All posts by n8rngtd.top

Former Australia Test opener takes over from Trevor Bayliss after three years in role

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2025Justin Langer, the former Australia men’s head coach, has been appointed as Trevor Bayliss’s replacement at London Spirit.Langer, who played 105 Tests for Australia between 1993 and 2007, coached the squad from 2018 until 2022, including during a memorable 2-2 drawn Ashes series in 2019. Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup under his guidance in 2021, before going on to win the Ashes 4-0 on home soil.He has a strong affinity with Lord’s, the home ground of London Spirit, having played for Middlesex as an overseas player between 1998 and 2000. He also became an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2015.He has previously coached Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash and is currently head coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.”I’m thrilled to be appointed to this role with London Spirit, and I’m excited to experience The Hundred,” Langer said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the tournament later this year, and working with such a talented group of players and coaches.”London Spirit General Manager, Fraser Stewart, added: “We are delighted to have secured the services of a highly respected and talented coach in Justin Langer. He excelled in the interview process, which took place before Christmas, and came out on top in what was a hugely competitive field.”Justin has a real passion for the aims and objectives that we have for the team, in seeing London Spirit competing at the right end of table, and for The Hundred title. He has an impressive CV in coaching and we are thrilled to have him on board.”Bayliss, who left last month after three years in the role, had replaced the late Shane Warne as Spirit’s head coach ahead of the 2022 season, when Eoin Morgan captained the squad to the play-offs. However, the team won only three games and lost 11 in the last two years since Morgan’s retirement.Bayliss’ side were particularly poor in 2024, losing seven of their eight matches with a scrappy three-wicket win over Welsh Fire the only exception. Their top picks at the draft, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, managed 216 runs between them, and Dan Lawrence was unable to get them out of a rut as captain.The Spirit’s struggles in the men’s Hundred were only emphasised by the success of their women’s team, who won the title for the first time under Heather Knight and Ashley Noffke. Noffke has since signed an extension for the 2025 edition, though has lost assistant Ali Maiden to Birmingham Phoenix.The appointment comes after the deadline for the Hundred’s second-round bids for private investment, with London Spirit expected to
have attracted the highest offers. Interested bidders for a 49% stake are understood to include at least two IPL franchises in Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, as well as the Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer. Last month, MCC appointed the former energy executive, Robert Lawson, as their new chief executive and secretary.

Campher first picked up three wickets and then added 144 with Stirling, who scored an excellent 89, to steer the chase

Abhimanyu Bose16-Feb-2025Curtis Campher produced another brilliant all-round display to lay the platform for Ireland’s series-levelling win in Harare. His three-wicket burst sucked the momentum out of Zimbabwe’s innings and restricted them to a total well below par and his 144-run stand with Paul Stirling, who scored an excellent 89, ensured Ireland were always comfortable in the chase.Ireland had fallen short in their chase in the first ODI, but Stirling was happy to bowl first once again on a greener pitch. Despite half-centuries from Wessly Madhevere and Sikandar Raza, Ireland never let Zimbabwe get away from them.Mark Adair finished with a four-wicket haul, but it was Campher’s spell that broke a 74-run stand between Madhevere and Raza and pegged the hosts back significantly just as they were getting into a position of strength.And despite an early wicket, Stirling and Campher ensured Ireland stayed above the asking rate, and by the time the two departed, it was too late for Zimbabwe to mount a comeback.With Ireland chasing 246, Andy Balbirnie got them underway with an elegant drive through cover point in the first over. The second over saw Stirling thrash Blessing Muzarabani through the covers for a boundary first ball. Muzarabani lost his radar as he ended up bowling a ten-ball over, which cost Zimbabwe 14 runs.However, Muzarabani came back strongly and had Balbirnie caught at slip with a well-directed short ball in the sixth over. He even beat Campher’s outside edge a couple of times.Craig Ervine lost his middle stump to Josh Little•Zimbabwe Cricket

