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Not many Newcastle United fans will want to remember the 4-4 draw at St James' Park against Luton Town last weekend.

Although Eddie Howe's side were able to salvage a point after trailing by two goals, it was another poor defensive display from the Magpies.

Last season was one of the club's best in recent times, with the Magpies securing their place in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. Howe's side only conceded 33 Premier League goals last campaign – the joint best in the division alongside champions Manchester City.

However, Newcastle's defensive record this season has been far from impressive, having already conceded 37 goals – four more than last campaign with 15 games remaining.

Defensive players such as Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman have failed to reach the performance levels they achieved last season – with Howe's side conceding 11 goals in their last three games on their home turf.

Dan Burn's game vs Luton Town in numbers

Dan Burn had an afternoon to forget against Luton last weekend. The 31-year-old gave away the penalty for the Hatters' third goal and was ineffective throughout the game at both ends.

His performance was so poor, that the Newcastle Chronicle's chief football writer Lee Ryder gave Burn a 4/10 rating and admitted that Burn's man, Chiedozie Ogbene, 'ran the show for long spells'.

When reflecting upon the stats from last weekend's encounter, it's hard to argue with Ryder's rating. As per Sofascore, Newcastle's left-back gave possession away 16 times within his 64 minutes on the pitch, whilst being dribbled past four times – mainly by the rapid Ogbene.

Burn also lost eight duels during the encounter, giving away two fouls – one of which led to the visitor's spot-kick. His afternoon was over after being replaced by Tino Livramento with just under half an hour to play as Howe tried to combat the danger Luton posed on the counter-attack.

Although Burn was an important player in the Magpies' brilliant Premier League finish last season, the game against Luton was yet more proof that the 6 foot 6 defender might not have the pace required to play on the left-hand side of Howe's defence.

The man to replace Dan Burn vs Forest

After replacing Burn off the bench last weekend, Magpies boss Howe should consider starting 21-year-old Tino Livramento in his place for the trip to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side defeated Newcastle on Boxing Day at St James' Park, with the Reds' counter-attacking style giving them success and allowing former Magpie Chris Wood to bag a hat-trick.

Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi started on either flank for Forest that day, with the pair causing Trippier and Burn no end of problems. Burn may only have been dribbled past once by Elanga, but the Swede's pace forced Newcastle boss Howe to replace the 31-year-old 55 minutes in for Livramento to try and combat the pace of the Forest winger.

Although they still fell to a defeat against Nuno's side, Livramento's performance throughout the final 30 minutes of the encounter restricted Elanga to limited opportunities after his two assists earlier in the game.

Hopefully, Howe can recognise Burn's lack of pace against wingers such as Elanga and Hudson-Odoi. The Newcastle boss must start the former Southampton full-back at the City Ground on Saturday to avoid a repeat of the result that occurred just six weeks ago.

Tottenham Hotspur reached a critical juncture last summer after falling to an eighth-placed Premier League finish, but Ange Postecoglou's summer appointment has the makings of a successful new era in north London.

In truth, Spurs still have a long way to go and the club's current spot just outside the top four is evidence of this, but some exciting additions and a refreshing new ideology point toward success after several years of struggle.

These recent signings are shaping the squad and proving to be major upgrades on their predecessors: Pedro Porro is a shining example of this, growing into one of Europe's standout right-backs.

That particular position had candidly been one of strife for Tottenham across recent years, with Matt Doherty certainly flattering to deceive across recent years.

The fee Spurs paid for Matt Doherty

Tottenham signed Doherty from Wolverhampton Wanderers for around £15m back in the summer of 2020, the Republic of Ireland international pushing for the transfer after learning of the interest.

Ebullient beginnings swiftly turned to indifference and the versatile defender only managed to start 13 times in the Premier League, though his case wasn't helped by various injuries.

He had enjoyed great success at Molineux, in fairness, having posted 15 goals and 15 assists apiece across the previous two campaigns for Nuno Espirito Santo's high-flying Wolves side, but the move didn't work out and he failed to reach the same heights in London, signing for Atletico Madrid on a free transfer in January 2023 after a mutual termination of his contract was agreed.

