Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer was full of praise for David Warner’s newfound professionalism and focus, after he steered Australia home against West Indies with an unbeaten fifty

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2016So single-minded a Test cricketer was Justin Langer that team-mates have often spoken of the almost monastic fanaticism with which he pursued team and individual success for Australia. So it was telling that he spoke with enormous admiration for the cricketer David Warner has become, epitomised by his busy intensity in Australia’s victory in their tri-series opener against West Indies.The past week in New York and Guyana has been the first time Langer was able to get a look at Warner up close since he resigned as Australia’s assistant coach to take up the head coach role with Western Australia in November 2012. At that point, Warner’s performances were strong enough, but he was on a spiral of bad behaviour that led to his suspension from part of the 2013 Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub.Three years on, Langer speaks of Warner in the same way as he does about former team-mates and close friends Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden – an unlikely scenario in the past, and a measure of how far the teetotal and focused Warner has come. This applied not only to the national team, but also to his work for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where Warner played a large part in securing the trophy for his side.”I just admire David Warner so much, it’s not just his performances on the field but his actions off the field,” Langer said ahead of Australia’s second match against South Africa on Tuesday. “He’d probably be the first to admit that a few years ago he was pretty hard to manage; he liked to do things his way. But really he looks super-focused at the moment. He’s super-fit, you see his running between the wickets, he’s an elite athlete now and that takes great discipline.”He’s been rewarded for that, he’s been rewarded for his discipline and he should be really proud of the fact he has become a great role model for our young Australian cricketers and cricketers around the world. He’s become so fit and disciplined in what he’s doing and he’s so consistent, that’s what great players do. I really respect David Warner’s career, but I really respect his last year or so, because you can really tell, like a lot of great players do, there’s a trigger moment where he really switched on and he’s now cashing in on that.”Expanding on this theme, Langer said he was delighted by the Australian players’ willingness to adapt to foreign conditions without so much as a warm-up match, a mindset vital for bigger battles ahead, notably next year’s Champions Trophy in England.”What I feel is it’s a fantastic team of young men,” Langer said. “There’s no trouble-makers. They’re all really good blokes. They all work hard, they’re all hungry. We had two things [to focus on before the match against the West Indies]; the first was to adapt and the second was to look after each other. We all get on well, we’ve got good camaraderie and they’re really good people.”I was nervous, particularly about some of those big fast bowlers coming back. They’re all fit and they’ve got some bowling under their belts, but not match practice. I always get nervous when we don’t have match practice. Having said that, I thought one of our main themes was being able to adapt. We’ve got a different coaching staff, we’re in a different country, we’re playing on different wickets. Our main theme was adapting to the conditions and we did that very well.”Looking after each other is a lot easier – I always maintain – when you have that good camaraderie in the group. It’s like the glue that keeps things together when you’re under pressure. I like coming into a team that gets on well and everyone’s good mates.”Langer, never one to take the game or success for granted, was aware South Africa could well be in a fighting mood following their opening defeat to West Indies. Warner’s professionalism and the team’s good spirit should only help Australia’s cause as they seek to notch up another win.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may have just performed a U-turn over selling defender Kieran Tierney as a report shares some exit news out of the club.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

The Premier League title-chasers are flying high and currently on course to beat champions Man City to their first triumph in nearly 20 years. Owing to the incredible job Arteta has done in north London, their failed pursuit of a top-four finish last season now feels like a distant memory.

Indeed, the Gunners are currently eight points clear at the top of the table, and while City have a game in hand, Arteta's side are still firmly in the driving seat. However, as is inevitable, some fringe players have been unable to contribute as regularly as they'd like – prompting links with a move away from the club.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Rob Holding, for instance, have been mentioned as possible candidates for the chopping block – as well as the likes of Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares, who are both currently out on loan away from the Emirates.

Tierney was also thought of as a possible exit but it appears Arteta has changed his mind about the player.

