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Ange Postecoglou is moving incredibly quickly in the transfer window with two new faces at Celtic already wrapped up.

The Hoops are coming off the back of a disastrous campaign so the sooner they can ingrain recent acquisitions to the manager’s style of play, the better.

There is a great deal to do in the transfer market but they are reportedly moving closer to the signing of Mario Vuskovic.

His arrival will be of huge importance as Kristoffer Ajer continues to attract interest from Norwich City.

The Norwegian isn’t the only player who will need replacing after Scott Brown’s exit for a player-coach role with Aberdeen.

Liam Shaw could succeed him in the middle of the park but Postecoglou is keen on bringing Aaron Mooy to Paradise.

The Australian has worked under the 55-year-old at international level but could there be greater quality lying elsewhere?

Celtic were interested in Romaine Sawyers back in 2019 but a move ultimately fell through as he joined West Brom from Brentford instead.

However, the midfielder struggled in the Premier League last term, achieving a WhoScored match rating of just 6.12.

With Albion chasing Turkish general Okay Yokuslu, he could be expendable to new Baggies manager Valerien Ismael.

If he is on the market then Celtic would be foolish if they didn’t revive their interest. After all, he has the qualities to dominate central areas in the Scottish Premiership.

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During West Brom’s promotion-winning campaign in 2019/20, he was comfortably one of the best in his position in the Championship.

Speaking about his game, former West Brom coach Jimmy Shan once said: “When I first got to the club, Romaine was 15 and he already stood out as an unbelievable technician.”

Shan continued: “He was a huge talent. He had this ability to pop up between the lines and to create. He wasn’t scoring as many goals as he should have done but he was an unbelievable team player.”

Sawyers progressed nicely but at the age of 29, he has bloomed at quite a late age. No player in the second tier had a better pass completion rate than his 90% in 2020/21 for instance.

What makes that number even more impressive is that his pass sonar for the season dictates that he rarely played the ball backwards, looking for the forward pass on a regular basis.

During Postecoglou’s open mic’d training session last week it showed the Aussie emphasising the need to play quickly and with one or two touches.

Sawyers was the master of that ideology for West Brom a few years ago and would surely suit the new manager’s style.

Pivotally, he is also a proficient tackler of the ball, an attribute any midfielder will need if they hope to replace Brown in Celtic’s side.

He produced 1.6 tackles per game last term which was only bettered by Ismaila Soro at Parkhead from a midfield perspective.

The 30-cap St Kitts & Nevis international would evidently be a very good addition to Celtic’s ranks. They ought to test the waters with a bid this summer.

AND in other news, Imagine him & White: Everton must complete swoop for “outstanding” £30m beast…

Australia were expected to dominate the three-Test series but the opening game was a tight contest and with two key West Indies players potentially returning from injury, the second Test should be another intriguing battle