How Doherty compared to Serge Aurier

Doherty spent two-and-a-half years on Tottenham's books and earned a healthy salary of £74k per week, meaning that he cost just shy of £10m in wages despite failing to really make his mark.

The 32-year-old did feature 71 times in total, scoring three goals and supplying eight assists, but after starting just 29 Premier League matches he hardly represented value for money.

Indeed, by combining that salary with his £15m transfer fee, Doherty actually cost Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy around £25m during his ineffectual stay, leaving the club a worse signing than his positional peer Serge Aurier.

Aurier joined Tottenham from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £23m back in 2017 following Kyle Walker's lucrative sale to a burgeoning Pep Guardiola-led project at Manchester City.

A shrewd sum for a player of considerable talent, but the Ivorian dynamo failed to ever really replicate the form that attracted lofty praise in France, even savagely chided by pundit Jamie Carragher for being "maybe one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football" at one stage.

That said, while Aurier was guilty of inexplicable and rash decisions at times, he did contribute offensively and finished his time at Tottenham with eight goals and 17 assists across 110 outings.

Doherty, sadly, was stricken by injuries and repeated losses of form that hampered his Spurs career, with correspondent Alasdair Gold noting that he was "struggling” to find his feet.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Porro, at least, is proving himself a thrilling option for Postecoglou's side, with the Spaniard's performances demonstrating just how poor the likes of Aurier and Doherty really were.

The 33-year-old talks about the Kerala deal and what he’s looking to achieve at this stage in his career

Shamya Dasgupta29-Aug-2019Robin Uthappa has been named captain of Kerala’s limited-overs squads for the upcoming Indian domestic season, and feels he and the team will be “the perfect fit”.Uthappa, who had a shortened season as a professional with Saurashtra last year because of injuries, will play his first season as a professional for Kerala in 2019-20. The 33-year-old batsman last captained in recognised cricket in 2014, when he led a touring India A side in a quadrangular one-day series in Australia. He also captained Karnataka sporadically between 2008 and 2012.”Well, whether in Karnataka or Saurashtra or even at KKR [Kolkata Knight Riders, in the IPL], I have always had a role within the leadership group, as a senior cricketer in the team. So even when I was not the captain, I had a role as a senior player. I’ve always enjoyed it,” Uthappa, currently in Chennai to take part in a pre-season camp for Kerala, told . “And as a senior pro, I have done my bit. So why not? We have a wonderful bunch of boys and … when they asked me, I was happy to take up the offer. All of them, I think of them as younger brothers and I can add value to the team.”This [the Kerala offer] was supposed to come through a couple of years ago, but didn’t happen at the time, and then Saurashtra happened. My two years were up with Saurashtra and Kerala were looking for a professional and it looks like the perfect fit.”

We have a World Cup-winning coach, he brings great value within the group that I will also try to learn fromUthappa on working with Dav Whatmore at Kerala

Uthappa had led Kerala Cricket Association XI in their last match of the Dr Capt K Thimmappiah Memorial Cricket Tournament in Bengaluru last month in the absence of regular captain Sachin Baby. With the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy starting at the end of September, he has now been given a more stable role, but the association hasn’t made a decision regarding the captaincy of the Ranji Trophy team, which made it to the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively under Baby in the last two years.”Ranji is quite far away, right now the focus is on … it doesn’t matter who leads the side,” Uthappa said. “There is mutual respect within the group. The team’s had its own journey, everyone is happy, and I’m waiting to get in there and be part of it. Who the captain is is inconsequential. It’s a happy unit. Sachin has been a massive help for me. It’s a different team culture too, and he has been a huge help. He is going to continue to be a huge help. It’s quite a good atmosphere.”Uthappa is a two-time Ranji champion with Karnataka and a two-time IPL winner with Knight Riders. There’s that experience, plus that from 46 ODI and 13 T20I appearances for India, including at the World Cup and World T20 in 2007, the last of which India won. And at Kerala, he will have for company 1996 World Cup-winning coach Dav Whatmore, under whom Kerala made the Ranji semi-final for the first time in 2018-19.Whatmore was away, back home in Australia, while the team conducted it’s camp in Chennai, but he is expected to link up with the boys soon.”We have a World Cup-winning coach, he brings great value within the group that I will also try to learn from. We have been in touch on and off,” Uthappa said. “We have a little time to go for the Vijay Hazare, so we’ll work out the permutations and combinations between now and then.”It’s an extremely talented bunch of lads. There’s a lot of hard work. They are very committed. Well, they could do with more of direction and intention as far as winning tournaments are concerned, instead of just doing well and participating. But that will happen as we go along. I think what we will be looking for is a bit more consistency. If we can provide the players with more security about their positions, then performance will be the next step.”Uthappa has played 136 first-class matches, 189 List A matches, and 250 T20s since his professional debut in 2002-03, and has been among the most prolific IPL batsmen since his move to Knight Riders in 2014.

