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Newcastle United are looking at Manchester City's Taylor Harwood-Bellis as a potential reinforcement for their defence and potentially even a replacement for Fabian Schar.

What do Newcastle want in the summer?

According to journalist Craig Hope, Eddie Howe is not looking to settle on the Toon's stunning defensive record from this season as he aims to make improvements over the summer.

Indeed, the Daily Mail journalist suggested the Magpies will be looking to add another left-back and potentially a right-sided centre-back.

This comes on the back of Newcastle having stunned the league by conceding the fewest goals (21) of any side in the Premier League this season.

And a player who is believed to have caught their attention is that of the City loanee Harwood-Bellis who is currently spending the season with Burnley.

The England U21 defender has played a big role under Vincent Kompany this season with 28 starts in the Championship alone amid his injury issue in recent weeks (via Transfermarkt).

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed Howe's side have identified the 21-year-old as a possible replacement to Schar:

(39:20) "They are going to sign a centre-half to replace Fabian Schar. But I think they might go for a younger one. We linked them having been confirmed they're interested in Harwood-Bellis, the Burnley defender who's on loan for Man City."

Is Harwood-Bellis good enough for Newcastle?

There are probably not too many managers who Hardwood-Bellis could have played under this season that could have provided him with a better education as a centre-back.

Kompany has transformed the Lancashire side this season and Harwood-Bellis has been key figure in the Clarets side who have already secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Despite playing for the Championship's most dominant side, Harwood-Bellis still ranks inside the top eighth percentile for interceptions made by centre-backs (via Fbref).

Although Schar has offered Newcastle a slightly higher return in tackles made per 90 minutes, the 21-year-old labelled a "warrior" by journalist Josh Bunting has provided a better tackle success rate (via FBref).

Playing in the top flight for Newcastle could offer Harwood-Bellis with a whole new challenge as the Magpies could also potentially be playing in the Champions League.

Newcastle's possible inclusion in the elite European competition could open up first-team opportunities in the league as Howe could look to rotate his squad throughout the campaign.

However, injuries could also leave the door open to the 21-year-old potentially getting some minutes in the Champions League.

Of course, that is speaking hypothetically, but it would be interesting to see whether Manchester City would be willing to deal with Newcastle given the Toon's rise to the top end of the table this season.

If another loan move is on the cards for Harwood-Bellis, a potential return to Burnley could offer him more secure game time but the possible prospect of European football could be one too big to pass on.

Manchester United have 'internally' discussed the prospect of signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, says CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alexis Mac Allister?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing Mac Allister this summer and would be willing to pay a substantial fee to secure his services.

As per the same outlet, the Seagulls are said to value the Argentina international at around £70 million and could be tempted into selling him if their asking price is agreed upon.

The Telegraph have revealed that Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has shortlisted Mac Allister in their hunt to freshen up the engine room this summer. His teammate Moises Caicedo is also said to be attracting attention from Old Trafford.

The report states that Manchester City are also looking to bolster their midfield ranks amid uncertainty over the long-term future of club captain Ilkay Gundogan. At the same time, Chelsea were also previously interested in the playmaker.

Mac Allister is understood to pocket around £50,000 per week on the South Coast on a contract that runs until June 2025, as detailed by Capology.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, CBS Sports reporter Jacobs gave an update on the state of play surrounding Mac Allister, stating: "I would keep an eye on Liverpool and also potentially Manchester United, they've discussed him internally as well. With Brighton, both European football and different player movements will impact the likelihood of other transfers.

"As I've said, we hear a lot about Moises Caicedo, we hear a lot about Mac Allister, we might hear a fair bit about Kaoru Mitoma, we hear a lot about Evan Ferguson, we hear a lot about Robert Sanchez.

"Quite clearly, Brighton aren't going to want to throw out a core of star players in the summer window in which they've reached European football."

Would Alexis Mac Allister be a good fit for Manchester United?

