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The India fast bowler has not played for India since November last year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-20245:06

Rohit: Have to be very careful with Shami

Rohit Sharma has said the “door is very much open” for Mohammed Shami to join India’s Test squad in Australia, but reiterated caution over his fitness.Speaking after India’s ten-wicket loss in the second Test in Adelaide, Rohit said: “We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don’t want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens.”We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time. We don’t want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team. There are some professionals monitoring, we will take a call based on what those guys feel. They are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. But the door is open for him to come and play anytime.”Shami has not played for India since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year, after which he had surgery in February for an ankle injury. After suffering a few setbacks during his recovery process, Shami finally returned to action in November this year, taking seven wickets for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.Since then Shami has played seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking eight wickets in 27.3 overs. While there has been no official confirmation that he has been given the go-ahead to fly to Australia, it is expected that he will join the squad at some stage if there are no further setbacks.

“There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay”

Andrew McGlashan04-Jan-2025Australia coach Andrew McDonald has accused India of attempting to intimidate Sam Konstas with the way they celebrated the wicket of Usman Khawaja late on the opening day at the SCG.In a dramatic finish to play, Konstas got involved in a verbal exchange with Jasprit Bumrah over Khawaja’s attempts to ensure it was the final over, with the umpire stepping in. Two deliveries later, Khawaja nicked the last delivery of the day to slip with Bumrah turning and advancing towards Konstas with visible aggression.Related

• Bumrah vs Konstas continues to enliven Border-Gavaskar Trophy

• Boland four-for, Pant fireworks keep SCG Test in balance

• Stats – Bumrah hits new high, Kohli suffers new low

• Border-Gavaskar Trophy nears dramatic conclusion after 15-wicket day

McDonald spoke with Konstas after the incident to make sure the 19-year-old had not been shaken by India’s reaction to him.”My conversation with him was around whether he’s okay. Clearly, the way India celebrated that was quite intimidating,” McDonald said. “It’s clearly within the laws of the game, the rules and regulations. There’s been no charges laid, but to have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we’ve got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay and in a headspace to go out there and perform.”Pressed on whether he felt India had gone too far, McDonald added, “It’s clear that’s acceptable because there was no fines or punishments, so I’ll leave that up the ICC – Andy Pycroft being the match referee – and the umpires out there. If they thought it was satisfactory then I suppose that’s the benchmark we are playing towards.”Konstas advanced to 23 on the second morning, which included using his feet to Bumrah to drive him down the ground and bringing out another scoop to deep third, before edging Mohammed Siraj into the slips. Bumrah, who was fielding at mid-on, did not immediately head towards the Indian huddle when the wicket fell and appeared instead to walk in Konstas’ direction.”We enjoy the way that he plays the game and we would also like to play the game aggressively,” Prasidh Krishna said after the second day’s play. “If we have somebody that comes up and says I can fight you, as a team we want to tell them we are here and you can’t take us for granted. We are all here, 11 of us versus you. If you can be as aggressive, that’s fine.”During his debut at the MCG, Konstas was shoulder-barged by Virat Kohli during his 60 off 65 balls in the first innings.Speaking before play on the second day in Sydney, Ricky Ponting said he did not like the way Konstas had inserted himself into the situation the previous evening.”I didn’t like Konstas getting involved,” he told . “That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah. So, for the young man there, I hope that there was some talking to from the Australian dressing room last night because he should have stayed out of it, let his senior player try and handle the last couple of balls. And of course, when you play with the game, the game has a way of coming back and biting. That happened to Khawaja last night.”

Seamer recruited after a change in the availability of Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2025Sussex have announced the additional overseas signing of Gurinder Sandhu for the 2025 season.Sandhu, who has represented Australia in two ODIs, will join the squad for June and July, and will be available for four games in the County Championship as well as the T20 Vitality Blast if required.The 31-year-old has not played first class cricket since March 2024 for Queensland against Western Australia but will plug a gap for the county following a change to the availability of Jaydev Unadkat. The India left-armer had signed a two-year deal with Sussex in October, but will now only be available for the final three red ball fixtures in September.Sandhu has 151 dismissals across 55 first-class matches, and recently turned out for Melbourne Renegades at the end of their Big Bash League campaign. He will join fellow Australians Daniel Hughes and Nathan McAndrew, who will both return to Hove this summer.”We are delighted that Gurinder has decided to join us for the four County Championship matches in June and July,” head coach Paul Farbrace told the club website. “He will add real skill and experience to our bowling attack for those games.”He is a vastly experienced performer and is very skillful with the ball. The fact that all four games are being played with a Kookaburra ball means he will be very comfortable with that type of ball.Sandhu added: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Sussex Cricket Club and can’t wait to step out onto the field at Hove.”I’m looking forward to contributing to the team in both the red and white ball formats and experiencing the rich cricketing traditions Sussex is known for.”