Reliable reports have suggested recently that the Scotland international could leave and Arteta 'won't stand in his way' (Northern Echo), but a new claim has revealed that Tierney could now stay beyond this summer.

Football Transfers states Arteta is now 'reluctant to sell' the former Celtic star and 'would like to keep' him alongside Holding, Smith Rowe and Balogun. It's added that Tierney is 'important' to Arsenal's manager as there is a belief both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Tavares are not viable alternatives to Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.

Should Arsenal keep Tierney?

Despite finding regular minutes hard to come by, thanks in part to injuries and the form of Zinchenko, we believe he could still play a role for years to come – with Sir Alex Ferguson even once calling Tierney 'phenomenal'.

The defender was actually a regular figure under Arteta last season, starting 22 league games and ranking among their top seven best-performing players by average match rating (WhoScored).

Tierney has chipped with three assists over the 21/22 domestic campaign, and while that might not seem like a mind-blowing number, it was actually the fifth-highest return in their squad (WhoScored).

Even as more of a rotational option, the player is a solid Zinchenko alternative to call upon, yet it remains to be seen whether Tierney would be satisfied with such a role personally.

Tottenham Hotspur could look to the Championship for one of their summer signings, according to reports…

What's the latest on Tottenham's interest in Nathan Wood?

Renowned transfer guru and journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Lilywhites' interest in Swansea City defender Nathan Wood.

"Nathan Wood, attracting interest after 2002-born CB impressed on England U21 debut and been outstanding for Swansea this season," he tweeted. "Understand Arsenal and Tottenham are monitoring his performances closely. Swansea looking to try and extend his contract to prevent summer move."

The 20-year-old cost the Welsh outfit just £400k from second-tier rivals Middlesbrough last summer and made his first England U21 bow only last month.

Who is Nathan Wood?

Spurs have had mixed success when dipping into the EFL for first-team talent, ranging from the early success of Dele Alli to the yet-to-be-seen talents of Djed Spence but there is good reason to think that Wood would be a worthwhile signing.

Capable of playing both centrally and out wide in a defensive role, the former Crewe Alexandra could follow in Ben Davies' footsteps, having also signed from the Swans back in the summer of 2014.

Whatever you think of his quality, he has been a solid servant for the club on what is nearly approaching a decade and his versatility, particularly in recent years with the regular transition of management, has been crucial. A lot of his time has been spent at left-back but under Antonio Conte, he has often looked the part as a left-sided centre-back.

Wood started his career out as a left midfielder as a result of his rapid pace, having once clocked a 100m time of just 13.07s. For comparison, Gareth Bale ran an 11.4s attempt aged 14 and Spurs fans know all about his acceleration.

This speed makes him an intriguing prospect in defence, especially if he were to lineup alongside someone like Eric Dier, who isn't going to outrun many forwards in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old, once lauded as a "talented" starlet by journalist Craig Johns, has been impressed for Swansea and that's reflected by the fact that only four other players have managed more minutes in the Championship this term. He leads the squad in terms of passing accuracy (91%) and ranks second for aerial duels won (two per game), showing that he's a physical presence too.

It remains to be seen how much Wood is likely to command at the end of the season but in the English gem, Spurs could well find another Davies-like stalwart that can become a mainstay in defence for years to come.

Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Cook has been awarded a CBE, having previously received an MBE five years ago, while Broad has been made an MBE

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2016Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Cook has been awarded a CBE, having previously received an MBE five years ago, while Broad has been made an MBE.Cook became the first England batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs – and the youngest of all time – during the Chester-le-Street Test against Sri Lanka. Broad is currently the No. 3 ranked bowler in the world having held the top spot earlier this year.”Receiving this kind of honour means a great deal to me and it’s also a hugely proud moment for me and my family,” Cook said. “I also see this as recognition for my team-mates, my coaches and family and friends who have all helped me in my England career over the last ten years – and, of course, the England fans who have always given me such fantastic support at home and abroad.”Broad said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to be recognised in this way. I’m obviously delighted and very proud. It is a lovely moment for my family too. My parents will be delighted after guiding me into cricket and instilling me with a love of the game from an early age.”Cricket has been a constant part of my life ever since and I would like to dedicate this honour to all the people that have supported me at different stages of my career. They’ve all helped me fulfil my dream of playing cricket for my country. “Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, paid tribute to both players saying that Cook had become a “true great of the game” and Broad was “one of England’s finest ever fast bowlers”.”It’s great to see our England players win national recognition and this is a tremendous honour for both players,” Graves said. “Alastair’s cricketing achievements now place him among the true greats of the game and he can be very proud of what he has given to the England team over the past decade – both as a world-class opening batsman and a highly successful England captain. His dedication and determination to succeed are an object lesson to any young cricketer and today’s news is a fitting honour for one of this country’s finest sportsmen.”Stuart is rightly renowned as one of England’s finest ever fast bowlers and his new-ball partnership with James Anderson has been an integral part of the England Test side’s recent successes. Today’s award also caps off a wonderful for year for Stuart in which he produced career-defining spells of fast bowling at Trent Bridge and Johannesburg which will live long in the memory of all England fans. Our congratulations to Stuart on an honour which will mean a huge amount to him and his family.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of cricket for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of the game for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo. In a hearing conducted on June 16, SLC’s disciplinary committee found Vithanage guilty of misconduct and in breach of the ICC code of conduct.The suspension not only makes Vithanage ineligible for international and Sri Lanka A team cricket, he is also unable to represent his club – Tamil Union – in the Premier tournaments, and is barred from any provincial tournaments in the coming domestic season. SLC’s severity on this occasion is a reflection of existing displeasure at Vithanage’s conduct. In September 2014, Vithanage was docked his full match fee and handed a “suspended sentence of one year” after leaving the team hotel overnight in the middle of a Test match he was playing. It is understood that at least two other breaches of conduct had been dealt with informally.In this case, SLC said its disciplinary committee “was presented with written and oral evidence from witnesses to the incident in question and Vithanage was invited to present similar evidence in his defence.”After a closed hearing, and in consideration of the evaluation of the evidence presented, the Disciplinary Committee has recommended an immediate suspension, specifically drawing attention to the fact that the conduct of Vithanage is ‘unacceptable when considering his status as a public figure, and a role model for the youth of Sri Lanka’.” Vithanage can appeal the decision.He last played for Sri Lanka during the tour of New Zealand in December and January, but his modest returns on that tour had seen him drop out of contention for national selection. Vithanage, 25, has scored 370 runs at an average of 26.42 in ten Tests, and has also played six ODIs and three T20Is.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka should be fit to play this week despite doubts over his fitness.

What's the latest Arsenal injury news?

On Wednesday night, the Gunners have arguably one of the biggest games in their recent history as they travel to Manchester City.

Right now, Mikel Arteta's men sit at the top of the Premier League, but defeat at the Etihad would see that lead drop to just two points with City having played two fewer games.

With that being the case, Arsenal really need to get a result away from home and will be hoping to have Xhaka involved from the start.

However, the Switzerland international missed the club's 3-3 draw with Southampton, and according to manager Arteta, remains a doubt.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Spaniard explained (via Evening Standard): “Xhaka is hopefully able to train today, still a doubt.”

Despite this, while talking on his YouTube channel, Watts didn't seem overly concerned by the vagueness of Arteta's response.

Indeed, the journalist insisted: "I think Xhaka will play. I'll be surprised if he doesn't.

"Look, he's been ill… If he trains today, then he plays, in my opinion. I know Mikel's saying he is a doubt, but I'd be very, very surprised if Granit Xhaka doesn't play.

"If he's able to train today, if he's fit enough and healthy enough, and he's recovered from this illness in time to be able to train today, then he plays at the Etihad."

Will Granit Xhaka play against Man City?

Of course, Arteta sadly confirmed that key centre-back William Saliba will miss the game, saying (via Evening Standard): “There has not been real improvement unfortunately on him.

“So we are still waiting, we are still hopeful, but obviously it is another week that has gone by and he hasn’t been able to train with the team.

“At the moment, we don’t have him. We are preparing for this game without him and the next game is probably going to come too close as well, so we have to go week by week at the moment.”

With that being the case, it feels vital that Arsenal must get at least get £120k-per-week midfielder Xhaka back on the pitch against City.

After all, he's played in 31 of 32 league games this term – with an average WhoScored rating of 6.97 – showing how important he is to the team.

With that being the case, Xhaka has at least had a great fitness record up until now so he will hopefully be able to overcome this illness and take part on Wednesday night.

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School01-Jun-2016
ScorecardJames Fuller impressed on his Championship debut for Middlesex (file photo)•PA PhotosThe tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off.Middlesex, who took maximum points having waited six painstaking, flat-decked, rain-wrecked draws for a win, sang their long-awaited team song raucously and enjoyed a couple of cleansing, hard-earned beers. Hampshire, seven days after a brilliant win over Nottinghamshire, sat down for a 20-minute, sombre-sounding debrief. They had been trounced – out-batted, out-bowled and out-fought, and only the rain had prevented an innings defeat from arriving sooner. They claimed just one bonus point but subsequently lost it, and another point too, for a shoddy over-rate. They left with one point fewer than they arrived and joined Surrey at the foot of Division One.It was the pace and carry of James Fuller, who took a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut for Middlesex, that finally did for Hampshire. Fuller was signed from Gloucestershire primarily to help Middlesex remedy their white-ball woes but, having impressed all and sundry with a simple, friendly attitude and the ability to bowl 90mph, he was handed a debut here with Steven Finn – who popped by for that post-match beer – on England duty and James Harris rested.Having had a bye in week one, this was Middlesex’s seventh consecutive game. Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones bowled brilliantly, picking up six and five wickets respectively, but Fuller’s fresher legs, and the extra bounce they helped generate, were invaluable.It was Roland-Jones, as so often, who picked up the first of the six wickets his team required, as Joe Weatherley – who looked a cricketer at ease on Championship debut – lost his off-bail. More like his director of cricket, Angus Fraser, by the day – in gait and bowling style – Roland-Jones is simply the kind of cricketer who makes his team-mates look better.In the field, it is hard to recall an error. With the bat, coming in at No. 10 when many sage judges believe he could be as high as seven, he so often adds useful runs. With the ball, he bowls long spells off an even longer run-up and can play the pacy enforcer – as he did for much of the match here – or nag on line and length.Roland-Jones was left frustrated for the rest of the day, just missing the outside edge or, when he found it, the nick not quite finding a hand. After Weatherley fell, Jimmy Adams dug in, as he had late on Monday and during the 17 overs on Tuesday, to make 78, pulling when Roland-Jones dropped short and clipping neatly off his legs, too.Adam Wheater drove nicely and the pair shared 53 before falling in consecutive overs. James Franklin made the vital breakthrough, having Adams lbw, then Wheater failed to move his feet and was caught at the wicket to become the first of Fuller’s three on the day. A brief shower brought an early lunch shortly after.Fuller’s first four balls upon resumption were as short and sharp as any in the match. With the trap set, Tino Best tried – and failed – to hook all three. The fourth was fuller and Best simply found mid-on, just as he had in the first innings. It is hard to recall notably animated celebrators Middlesex, irked at the beamer Best bowled Adam Voges on day two and angry at the way he had been speaking to their close fielders in the short period before lunch, toasting a dismissal more raucously. After his second pair in consecutive matches, Best was told exactly where to go, and it would have been noted that he did not return for a handshake at day’s end.Before then, Mason Crane had some fun, edging for the rafters, but soon slapped Fuller to point and, after Ryan McLaren – who lacked luck throughout the game – played some fine strokes to delay the inevitable, James Tomlinson edged Ollie Rayner to slip.There was much to discuss at Hampshire’s debrief. Best, in many ways, appears to be becoming an apt embodiment of the team as a whole; brilliant on the good days – such as the spectacular win over Nottinghamshire last week when he was so electric – but miserable on the worst ones (these were very much four of the worst ones), and with an injury never far away. For all those injuries, as their captain Will Smith pointed out afterwards, of this XI only Weatherley and Crane have played fewer than 100 first-class matches, yet performances remain brittle and bipolar.”It seems to be a pattern for us in this format,” Smith said. “When we have our backs to the wall, we do something, like we did last week, but it’s about having that mentality from ball one and not getting yourselves into these situations.”A couple more weeks like this, you sense, and last year’s great escape will be required all over again.

ScorecardBen Raine picked up three wickets as Durham’s batsmen struggled (file photo)•Getty Images

Leicestershire’s bowlers were at their best as the Foxes completed their second T20 victory of the season, beating Durham by six wickets.Asked to bat after losing the toss, Durham made a bad start when the in-form Phil Mustard edged Clint McKay’s first delivery to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, the ball leaving the left-hander off the pitch.In the next over Mark Stoneman missed a full toss from Ben Raine and was bowled, and Durham did not help themselves when Michael Richardson played a McKay delivery straight to Raine at short extra cover and called Graham Clark for an unlikely single. Raine’s direct hit left the unfortunate Clark well short of his ground.Richardson’s short innings came to an end when he lifted Kevin O’Brien gently to Leicestershire captain Mark Pettini at mid-off, and when Ryan Pringle was bowled by Raine, missing an airy drive at a delivery which went on to hit the off stump, the Jets were 26 for 5.In the circumstances Keaton Jennings and Callum MacLeod could not afford to take risks as they looked to rebuild the innings, and though they added 58 runs for the sixth wicket, they did not increase the run rate to more than six an over.MacLeod, feeling the pressure, tried to switch hit the medium pace of Neil Dexter and top edged an easy catch to McKay at short fine leg, and Kevin O’Brien calmly held two catches on the boundary to see the end of Scott Borthwick and Barry McCarthy, in between those two dismissals running out Jennings with a direct hit as the batsman tried to regain his ground after being sent back.Required to defend a total of just 120, Durham needed early wickets, and Chris Rushworth picked up two to give them hope, first ripping out Mark Cosworth’s off stump with the ball of the match, and then squaring up Pettini and inducing the opener to offer a simple caught-and-bowled opportunity.Kevin O’Brien pulled a short ball from Borthwick high to Richardson on the midwicket boundary, the delivery staying a little low, and when the left-handed Raine pulled another Borthwick short ball straight to MacLeod at short midwicket, the visitors were still in the game.The pitch was essentially good, however, and without the pressure of needing to score quickly, Umar Akmal (26 not out) and Niall O’Brien (33 not out) calmly steered their side to victory.

Former India captain Anil Kumble and former cricketers Pravin Amre and Lalchand Rajput are among some of the applicants who will make presentations to the BCCI’s three-member cricket advisory panel that will pick India’s head coach