All things considered, Mac Allister could be a good fit for Manchester United in midfield and help provide further creative intuition in the middle of the park at Old Trafford.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the 24-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions for Brighton & Hove Albion, registering ten goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that Mac Allister has picked up a rating of 7.07/10 for his exploits on the South Coast this term, making him the third most consistent performer at the club behind Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma.

As the Red Devils chase more silverware in 2023/24, Mac Allister could be an exciting addition to the fold if they were able to entice him to Old Trafford in the summer.

But it seems as if United could face some significant competition for the World Cup winner who has been hailed as a "superstar" by writer Ryan Adsett.

In a season that has had more ups and downs than a Thorpe Park rollercoaster, Manchester United were dealt yet another reality check away to Sevilla in the Europa League on Thursday evening, having slipped to a shock, 3-0 defeat against the La Liga strugglers to crash out of the competition.

After the lows of defeats against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Brentford so far this term, Erik ten Hag's men perhaps reached a new nadir in Andalusia yesterday, having simply "wilted" against a side who are currently 13th in Spain's top-flight, as per The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell.

It was, undoubtedly, a grim showing from the Red Devils from start to finish on the night, with long-serving stopper David De Gea having undoubtedly been the worst of the bunch, after making three "dreadful" errors, as per The Mirror's Colin Mirror, for all three goals.

The 32-year-old notably gave possession to captain Harry Maguire in the build-up to the first goal despite the Englishman being surrounded by three white shirts, before being far too easily beaten by a looping, guided effort from Loic Bade just after the break.

The Spaniard's night of misery reached its peak late on as he inexplicably gifted the ball straight to the feet of opposition striker Youssef En-Nesyri, with the Moroccan international duly slotting home from range for his second of the night.

As the aforementioned Whitwell noted, that performance from the former Atletico Madrid man has sparked "long-term questions" over his future at the club, with it yet to be seen if the experienced stopper will be handed an extension on his expiring deal.

It would be wrong, however, to suggest that De Gea was the only villain last night, with midfield maestro Christian Eriksen having also been well below-par at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

How did Eriksen perform against Sevilla?

It was only a matter of days ago that the returning Dane was being lauded for his performance in the weekend win over Nottingham Forest, with the 31-year-old – who had replaced the injured Marcel Sabitzer just moments before kick-off – having been "masterful" at the City Ground, according to Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

After the highs of that performance, the former Tottenham Hotspur man – who has only recently returned from a lengthy injury layoff – was brought crashing back down to earth in Seville, forming part of a midfield trio that was simply "schooled" by the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Fernando, according to MEN's Tyrone Marshall.

As the Independent's Jamie Braidwood wrote, Eriksen simply 'didn't look ready' to compete against the six-time Europa League winners, having been 'guiilty of careless lapses when United needed him to be a calming influence', as per Luckhurst.

Those woes were laid bare by the fact that while the £150k-per-week dud did register three key passes from his deep-lying berth, he also lost possession on 23 occasions from his 79 touches, having proved a rare liability on the ball.

The 120-cap playmaker seemingly 'could not handle Sevilla's intensity' – according to GOAL's Richard Martin – having won just four of his nine total duels on the day, while also being dribbled past on two occasions as a marker of his shortcomings defensively.

The hope will be that such an outing was a mere blip for both the summer arrival and Ten Hag's men as a whole, with the top-four hopefuls having little time to lick their wounds ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final showdown with Brighton and Hove Albion.

While new additions will no doubt be on the agenda for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou this summer, the 57-year-old will also likely be concerned with shifting the 'deadwood' in his squad, with there undoubtedly a handful of first-team assets in need of a fresh start elsewhere.

One man who has endured a dismal time of it at Parkhead in recent seasons is boyhood fan, James McCarthy, with the experienced midfielder having been restricted to just 27 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, with only five of those coming this term.