But Campher and Stirling saw out the new ball and kept Ireland on track, with the skipper still cashing in on the fielding restrictions with a few more boundaries, including the first six of the match in the ninth over off Trevor Gwandu.The fifty-run stand came up in just 51 balls, with the batters happy to rotate strike amid the occasional boundary. Ireland were also helped by Zimbabwe being generous with extras – 23 in all.Stirling brought up his half-century in the 24th over, and the century stand with Campher came up soon after.Campher’s fifty came up in the 30th over and he celebrated by pulling Gwandu into the stands in front of square leg. The stand was finally broken when a length ball from Gwandu stayed deceptively low to beat Campher’s attempted pull and pin him in front.Harry Tector, who made a sluggish 39 off 78 in the first ODI, was more enterprising, pulling away the third ball he faced for a boundary. In the last game, it took him 77 deliveries to hit one.But his stay was short-lived as he looked to cut a short and wide delivery only to edge it behind, with Tadiwanashe Marumani taking a good catch. Stirling, though, ensured Ireland didn’t get bogged down, launching Ngarava over long-on.Ngarava finally got a breakthrough when Stirling went after a short ball and ended up miscuing it to cover, 11 short of a century. Lorcan Tucker then took charge and hit Gwandu for three consecutive boundaries. Ireland wiped out the rest of the target without fuss, with Tucker hitting the winning runs in the penultimate over.Earlier, Zimbabwe’s openers got off to a watchful start before Brian Bennett got going with a flurry of boundaries off Adair and Graham Hume. Five of his six boundaries came on the off side, and he hit two of them in succession off Adair, only for the quick to snag him with a wide delivery that he edged to slip.Sikandar Raza’s fifty went in vain•Zimbabwe Cricket

Ireland were able to slow things down after Bennett’s dismissal. Curran and Craig Ervine could add only nine runs off 25 balls before Josh Little got a full delivery to seam past Ervine’s inside edge and uproot his middle stump. Curran’s frustrating knock came to an end when he chopped on in Andy McBrine’s first over for 18 off 36.Raza played out McBrine for four dots to start off with, handing the spinner a wicket maiden, before getting off the mark with a boundary off him in his next over. Madhevere, who looked positive from the get-go, and Raza ensured Zimbabwe kept ticking along with regular boundaries, with Madhevere bringing up a run-a-ball half-century in the 27th over.However, an inspired bowling change got the momentum right back with Ireland. Campher was introduced in the 30th over and in his second over, he set Madhevere up beautifully. Bowling a series of outswingers, he had Madhevere moving across his stumps before firing in a straight one to trap him lbw.In his next over, he bowled a length ball across Johnathan Campbell and there was a noise, prompting the umpire to give it caught behind. Replays, however, suggested that the ball had brushed the pad. There was little doubt about Campher’s next wicket when he pinged Marumani plumb in front two balls later.Raza and Masakadza then arrested the collapse, with Raza scoring 27 off 24 in a 50-run stand, bringing up his half-century in the process. Raza holed out at deep midwicket trying to up the tempo as he miscued a pull off Adair. Tector took a good catch running in from the ropes and diving in front.Masakadza and Ngarava tried to drag Zimbabwe past 250, but Ireland made short work of the tail, with Adair picking two of the last three wickets.

Surrey welcome chance to work with giants of IPL, but resolve to keep controlling stake

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2025Surrey have confirmed that they will be retaining their majority stake in Oval Invincibles, as they begin their period of exclusive negotiations with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the owners of Mumbai Indians, in the wake of last month’s Hundred equity sale.RIL secured a 49% stake in Invincibles, the reigning Men’s Hundred champions and the most successful team across genders in the tournament’s four-year history, after valuing the franchise at £123 million at a live auction on January 30.That means they are expected to pay just over £60 million for their equity share when the team ownership transfers from ECB to Surrey County Cricket Club at the end of 2025. This will be undertaken through negotiations with RISE Worldwide, Reliance’s subsidiary, which has been named as the club’s preferred partner from the 2026 season onwards.Mumbai Indians, five-times winners of the IPL, are widely seen as the most powerful IPL franchise, while Surrey are the richest English county club. The Invincibles’ men’s and women’s teams will become the sixth and seventh teams associated with RIL, after Mumbai Indians (in both the IPL and WPL), MI New York (MLC), MI Cape Town (SA20) and MI Emirates (ILT20).Related

• Investors face live auction for in-demand Hundred franchises

• Hundred investors express frustration at ECB's 'pure financial' motives

• Sun Group secures 100% stake in Northern Superchargers

RIL, owned by the Ambani family, had been widely linked with buying a stake in London Spirit, but that franchise was eventually secured by a Silicon Valley tech consortium that valued the Lord’s-based franchise at £295 million.Up to five IPL teams could be involved in team ownership when the sales process is completed later this month. Last week, Sun Group – owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad – secured a 100% stake in Northern Superchargers for £100 million, while Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group – owners of Lucknow Super Giants – expected to land a 70% stake in Manchester Originals when their negotiations are complete.Southern Brave is widely expected to be secured by GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, who last year bought a groundbreaking majority stake in host county Hampshire, while the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are among those who are understood to have shown interest in Nottingham-based Trent Rockets.Surrey, however, have reiterated their desire to keep hold of their controlling stake in Invincibles, while welcoming the chance to work with a franchise that has won 11 league titles across the globe, including at least one in each of the competitions they have competed in.Oli Slipper, Chair of Surrey CCC, said: “We said at the outset that we wanted the best partner to ensure that Surrey continue to lead the way in English cricket and in Mumbai Indians that is what we have got.”They share our passion for cricket, they own the biggest and most successful team in the IPL, the Mumbai Indians, and we believe this partnership will bring continued success to both Surrey CCC and our Hundred team.”Beyond cricket, the huge success of RIL’s global business will help Surrey to thrive off the field too. I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mrs. Nita Ambani, Akash and his team as our new partners.”Mrs. Nita M Ambani, Owner of Mumbai Indians, said: “Cricket is more than just a sport, it’s a passion that unites people across geographies and cultures. Welcoming Oval Invincibles into our Mumbai Indians family is a proud and special moment.””England, with its rich cricketing culture, has always been special to the game,” Akash Ambani, Owner of Mumbai Indians, added. “To have the iconic Oval, which has witnessed some of cricket’s greatest moments, as our home venue is truly special.”

Visitors recover from 160 for 6 thanks to maiden hundred from wicketkeeper-batter

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 22-Jun-2025Joe Cracknell scored an unbeaten 106, his maiden first-class century, while Leus du Plooy struck 66 as Middlesex staged a spirited fightback against Northamptonshire on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.Keeper-batter Cracknell, whose previous first-class best was just 33, having largely played white-ball cricket to date, played a superbly-paced innings, facing 164 balls and striking 11 fours and a six to take the visitors to 397 for 8 at stumps. It was Cracknell’s third century of the week after tons in each innings of Middlesex’s Second XI game against Glamorgan at Radlett.Middlesex bounced back after Liam Guthrie, who took 6 for 87 with the Kookaburra ball, his first five-wicket haul for Northamptonshire, had the Seaxes reeling on 33 for 3 inside the first half an hour, removing the visitors top order.But du Plooy started to revive Middlesex’s fortunes, sharing two 60-run stands, first with Ryan Higgins and then with Ben Geddes. When they fell, Middlesex were still in a precarious position at 160 for 6 before Cracknell and Luke Hollman (51) combined to add 103 for the seventh wicket. Cracknell was then joined by Zafar Gohar and Toby Roland-Jones in stands of 81 and 53 at the end of a satisfactory first day in charge for Middlesex’s new men’s first-team coach Dane Vilas.Earlier left-armer Guthrie struck in the second over, coming round the wicket. Josh de Caires fell into the leg-side trap as he worked one off his hip straight to leg gully. Then Max Holden was trapped lbw by a Guthrie delivery that moved in and straightened. When Sam Robson became Guthrie’s third wicket, edging low to Harrison at second slip, the visitors were in real trouble.Leus du Plooy and Higgins rebuilt positively, keeping the scoreboard ticking as they put on 62. Du Plooy garnered boundaries off back-foot punches off the seamers and played Guthrie down the leg side for four to take Middlesex past 50 in the 12th over before driving him sweetly through cover.Higgins was proactive, strong on the reverse sweep against the spinners, but was adjudged lbw to a Justin Broad delivery that looked a little high as he stepped down the wicket aiming to play to leg.Du Plooy joined forces in another confident stand worth 60 with Geddes who started positively, Middlesex passing 100 in the 23rd over before powering Broad through extra cover. Du Plooy meanwhile punched Guthrie off the backfoot through cover point and then pulled legspinner Calvin Harrison for four to reach his half-century just before lunch.Runs flowed quickly against the seamers after the interval. Geddes punched Guthrie off the back foot, while du Plooy drove Luke Procter for four before coming down the wicket and pulling him dismissively through mid-on. He had a rush of blood though, attempting to repeat the shot, failing to control it and instead top-edging to long-on where Rob Keogh took an excellent diving catch running back.Liam Guthrie caused havoc with the new ball•Getty Images