Barcelona are reportedly considering selling winger Raphinha – but prospetive suitors will have to pay a huge fee to secure his services.

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Raphinha repeatedly linked with Barca exitPreviously rejected large bid for wingerBrazilian's minimum price tag revealedWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Barcelona and new boss Hansi Flick rate the 27-year-old very highly but due to the club's financial issues, they may consider selling him. The report adds he won't be sold for anything less than €90 million (£76m/$98m), with the Catalan outfit previously rejecting an offer worth €80m.

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Ever since Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds in 2022, it seems the winger has been linked with a transfer exit in virtually every transfer window since then. Perhaps, the Brazilian international is somewhat under-rated at the La Liga team.

DID YOU KNOW?

Raphinha, whose contract at Barca runs until the summer of 2027, has scored 20 goals and bagged 25 assists in 87 games for the Spanish outfit so far. He joined from Leeds for £55m ($65m) just under two years ago.

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While Raphinha's future is somewhat up in the air, the Barcelona star is currently out in the United States representing Brazil at the 2024 Copa America. He will hope to feature in their next match against Paraguay.

Lionel Messi cannot use injury as an excuse for his Panenka penalty miss, as the Argentina superstar “felt well” on his return to Copa America action.

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Recovered from a muscle complaintPlayed 90 minutes against EcuadorClipped spot-kick against crossbarWHAT HAPPENED?

Having nursed his way back from a muscle problem, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was thrust straight back into the fold as the Albiceleste took in a quarter-final clash with Ecuador. Messi played the full 90 minutes of that contest, which ended up having to be settled in a shootout.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SCALONI SAID

Messi stepped up first, but clipped his effort onto the crossbar. Asked afterwards if the Inter Miami forward was still feeling the effects of an untimely injury, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said: “No. Leo had a good game, in the end, they also planned a game or system where when we had the ball, two defenders came to attack, so, this is a chess game. He has had seven days away, we didn't notice the inactivity mentioned in the question.”

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Scaloni added when delivering a fitness update on Messi, who has five days to prepare for the Copa America semi-finals: “He finished well, the last time we asked him with five or six minutes left in the game he said he felt well.”

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Messi was bailed out against Ecuador by Emiliano Martinez, with the enigmatic goalkeeper producing more penalty shootout heroics as he saved two spot-kicks. Argentina prevailed 4-2 as a result and are now waiting to discover whether they will face Canada or Venezuela in the last four.

St Lucia Zouks are placed fourth, with just one match left for them to make the playoffs