Although the Republic of Ireland has been hampered by injury of late, even prior to that the 32-year-old had looked like something of a spare part, with reports leading up to the January transfer window having suggested that the Old Firm outfit were open to letting the Glasgow-born dud move on.

Having been signed on a free transfer back in the summer of 2021, the Hoops may now be regretting the "strange" decision to hand the ex-Everton and Crystal Palace man a four-year deal – in the words of pundit Alan Hutton – with the club now forced to pay the player's £14k-per-week salary despite seeing little return on that investment.

The hope will be that the peripheral figure can find a new home ahead of next season, although McCarthy is not the only forgotten man who Postecoglou should be keen to sell, with goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas, also seemingly having no future at Celtic Park.

Will Barkas leave Celtic this summer?

While the recruitment during Postecoglou's tenure has arguably been "exceptional" – as per ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – the Scottish champions didn't always carry out astute business prior to the Greek-Aussie's arrival, with Barkas, in particular, having been a clear example of those shortcomings.

The Greece international was snapped up for a rather hefty fee of around £4.5m back in the summer of 2020 during Neil Lennon's tenure, having previously established himself as the first-choice option at AEK Athens.

As pundit Tam McManus previously stated, the underwhelming stopper has since proven a "waste of money" as far as those at Paradise are concerned, having made just 15 Scottish Premiership outings during his debut season before being replaced by backup option, Scott Bain.

The 6 foot 5 dud – who was branded "awful" at the time by pundit Frank McAvennie – was handed another chance to impress at the start of last amid Postecoglou's arrival, although notably dropped a clanger in the Champions League qualifying encounter against FC Midtjylland.

The subsequent signing of Joe Hart ended any hopes of Barkas establishing himself as the first-choice pick, with the 13-cap asset going on to make just two appearances in total throughout the entire 2021/22 season.

Having spent the current campaign on loan at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht – where he has conceded 45 goals in 28 league games – the error-strewn 'keeper is now believed to be at the centre of something of a 'transfer battle', as per the Glasgow Times, with there a potential for Celtic to spark a bidding war once the market re-opens.

On the evidence of that interest, it looks as if the Old Firm side will be able to ditch the one-time Atromitos man sooner rather than later…

As the 2022/23 Premier League season comes to a close, Wolverhampton Wanderers have time to reflect on a below-par campaign.

Survival has been confirmed, and Julen Lopetegui can look towards the final three fixtures of this campaign before aiming to improve his squad in the summer.

When the Spaniard took over from Bruno Lage early into the season, the club were threatened with relegation and in a bleak run of form.

The former Real Madrid coach turned things around in his short time in the Midlands and will get the chance to impose his style on the squad during the summer interval.

There have been a number of rumours regarding players potentially departing and arriving at Molineux already ahead of the transfer window, however, when it comes to recruiting for the future, Wolves may not need to look further than their academy.

One name has emerged as one to watch in the future, with 18-year-old Irishman Nathan Fraser having the potential to be an heir to Raul Jimenez in the striker role.

Who is Nathan Fraser?

The Wolverhampton-born forward has worked his way through Wolves’ academy and has shone as the club's top-scorer in the U21s throughout the Premier League 2 top division.

The club's academy side was promoted to the Premier League 2’s Division 1 last season, where Fraser contributed to a goal in just two appearances at the age of 17.

This season, the forward has enjoyed a breakout year, finding the net seven times in 23 appearances, starting every game and cementing himself as a star player for the academy team.

What is notable is that the Ireland U19 international has scored his goals in various ways, netting two with his left foot, two with his right and three with his head, showing his strength in finishing and versatility in front of goal.

The youngster was praised as being “inquisitive” by U21 head coach James Collins, in learning the importance of being influential off the ball when playing at a higher level in the academy at such a young age.

Further described by Collins as being "excellent" the "hard-working" striker has found his feet in the academy at just 18 years of age.

Fraser was praised for his "dangerous" style of play by Irish football analyst Mark Broomy, most notably for his strengths in the air where he acts as a “target man” when leading the line.