Cricinfo staff29-May-2008Match facts
Michael Clarke (right) slots back into the Australia line-up for the second Test © AFP
Friday, May 30 to Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Start time 10.00 (local), 14.00 (GMT)The Big PictureAustralia were expected to dominate the three-Test series but the opening game was hard fought and the 95-run margin in favour of Australia did not reflect the tight nature of the contest for most of its five days. West Indies produced several brilliant passages of play, although their inability to maintain the pressure over several days let them down. Their side should be strengthened by some key additions in Antigua, while Australia are likely to make one change. Australia need only draw to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy; West Indies must win to keep the series alive.Test form guideWest Indies – LWLLL
Australia – WDLWWTeam newsWest Indies should be a stronger unit in Antigua with the likely returns of Chris Gayle (groin) and Jerome Taylor (back). Gayle will reclaim the captaincy if he is declared fit but more importantly he will give them some genuine class at the top of the order. Of the two men who opened in Kingston, Devon Smith’s form was better so he may partner Gayle with Brenton Parchment to miss out. The return of Taylor would give West Indies a genuinely threatening pace attack, given Fidel Edwards’ form at Sabina Park, and Taylor is likely to be a direct swap with the axed spinner Amit Jaggernauth.West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Devon Smith, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Runako Morton, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Daren Powell, 11 Fidel Edwards.Australia were also hoping to have two big names back in their side after missing the first Test, although only one will make it to Antigua. Michael Clarke, who initially stayed at home for family reasons, will slot back into the vice-captaincy and the No. 5 position, meaning another rest for Brad Hodge. The other part of Australia’s plan was for Matthew Hayden to come back but his persistent achilles tendon injury has forced him to fly home, which gives Simon Katich a reprieve in the opening role after a disappointing effort at Sabina Park.Australia (probable) 1 Phil Jaques, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Stuart Clark, 11 Stuart MacGill.Umpires: Russell Tiffin, Mark Benson.Watch out for …Jerome Taylor West Indies’ attack was dangerous enough with Edwards as the spearhead and Powell backing him up, but if Taylor returns they could cause even more problems for Australia’s top order. He is regarded as the best of their current fast men and he will be keen to impress if he faces Australia for the first time in a Test.Simon Katich The departure of Hayden gives Katich a chance to settle into the opening position without wondering if he will be on the sidelines for the next match. Katich is not typically an opener for New South Wales, although he has performed the role on and off, and he will be aiming for a calmer approach than in Jamaica, where he tried to score too quickly. A run-machine at state level in 2007-08, he has the potential to become a long-term member of the Test side once again.Pitch & conditionsFor 25 years, the home of Test cricket in the country was the Antigua Recreation Ground, which hosted some high-scoring matches including both occasions Brian Lara set new Test records of 375 and 400 not out. It was also the venue where West Indies last beat Australia in a Test match, in 2003. But that was the old ground – the newly constructed Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is hosting its first Test and the pitch and surface are slightly unknown quantities. The teams won’t have a chance to look at the pitch until the day before the Test..Weather: It could be a stop-start occasion with scattered showers predicted for most of the Test.Stats and triviaThe stadium was a gift from China, built ahead of last year’s World Cup in the Caribbean. Australia are the only team to post more than 300 at the ground in an ODI, when Hayden led the way with 158 against West Indies. The stadium had one of the most popular wading pools among Australia supporters during the World Cup and the touring fans who visit for the Test will be hoping for more luck than at Sabina Park, where the pool suffered a severe puncture mid-way through the match and flooded the surrounding area.Ricky Ponting begins the Test needing 61 runs to become the seventh man to reach 10,000 Test runs. If he achieves the milestone during the West Indies tour, Ponting will be the second-fastest to the mark in terms of Tests played, behind only Brian Lara.Quotes”Haydos’ presence is a big thing for us but we’ve got two [openers] who can generally score pretty quickly and will be looking forward to putting some pressure back on the West Indies bowlers up front in this game.”
“We’ve got to be positive, we’ve got a lot to take from the first Test. We had Fidel Edwards bowling very well, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s hundred in which I thought he showed a lot of determination, and it’s important that we take a page out of the way they approached things.”

Crystal Palace could secure a solid replacement for Gary Cahill this summer in the shape of West Bromwich Albion defender Kyle Bartley.

What’s the story?

The Eagles saw Cahill, Mamadou Sakho and Scott Dann depart last month following the expiration of their contracts, meaning several new centre-backs will be needed ahead of the upcoming campaign.

According to The Telegraph, Palace have identified Bartley as a key transfer target and are monitoring the 30-year-old’s situation as they consider making a £3 million move for the Englishman.

Fans will be buzzing

The 6 ft 4 beast proved he’s got what it takes to handle the pressure of the Premier League throughout 2020/21, and he could be a cheap way to improve the Palace squad given his contract situation.

Bartley only has 12 months remaining on his current deal at the Hawthorns, attracting interest from the Eagles and Newcastle United as a result, meaning Steve Parish may have to move quickly in order to secure his services.

Although Bartley may not be the glamorous, established top-level star that the south London outfit’s supporters were hoping for, news that the hierarchy are considering making a move for him will surely leave large sections of the fans buzzing.

At just £3m, his arrival would represent very good value for money, add strength in depth and leave enough funds left over to bring in a more talented partner to join and play alongside him in the heart of defence.

Despite West Brom’s significant struggles last term, Bartley was a rare highlight for the Baggies and grew in stature and confidence as the season went on.

As per WhoScored, his 1.2 blocks and 5.3 clearances per league game saw him outperform his teammates on both metrics, highlighting his importance to the Midlands outfit in their ultimately unsuccessful battle to avoid the drop.

With James Tomkins the only recognised centre-back currently on the books of the capital club, Bartley’s arrival would be a much-needed addition to Patrick Vieira’s ranks and provide the former Nice manager with a solid foundation to build upon.

And, in other news…Palace open talks to sign £7m prodigy who’s a “proper footballer”, he’s another Olise 

A round-up of the second day in the latest County Championship matches as the competition swings back into action

Cricinfo staff30-Jun-2008Second DivisionWarwickshire will be pleased with their efforts on the second day at Edgbaston, preventing Gloucestershire from building too much on their overnight 190 for 2 by dismissing them for 339 and then advancing to 143 for 2. Ian Bell was unbeaten on 95 and while runs have not been too hard to come by in international one-day cricket, he will be pleased to have got a handy first-class score under his belt with the South Africa Test series looming. He came in early after Michael Powell was caught at second slip and then made the lion’s share of a 100-run stand with Navdeep Poonia (26). Warwickshire struck early in the morning, removing Marcus North for 10, but it was Hamish Marshall’s wicket, caught at midwicket off Neil Carter that was the main prize and although Steven Snell made an unbeaten fifty, the rest of the batting tailed off, Chris Martin ending with 5 for 84. Alex Gidman is in doubt for the rest of the match after dislocating his thumb in practice, although he did bat at No. 7.Andrew Strauss hasn’t made best use of his pre-Test warm-up after another failure for Middlesex. Batting a second time, with his side having conceded a 37-run lead to Northamptonshire at Uxbridge, Strauss was dismissed exactly as he was in the first innings – caught behind off Johann van der Wath. Having dismissed Middlesex for 340 in the first session (Dawid Malan was not out on 132), Northamptonshire rallied through a 122-run second-wicket stand between Stephen Peters (56) and Rob White (126). White was away in a hurry and didn’t look back until he was dismissed after scoring his second hundred this season; it came from just 103 balls and contained 19 fours and three sixes. Middlesex did well to cut the visitors down to 377 in the end, but van der Wath quickly left them hurting at 4 for 2 in the two overs possible before close.On a twisting and turning day at Chelmsford, Essex came out the better – ending with a second-innings lead of 192 on Derbyshire. Ryan ten Doeschate couldn’t add to his overnight 118 and Essex’s innings ended on 404. Derbyshire had slipped to 120 for 5, but were making a recovery thanks to Greg Smith and James Pipe when proceedings took an unlikely turn, courtesy of Ravi Bopara. Pipe was cruising on 95 when Bopara removed the final four wickets – each batsman getting a duck – and he was left stranded. Bopara, who barely bowled in the one-day series, claimed 4 for 3 from nine balls, having trapped Johnathan Clare and Graham Wagg in front, then finding Jake Needham’s edge and bowling Charl Langeveldt. Smith ended with 53 and Wavell Hinds 47 as Derbyshire finally made 270. Alastair Cook again looked in good touch after his first innings 95 before steering a widish delivery outside off stump high into the hands of third slip. He was one of Langeveldt’s two wickets as Essex lost three in the final session leaving the visitors with some hope at stumps.Vikram Solanki’s century helped Worcestershire to continue to dominate a match in which Leicestershire are in all kinds of peril at Grace Road. Solanki’s hundred came up from 165 balls, with 15 fours and a six then Ben Smith converted his overnight 14 to 74 as Worcestershire ran up 379 and then made handy inroads into Leicestershire’s second innings. A three-day finish beckons with the home side four wickets down, still trailing by 21. Kabir Ali struck to remove both openers – Tom New missing a drive and Matthew Boyce trapped lbw – then Steve Magoffin and Simon Jones took one each.First DivisionDurham edged ahead of Yorkshire at Headingley with a 75-run lead by stumps on day two, but Michael Vaughan’s return to form would have encouraged the Leeds faithful. Durham had been jolted by Tim Bresnan’s double the day before and continued to stumble to 161 for 7 before a stellar rear-guard effort from Phil Mustard and Liam Plunkett, two recent England players trying to force their way back, secured them a lead of 163. Mustard’s 92 was a season-high while Plunkett’s unbeaten 68 in his first bat of the competition couldn’t have been timed better as the pair added a Durham eighth-wicket record of 143 in 34 overs. Yorkshire appeared to have lost the plot when Australian import Callum Thorp reduced them to 13 for 2 but the deficit was chipped away at thanks to a positive third-wicket unbroken partnership between Vaughan (43) and Adam Lyth (33).Fifties from Matthew Wood and Mark Wagh allowed Nottinghamshire to gain a 44-run lead over Hampshire on the second day’s play at The Rose Bowl. From an overnight 13 without loss, Nottinghamshire lost Will Jefferson early but Wood and Wagh – dropped at slip by Michael Lumb on 0 – combined to put on 149. Wood hit 12 boundaries in his 77, only his second half-century of the season, while Wagh picked up his sixth in scoring 66 from 128 balls. Once they were removed by Nantie Hayward Nottinghamshire’s middle order slipped up, despite Adam Voges’ 49, and it took some solid application from Chris Read and Andre Adamds to ensure a good start wasn’t squandered.Click here for a full report on the second day between Surrey and Kent at The Oval.Click here for a report on all the action at Hove, where Stuart Law ruled for Lancashire against Sussex.

Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a deal to sign West Brom youngster Finn Azaz, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

Azaz has caught the eye with some strong performances for West Brom’s Under-23s team in recent seasons, but spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Cheltenham Town.

Despite not having any experience in senior football prior to his move to the Robins, Azaz became a regular in the Cheltenham Town team, making 44 appearances as they won promotion into League One, chipping in with three goals and two assists whilst under the management of Michael Duff.

Some West Brom supporters might have hoped that they would see Azaz in their first-team in the new Championship season, with the Baggies being relegated from the Premier League last term.

But that doesn’t seem as though it’s going to happen, with Aston Villa reportedly agreeing on a deal to sign Azaz, with the move being close to completion.

It’s a tough one to take for the Baggies

This will be an irritating update for West Brom’s supporters to hear of, with Azaz looking as though he’s set to be the second Baggies youngster to be heading to their local rivals this summer.

Tim Iroegbunam is also reportedly set to sign along the dotted line at Villa Park as well, which will be tough to take for some supporters, who would have been eager to see both players potentially play a part in West Brom’s bid for promotion from the Championship this term.

Azaz came in for praise from Gloucestershire Live journalist Jonathan Palmer during the 2020/21 season, and revealed that he ‘excelled’ in the early stages of his loan with the Robins.

“Finn Azaz is operating in a ‘number 10’ role supporting two centre forwards and has excelled so far. He has plenty of tricks and flicks in his locker but has already shown progress regarding when to try things and when to keep it simple.

“His ability has shone through since pre-season and he looks a real talent based on his early competitive appearances.”

Relegation into the Championship could have been the ideal opportunity for West Brom to give some of their promising young players a chance in the senior squad, and you would have imagined that Azaz could have been one of those, especially after such a strong start to the 2020/21 season with Cheltenham Town last term.

It seems that the recurring theme of losing their best youngsters will continue to rumble on, having seen the likes of Louie Barry, Morgan Rogers and many more end up at a bigger team.

AND in other news, West Brom handed Sam Johnstone transfer boost…

Tottenham Hotspur could finally be about to replace Christian Eriksen if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard, Spurs have a real interest in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar but are yet to lodge a firm offer for his signature this window.

They face stiff competition from some of their Premier League rivals, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, who are managed by former Lilywhites head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

It’s believed that Lyon want in the region of €20m (£18m) to €25m (£22m) for the 23-year-old.

Eriksen’s true heir?

One of Tottenham’s biggest problems throughout the 2020/21 season was their defence, but it wasn’t the only lingering issue.

There was an over-reliance on talisman Harry Kane as he contributed towards 54.4% of all their goals scored in the Premier League, whilst 40 of the 68 goals scored came from Kane and Heung-min Son combined.