Bumrah and Mandhana take top awards, while R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, received a special award

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2025Sachin Tendulkar has received the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual awards ceremony in Mumbai. Jasprit Bumrah won the Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (men) for 2023-24 in the men’s category and Smriti Mandhana the corresponding award in women’s. Mandhana was also awarded for being the highest run-getter in women’s ODIs during the 2023-24 period.Tendulkar became the 31st recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was instituted in 1994 in honour of India’s first Test captain CK Nayudu. Tendulkar retired from international cricket having played for more than two decades after debuting as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in 1989. His 200 Test and 463 ODI appearances are the highest for any player in the game’s history, as are his runs tally in both formats: 15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs. He also played one T20I, India’s first ever, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006. Bumrah, who was also named the ICC Cricketer of the Year earlier this month, was India’s standout bowler in the awards period. He played a pivotal role in the team lifting the T20 World Cup in June, taking 15 wickets in eight games at an economy of 4.17. Apart from that, he was also instrumental in India’s Test series win against England at home.Mandhana, who was named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024, was India’s best woman batter across formats. Apart from scoring 149 against South Africa in the one-off Test in Chennai, she notched up 117, 136 and 90 in successive ODIs against the same opponents.

Ashwin receives special award

R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was given a special award. Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 and played a lead role in India’s 12-year domination in the longest format at home wherein they won 18 series on the trot.Sarfaraz Khan was picked for the Best International Debut (Men) for his quickfire fifty against England in the Rajkot Test in February 2024. Among women, Asha Sobhana won it for her 4 for 21 against South Africa in the first ODI in Bengaluru in June 2024.Deepti Sharma was awarded for being the highest ODI wicket-taker among women during 2023-24.The Indian team that won the men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA last June was also felicitated for the achievement.

The tour kicks off their quest to qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in their history

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2025Zimbabwe will begin their quest to qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in their history when they tour New Zealand for a white-ball series in February-March 2026.The three ODIs on the tour, scheduled for March 5, 8 and 11 in Dunedin, will be Zimbabwe’s debut in the ICC Women’s Championship, the primary pathway for World Cup qualification. Zimbabwe’s inclusion has expanded the Women’s Championship from 10 to 11 teams. The 2025-29 cycle, the fourth edition of the competition, will determine qualification for the 2029 World Cup.During the 2025-29 cycle, Zimbabwe are scheduled to play four three-match ODI series at home – against South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland – and four overseas – in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, apart from the one in New Zealand.Related

• NZ Women to host Zimbabwe and SA in 2025-26

• WPL, Hundred, WBBL given separate windows in new women's FTP

This will be the first time Zimbabwe face New Zealand in Women’s ODIs. Zimbabwe have played ODIs against six teams so far, of whom three – Bangladesh, Ireland and Pakistan – are Full Members.Before the three ODIs, Zimbabwe will also face New Zealand in three T20Is on February 25, February 27 and March 1 in Hamilton. These matches will also be Zimbabwe’s first against New Zealand in Women’s T20Is.”It is a proud and exciting moment for us as Zimbabwe Women prepare to compete at the highest level of the global game,” Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Givemore Makoni said. “This is not only a testament to how far our women’s cricket has come, but also a strong endorsement of our vision and investment in developing the women’s game.”With Zimbabwe’s inclusion, the Women’s Championship features 11 of the 12 Full Members of the ICC, with one notable exception in Afghanistan – whose fledgling women’s cricket program was cut short when the Taliban took control of the country’s administration in August 2021.