That's certainly echoed through his three-headed goals this season and supports claims that he could follow in Jimenez's footsteps in leading Wolves' attack in the future.

Indeed, the Mexican has made a name for himself as a bullish proposition for opposing defenders, scoring eight of his 40 Premier League goals with his head.

Born in 2005, Fraser has a bright future ahead of him, and was selected by Lopetegui to train with the first team when he first joined the club back in November. The question is, however, could he one day be the heir to Jimenez? He has all the attributes to do so.

Chelsea's prospective new boss Mauricio Pochettino will be 'hopeful' that Mason Mount can put his contract impasse at Stamford Bridge behind him to stay at the club, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Mason Mount and Mauricio Pochettino?

As per The Evening Standard, Mount is said to be 'no closer' to signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge despite Pochettino visualising the England international as a key player under his stewardship.

The 24-year-old is looking for terms that would make him one of Chelsea's highest earners; however, the Blues may be forced into selling Mount this summer if they cannot agree an extension to his £80k-a-week deal that expires in 2024.

METRO report that interest is high in Mount from around the Premier League, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all keen on securing his services.

Football Insider also claim that Arsenal and Bayern Munich hold an attraction towards the Portsmouth-born midfielder, who is expected to spend the rest of this term on the sidelines due to an abdominal issue.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has indicated that Pochettino will be keen to retain Mount moving forward in west London.

Jones suggested: "A decision over Mount is ongoing due to his contract situation but sources indicate Pochettino is hopeful he will resolve his issues and stay at the club."

Should Pochettino look to keep hold of Mount for next term?

Mount is a talented player who has endured a frustrating 2022/23 campaign, though Chelsea have underperformed collectively, leading many of their star men to suffer a drop in form.

In 2022/23, the 24-year-old has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that Mount has carried an offensive threat from the middle of the park this season, averaging around 1.4 shots per match in the Premier League.

The England international has also been a regular provider of opportunities for his teammates this term, successfully carrying out 83 shot-creating actions in total, according to FBRef.

Of course, his contract situation has complicated things between Mount and Chelsea and has threatened to curtail his 18-year spell at the club if both parties are unable to come to an agreement on new terms.

Nevertheless, it looks like Pochettino does have Mount in his plans, suggesting we may have a chance of seeing some movement on that front shortly.