The Report by Annesha Ghosh28-Sep-2019Rahkeem Cornwall’s blistering 25-ball 51 followed by sensational hitting from Darren Sammy ensured St Lucia Zouks knocked Jamaica Tallawahs out of the race for the CPL 2019 playoffs. A 38-ball 58 from Dwayne Smith had headlined Tallawahs’ 165 for 7 and even though they made the hosts huff and puff towards the end of the chase, Zouks’ 11 sixes were too much to handle for them.Zouks are now only one point behind third-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with both teams left with a match each. Barbados Tridents, in fifth spot, still have two games in hand and could also make the playoffs, being only one point behind Zouks.With rain around the corner in Gros Islet on Friday night, Zouks needed 35 off 30 with five wickets in hand. Sammy had yet to get off the mark while his partner Chris Barnwell adopted a cautious approach, tiptoeing to 5 off seven deliveries. A six-run over from medium pacer Shamar Springer did little to help.The Khans – Zahir and Imran – tightened the screws further as the next two overs gave away only ten runs without a single boundary, and fetched Zahir a reward for his persistence with the around-the-off stump line, in the form of Barnwell’s wicket. The momentum, however, swung Zouks’ way decisively as Springer strode in to bowl his last over, the 19th of the innings.Sammy sizzles in the nervous 19th
With 19 needed off 12, Springer began with two wides down leg to the left-hander Krishmar Santokie. He then came over the wicket to bowl the first legal delivery of the over, which Santokie nudged to point for a risky single as Sammy put in a desperate dive at the wicketkeeper’s end to get home.Back on strike, Sammy swung the next ball over cow corner for a six to bring the equation ten in ten. Springer followed it with a high full toss, meaning the slog-sweep that Trevon Griffith pouched at deep midwicket came off a no-ball. Sammy, however, decided against taking a single to keep strike for the free-hit, but Springer slipped in a yorker for a dot ball.Two singles off the next two deliveries preluded the defining six of the innings as Sammy bludgeoned a waist-high full toss over the roof beyond midwicket. Scores level. And first ball of the 20th over, Kesrick Williams, the most successful bowler on the night, struck a powerful drive over extra cover for four to seal the game.Smith, Williams sparkle, Zouks fielders fluff chancesZouks’ decision to bowl paid dividends to some degree, thanks to a three-for from Williams and Fawad Ahmed’s miserly none for 22. Tallawahs’ openers – Chris Gayle and Glenn Phillips – scored a combined 52 off 41 deliveries, with Gayle scoring 29 off 30, but they got to 60 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay after Hardus Viljoen bounced out Phillips for an 11-ball 23 in the fifth over.Smith was involved in stands of 36 with Gayle and then 56 with Liton Das, hammering three sixes and six fours en route his 38-ball 58, but with three lifelines. Jeavor Royal handed him a reprieve on 14 off Cornwall in the eighth over, shelling a flat catch at deep square-leg. The next two chances came off back-to-back deliveries – first off Royal and then Santokie, across the 11th and 12th overs. Santokie made a hash of a straightforward chance at extra cover while Colin de Grandhomme made it look even worse the following delivery, spilling a top-edged pull despite settling under it after running in from square leg. Smith brought up his first fifty of this CPL, off 30 balls, before holing out to long-on in the 17th over, just after Williams had taken a return catch to send Liton back for a run-a-ball 21, leaving Tallawahs on 140 for 4.Santokie and Williams did well to contain the lower order by conceding only 22 in the last three overs. Santokie gave away only four in the last over, ending with 2 for 31, with the wickets of Chadwick Walton and Ramaal Lewis in consecutive overs.Cornwall carnageBetween his last half-century this CPL, that goes back to September 12 and the one on Friday, Cornwall scored 6, 13, 8, 8 and 5, and also went wicketless in his last three matches. But he struck form with a smashing half-century on the night, oozing oodles of his trademark belligerence.All five of his sixes came in the arc between long-on and deep midwicket, some clearing the boundary rider by up to ten yards, others flying over the roof, out of the stadium and into the car park. He contributed 30 to the opening stand of 49 – that ended in the fourth over – with Andre Fletcher, whose eight-ball 17 was not bereft of fireworks either. With Colin Ingram, Cornwall put on 30 off 3.1 overs, and by the time he departed, Zouks had raced away to 79 in seven overs, setting a strong platform for the middle and lower order.

As Tottenham Hotspur continue their hunt for Champions League football, many fans feel that a lack of depth in key areas will be to blame if they don't manage to finish in the top four.

Spurs' search for a midfielder

No Spurs midfielder has started more than eighteen games in the Premier League this season, leaving Ange Postecoglou with a selection headache going into most matches. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have been the Australian's pairing of choice, but a mix of injuries, international duty and suspensions has seen once outcast Pierre-Emile Højbjerg return to the fold and play more minutes than expected.