Mahika Gaur and Eve Jones looked to have sealed the game, only for Essex’s bowlers to rally

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-Jul-2025Lancashire 108 for 6 (Jones 59, Penna 2-11) beat Essex 107 (Macleod 23, Gaur 3-22) by four wicketsTwo wides from what should have been the last ball of the match saw Lancashire home by four wickets against Essex in a low scoring thriller at Chelmsford.The Red Rose made hard work of chasing down 108 on a used pitch, but Eve Jones 59 from 58 balls got to the brink before the last-ball drama. It was hard on Essex, who defended their score of 107 all out like tigers, Eva Gray and Maddie Penna their standout bowlers.Earlier, Mahika Gaur threatened an early finish, the young England quick took 3 for 1 in her first 12 balls, including the wickets of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens, both for ducks as the hosts stumbled to 12 for 3.Gaur finished with 3 for 22 including 15 dots while Alana King and Tara Norris were also in the wickets. Lancashire skipper Ellie Threlkeld set a new record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the competition with six. Alice Macleod top-scored for Essex with 23.Gaur gave the game an explosive start with the wicket of former England opener Winfield-Hill with the game’s first ball, a wide half-volley nicked through to Threlkeld.Her second over brought more carnage with the speedster hooping the ball around corners to find the edge of first Scrivens and then Jody Grewcock’s bat to leave the hosts in tatters.Cordelia Griffith struck successive boundaries in Gaur’s next over, while Penna lofted one from King back over the bowler’s head as they briefly threatened a fightback. Griffiths though became the fourth batter to edge into the gloves of Threlkeld, while Penna rather tossed her wicket away, hoisting King into the safe hands of Norris in the deep.Thereafter, only Macleod suggested any permanence, but she too holed out tamely to mid-on, giving Norris a second wicket. Two late runouts contributed to Essex’s woes as they subsided for 68 for 4 to 107 all out with 10 balls of their innings unused.Without leading wicket-taker Esmae MacGregor, the onus was on Gray to lead the wicket taking charge and the seamer dismissed Seren Smale as part of a wicket maiden early in the chase.Only 26 came from the powerplay and Jones was spilt by Griffith at extra-cover on 20, just as she was increasing the pace. Jones celebrated the reprieve with a classic straight drive for four.Scrivens bowled Tilly Kesteven with a beauty and Ailsa Lister survived a huge lbw shout from Jo Gardner only to be stumped next ball, leaving the Red Rose 51 for 3 at halfway.With Gray equally miserly, Threlkeld’s four to long leg was the first for 46 balls and 30 were needed from the final four overs.Penna struck twice in as many balls, bowling Threlkeld and having Fi Morris caught behind and while King survived the hat-trick ball 24 were needed from the final three.Jones found the boundary for the sixth time to reach 50 in 49 balls and she and King ran like lightning between the wickets as the runs ticked down. The opener was stumped from the penultimate ball, but two the visitors scrambled home in a breathless finish.

Selection dilemmas, fitness concerns, and an unsettled XI – both teams begin their T20 World Cup buildup with more questions than answers

Alan Gardner09-Sep-2025

Big picture: World Cup planning gets serious (sort of)

And so we reach the final staging post of the England Men’s home international summer. Notwithstanding a beano to Ireland next week, which might be even more weather-challenged than three T20Is against South Africa in the UK in September.Harry Brook is the last man standing, the white-ball captain having played all of England’s 15 games across formats for the season. Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith were due to join him for the last hurrah, before England’s management had a change of heart during the ODIs and opted to give both players a rest. But Brook will have to wait for an opportunity to put his feet up, as he sits out the Ireland trip.Staying on the treadmill is tough enough, never mind keeping track of priorities. This series ought to figure more prominently than the ODIs that preceded it, since there is a T20 World Cup on the horizon – it’s over there, in India and Sri Lanka early next year, just peeking out from behind the Ashes. But England will make do and mend without a first-choice XI in any of their six games over the next 11 days, intent only on getting to the finish line. After which, there’ll be a few weeks off, then back to the grind for a white-ball tour of New Zealand followed by – hello again! – the Ashes in Australia.Related

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

• Ferreira relishes 'heater' role as Invincibles' six-hitter-in-chief

• Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

• Jofra Archer: 'There was an ooh or an aah every single over'

• McCullum: England must 'find ways to deal with' packed schedule

Brendon McCullum admitted after the third and final ODI, which England won in record-breaking fashion despite already conceding the series, that they were still getting to grips with easing their multi-format players through a punishing schedule. Throw in the ever-increasing demands of the franchise T20 circuit – and for some of the players involved here, the SA20 auction is the biggest event happening this week – and the balancing act only gets harder.(South Africa’s solution to fixture pile-up has been to programme an entire home season without a Test – although they still have upcoming red-ball commitments in Pakistan and India. Wherever you look, the stresses and strains are apparent.)This will be South Africa’s third T20I engagement in recent months, having toured Australia and Zimbabwe, where they played a tri-series with New Zealand – though some hotchpotch selection means they only won three games (two of them against Zimbabwe) out of eight. They were expecting to welcome back David Miller against England, after allowing him to play the Hundred as a precursor; but a hamstring strain sustained in Northern Superchargers purple means he will instead miss the entire series.There are also question marks over the fitness of Kagiso Rabada, after he sat out the ODI legs in Australia and England with ankle inflammation. Shukri Conrad has said previously that South Africa would be taking a “conservative approach” with Rabada, with T20Is currently higher up the pecking order.All of which means there is an air of uncertainty over proceedings, which are due to commence in Cardiff on Wednesday evening (weather permitting). England will expect a sterner test than that provided by West Indies earlier in the summer, as Brook began his tenure with a 6-0 sweep across formats. South Africa, finalists at the last World Cup, look to be further ahead with their planning – even if it is only three months since Heinrich Klaasen’s sudden retirement left a big hole to fill in their middle order.Both sides will be looking for answers. Don’t be surprised if the series only throws up more questions.

Form guide

England WWWLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LWLLL

In the spotlight: Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis

Is the Bazball revolution big enough to include Sam Curran? We may be about to find out. Having seemingly been cast as someone who did not “fit the mould” of what McCullum was after with the Test side, he slipped down the pecking order in white-ball cricket, too, last playing in the Caribbean at the back end of 2024. That was under the guidance of an interim coach in Marcus Trescothick, so this will be Curran’s first chance to impress McCullum, who took charge across formats at the start of the year. If he can continue his good form from the Hundred and T20 Blast, and Make Things Happen in the manner of his first coming in international cricket, he could soon offer a solution to some of England’s ODI problems, too.Sam Curran was back in the England set-up•Getty Images

It is now more than three years since Dewald Brevis, South Africa’s “Baby AB”, burst into public consciousness by earning an IPL deal before having even played a first-class game. But until June of this year, his only mark on international cricket were innings of 5 and 0 in two T20Is against Australia back in 2023. A fifty on Test debut in Zimbabwe augured well, but the full range of his abilities shone through in remote Darwin last month as he smoked South Africa’s highest T20 international score – 125 not out off 56 balls – and second-fastest hundred, in only his ninth innings. That innings, no doubt, contributed to Brevis being the No. 1 draw at Tuesday’s SA20 auction, where he went past his captain, Aiden Markram, as the tournament’s most-expensive ever signing at R16.5 million (US$940,000). The spotlight won’t be going elsewhere for a while.

Team news: Miller ruled out of series

England named their team a day in advance, with Jos Buttler moving back up to open in the absences of Smith and Duckett. He is reunited with Phil Salt, who missed the West Indies series on paternity leave. Tom Banton and Will Jacks, both T20 openers by trade, are carded down at Nos. 6 and 7, with Curran a place above. He will be one of three pace-bowling options, alongside Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer, with four spinners – Jacks, Jacob Bethell, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid – also at Brook’s disposal.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Sam Curran, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil RashidSouth Africa have opted not to call up a replacement for Miller, whose absence is likely to open up a spot for Donovan Ferreira – Oval Invincibles’ “heater” – to play just his seventh T20I and first since December. Keshav Maharaj returns as the frontline spin option after missing the two previous series, while Marco Jansen is set for his first appearance since the World Test Championship final in June after suffering thumb surgery. If Rabada is being kept in cotton wool, then 19-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka is primed to take his place.South Africa: (Possible) 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickleton (wk), 3 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Pitch and conditions: Seamers bang it in

Cardiff can be a tough place to bowl spin, because of the short straight boundaries – and will prove a challenge if England stick to their World Cup-orientated strategy of packing in the slow-bowling options. The surface was green a day out, but is expected to get a trim. However, a forecast for steady rain through the next 24 hours, and potentially on into the evening, might render such concerns moot.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won four of their last five T20Is against England, which includes victories at the 2021 and 2024 World Cups and a 2-1 bilateral series success in 2022.
• The trip three years ago saw South Africa win comfortably in Cardiff, by 58 runs – although only four members of that side (Stubbs, Maharaj, Rabada and Ngidi) are involved this time around.
• Brook led England to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in his first outing as T20I captain. In all T20, he has captained 23 times – with England, Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers – and been victorious in 15 for a win/loss ratio of 2.50.
• Barring washouts, Brook will win his 50th T20I cap in the third game of the series at Trent Bridge.

Quotes

“We’ve got to make sure we do what we do as a team. We’re not too concerned about putting a statement out for others to see. It’s for our own selves, making sure we are true to our own selves cricket wise – batting, bowling, fielding – and letting our cricket do the rest. Hopefully we can put a show on.”
“They are always a good team. Expecting it to be a really good challenge for us. They’ve won heaps of white-ball tournaments and were the trendsetters at one stage. Looking forward to facing them and the strengths that they bring to the table, and seeing where we are as a team against really good opposition.”

After New Zealand declared overnight, with a lead of 476, Zimbabwe were bowled out in 28.1 overs in an extended first session

Firdose Moonda09-Aug-2025Zakary Foulkes picked up the best figures by a New Zealand player on Test debut as New Zealand recorded their biggest Test win. Their innings and 359 run victory over Zimbabwe emphasised the massive gulf between the two sides as Zimbabwe capitulated for their fourth-lowest score against New Zealand to suffer their heaviest defeat in the format.After New Zealand declared overnight, with a lead of 476, Zimbabwe were bowled out in 28.1 overs in an extended first session. They have now lost their last six Tests and have been dismissed for under 170 in all four innings in this series. New Zealand finished their tour of Zimbabwe unbeaten, after winning all their matches in the T20I tri-series including the final, and both Tests.Foulkes, who was called into the XI after injuries to Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke, showed the wealth of New Zealand’s bowling depth with an incisive eight-over spell headlined by devastating inswing. He ensured Zimbabwe had no let up after Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy made the opening incisions and that stand-in captain Mitchell Santner was not required at all.Related

• Stats – New Zealand record third-biggest win in Test history

For Zimbabwe, technical questions over their batting remain. Their inability to cope with the moving ball, or genuine pace was exposed, more so when the two are in operation together. As has been the case throughout this series, only one batter made a score of note – Nick Welch’s 47 – there was only one other player who got into double figures and a highest partnership of just 25.The damage started as early as the third ball when Brian Bennett walked straight into the trap set for him. After two balls that moved away, Henry brought the ball back into him. Bennett played down the wrong line and his middle stump was uprooted. Brendan Taylor scored the first runs when he guided Duffy’s delivery between point and gully but only lasted until the fifth over as he was caught in the crease to a fuller ball from Henry and edged to second slip.Duffy, also on debut, found some extra bounce and Sean Williams could only get a leading edge as he tried to turn him leg-side. The ball went high and gave Duffy enough time to take the catch off his own bowling for his first Test wicket.Welch and Craig Ervine showed some fight against the short ball before Ervine pushed at a full ball from Matthew Fisher and edged to third slip. He was dismissed in almost identical fashion in the first innings which suggests a pattern that Zimbabwe need to address. Similarly, Sikandar Raza’s glaring problem against the short ball continued. For the fourth time in the series, Raza was undone by one, this time as he fended off a delivery from Foulkes and was caught at gully. Raza was brought back into the squad after missing the South Africa Tests for the MLC and recorded scores of 2, 5, 5 and 4.New Zealand finished their tour of Zimbabwe unbeaten in T20Is and Tests•Zimbabwe Cricket

Foulkes had Tafadzwa Tsiga caught behind, playing at a ball that straightened on him and then produced two absolute peaches to bowl Vincent Masekesa and Trevor Gwandu. Both were clueless against deliveries that landed outside off, shaped back in and beat their defences to hit the stumps. It’s difficult to choose between them on quality and both could easily be labelled the best deliveries of the game. Blessing Muzarabani became Foulkes’ fifth when he top-edged him to square leg, where Santner took a comfortable catch. That wicket gave Foulkes match figures of 9 for 75.Duffy thought he had wrapped up the innings when he had Tanaka Chivanga caught in the cordon but he had overstepped – the only mistake New Zealand made all morning. In his next over, Chivanga was caught at gully by Devon Conway, who is also the series’ leading run-scorer, to end the match five minutes before a delayed lunch would have been taken.The defeat ends a long run of Test cricket for Zimbabwe for now. They have played eight Tests in 2025, and won one against Bangladesh, but have lost all their games at home. They will turn their attention to the T20 World Cup Qualifiers which Zimbabwe will host in September.New Zealand leave Zimbabwe with a problem of plenty. Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra all scored centuries while all their seamers were among the wickets. Henry’s 16 wickets in the series was the standout and he has established himself as a leader in the attack. New Zealand do not play any Tests until November-December this year, when they host West Indies to start their 2025-2027 World Test Championship campaign.

Sunderland left it to the very end of the January transfer window to finally land a replacement for the outgoing Josh Maja.

Right at the death, the Black Cats finally secured a deal to land Wigan striker Will Grigg, with the Northern Ireland striker signing for the Wearsiders for a fee in the region of £4m.

Grigg has been decent enough through his career, and is famed for his song created during the Euros by the boisterous Irish fans, but we here in the Tavern feel like Sunderland have been backed into a corner and could well have paid over the odds for the striker.

The 27-year-old, while bagging 19 goals in League One last term, has struggled somewhat in the Championship with the Latics and his form for his country has hardly set the world alight either.

It’s with that Championship form and lack of goals at the top level which causes something of a worry, and at £4m, you have to ask the question of if Sunderland might well have paid slightly too much for Grigg.

Of course, they simply had to replace Maja, and Grigg’s record last term for Wigan suggests he can do it in League One and fire in the goals to get the Black Cats back to the Championship.

Sunderlansd fans will no doubt have their own reservations, but on the one hand if Grigg does fire them into the second tier, then £4m will look money well spent.

The jury is still out from us here in the Tavern though, and we feel that Grigg has a lot to prove in the next three months if he is to justify his price tag.

Sunderland fans, what do you think? Have you overpaid? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Liverpool returned to winning ways on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bournemouth – a game in which Jurgen Klopp continued to show faith in Naby Keita despite his poor showing against West Ham United prior to the weekend.

What’s the word?

The summer signing from RB Leipzig has struggled to live up to the huge expectation which surrounded his arrival.

Mediocre performances and a general struggle to establish a distinguishable identity within Liverpool’s midfield have seen his reputation diminish this season, but Klopp’s latest comments on his development suggest more experience at this level will enable him to discover his best form, as per The Times.

“We will probably see a couple of bad halves from Naby in the future, that’s completely normal. But it was clear the whole week the second half was really important to him.

“There is still a lot to come because he is still adapting. Sometimes it takes longer. People lose patience. That’s normal, but we don’t.”

Can Keita follow Oxlade-Chamberlain’s footsteps?

The Guinea international may well take some confidence from Oxlade-Chamberlain’s start to life at Anfield. Initially, the former Arsenal man looked out of sorts and struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.

Supporters questioned the club’s decision, but the England’s international form took an unexpected turn just at the moment in which supporters were beginning to lose faith. Oxlade-Chamberlain established himself as a key player in Liverpool’s midfield and shifted popular opinion while thriving in a box-to-box midfield role.

It must be considered that, unlike Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain already had plenty of Premier League experience and he still struggled within the early stages of his Liverpool career.

With that in mind, it’s fair to say that the former RB Leipzig man’s form should be taken with a pinch of salt, and Klopp’s recent comments suggest that he expects him to blossom as his career develops at Anfield.

Supporters may well be underwhelmed by Keita’s progress at Liverpool so far but Klopp’s willingness to be patient and trust in the summer recruit could eventually facilitate a similar rise in prominence to the one Oxlade-Chamberlain has enjoyed during his time on Merseyside.