Kent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2016Kent 207 (Blake 89*, Porter 3-51) and 252 for 7 (Northeast 116*, Bopara 3-49) trail Essex 569 (Bopara 94, ten Doeschate 91, Westley 88, Lawrence 82, Rabada 4-118) by 110 runs
ScorecardSam Northeast held up Essex’s victory surge•Getty ImagesKent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division.Northeast’s hundred followed the efforts by four Essex batsmen who departed within sight of three figures in a total of 569, a county record that eclipsed the 560 century-less innings against Sussex at Leyton in 1933, although on that distant day they declared nine wickets down.Back in the present, Northeast’s dogged resistance took a game that was fast running away from Kent into a fourth day. Northeast had entered Kent’s innings shortly before lunch when they were 18 for 2, still 344 runs short of making Essex bat again. By the close he was 116 not out, and Kent had closed the gap to 110.He belatedly found a batting ally in James Tredwell, and the eighth-wicket pair put on an unbeaten 124 in 39.3 overs to prevent Essex celebrating going back to the top of the Division Two table with a well-deserved day off.Ravi Bopara took three wickets and a catch during the afternoon to help reduce Kent to 128 for 7, but Essex were unable to press home their advantage in a wicketless evening session.Chasing 362 to make Essex bat again, Kent lost two wickets in the nine overs they had to negotiate before lunch. Sean Dickson was brilliantly caught at first slip by Alastair Cook, diving like a goalkeeper to his right.Fabian Cowdrey followed four balls later when he lifted the ball into Dan Lawrence’s hands at point to give Jamie Porter his 100th first-class wicket.It wasn’t long before Porter had No 101 when Joe Denly went lbw to one that nipped back to the bowler’s second ball after the interval.Northeast put on 57 with Darren Stevens to carry Kent to the relative safety of 86 for three. But two quick wickets had them deeper in trouble. Stevens was bowled through the gate when Bopara found some late movement.And Alex Blake, who held together Kent’s first innings with an unbeaten 89, went for two caught low down at cover by Bopara to give Quinn a second wicket.Adam Ball helped Northeast put on 27 for the sixth wicket before he was trapped lbw by Bopara, who then had Callum Jackson caught at mid-on by Quinn.The captain found an ally in James Tredwell for the eighth wicket and they passed fifty in a little over 15 overs, with Tredwell contributing 34 of them with six firmly-struck boundaries.Tredwell went to his fifty off 86 balls, with nine fours, as he pushed Ryan ten Doeschate into covers for two. Almost immediately Northeast carved Napier through mid-on for the four that not only brought up his own century but also the hundred partnership.Northeast’s third ton of the season took 172 balls, with 15 fours, while the stand with Tredwell encompassed 28 overs.Essex gave Kent another hour and a quarter’s toil in the field in the morning as they added 85 to their overnight total to post a 362-run lead on first innings. Kent did claim four wickets in the process, but that was scant consolation.Ten Doeschate became the fourth Essex batsman to depart within sight of a century, and the second in the nervous nineties, when he was beaten for pace by Mitch Claydon to edge behind. His 91 came off 122 balls and with a dozen fours.Kagiso Rabada had gone wicketless on day two after taking the prize wicket of Cook the previous evening. The South African quick finished with figures of four for 118 from 34 overs. He ended Napier’s cameo of 12 in eight balls, with a brute of a delivery that reared up and caught the shoulder of the bat.Rabada versus Cook had been a highlight of the first evening; Rabada versus Quinn was equally fascinating, though at a lower level. The tail-ender had one edge fall just short of Tredwell at second slip, the next ball flying through the cordon for four. Not surprisingly James Foster protected his young partner in the following over. But Quinn became Rabada’s fourth victim, pegged on his back foot lbw.Foster hoisted Tredwell straight for six, but in an Essex innings where batsmen just failed to reach landmarks, he holed out for 49 to Stevens on the long-off boundary. It should have been a fifty, but Foster had declined a single a ball before in keep Porter away from the strike.

BCCI ombudsman Justice AP Shah has ruled that Pravin Amre is in violation of the BCCI’s internal conflict-of-interest rules by virtue of his role as assistant coach of the Delhi Daredevils while being a managing committee member of the MCA