Geddes drove Procter handsomely through extra cover but departed soon afterwards, edging behind off a Broad delivery which held its line.That brought together Cracknell and Hollman who started briskly, Cracknell pulling and driving Broad for consecutive boundaries. Northamptonshire fielded four spinners and both batters took a liking to them with the ball offering little turn. Hollman hit Harrison back over his head, smashed him through the covers and swept behind square. He swept Lloyd Pope to the boundary too and drove his next ball through cover point.Cracknell also tucked into the spinners, muscling Keogh down the ground before dispatching his next ball, a half-tracker, over midwicket for six to go past his previous highest score.After tea, both batters reached their fifties and brought up the 100 partnership, but were parted next over when Hollman skied an attempted hook off Guthrie, Pope taking a good catch at deep-backward square leg.Cracknell continued to locate the boundary, driving Broad through extra, pulling a Pope half-tracker through midwicket and pummelling Guthrie through extra cover. Gohar (34) offered strong support as Cracknell neared three figures, taking consecutive boundaries off Procter with the new ball before Guthrie got one to lift, Gohar fending it to Vasconcelos at slip.Cracknell smashed Guthrie through extra cover and then worked Broad into the off-side to take him to three figures and a well-deserved celebration before some Toby Roland-Jones fireworks ensured Middlesex rounded off the day positively.

Former captain makes 94 but ends up on the losing side at Northwood

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Jul-2025Former Middlesex all-rounder James Fuller returned to haunt his old team with a crucial unbeaten 43 from 26 balls as Hampshire squeezed over the line at Merchant Taylors’ School to keep their Vitality Blast hopes alive.The Hawks were under pressure at 157 for seven, needing 31 from 13, when the final ball of Noah Cornwell’s stint sailed over Fuller for four byes plus a no-ball – and momentum swung as the batter capitalised on the resulting free hit to crack six off Leus du Plooy.Stephen Eskinazi, who stood down as Middlesex’s T20 captain earlier in the day, led the way for his side with an outstanding knock of 94 from 48, sharing partnerships of 69 from 40 and 82 from 51 with Kane Williamson and Max Holden respectively.But Hawks seamer Scott Currie (four for 32) removed both Eskinazi and Holden, triggering a middle-order collapse as Middlesex shed seven wickets for 34 and fell below the 200-plus total that had looked likely.Put in to bat, the home side made swift progress in the powerplay as Williamson (25 from 22) flicked Sonny Baker neatly over long leg for six and Eskinazi plundered 20 from Eddie Jack’s first over.Benny Howell made the breakthrough with his fourth delivery as Williamson was bowled swinging across the line, but runs continued to flow from Eskinazi’s bat and the opener raised his third half-century of the tournament from 23 balls with a straight-driven six.Holden (33 from 26) played second fiddle, taking 18 balls to register his first boundary, but Eskinazi’s timing and placement was exemplary as he cut Currie for successive fours, with a hundred looking inevitable.However, Eskinazi was denied when Currie returned to rip out his off stump – the first of five wickets in 17 balls as Middlesex faltered during the death overs, clambering above 180 thanks to a couple of late boundaries from Luke Hollman.James Vince (27 from 17) began briskly when Hampshire replied, pulling Zafar Gohar for six and punching a string of back-foot boundaries off the seamers before he fell to a low diving catch at mid-off by opposite number Du Plooy.The new Middlesex skipper took a skier to dismiss Tom Prest in the next over and, when Toby Albert presented Hollman (two for 21) with a routine return catch, the visitors were uncertainly placed at 68 for three.Joe Weatherley batted aggressively, clubbing both Gohar and Ryan Higgins for straight sixes in his 41 from 22 but, when he failed to counter Hollman’s googly, the Hawks were back under pressure.Cornwell and Higgins picked up further wickets, but the left-armer’s lapse tilted the contest back towards Hampshire and Fuller finished the job with two balls to spare, hitting Higgins for successive boundaries.

Dickson will join from Somerset as a replacement for the outgoing Glamorgan skipper Sam Northeast

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2025Glamorgan have moved quickly to replace outgoing captain Sam Northeast with the signing of multi-format batter Sean Dickson.Dickson will depart Somerset at the end of the summer, moving to Sophia Gardens on a two-year deal.The 34-year old has established himself as an accomplished batter on the domestic scene. Glamorgan will be his fourth county, having also represented Kent and Durham across all formats.He underlined those credentials on Saturday with a match-winning 71 off just 26 deliveries against Birmingham Bears to take Somerset through to Blast Finals Day. Dickson also has a first-class best of 318, for Kent in the County Championship. It is one of 14 first-class centuries, of which 13 have come in English cricket. Born in South Africa, he notched a sole hundred for Northerns, in Centurion, before moving over to the UK in 2015.Glamorgan are pushing for promotion to Divison One but will lose Northeast, their captain, as he returns to his home county, Kent, at the end of this campaign.Speaking on Dickson’s impending arrival, Glamorgan director of cricket, Mark Wallace said: “We’re delighted that Sean has agreed to join Glamorgan for the next two years. Sean is one of the most explosive middle-order T20 batters in the country and is a proven top four option in four-day cricket.”With Sam Northeast heading back to Kent, Sean will add to the experience of our batting unit and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Wales.”

South-coast club handed reprieve by Durham after Rahul Chahar takes ten in the match

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Surrey 147 (Washington 3-5, Abbott 3-27, Fuller 3-46) and 281 (Albert 63, Abbott 5-72) beat Hampshire 248 (Washington 56) and 160 (Orr 48, Chahar 8-51) by 20 runsHampshire were given an unlikely reprieve from relegation to Rothesay County Championship Division Two after Durham fell apart at Yorkshire.The south-coast county were resigned to the drop after losing to Surrey by 20 runs, which left Durham only requiring a draw at Headingley. But they sensationally slumped to 85 all out to allow Hampshire to stay in Division One for the 2026 season.Ironically, Hampshire’s last brush with the drop, in 2016, saw them finish in the relegation places but be reinstated after Durham were sent down over financial issues.Surrey only needed one wicket on the final day, which Rahul Chahar managed with the 42nd delivery of the day when he had James Fuller caught behind. In doing so, the India spinner claimed a career-best 8 for 51 – Surrey’s third best bowling figures of the 21st century – and ten wickets in the match.The defeat, with relegation seemingly nailed on, looked like it would compound Hampshire’s horror September. The county had been deducted eight points in the Championship for breaching the ECB’s pitch regulations, before losing in two men’s finals and a women’s final.They also saw popular head coach Adi Birrell announce he would leave the club after seven years at the helm. The South African was gifted a bull for his farm back in his homeland by the players on the final morning of the Surrey match.Instead of Hampshire, Durham will now join Worcestershire in playing in Division Two next season.Ben Brown, who took over the four-day captaincy at short notice after James Vince stepped away from red-ball cricket before the start of the season, said it had been “a really challenging year”, topped off by the Cricket Discipline Panel’s decision to dock points for a poor Utilita Bowl pitch in May – described by Brown as “unjust”.”It has been a really challenging year, off the field as well as on it,” Brown said. “There has been a lot to manage.”Then there is the points deduction on the wicket, which I stand by that it was unjust. That I feel difficult to cope with as a player. People work hard in professional sport and to have essentially clipboard stuff take eight points off us… You want sport to be decided as sport not someone deciding whether grass is right or wrong.”We have been playing under pressure for the last month with no time to think or train, and it has ended up with us losing two finals and looks like we will be going down. Everyone will need time to get their head around it before making a plan to make things better.”Requiring 33 runs to beat Surrey, 32 runs – ie. a tie – would likely have been enough to see Hampshire them remain in Division One on their own steam.Fuller and Brad Wheal were the only Hampshire batters left – the former had shaken off the collapse and dealt with Chahar carefully for 29, while Wheal had stoically blocked 22 balls before bad light brought an unsatisfactory end to the third day, and left plenty with a sleepless night.Chahar bowled the first over of the day and Fuller almost edged the first ball. A swept four eased the nerves, before Wheal nicked his first delivery to first slip – but it narrowly fell short.Fuller and Wheal looked at ease, albeit turning down a bounty of singles, until Fuller attempted to cut Chahar and edged behind to Ben Foakes.Only Kemar Roach’s 8 for 40, and Martin Bicknell’s 9 for 45 were better since the turn of the Millennium. Chahar, on Championship debut, also took ten wickets in the match.”A lot of the disappointment was last night and then today there was just a small chance in a tough situation for Fuller. It was more runs than it looked and was a tall order today,” Brown said. “We should have made a better fist of it. The new hard ball spun quite a lot and we didn’t deal with it. We were a lot of pressure in the run chase and we couldn’t stem the tide of wickets in the middle of the innings.”

It’s understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmed in a role that aligned closely with his own responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2025Azhar Ali has resigned from his position at the PCB as selector and head of youth development, ending a 12-month stint in that role. The departure, which was not publicly announced by either Azhar or the board, has been confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.ESPNcricinfo has learned Azhar’s departure came after an extended period of simmering differences in outlook between the former Pakistan captain and the board. Matters eventually came to a head after Sarfaraz Ahmed was reportedly appointed – though, again, not officially confirmed by the board – as the head of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 sides, with his remit extending to the organising and managing of tours, as well as conducting training camps.It is understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz in a role that aligned closely with his own set of responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable. He sent in his letter of resignation earlier this week, which the PCB accepted.Azhar, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, was first brought into the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national side in October 2024. A month later, he had the role of youth development head tacked on, one which was publicly announced by the PCB at the time.The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.The next major assignment for a Pakistan age-group side comes at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which runs from January 15 to February 6, and will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland and England are in Pakistan’s group at the competition, which Pakistan have won twice – in 2004 and 2006.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Tottenham are interested in a move for centre back Matthias Ginter. The 25-year-old currently plays his football in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach and has done so since leaving Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, with his mightily impressive efforts in the German top tier seemingly attracting the interest of Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

And that’s because a recent report from Sky Sports suggests that Tottenham, and indeed North London rivals Arsenal, are eyeing up a possible move for the Germany international in a bid to bolster their centre back options, which could be set for a big change in the coming years given Jan Vertonghen will turn 32 in April, and Toby Alderweireld will be available for just £25 million come the summer.

And while the arrival of Ginter would likely please several Tottenham fans, it could spell seriously bad news for Juan Foyth in his bid to make the grade at the North London outfit.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 21-year-old Foyth made the move to Spurs back in 2017 after beginning his senior career in Argentina with Estudiantes, although he has unsurprisingly found it difficult to dislodge messrs Vertonghen and Alderweireld, and indeed Davinson Sanchez, from Pochettino’s starting eleven.

In fact, the one-time Argentina international has managed just 17 first team appearances for Spurs and only six of those have come in the Premier League, with the young centre back benefiting from injuries earlier this term to earn a sustained run in the side, starting five league games between November and December.

And while there were some good moments in there, not least netting the winner in their 1-0 success at Crystal Palace, there were plenty of nervy moments as well to suggest that he isn’t quite ready to deputise regularly in the Tottenham team, and thus provide Pochettino with the man to take the mantle, alongside Sanchez, in the post-Vertonghen and Alderweireld era.

And with Foyth even now struggling for regular football in North London, he hasn’t featured in the league since Boxing Day, his difficulties will be heightened even more were Germany international Ginter to move to Spurs.

The 25-year-old has impressed greatly in his homeland in recent times at both Dortmund and indeed Monchengladbach, appearing 102 times in all for the former between 2014 and 2017, and 54 times for the latter following his move there 18 months ago.

And with appearances in all but five of Monchengladbach’s 22 Bundesliga clashes this term, missing that quintet as a result of injury, it’s pretty clear just how highly-rated he is in his homeland – one doesn’t earn 23 caps for Germany at senior level if one is not a hugely accomplished player.

Clearly then, Ginter’s arrival would go some way to providing Pochettino with a centre back not only for the present but also the future – he and Sanchez could strike up quite the partnership in the years to come.

But what his arrival could also do is spell seriously bad news for £7.2 million-rated Foyth (as per Transfermarkt) – he is already down the pecking order, let alone were the 25-year-old to also move to North London.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to react after the club was linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter, with north London rivals Arsenal also taking an interest in the player according to Sky Sports.

The German international, who has 23 caps for the national team, was reportedly on Spurs’ radar before joining Monchengladbach from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017.

Ginter could potentially be a replacement for Toby Alderweireld as, despite recently triggering a one-year extension in the Belgian’s contract, the 29-year-old has a clause that allows him to leave for £25m in the summer, as per Sky Sports – a player of his quality will surely attract a whole host of interest for a fee that low.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

25-year-old Ginter has scored one goal in 15 Bundesliga starts so far this season, proving to be a consistently solid figure in defence for the German side.

Naturally, given the fact that Spurs have signed no new players across the last two windows, the news has got plenty of the club’s supporters on Twitter talking…