Nagraj Gollapudi and Gaurav Kalra 20-Jun-2016Former India captain Anil Kumble and former cricketers Pravin Amre and Lalchand Rajput are among some of the applicants who will make presentations to the BCCI’s three-member cricket advisory panel that will pick India’s head coach. The presentations and interviews will be conducted in Kolkata from Tuesday.It is understood that Kumble and Amre will meet the panel, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, on Tuesday afternoon. It is not yet known whether Ravi Shastri, who was India’s team director until the end of the World Twenty20, will also make a presentation. Shastri, who confirmed his application in early June, did not respond to the query sent by ESPNcricinfo.Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, has reportedly not yet received any communication from the BCCI. Patil had stated earlier this month that he had applied for the job.Last week, the BCCI had trimmed the list of 57 names to 21 but clarified that the advisory committee could be given the entire list if required. The committee is expected to submit its choice by June 22. If it does so, the BCCI could announce the appointment at the working committee meeting in Dharamsala on June 24. In an interview with , Ganguly did not divulge the names of the shortlisted candidates but said that the committee was hopeful of finalising a coach by June 24.”The interviews will start from tomorrow. We know the candidates, we’ve shortlisted the candidates but unfortunately I cannot tell that to you. So please pardon me from doing that. Yes, as you said, the interview is tomorrow and hopefully by June 24 you will get to know the name of the Indian coach,” he said.According to a BCCI official, the advisory panel – which was appointed in June last year – has already met a few times to discuss procedures before it meets shortlisted candidates. It is also understood that the panel, including coordinator Sanjay Jagdale, has done “thorough homework” on the applicants who will travel to Kolkata on Tuesday. When asked whether the interview process will extend to Wednesday, the official said that a decision on that would be taken on the basis of what happens tomorrow.The BCCI is seeking a coach for the India team after Shastri’s contract expired at the end of the World T20 earlier this year. The board opened the process on June 1, with an advertisement on its website, and had set June 10 as a deadline for candidates to apply for the role.Apart from Shastri, Patil and Kumble, current selector Vikram Rathour, Venkatesh Prasad, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and former Bangladesh coach Stuart Law also applied for the job.Among the key qualifications stipulated by the BCCI was that candidates should have coached at the international or first-class level. It was also mentioned that “it is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment program conducted by any of the Full Member countries, and currently possess such a valid certification.”

Fans online have been left stunned after Bernardo Silva nutmegged multiple players in one run for Manchester City in their most recent outing.

What’s the latest on Man City and Bernardo Silva?

On Tuesday night, the Cityzens gave their hopes of securing a first-ever Champions League title a huge boost as they cruised to a 3-0 win at the Etihad.

Coming up against Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich in the first leg of their tantalising quarter-final clash, a well-fought first half saw City go in 1-0 at the break thanks to a stunning long-distance effort from Rodri.

Pep Guardiola and co were then able to dominate the later stages of the game as two goals in the space of six minutes from Silva and then Erling Haaland sealed the 3-0 victory.

While the Portugal international scored that vital goal, he also worked hard defensively to help nullify the potential attacking threat of Bayern wingback Alphonso Davies.

This was something noted by his manager after the game, with Guardiola telling Sky Sports: “He is a player who you say is going to play in that position and you do not have to say anything else.

“I have been lucky to coach some very good players for Barca and Bayern. He is one of the best players I ever trained in my life, ever. He is something special as a football player.

“Bernardo is a football player, he can play everywhere because he understands the game perfectly and every action with and without the ball.

“When Davies starts to go you cannot stop, Bernardo has the ability to read the positions, give us an extra pass. He is so important in these types of games, he can play holding midfielder. He is so, so important and lately he is scoring goals, which he lacked a little bit. Now he is being decisive.”

Perhaps Silva’s most jaw-dropping moment, however, came on the hour mark when the score was still only just 1-0.

Indeed, seemingly trapped in a cul-de-sac, the £150k-per-week star jinked forward, pushing the ball through Davies’ legs, then Leon Goretzka’s, before then doing the same to Davies once more (potentially twice, actually) before teeing up a shot for John Stones.

BT Sport shared the footage on their Twitter feed and it’s safe to say a number of fans were stunned by the skill.

The praise just kept on coming with some onlookers on their knees at what they had just witnessed…

And some suggested, he actually got four nutmegs as he seems to beat Davies on three occasions, with two coming right at the end.