Interestingly, the lethal duo sit atop the creativity standings too, managing 1.4 key passes per game or more between them, via WhoScored. This suggests that they were creating chances for themselves.

Both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have failed to fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen in January 2020. Across 305 appearances for the north Londoners, the Danish playmaker contributed to 159 goals; a rate of one goal or assist every 151 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

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Since arriving in a club-record £55m deal from Aouar’s current club in 2019, Ndombele has only managed to provide eight goals and eight assists, managing a direct contribution every 267 minutes. It’s a lot worse for Lo Celso, who joined in the very same window but is averaging a goal or assist every 333 minutes.

Meanwhile, the £26m-rated dynamo has been excelling in France, and his consistent displays across Ligue 1 and Europe could suggest that he’s the ideal target to finally replace Eriksen at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Aouar has delivered 24 goals and 25 assists, taking his overall record for Lyon to 63 goal contributions in 170 appearances – he averages a goal or assist every 191 minutes, which is much closer to the level at which the Dane was operating.

The France international has been lauded an “exceptional talent” and a “revelation” as a result of these displays, whilst Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once described him as “incredible.”

“He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality,” the Spaniard claimed, via Sky Sports.

On the above evidence, Aouar could be an absolute steal for around £18m, so Spurs supremo Fabio Paratici must look to secure a move for him this summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo could duly have the genuinely creative midfield presence the club has been lacking for over a year now.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting Spurs transfer update…

Dwayne Leverock turns 37 next Monday, but he has no plans to quit in the near future. His recent 10-wicket haul against Canada shows how vital he is to Bermuda’s cause

Cricinfo staff09-Jul-2008
Dwayne Leverock: ‘My body will tell me when it’s time to give up but that time is not now’ © AFP
Dwayne Leverock turns 37 next Monday, but he has no plans to quit in the near future. His recent 10-wicket haul against Canada shows how vital he is to Bermuda’s cause and they will once again be looking towards him during the Intercontinental Cup clash against Scotland, which starts in Hamilton on Thursday.”We have been playing very well in the past few weeks and we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” said Leverock. “There are a lot of good young players coming through now but also there are a few of us older guys around to show them the ropes. I want to teach them the value of hard work.”It doesn’t come easily and if you want it, you really have to work for it. I think the young guys realise that and we have a good gel in the team,” he added. “I am not finished playing this game yet. I feel I still have a lot to offer the team. My body will tell me when it’s time to give up but that time is not now.”He claimed 10 for 129 at King City, the second 10-wicket match haul of his career, and he picks out patience, hard work and experience as the three key reasons to his success.”It’s about being able to assess the wicket and the batsman and being able to exploit flaws in each,” he said. “I like to vary my length just ever so slightly so that the batsman plays the wrong shot without knowing it. A little up, a little back, I have a look at the pitch and work out what it can do for me.”The victory against Canada breathed new life into Bermuda’s campaign. They remain bottom of the table and are out of the equation for a top two finish and a place in the final, but they are now level with Canada on 26 points and only 22 points behind the fourth-placed Netherlands.Leverock is hoping a big crowd will come out to support the national side for the game against Scotland, particularly because it is the first time an Intercontinental Cup match has been staged in the country since July 2004.”I am just concentrating on my preparations for the match – that is what I am working towards – but I hope there will be a big crowd out to support us,” he said. “There is no reason why we can’t get 6,000-8,000 people there to watch at the weekend. It could be a great atmosphere.”

Sunderland may have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Jordan Gabriel to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, despite a recent report suggesting that Nottingham Forest would be willing to part with the right-back for a fee of around £600k this summer, it would actually take more than this figure to get a deal over the line for the 22-year-old.

After a fan asked whether or not Forest’s reported asking price was accurate, Nixon said: “Believe they want more than that.”

This could cause a problem for Sunderland, who, along with Blackpool, have been heavily linked with a move for the defender ahead of the new League One season.

Fans will be fuming

With it being reported that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Sunderland’s transfer team have been in talks with Nottingham Forest and Jordan Gabriel regarding a move to the Stadium of Light this summer, should the club ultimately be priced out of a move for the highly-rated youngster, it would be a major blow.

