Napoli board, also revealing that a sale might be permitted if the €30m (£26m) valuation is met.

How good is Hirving Lozano?

Everton would undoubtedly open up a whole new dimension to their forward drive by completing a deal for Lozano, with the Toffees' former director of football Marcel Brands even drawing comparisons between the former PSV star and Lionel Messi, who's made quite the career for himself.

"When you look at his playing style, without wanting to compare, you know, Lozano has what Messi also has – a centre of gravity low to the ground, the ball is usually quickly under control, very explosive and agile. Then your opponents automatically force mistakes."

Scoring 21 goals and supplying 12 assists across all competitions in his final season for PSV, Lozano sealed a £36m transfer to Napoli in 2019, and while he remains a useful asset for his side, he only clinched four goals and assists apiece for the Italian side as they secured the Scudetto.

But on Merseyside, in Everton blue, the £122k-per-week gem would find himself presented with a starring role at a proud club targetting an emphatic resurgence, perhaps consequently unearthing a similar vein of prolific form that he boasted in the Netherlands.

With the news of Demarai Gray's possible departure from Goodison Park this summer, Dyche might be inclined to throw the kitchen sink at a deal for Lozano, who would undoubtedly be an upgrade on the mercurial Jamaica international.

Gray has found himself at the centre of transfer attention from both the Premier League and abroad this summer, with the winger tempted by a move away and entering the final year of his contract.

Lozano, who has been described as a "beast" by Pachuca sporting director Marco Garces, would be the perfect replacement and must be earmarked as the optimum target if Gray does depart this month.

The Toffees were the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League last season, and it is hardly surprising that Dyche is looking to reform the frontline, and while Gray scored four times, Everton will be searching for an upturn in productivity in front of goal.

Lozano did only match Gray's goal return but did so second fiddle to his positional peers, only starting 20 league matches, but provided a prominent role at Everton, he could certainly rekindle his prolific edge and spearhead the charge up the Premier League table.

Dickson's 318 tops day of Kent records

Sean Dickson plundered 318, Kent’s highest individual score on home soil, and put on 382 with Joe Denly in the biggest partnership in the county’s history as a host of records tumbled at Beckenham

ECB Reporters Network04-Jul-2017
ScorecardSean Dickson made the highest score by a Kent batsman since 1934•Getty Images

Sean Dickson plundered 318, Kent’s highest individual score on home soil, and put on 382 with Joe Denly in the biggest partnership in the county’s history as a host of records tumbled at Beckenham.Kent’s 701 for 7 declared was also their highest first-class total in Kent, leaving Northants with an uphill battle to secure a draw in a Specsavers County Championship clash between the third and fourth-placed sides in Division Two.At stumps on day two, though, Northants had fought hard to reach 180 for 1 in reply with Ben Duckett completing a superb 101 not out in the penultimate over following an opening stand of 113 with Rob Newton, who made 57 before lifting a drive at Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah to short extra cover.Dickson, a 25-year-old South African UK passport holder whose mother, Pat, hails from Beckenham, fell just 14 runs short of Bill Ashdown’s Kent individual record of 332, made against Essex at Brentwood in 1934. But he at least passed Ashdown’s 305 not out, against Derbyshire at Dover in 1935 and Kent’s previous highest in a match at home, while Kent’s total was their second highest in first-class cricket behind the 803 for 4 declared made in that same Brentwood game 83 years ago.Dickson faced 408 balls, across almost eight-and-a-half hours at the crease, and hit three sixes and 31 fours. Denly scored 182, from 226 balls and with five sixes and 15 fours, and it was his cracking hook for four, off Nathan Buck, which took the partnership with Dickson to 369 and – in one stroke – past two previous Kent record stands.They were the 366 that Simon Hinks and Neil Taylor added for the second wicket against Middlesex at Canterbury in 1990, and the 368 that was the previous highest partnership for any Kent wicket, by Aravinda de Silva and Graham Cowdrey for the fourth wicket against Derbyshire at Maidstone in 1995.Denly holed out in the deep off Rob Keogh’s offspin after adding 39 in 55 minutes to his overnight 143, but Dickson kept going as the Northants bowlers struggled to hold back the tide of runs on a featherbed pitch.Dickson, who resumed on 210 in Kent’s overnight 434 for 1, accumulated remorselessly and soon went past the previous highest score made by a Kent batsman against Northants – Frank Woolley’s 217 at Northampton in 1926.Next on Dickson’s hit list was Kent’s post-War highest individual score of 275, made by present county head coach Matt Walker against Somerset at Canterbury in 1996, and when he reached 300 he became just the second Kent batsman – after Bromley-born Ashdown – to score a first-class triple-hundred.Denly had set the tone for another run-filled day at Kent’s northern headquarters by pulling Ben Sanderson for four in the day’s first over and he then drove Graeme White’s left-arm spin for six. Kent scored 169 in 33 overs in the morning session, and another 98 in 14 overs after lunch before finally calling a halt to the carnage.Sam Northeast contributed 38 to a third wicket stand of 68 in 15 overs with Dickson, who eventually skied Max Holden’s occasional offbreaks to long-on. Sam Billings helped himself to a quickfire 42 in the push towards the declaration as he, Matt Coles and James Tredwell, who pulled Holden for six to bring up Kent’s 700, enjoyed themselves in the afternoon sunshine.Duckett, however, who made 208 in this fixture – and on this ground – last season, led the Northants reply with a well-judged mixture of watchfulness and aggression, and the closest he came to losing his wicket came when he snicked Mitch Claydon wide of third slip on 11 and, later, edged Matt Hunn just short of second slip.Newton also had a few early scares against Claydon, who bowled a testing new ball spell, and on 20 was beaten by a ball from Shah that turned sharply. Shah later switched ends to find some purchase out of the bowlers’ footmarks, but Duckett emerged intact from an uncomfortable spell against him in the closing overs and lofted Denly’s leg spin over mid off for his 16th four to reach a 153-ball hundred.Alex Wakely, the Northants captain, also battled hard to get through to stumps unbeaten on 14, but a long two days still lie ahead for Northants.

Man United: Fabrizio Romano issues "important" Hojlund update

Manchester United are set to 'accelerate' their efforts to sign Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer due to rival interest from Paris Saint-Germain, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Is Rasmus Hojlund joining Manchester United?

According to transfer expert Romano in his column for The Guardian, Manchester United have submitted a verbal offer worth €60 million (£51.4 million) to try and entice Hojlund to Old Trafford this window.

The report states that Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on Hojlund; however, they are yet to agree personal terms with the 20-year-old. Atalanta want to hold out for a fee in the region of £70 million to recognise his potential despite his lack of elite-level experience as a young star.

Last term, Hojlund registered 17 goals and six assists from 42 appearances in all competitions combined across his spells at Sturm Graz and Atalanta, as per Transfermarkt.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain have also submitted a bid for Hojlund, though would be willing to walk away from negotiations if they are rebuffed in their attempts to land Hojlund, stating on Twitter X and also crediting journalist Loic Tanzi: "PSG make offer to Atalanta for Rasmus Hojlund. Bid for 20yo worth €50m. PSG think Atalanta valuation unrealistic + ready to walk away if bid not accepted. Positive talks on personal terms. Man Utd pursuit ongoing @TheAthleticFC after @Tanziloic."

In a separate Guardian article, it is believed that Manchester United may also cool their interest in Hojlund if Atalanta insist on demanding a fee of more that £60 million for Denmark international Hojlund.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano has laid out some further information involving Hojlund and indicated that Manchester United could be set to 'accelerate' their advances to land Hojlund due to rival competition for his signature.

Romano stated: "Manchester United want to accelerate this week, because they know that Paris Saint-Germain are speaking to the players' camp and so it's kind of a dangerous situation when a club like PSG is also around for the same player.

"But yes, the expectation is for this week to be important. Let's see if they will be able to reach the agreement, but in any case, it's going to be an important week to accelerate or see what happens on the striker situation."

Who else is on Erik Ten Hag's radar at Manchester United and who could leave?

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via The Daily Mail, Manchester United are closing in on a £22 million swoop for Fiorentina defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat as Erik Ten Hag aims to strengthen his midfield arsenal.

Player sales will also be important for the Red Devils to raise money to invest in the market. West Ham United are believed to have held early discussions with Manchester United over deals for Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay, according to Sky Sports.

Harry Maguire

Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur has flown into the United Kingdom to try and trash out a deal to take Brazilian midfielder Fred off the hands of Manchester United, according to The Evening Standard.

Nottingham Forest are closing in on an initial loan deal with an option to buy that would see Dean Henderson return to the City Ground, as per Sky Sports Transfer Centre.

عمر جابر: فيوتشر منافس قوي.. ولاعبو الزمالك في حالة تركيز لتحقيق الفوز

أعرب عمر جابر لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن حزنه لوفاة محمد مدحت المعد البدني، مؤكداً أنه كان صديقاً للاعبين والجهاز الفني، كما تحدث عن صعوبة مواجهة فيوتشر مساء غد الأحد.

الزمالك يواجه فيوتشر، في إطار منافسات إياب دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، على استاد القاهرة.

وقال عمر جابر في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “نتيجة مباراة الذهاب بفوز الزمالك من الممكن أن تعطي انطباعًا أن الأمر انتهى، ولكننا نواجه منافسًا قويًا ونحترمه بشدة”.

طالع أيضاً.. جوزيه جوميز: وفاة معد الزمالك كان موقفًا صعبًا.. ونسعى للتتويج بالكونفدرالية من أجله

وأتم: “نستعد بقوة من أجل اللقاء، والجميع في حالة تركيز لتحقيق الفوز في مباراة الغد وحسم التأهل لدور نصف نهائي الكونفدرالية”.

جدير بالذكر أن لقاء الذهاب الذي أقيم بين الفريقين مساء الأحد الماضي، كان انتهى بفوز الزمالك بهدفين مقابل هدف.

West Ham Transfer News: Irons Keeping Tabs On 18-Year-Old Striker Keisuke Goto

West Ham United are keeping their eye out for some younger talent this transfer window and have now added Keisuke Goto to their wanted list, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Who is Keisuke Goto?

Having come up through the academy with Jubilo Iwata in Japan, he has already been given his first-team debut for the club despite being just 18-years-old. He has played on a total of 17 occasions in the 2023 season, but only five of those have been starts.

Considering his youth and the fact he has had to come off the bench, it is even more impressive then to hear that he has bagged five goals and one assist along the way. It means that he has a rate of 0.64 goals per 90 – a very respectable amount for the youngster.

Goto has also been capped for his country's youth sides, but has yet to make the step up to their first-team squad. If he carries on in this vein of form though – and hits his potential – it could be a case of when and not if for that.

West Ham boss David Moyes.

Are West Ham United signing Keisuke Goto?

Now, according to a report from The Daily Mail, the forward may have a chance to prove himself in England soon. That's because Premier League side West Ham are now keeping a close eye on the striker, with Goto having caught the eye with his displays in Japan.

He is now on their transfer wishlist it seems, as David Moyes want to try and bring in some younger talent to ensure they have a good amount of long-term potential in the squad.

The report adds that they also want some taller players to boot, and he certainly fits that bill. Standing at 6 foot 3, Goto would certainly be a giant of a player – so he ticks both boxes that the club are currently looking for in the window.

Even though he is still well into his teens, Goto is already viewed as having a lot of potential. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him a "superb talent" already and even added that may soon be called the "Japanese Haaland" because of his ability and brute-like physicality.

It suggests that the youngster is already capable of producing the goods and has a high ceiling – so if West Ham do manage to sign him, it could be a shrewd bit of business by the club.

مدرب نابولي ينتقد التحكيم بعد توديع دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام برشلونة: لا أفهم ما حدث

أبدى المدير الفني لفريق نابولي، فرانشيسكو كالزونا، اعتراضه على التحكيم بعد الخروج من منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء أمس، على يد برشلونة.

واستضاف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة الفريقين في إياب دور الـ16 من البطولة، حيث خسر نابولي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

وقال فرانشيسكو كالزونا في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول إيطاليا” عقب المباراة: “من الواضح أن هناك خيبة أمل، لأننا جئنا إلى هنا من أجل محاولة الفوز بالمباراة”.

وأضاف: “لقد كانت بداية سيئة للغاية، فقدنا الكرة عددًا لا حصر له من المرات، ستدفع الثمن عندما تسمح بالكثير من الهجمات المرتدة لفريق مثل هذا”.

وواصل: “كان الأمر مختلفًا تمامًا في مباراة الذهاب، لقد وصلت إلى هناك في اليوم السابق فقط (تعيينه مدربًا لنابولي بعد إقالة رودي جارسيا) وكان من الصعب تنظيم شيء ما”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يثير الغموض حول مستقبل تشافي بعد التأهل إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

واستمر: “برشلونة فريق قوي، لكننا فقدنا الكرة بسعر بخس جدًا وبمجرد أن تمكنا من إصلاح بعض هذه المشكلات، كنا متأخرين بالفعل 2-0”.

وأردف: “كنا منتشرين للغاية وبطيئين جدًا في الرد عند فقدان الكرة، العذر الوحيد هو أنه لم يكن لدينا الكثير من الوقت للعمل على هذه الأشياء في التدريب، في كل مرة نفقد فيها الكرة، كنا أيضًا نتحرك على نطاق واسع ونسمح لـ برشلونة بشن هجمات مرتدة خطيرة”.

وأوضح: “لقد أتيحت لنا أيضًا فرص لإدراك التعادل، لكن تغيير النظام في وقت متأخر تسبب في فقداننا شكلنا، هذا فريق يعاني عند تغيير النظام ويحتاج إلى اليقين، ومن المحبط أنه ليس لدينا الوقت للعمل على أساليب مختلفة في التدريب”.

ورفض التحكيم احتساب ضربة جزاء لـ نابولي، والتي طالب بها الفريق الإيطالي بعدما ظهر باو كوبارسي وهو “يدوس” على قدم فيكتور أوسيمين.

وعن ذلك قال كالزونا: “بالنظر إلى اللقطات، يبدو أنها ركلة جزاء، لا أستطيع أن أفهم لماذا لا تتدخل تقنية الفيديو في هذه النوعية من المواقف”.

واستأنف: “يجب أن يأخذوا كل الوقت اللازم للتوصل إلى القرار الصحيح، يبدو أنها ركلة جزاء واضحة وكان من الممكن أن تغير مسار المباراة”.

Comilla beaten comprehensively; Dhaka climb to the top

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahid took another three-wicket haul as Dhaka Dynamites climbed to first place•BCB

Defending champions Comilla Victorians will go into the Chittagong leg of the BPL – beginning on November 17 – as the only team without a win, after they lost their fourth consecutive game. This time, the Dhaka Dynamites defeated them by 33 runs.This was Dhaka’s third win in four games, and most of their success has come on the back of strong starts by their openers – a combination of the legendary Kumar Sangakkara and the young Mehedi Maruf. This was true once again, as Maruf’s 60 set up Dhaka’s formidable 194 for 5 before their spinners dominated the Comilla batsmenIt was his second fifty in the BPL, and came off 31 balls, starting with a scythe over point off Mashrafe Mortaza in the third over. Sangakkara struck two fours and a six in his 12-ball 20, before falling in the fourth over.But Maruf’s aggression was unabated. He found boundaries quite regularly and then lofted Nabil Samad for two massive sixes over midwicket, with one of them landing in the grandstand. He added 84 runs for the second wicket with Nasir, who chipped in with 43 off 35 balls with five fours.Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan – who finished with 3 for 28 in his four overs – removed Ravi Bopara and Maruf in the 16th over, but that didn’t stop Dhaka captain Shakib Al Hasan from blazing 36 runs in 16 deliveries with Dwayne Bravo for the fifth wicket. Shakib struck two sixes in his 13-ball 24.Comilla’s chase began with intent – Imrul Kayes hit three fours in his 11-ball 19. But they ended up losing three wickets in consecutive overs, after Kayes was removed in the fourth. In the very next over, his new opening partner Jashimuddin was caught at deep square leg for ten, and Ahmed Shehzad – playing his first game – struck two consecutive sixes before getting stumped off the last ball of the sixth.They played two more overs before repeating the pattern. Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Ryan ten Doeschate, Rashid Khan and Al-Amin were all dismissed in the space of three overs, to leave Comilla reeling at 74 for 7 at the end of the 11th over. Medium-pacer Mohammad Shahid accounted for the last two wickets in that collapse, in his first over.Mashrafe provided entertainment towards the end, including slamming Shakib for four sixes in the penultimate over. But it was never going to be enough for Comilla.