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2016Justice (retired) AP Shah, the BCCI ombudsman, has ruled that Pravin Amre is in violation of the BCCI’s internal conflict-of-interest rules by virtue of his role as assistant coach of the Delhi Daredevils while also being a managing committee member of the Mumbai Cricket Association.Shah stated in his order that Amre couldn’t continue holding both positions during the next edition of the IPL, and directed the BCCI to initiate “appropriate action against him in accordance with the guidelines”.The ombudsman, however, dismissed the complaint against former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, which had suggested that he was in conflict by continuing to run his private coaching academy while serving as the director of National Cricket Academy.Both the complaints were filed by Nadeem Memon, a former curator of the Wankhede Stadium and a former MCA managing committee member.Shah noted that Amre should not have taken any position on the coaching staff of an IPL franchise while being an administrator. Amre had contended that his work with Daredevils didn’t affect his honorary role as an “elected member of the MCA managing committee”.”At the risk of repetition,” the ombudsman stated, “no administrator (managing committee member) can be on the pay roll of an IPL franchise. The BCCI is also directed to write to all the IPL franchises to clarify Rule 1(A) (B) of the rules on conflict of interest that the franchises cannot employ any administrator (as defined in the rules) as part of its support staff.”In Vengsarkar’s case, Shah was of the view there wasn’t any conflict as he was neither a coach nor a part of the selection process, and that his role in the NCA was honorary. Shah concurred with Vengsarkar’s contention that his appointment as NCA director ought to be viewed vis-à-vis his stature as former India captain.”It is an admitted fact that Mr Vengsarkar is not being paid any salary, and his appointment as director, NCA, is an honorary post (presumably in light of his distinguished cricketing past),” Shah wrote. “It is also an admitted fact that Mr Vengsarkar has been running cricket academies for 21 years.”The ombudsman also found Raghuram Bhat, the former India and Karnataka left-arm spinner, to be in conflict as he worked at the Brijesh Patel Cricket Academy and the IDBI Academy, while heading Karnataka’s Under-14 and Under-16 selection committees.Responding to an anonymous complainant, Shah directed the Karnataka State Cricket Association to ask Bhat, who is also a member of the association’s managing committee, to disassociate himself from both academies.”Rule 2(C) of the BCCI rules on conflict of interest clearly stipulates that ‘cricketers appointed as coaches of Indian teams or national selectors shall not be associated with any private coaching academies during their tenure,'” he stated. “In the event that Mr Bhat decides to continue his association with either academy, or any other cricket academy, then he cannot continue in his position as a chairman/selector of the Under-16 team.”

Tottenham Hotspur have seemingly missed out on another managerial target as journalist Ciro Venerato shares an update on the linked Luciano Spalletti.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy, nearly two months after deciding to mutually separate from Antonio Conte, are still hunting for his replacement at N17.

The north Londoners have been targeting a plethora of managerial candidates for the role, including the likes of Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, Feyenoord’s Arne Slot and Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter have also been sporadically linked with the vacant post.

The aforementioned candidates are all still possibilities for Spurs as things stand, but there are a few names completely out of the running.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Spurs supporters have missed out on the potential appointment of former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, who is believed to be out of contention as things stand.

Tottenham are also unlikely to see Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso walk through the doors at N17, with the Spaniard declaring his intention to remain where he is.

Now, as per Italian reporter Venerato, speaking on La Domenica Sportiva (via Napoli Calcio Live), it appears Spurs have missed out on another managerial target.

Napoli boss Spalletti, who has been linked with taking the Spurs job, has apparently decided to remain with the Serie A champions and sign a new deal – where he will earn four million euros-per-season.

The 64-year-old apparently "won't be flying to London" and it's "no Tottenham", with Spalletti ultimately making the call to stay in Naples and build upon their success.

This comes after Tottenham's "strong interest" as Levy may now have to go back to the drawing board.

Who is Luciano Spalletti?

Called an "elite" football coach by members of the media, Spalletti's record at Napoli is a great one, but the tactician also boasts silverware at other clubs.

Spalletti has won trophies across spells with Roma in Italy and Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia, all while deploying an exciting brand of football.

The 4-3-3 attacking manager has made Napoli a goalscoring machine this season, with the Campanians scoring more Italian top flight goals than other side in the division.

Appointed in 2021, Spalletti has averaged a very impressive 2.10 points per match over 93 games, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola averaging just over that at 2.34 (Transfermarkt).

Joe Root says he has the confidence to thrive at No.3, a position that was so secure in Jonathan Trott’s possession between 2010 and 2013

Alan Gardner at Lord's12-Jul-2016Such is the positivity around the England set-up at the moment that you can imagine, if confronted by the lemons currently queuing up to make a mess of the UK’s political system, they would happily get down to the business of serving up lemonade – and without delay.Much of England’s fizz over the last 18 months has been provided by the batting of Joe Root and he will be exercising his transferable skills this week when he returns as a permanent member of the Test top three for the first time since the 2013-14 Ashes. The argument against moving Root up the order has been along the lines of not weakening one of the side’s strengths but, after the failure of Nick Compton to make the No. 3 spot his own, England have decided to once again take the plunge.Root shrugs off Wahab ‘trash talk’

Joe Root has described as “trash talk” suggestions from Wahab Riaz that Pakistan have been formulating plans to stop him in the upcoming Tests.
“Yeah I heard about that,” he said. “It’s the same before every series. It’s getting a bit like boxing now. He is a fantastic bowler. Good pace, gets the ball to reverse swing, so it will be interesting to see how that goes throughout the series.”
Wahab later confirmed, with a grin, that Pakistan would be targeting England’s new No. 3 – “the backbone of the team” – but declined to go into details. Root made 287 runs at 57.40 in the UAE last winter, falling to Rahat Ali twice, and once apiece to Wahab, Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah.
“You want me to tell you the plans? Every batsman has a strong point and a weak point and obviously you have to work hard on that and practise hard on that,” Wahab said. “Joe Root is the backbone of the England team and getting him out early will put the pressure on England. If he thinks it is just trash talk then hats off to him.”

An Australian-style system of putting your best batsman at first drop should be slightly more straightforward to implement than an Australian-style points system on immigration (as favoured by the Brexit camp in last month’s EU referendum) and Root – currently No. 4 on the ICC’s Test batting rankings – made the sort of calming noises that English politicians have become incapable of when referring to the challenge ahead.Never mind that his combined average at opener or No. 3 is 33.75, compared to 63.07 in the two spots lower down. Never mind that he ended up out of the side by the time of the fifth Test in Sydney after being hastily promoted to fill in for the departed Jonathan Trott three winters ago. Never mind that he was bowled by a shooter at Lord’s – where England’s Test against Pakistan will begin on Thursday – in his most recent Test innings, batting at No. 3 after an injury sustained by Alastair Cook.To slip into business speak, Root sees the doughnut where everyone else sees the hole. He said that Cook had teased him for having “weaselled” his way down the order, after they briefly opened together in the 2013 Ashes (Root again replacing Compton), and suggested he was confident he had the game to thrive in a position that was so secure in Trott’s possession between 2010 and 2013.”I’ve matured quite a lot as a player and my game has developed a lot,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how it goes. It would be wrong to compare it to batting anywhere else. I’ve batted at No. 3 before but as a kid I always opened so I’m used to batting against the new ball. It’s only since I’ve been playing for England that I moved further down anyway. I have experience of opening, batting at No. 3 and I’m just looking forward to getting on with it.”It certainly will be “interesting to see how it goes” against a Pakistan attack expected to be adept at asking questions with the new ball. Root’s eagerness to please may, of course, see him come unstuck again, but bobbing back up the order had begun to look inevitable, in part because of Trevor Bayliss’ preference for the Australian way of doing things. It has not taken long for Bayliss and Cook to wear him down.”There have been a few conversations over the last six months about looking more long-term, not in one series in particular, but that it was something that could happen down the line,” Root said. “That was in their thoughts and gave me an opportunity to think about it. I was asked leading up to the selection that it could be a possibility, and I said: ‘Yeah, I think that could be the right thing to do’. All parties were pretty happy on where it stands.”Trevor mentioned it to me, so from that point it’s been in my thoughts and I started trying to get my head round it being a big change, but there is not a lot of difference there. You could be in second ball but how I’d line up and look to play would probably not change a huge amount. Look to play the situation as it is and take the game from there. Any opportunities to score, I’ll still try to do that.”It is less than a year since Root was shunted up a place from No. 5 – where he has made more than half of his Test runs, at an average of 73.12 – but his contribution of 63, 38 not out and 130 in consecutive innings at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge immediately vindicated the move. Despite slim returns against Sri Lanka in the first part of the summer, he seems keen to prove himself worthy of another promotion.”Cooky takes the mick out of me saying you’ve got such a great record batting where you do, but you should do it at the top where it really matters. He is right. He said you only did the five Tests and then weaselled your way down the order. I’m pretty happy with the opportunity and I just want to get cracking now.”