Spurs star showed he's undroppable with "incredible" display v Palace

The Spurs star was immense versus Crystal Palace.

ByTom Lever Mar 3, 2024

In an attempt to address the problem areas of the pitch, Spurs have been working quickly to get deals done early and ensure they are not hamstrung by absences like they have been this season.

Going into this summer, Daniel Levy will have a long list of improvements necessary to take Spurs to the next level. Adrien Rabiot has been linked with a move to Spurs this summer with the North London club hoping to capitalise on the 28-year-old's expiring contract.

Despite the interest from Spurs, a new development appears to have put these rumours to bed for now and may force Levy to pursue other targets.

Fabrizio Romano gives Rabiot update

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano has given an update on Spurs' attempts to sign Adrien Rabiot. Romano told the outlet: "People at Spurs are monitoring midfielders in general and Adrien Rabiot could be big opportunity for many clubs. Still, I’m not aware of concrete contacts between Tottenham and Rabiot for now.

“From what I heard, Rabiot will also give priority to talks with Juventus over a new deal before deciding his future.”

This news will be a cause for frustration among Spurs fans with Rabiot long reported to be heading to North London this summer. At 28-years-old the Frenchman is not one for the future, but experience in the middle of the park is exactly what Spurs are crying out for at the moment.

In-and-out of the side in Turin, Rabiot signed a one-year extension with Juventus last summer meaning that he will be a free agent at the end of the season. A player with proven pedigree at the top level, it is likely that the midfielder will have top sides queueing up to secure his services this summer.

A powerful presence who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, Rabiot would make an excellent addition to a Spurs side that relies on quick transition attacks.

Non-Penalty Goals

0.19

82nd Percentile

Assists

0.14

74th Percentile

Successful Take-Ons

1.08

84th Percentile

Touches

2.72

90th Percentile

Progressive Carries

2.35

86th Percentile

Aerials Won

1.83

88th Percentile

Signing a player with a proven track-record on the biggest stage could be the key to taking Spurs to the next level. Out of contract in the summer, Levy could get an absolute steal by securing the services of Rabiot at the end of the season.

Chelsea are under more pressure over Enzo Fernandez, after David Datro Fofana became the latest player to condemn his team-mate on social media.

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Fernandez allegedly sang racist songMidfielder in hot waterAlready been called out by Wesley FofanaWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea have issued a strong statement after Fernandez allegedly sang a racist chant on Argentina's team bus after their Copa America triumph. The song was allegedly aimed at the French national team, and Wesley Fofana has already criticised his team-mate on social media.

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While Fernandez has apologised, he has now been criticised by striker Fofana, who posted a message insisting that racism "has no place in football".

@datro_9WHAT DATRO FOFANA SAID

Fofana wrote: "The football that I like is multi-ethnic. Racism in all its forms should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. These acts have no place in football or even anywhere else. This fight really needs to be taken seriously by everyone involved in this sport."

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It remains to be seen what kind of disciplinary action Chelsea may take against Fernandez once he returns from the Copa America, although he is likely to be fined. The Blues play Wrexham in a pre-season friendly on July 25.

Aston Villa are reportedly set to dip into the free agent market this summer in order to bolster their defensive ranks.

Villa thriving despite defensive injury crisis

The difference between the Aston Villa of last season compared to the version we see now is quite remarkable. The Villans find themselves on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since they won the tournament all the way back in the 1981-82 season.

This is no doubt thanks to the tactical changes and overall solidity that Unai Emery has instilled in his squad, withstanding an injury crisis which has seen the likes of Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos miss big chunks of time.

Indeed, their attack has been the main area of the team which has been spoken about, as the club find themselves with the most Premier League goals outside of the three title chasers, but there's no question the partnership of Carlos and Pau Torres has been a revelation. The 31-year-old Brazilian has been phenomenal when healthy and has managed to cement his spot in Emery's starting 11, playing 27 games in all competitions this term.