Celtic Could Revive £16k-p/w Magician With 4-2-3-1 Coach

Celtic are on the lookout for a new head coach after Ange Postecoglou officially left the Scottish giants to join the Premier League on Tuesday.

The 57-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur in England and this now pushes Peter and Mark Lawwell and Dermot Desmond into the market to bring a manager in to replace the Australian.

A number of bosses have already been linked with the vacancy and one man who is reportedly in the running for the job is ex-Leeds United coach Jesse Marsch.

The 49-year-old, who won two Austrian Bundesliga titles in two seasons with RB Salzburg earlier in his career, could revive a current Celtic outcast back to his former glory if the Hoops decide to appoint him heading into next term.

How did David Turnbull perform this season?

Parkhead attacking midfielder David Turnbull endured a difficult 2022/23 campaign as the Scotsman only started six games in the Scottish Premiership and zero times in the Champions League.

He made 27 appearances as a substitute in the two competitions combined but his lack of starts limited the impact that he was able to make in the final third. The gem ended the season with four goals and six assists in the league and in Europe combined, which shows that the ace was unable to make regular contributions in attack.

Turnbull is a number ten by trade and did not fit in with Postecoglou's 4-3-3 system, which required him to play as an eight or out wide, and thus could be revived by Marsch's preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up that would allow him to play in the hole behind a centre-forward.

Former Leeds United coach Jesse Marsch.

The American's formation would provide the 23-year-old with two holding midfielders behind him to offer defensive protection and allow the ace to push forward to link up with the two wingers and striker to create and score goals at the top end of the pitch.

Celtic's Scotland international predominantly played as a number ten for Neil Lennon in the 2020/21 campaign, before Postecoglou's arrival, and enjoyed a terrific year in the Premiership, which the Australian later described as "outstanding".

The £16k-per-week magician averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 and contributed with nine goals and six assists in 30 starts. He also created 12 'big chances' for his teammates and made 2.9 key passes per match, which is more than any Celtic player averaged in the league this year.

Therefore, Marsch, whose style was described as "aggressive" by journalist Josh Bunting, could revive the Hoops wizard by making him the attacking midfielder in his 4-2-3-1 system, which could allow the ace to thrive and get back to regularly scoring and creating goals in the Premiership.

Jalaj Saxena to play for Kerala as a professional

Jalaj Saxena, the Madhya Pradesh and India A allrounder, has signed one-year contract with Kerala as a professional player.

Shashank Kishore04-Sep-2016

Jalaj Saxena said the motivation to sign with Kerala stemmed for the goal of helping them better their middling record in the Ranji Trophy•Sivaraman Kitta

Jalaj Saxena, the Madhya Pradesh and India A allrounder, has signed one-year contract with Kerala as a professional player for the 2016-17 season. He will join Iqbal Abdulla and Bhavin Thakkar, who moved from Mumbai to the Kerala side as professionals. A No-Objection Certificate from the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association was submitted to the Kerala Cricket Association on September 3.”It was a personal decision, but a very emotional one too,” Saxena, who is currently participating in the Duleep Trophy, told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a one-year deal which will be reviewed after the season and will be extended if they feel my performances have been up to their expectation.”Having played for Madhya Pradesh for more than a decade, to make this switch was hard but I was sure of it. I wanted a change of environment at this stage, but I’m thankful to MPCA for giving me an opportunity over the years.”The Kerala Cricket Association was reportedly keen on signing Saxena given his record as a batting allrounder over the last four seasons.From 2012-13 to 2015-16, Saxena racked up 2485 runs at an average of 46.89, with six centuries and 12 half-centuries, scoring more than 2000 runs as an opener. His offspin brought him 111 wickets at 26.01 in this period. He won the Lala Amarnath award for the best allrounder for the 2014-15 season, in which he scored 768 runs and took 20 wickets in the first-class format. Overall, Saxena has played 84 first-class matches, scoring 4604 runs with 195 wickets.Last season, one where they qualified for the semi-finals, Saxena finished with the second-best match haul in Ranji Trophy history, taking 16 for 154 to help MP beat Railways. At Kerala, he will likely be a part of a spin trio, alongside left-arm spinners Karaparambil Monish, the third-highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy 2015-16, and Abdulla.”My performances over the last four years have given me immense confidence,” Saxena said. “But I realise I can’t afford to drop my guard. As a professional, the onus is on you to perform. The self-belief is there now.”Saxena said the motivation to sign with Kerala, once he was briefed on what was expected of him, stemmed from their poor record. Kerala are yet to earn a promotion from Group C since the Ranji Trophy was revamped in 2012-13 to accommodate 27 teams into three groups. This season, Chhattisgarh will be the tenth team in Group C. Saxena may have been eligible to play for Chhattisgarh except for “minor issues” related to nativity – he was born in Bhilai and moved to Indore – but he realised that with Kerala, the competition will bring out the best in him at this stage of his career”I looked at their performance. They were always mid-table in Group C, so if I can help them qualify to the elite groups, it will be a big achievement,” he said. “Maybe that could also be a way of being recognised. With the line-up we’ve got, I’m confident we will improve this year.”

Van Wyk helps New Zealand acclimatise to South Africa

The advantage of being a home team is you have a better understanding of conditions than your opposition, but that may not be the case when South Africa host New Zealand next month. Kane Williamson’s men will have spent a significant amount of time in the country ahead of their two-Test series, thanks to a training camp at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre organised by former New Zealand player Kruger van Wyk.The wicketkeeper-batsman, originally from South Africa, had retired from cricket in December and returned home to take charge of the University’s cricket program, which he himself had come through. Van Wyk has an intricate knowledge of the High Performance Centre, which is home to CSA’s National Academy and hosts several other elite sports teams at its state-of-the-art facilities. He knew it would be the ideal place for New Zealand to prepare for the four Tests they play in southern Africa – two in Zimbabwe, two in South Africa – this winter.”I know what it’s like to tour, to want to get the best preparation and I had no doubt that we could help them with that,” van Wyk said. In particular, he has focussed on giving New Zealand the kinds of surfaces they will encounter in Bulawayo, Durban and Centurion, which are all expected to be slow and low at this time of year. “It’s important that they [the pitches] are similar to the Zimbabwe ones, similar to the ones they’ll get here. As a player, whatever you need, you get. That’s our motto. Whatever you guys need, we’re going to give it to you and give it at a high level of professionalism as well, so I hope the boys enjoy it as well while they’re here.”With New Zealand’s every need being met, van Wyk’s loyalties were a subject of discussion and he made no attempt to hide where they lie. “I think it’s going to be an awesome series. It’s very clear who I want to see do well. These are the guys who I played for, and my priorities, even though I’m coaching and living in South Africa at the moment, it’s still with the New Zealand side,” he said. “I’ve played Test cricket for New Zealand and I’m proud of that. But I think it’s going to be a hell of a good series and I’m so excited about seeing that and I really believe this is a good opportunity to get a double Test series victory.”Key to New Zealand’s recent success has been their team culture, which is centered on the collective and has exuded a fun-factor for all involved. For van Wyk, that is the difference. “It’s been wonderful, actually. I think there’s been such a new life blown into cricket in New Zealand and that was just through the culture in this side. Mike [Hesson, the coach] and Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Kane and a lot of the senior players must take massive credit for this. They’ve done some wonderful things for the image of the game and just the way they’ve played as well. That’s the best way to get fans back, to get all these sorts of things back, ex-players, and their performances have been outstanding and I know it will only grow under Kane and Mike as well.”That culture exists even among those, like van Wyk, who have left the New Zealand fold. “As a coach, and as an ex-player, I think a lot of it is about giving back to the game, giving back to the people who’ve always been good to you. I am extremely thankful towards New Zealand cricket who’ve always been good to me and it’s time to give back,” he said. “Tukkies [University of Pretoria] was an institution that put a lot of time and effort into my development when I was a youngster here, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

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