Indeed, having impressed while on loan at Blackpool last season, the signing of the defender would very much appear to be something of a coup for Lee Johnson’s side, as well as being one that would immediately solve the club’s lack of depth at right-back.

Over his 29 League One appearances for Neil Critchley’s side last term, the £225k-rated man helped his side keep ten clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 1.5 clearances and winning 4.6 duels per game.

The player Kevin Phillips claimed would be an “ideal” signing for Sunderland also helped out in an attacking capacity, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.7 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the £1.2k-per-week youngster earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.75, with his performances playing a key role in the Seasiders’ promotion to the Championship.

As such, it would very much appear as if Gabriel would indeed be a fantastic addition to Lee Johnson’s squad this summer, with the defender having both the ability and the experience to help fire Sunderland to glory next season.

However, with it appearing uncertain whether or not the club will be able to afford a deal for the Forest man this summer, Mackems fans face an extremely anxious wait to see whether or not Louis-Dreyfus can get a deal over the line before deadline day.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops two-word Sunderland transfer update that will have fans buzzing

Michael Marshall has replaced Richard McInnes as Australia’s new performance analyst, Cricket Australia (CA) announced today

Cricinfo staff01-Aug-2008Michael Marshall has replaced Richard McInnes as Australia’s new performance analyst, Cricket Australia (CA) announced today. Marshall, previously the strength, conditioning and rehabilitation coordinator with the Tasmanian Cricket Association, will begin his new role mid-August.Marshall had earlier worked as the performance analyst for the Tasmanian side from October 2005 to June 2007, during which the team lifted the Pura Cup in 2006-07. He worked with the Tasmanian Institute of Sport for a year as consultant sports performance officer between April 2006 and 2007. He also has a level three CA coaching accreditation.Commenting on his appointment, Marshall said he was looking forward to working with the Australians over a busy season ahead.”The Australian side has an excellent team of staff and I’m excited about the opportunity work with them and gain experience at international level,” Marshall said. “I think one of my advantages is that I have had a range of backgrounds and I will try to draw on that as much as I can, because there’s going to be a lot they can teach me, but hopefully I can also help them out as well.”Michael Brown, CA’s general manager cricket, said the board was delighted to engage the services of Marshall after McInnes was appointed coach of the Australian women’s team. “Michael has a vast array of cricket experience and it’s great to see him come through the state system to join our team,” Brown said. “To have someone with Michael’s credentials step into the role will be fantastic.”

Simon Jones has pulled out of the England Lions squad to face the South Africans on Thursday

Cricinfo staff13-Aug-2008
Simon Jones hasn’t played for England since the Ashes in 2005 © Getty Images
Simon Jones has pulled out of the England Lions squad which will play two one-dayers against the South Africans. Jones is suffering a ‘slight hamstring strain’ and will be out of action for at least a week. Steve Kirby, the Gloucestershire fast bowler, will join the squad in Jones’ place.Jones switched to Worcestershire from Glamorgan this season, and has enhanced his claims for a Test spot with 42 wickets in nine Championship matches so far. He was overlooked for the Tests against South Africa, but a good performance against the visitors at Grace Road could have strengthened his claims for an England recall.Meanwhile, South Africa’s pace attack has been strengthened by the return of Dale Steyn, who is expected play Thursday’s game. Steyn missed the third and fourth Tests because of a broken thumb but has recovered from his injury.South Africa are also likely to rest Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, and Jacques Kallis for Thursday’s match but coach Mickey Arthur said they would return for the second game on Saturday.”The Test players are a little tired after an already too long tour but we are motivated for the ODI series,” Arthur told Supersport. “I also want Jacques to get away from cricket for a while. I am not concerned about his batting in the long term but I’d like to give him a break.”South Africa’s one-day specialists – Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Herschelle Gibbs, Vernon Philander and Johan Botha – have joined the squad and will feature in a Twenty20 match against England Cricketers Association’s Masters XI on Wednesday.”The ODI players are ready for action after our success in the test series,” Arthur said. “They also want a taste of it. Their enthusiasm will certainly help.”