Torres wasn't the only addition last summer, with Clement Lenglet joining on loan, but the France international is not expected to stay permanently. So, with Mings recovering from a horrible injury at 31 years of age, Konsa often used on the right hand side and Lenglet on the way out, Emery is looking to the free agent market for another left-footed centre-back to bolster his ranks for the 2024/25 season.

Aston Villa see defender as an 'attractive opportunity'

If Emery's men do manage to get into the Champions League next season, they will need to add a lot of experience to their squad in order to be competitive. It explains why the Villans see left-footed Mario Hermoso as an 'attractive opportunity' this summer. That is according to Tutto Juve, as summarised by Sport Witness, who state that Villa are 'in the lead' to sign the defender this summer.

Mario Hermoso's season in numbers so far

Games

36

Goals

2

Yellow Cards

12

Data via Transfermarkt

The update states that Villa are ready to enter negotiations for Hermoso in order to 'mock' Serie A giants Juventus by acquiring the player ahead of them. This follows reports last week that Emery was personally pushing talks with the soon-to-be free agent.

Hermoso's contract is set to expire in June and, if the Atletico Madrid man chooses to leave, there will be many clubs 'in the picture' to acquire his services. The centre-back has made a total of 165 appearances for Atletico with 28 of them coming in the Champions League.

This experience, alongside the versatility which the 28-year-old possesses, would make the defender an ideal match for the profile which Emery desires. His addition would not only bolster his defensive ranks but allow yet another experienced head to enter the camp.

Tim Southee to captain in Williamson’s absence while Trent Boult misses first three T20Is to play Plunket Shield

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2019Kane Williamson will miss New Zealand’s T20I series against England with a hip injury, with Tim Southee named as captain in his absence. Trent Boult has also been omitted for the first three of five T20Is, in order to focus on his Test preparations.Although Williamson played in the Plunket Shield this week for Northern Districts, it was concluded after discussions with coach Gary Stead that rest was the best course of action. Stead said Williamson had been managing the right hip problem for 18 months, but hoped this was a chance to get him back “to somewhere near 100%” ahead of the Tests against England.”We’ve been monitoring the injury for a while now and it’s the same issue that ruled him out of the final Test against Bangladesh back in March,” Stead said. “It’s disappointing timing for Kane at the start of an exciting Kiwi summer, but we feel it’s the right decision with a busy season ahead.England XI for 1st warm-up T20

Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, James Vince, Eoin Morgan (capt), Joe Denly, Sam Billings (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Pat Brown.

“We’re fortunate to have someone experienced like Tim who can comfortably step in and take the reins, as he successfully did on the recent tour of Sri Lanka.”Southee led New Zealand to a 2-1 victory in the T20Is against Sri Lanka, after Williamson was rested from that leg of the tour. Apart from Northern Districts’ game against Canterbury, in which he batted once and scored 26, Williamson has not played since the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August.Lockie Ferguson, who is due to make his return from a thumb injury in England’s warm-up matches ahead of the series, has been named in the T20I squad for the first three games, with Boult returning to take his place for the fourth and fifth.Boult will instead play in the second round of the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts, building towards the two Tests against England at the end of November, and New Zealand’s subsequent tour of Australia.”In working with Trent and looking at the season ahead, we feel another four-day game will provide him with the best preparation for the upcoming Test series against England and Australia,” Stead said.The rest of the squad is similar to that which took on Sri Lanka. Allrounder Jimmy Neesham returns, along with pace bowler Blair Tickner, who has been capped once previously in T20Is, while Todd Astle, Tom Bruce and Seth Rance missed out.”If you look at the batsmen there’s plenty of good ball strikers and that explosive hitting is a crucial component in the shortest format,” Stead said of the selections. “Tim will have a variety of bowling options including our spin combination of Ish [Sodhi] and Mitch [Santner] who are both ranked inside the top ten T20 bowlers in the world.”We obviously have a lot of T20 cricket on the horizon ahead of next year’s World Cup and a tough five-game series against England should be a great start to the summer.”New Zealand T20I squad: Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4-5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner