Former England star Jermaine Jenas has split from his wife Ellie Penfold after almost two decades of marriage.
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O Palmeiras se reapresentou na manhã deste domingo, na Academia de Futebol, horas após o empate em 1 a 1 com o São Bernardo, no último sábado, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Paulista. A principal novidade foi a presença do zagueiro Gustavo Gómez, que está de volta após convocação para a seleção paraguaia e participou da atividade no campo com os jovens da base.
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> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2022 clicando aqui
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>Confira a duração dos contratos dos jogadores do Palmeiras na Copinha
Na atividade do dia, os atletas que atuaram por mais de 45 minutos em São Bernardo do Campo-SP permaneceram na parte interna do centro de excelência para atividades regenerativas. Os demais foram a campo para trabalhos técnicos e táticos e iniciaram a preparação para pegar o Água Santa, nesta terça-feira, às 19h, no Allianz Parque, pela terceira rodada do estadual.
No gramado, o técnico Abel Ferreira e seus auxiliares comandaram um minijogo em campo reduzido com a participação de Gustavo Gómez, que retornou de forma antecipada da Data Fifa, pois está suspenso do próximo jogo do Paraguai, contra o Brasil, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo.
Campeões da Copa São Paulo, os jovens do sub-20 Mateus, Giovani, Endrick, Fabinho, Gabriel Silva, Vanderlan, Pedro Bicalho, Garcia, Lucas Freitas e Naves foram chamados para completar a atividade.
Vale lembrar que os jornalistas não podem acompanhar as atividades in loco por conta dos protocolos de saúde em decorrência da pandemia de Covid-19. As informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.
O Palmeiras volta a treinar nesta segunda-feira, às 9h30, na Academia de Futebol. O Verdão é o líder do Grupo C da primeira fase do Paulista, com sete pontos, seguido por Botafogo-SP (quatro), Mirassol e Ituano (três pontos cada). Classificam-se os dois melhores de cada grupo para as quartas de final após jogos em turno único contra os rivais das outras chaves.
Celtic made it through to the final of the League Cup on Saturday after they produced a staggeringly impressive performance against Aberdeen at Hampden Park.
The Dons had been unbeaten across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign prior to this cup clash, with their lost competitive loss coming against the Hoops on penalties in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup back in April.
These two sides, of course, also met in the Scottish Premiership earlier this season when Brendan Rodgers’ side chucked away a 2-0 lead at half-time to draw the game 2-2, with both teams level on points in the top-flight as it stands.
The semi-final clash at Hampden Park on Saturday, however, looked like a complete mismatch as the Dons collapsed and Celtic ran out comfortable winners.
Cameron Carter-Vickers opened the scoring with a towering header from a corner, before Daizen Maeda set up Kyogo Furuhashi to score in an almost-empty net just three minutes later.
Daizen Maeda then scored a hat-trick of relatively simple finishes and Nicolas Kuhn rattled in a fantastic curling effort off the crossbar and in to complete the scoring.
One player who may not be too pleased with just how easy the game was without him in from the start is left-back Greg Taylor, who may be in danger of permanently losing his place.
Greg Taylor's form this season
The Scotland international was named on the bench from the start for the semi-final clash and came on for the final 27 minutes of the match, with Celtic scoring one of their six goals in that time.
Taylor missed 17 days with a hamstring injury in October and that provided others with an opportunity to shine in his place, despite a solid start to the season from the former Kilmarnock man.
He has started seven matches in the Premiership this term and contributed with 1.3 key passes per game and three assists from an offensive perspective.
Defensively, the full-back has won 53% of his duels but lost 67% of his aerial battles in the division, whilst he has also been dribbled past 0.7 times per game on average.
Meanwhile, the defender has struggled badly in Europe for the Scottish giants, with less-than-convincing performances in the Champions League this term.
Appearances
2
Sofascore rating
6.35
Key passes per game
0.5
Duel success rate
44%
Ground duel success rate
40%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, Taylor has been a lightweight in his duels in Europe against SK Slovan and Borussia Dortmund, whilst offering little in the way of creativity.
Celtic conceded a whopping six goals in his 135 minutes on the pitch across the two games, which works out as a goal conceded every 22 and a half minutes with him on the field.
This shows that he is far from undroppable and that is why he should be concerned by the form of Alex Valle, his competition at left-back, in recent weeks.
How much Celtic signed Alex Valle for
The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Spanish defender on a season-long loan from Barcelona during the summer transfer window and reportedly agreed to pay a £1.2m to cover his wages.
Rodgers moved to bring in the 20-year-old starlet after he had impressed on loan with Levante in the second division of Spanish football during the 2023/24 campaign.
Valle played 29 times in LaLiga 2 last season and averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst winning 56% of his duels, which spoke to his defensive qualities.
However, he failed to register a single assist and only averaged 0.6 key passes per game, less than one chance created per match on average, and there may have been a concern that he would not be able to offer as much offensively as Taylor does.
That has not turned out to be an issue, though, as Valle has hit the ground running in Scotland and his performances have been strong enough to potentially convince Rodgers to permanently ditch his favourite.
Why Alex Valle should replace Greg Taylor
Taylor has been one of the Northern Irish manager’s favourites since he returned to Parkhead last year, starting 42 of the club’s 48 Premiership games since the start of last season.
The Scottish full-back, who once claimed that he has improved “insane amounts” during his time in Glasgow, may lose that status because of Valle’s impressive displays.
Against Aberdeen on Saturday, the Spaniard lined up at left-back from the start and was awarded a player rating of 8/10 by GlasgowWorld, a score only bettered by Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda – who both landed 10/10 ratings.
His dynamic runs from left-back and his solid defensive work provided balance alongside Maeda down the left flank, as the Japanese star scored a hat-trick and helped out defensively with his pressing and tracking back.
Valle has also made the most of his opportunities in the Premiership for Celtic since his move on loan from Barcelona, which is another reason why he should permanently replace Taylor as the first-choice left-back moving forward.
Appearances
7
4
Assists
3
2
Key passes per game
1.3
1.8
Dribbled past
5x
0x
Ground duel success rate
65%
60%
Aerial duel success rate
33%
47%
As you can see in the table above, Valle has offered more creativity than the Scotsman, relative to how many appearances they have made, and been more reliable defensively.
The Barcelona loanee has not been dribbled past a single time by an opposition winger in the Premiership this season, whilst the former Kilmarnock man has been dribbled past five times, which suggests that forwards have had more joy up against the Rodgers favourite.
Valle, whilst still not perfect in this area, has also won a much higher percentage of his aerial duels and, thus, can offer more as a defensive presence from set-pieces and from crosses to the back post.
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Therefore, the 20-year-old defender should permanently replace Taylor in the starting XI because his recent performances suggest that he could offer more in and out of possession for the Hoops.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side travel to face Bournemouth tonight, looking to make it eight games unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season.
The Gunners travel to the South Coast off the back of a 3-1 victory over Southampton after going 1-0 down early on in the second half, before goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli secured the victory.
At present, Liverpool lead the way so far, but Arteta and his players sit just a point off Arne Slot’s side – hoping to close that gap with all three points at the Vitality tonight.
Before the recent international break, the Gunners achieved a run of four wins in a row, helping them maintain their title push whilst also allowing them to progress into the next round of various cup competitions.
It remains to be seen whether the two-week break will have had an impact on the club’s excellent form, or even the fitness levels of some of the first-team members.
Arsenal injury update ahead of Bournemouth clash
Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both set to miss out on the clash on the South Coast as confirmed by Arteta in his pre-match press conference yesterday morning.
Winger Saka limped off on international duty for England, picking up a suspected muscle problem, and subsequently missing the second game of the recent break against Finland.
Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the attacker’s injury ‘is not serious’ whilst adding that he had further tests on Friday ahead of the return of club football.
Martinelli is another player who suffered a scare during the international period, nursing a calf issue – before landing back in the UK on Thursday afternoon.
However, it’s unclear whether he will be available for the clash – with Arteta stating it will be a last-minute decision if the Brazilian plays any part in the meeting.
As for Havertz, he missed the international break due to a knee problem and could play some part, but it’s unclear if the issue will restrict him to limited minutes or if he’s able to feature whatsoever – potentially leaving the Gunners short in forward areas.
The man who could replace Havertz against Bournemouth
Belgian forward Leandro Trossard has been unlucky in recent weeks, dropping to the bench against Southampton despite registering a goal and an assist in his two previous outings.
Over the recent international break, the 29-year-old starred for his country, registering two goal contributions in the comeback draw with Italy in the Nations League.
However, with Arsenal’s return to Premier League action this weekend and the current fitness issues in the final third, Trossard could be handed a start in a central role, replacing Havertz after his recent knee issue.
He’s previously proven that he’s more than capable of producing the goods from a starting position, with the attacking “wizard”, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Haffenden, scoring in his last league start against Leicester City last month.
Leandro Trossard’s Premier League stats for Arsenal (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
7
Goals scored
2
Pass accuracy
77%
Dribbles completed
1.1
Touches in opposition box
6.9
Shots taken
2.6
Chances created
2.4
Stats via FotMob
Trossard has already registered two goals in just four starts this season and as fortunate as the German talent’s injury situation may be, it’s handed the £90k-per-week ace a perfect opportunity to stake his claim for a start as a central striker.
Tonight’s meeting is undoubtedly another huge game in the club’s hunt for the Premier League title, with no margin for error given the form of Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks.
Arteta will be frustrated by the number of injuries currently within the squad, but hopefully, the players who are coming in to replace the unavailable talents will step up to the plate and do the business for the Gunners.
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Arsenal’s recruitment under boss Mikel Arteta has been exemplary in recent times, with the club signing players who have made a huge impact on the first-team squad.
As demonstrated already this season, Riccardo Calafiori is the latest in a long list of additions who have impressed at the Emirates, nailing down the starting left-back role and producing some memorable moments – including his wonder strike against Manchester City.
Jurrien Timber is a player who has been plagued with injuries since his transfer to North London, but this season he’s been able to finally showcase his quality in the Premier League.
The Dutchman has started seven games in a row for the Gunners, even forcing Ben White out of the squad in recent weeks – a sign of how impressive he has been since his move from Ajax last summer.
The aforementioned pair are just two examples of the club’s excellent work behind the scenes, with multiple other players proving to be money well spent so far this season.
Arsenal's key performers this season
Brazilian centre-back Gabriel has continued where he left off last season for Arsenal, starting defensively whilst also making a huge impact in the opposition’s penalty area.
He’s been part of a backline that has already kept five clean sheets this season, helping the Gunners get off to an excellent start in the Premier League alongside the Champions League.
The 26-year-old has already scored twice this season, with both his efforts coming in crucial meetings with rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
As for Leandro Trossard, he’s enjoyed some successful moments this campaign, but also one to forget, receiving two yellow cards and subsequently being sent off against Pep Guardiola’s side – with his second caution coming after kicking the ball away just weeks after Declan Rice committed the same offence.
However, the Belgian has registered two goals and an assist in all competitions so far this season, providing a reliable option at the top end of the pitch for Arteta’s side.
Both players will be integral to the Gunners’ attempts to secure a first league title in over 20 years this season, but they both currently earn less than one player who hasn’t featured for the club in nearly two years after arriving under Unai Emery.
Kieran Tierney's total cost to Arsenal
Left-back Kieran Tierney arrived in North London with high expectations after his £25m transfer from Scottish side Celtic back in the summer of 2019, but unfortunately for both parties, the move hasn’t gone as they would’ve anticipated.
The 27-year-old – who Ashley Cole dubbed a “warrior” – was a consistent first-team performer upon his move in 2019/20, but since has seen his game time decrease with injuries plaguing the defender in recent times.
Up until August 2023, Tierney had made 124 appearances for Arteta’s side, but in a bid to regain his fitness, he was sent on loan to Spanish side Real Sociedad last season, featuring 20 times in LaLiga.
He’s yet to feature upon his return to the Emirates, with yet another injury preventing him from making any appearances, with the defender still pocketing a hefty wage in the process.
Kieran Tierney’s stats since joining Arsenal in 2019/20
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2019/20
24
1
4
2020/21
38
2
4
2021/22
28
1
3
2022/23
36
1
2
2023/24
1
0
0
Total:
124
5
13
Stats via Transfermarkt
The former Celtic star is on a reported £110k-per-week in North London – a figure that is higher than both Gabriel and Trossard, who currently earn £100k and £90k-per-week respectively.
When combining Tierney’s total earnings from his time at Arsenal with his £25m transfer fee, he’s cost the club around £46m, which works out at around £370k per appearance since his move five years ago.
Given his current injury record and lack of impact, Arteta must look to offload the defender at the next available opportunity with his funds massively burning a hole in the club’s wage bill.
The funds generated could be used to hand his side with the best possible chance of finally ending their two decade wait for a Premier League triumph.
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Bowling coach Bharat Arun, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, and reserve batter Abhimanyu Easwaran rejoined the Indian squad in Durham on Saturday – and even took part in a training session – after completing a ten-day quarantine in accordance with the UK’s Covid-19 protocols.The trio had to isolate in London while the rest of the squad and support staff travelled to Durham, after being identified asclose contacts of training assistant/net bowler Dayanand Garani, who tested positive for Covid-19 on July 14. Garani has not yet rejoined the team. Rishabh Pant, who had also tested positive for Covid-19, has also linked up with the squad, on July 22, after recovering. All three players – Pant, Saha and Easwaran – are now available for selection, having missed India’s three-day warm-up match against a County Select XI.With Pant and Saha both absent for the three-day game, KL Rahul kept wickets for the Indians, as the matchended in a draw.Rahul made 101 (retired) in the first innings, top-scoring for the Indians. Ravindra Jadeja also scored twin half-centuries, 75 and 51 (retired), while Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj were among the wickets in the first innings of the local side.
As for a number of sides, one-day series have been few and far between for these two teams since Covid-19 struck. For both it will be just their third series under the World Cup Super League and in Australia’s case it’s more than six months since they last played 50-over cricket.In a way, the two teams emphasise how each ODI is now more important. Australia have won both their series against tough opponents in India and England but are only 10 points better off than West Indies due to dropping a game in each series. West Indies were whitewashed by Bangladesh but made up ground with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka.Since 2000, the sides have played each other 48 times in ODIs with Australia 37-8 ahead although in this series the home advantage for West Indies could be significant. It means they can pick their specialist one-day squad whereas Australia’s line-up will be a mix-and-match job given the absentees and T20 focus of the tour.With Aaron Finch ruled out of at least the first match with a knee injury, stand-in captain Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh will be the only members of the top order who have been a regular part of Australia’s ODI line-up. In Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa they still have the core of their bowling attack together although there are spaces to fill there as well.West Indies played some very solid cricket against Sri Lanka earlier this year when they won all three games chasing but coach Phil Simmons has laid down the challenge for them of going big if they get the chance to bat first. The recent T20 series was West Indies’ first bilateral success against Australia in any format since 1995 when they won a one-day series. They have a good chance of matching that this time.
(last five completed matches)
West Indies WWWLL
Australia LWWWL
West Indies v Australia is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match
Shai Hope has a phenomenal ODI record. Of players to score over 3000 runs, only two – Virat Kohli and Babar Azam – currently have a better average. He was in fine form during the series against Sri Lanka in March when he made 110, 84 and 64. In his one previous innings against Australia, he made 68 at the 2019 World Cup.Mitchell Marsh was the one significant success in the T20 series as he scored 219 runs and claimed eight wickets with some of the most consistent cricket he has produced for Australia. He returned to the ODI side in early 2020 for the first time in two years but then missed the home series against India due to injury. His ODI numbers are pretty solid: a batting average of 34.36 and bowling return of 36.79. He will enter this series full of confidence with a chance to cement his role as the team’s premier limited-overs allrounder.Related
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Kieron Pollard did not confirm whether he would be available. If he continues to be sidelined it could open up room for another batter. Hope is the vice-captain in this format. Otherwise if he is fit it could be a choice between Jason Mohammed and Shimron Hetymer in the middle order. Jason Holder is also set to return after being rested. Interestingly, Pollard hinted that West Indies could consider including legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr after his success in the T20 series even though he is not part of the squad.West Indies (possible): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt)/Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabien Allen, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Akeal Hosein/Hayden Walsh Jr, 11 Sheldon CottrellFinch’s absence may give Matthew Wade a chance of his first ODI in four years if only to add some experience to the line-up. Marsh appears likely to remain at No. 3 after his success in the T20 series while there could be debuts for Josh Philippe and Ben McDermott. Carey did not rule out a return for Dan Christian as well.Australia (possible): 1 Matthew Wade, 2 Josh Philippe, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Moises Henriques, 5 Ben McDermott, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Jason Behrendorff
This will be the first international cricket in Barbados since January 2020. Carey said the pitch looked good while Pollard noted the lush outfield. The forecast is for a cloudy but dry day.
“It’s an Australian cricket team that left the shores and these guys will want to impress. It’s a matter of us concentrating on what we need to do and our plans. Mitch Marsh has got away from us a little in the T20 series but hopefully it’s not the same in the ODIs.”
Kieron Pollard“Learning from those T20s, we played some good cricket, we had some opportunities to stay alive in the series but unfortunately didn’t quite grab them. Now moving into one-day cricket, the game lengthens out, there’s opportunities to bat time in the middle, a new location and a new series with the likelihood of some fresh faces, it’s an exciting feel around the group.”
Michail Antonio is expected to spend a considerable amount of time out of the game after undergoing surgery on Sunday.
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He is likely to be out of action for a few months, with surgery scheduled on his left shoulder
Nagraj Gollapudi25-Mar-2021
Shreyas Iyer is set to miss out on the whole of IPL 2021•BCCI
In a setback to both the player and the Delhi Capitals, Shreyas Iyer is set to miss the entire IPL 2021. ESPNcricinfo understands that Iyer, who is the Capitals captain, will undergo surgery to his left shoulder, which he partially dislocated on Monday while fielding during first ODI of the England series.It is understood that Iyer is likely to be out of cricket for at least a few months, thus erasing any hopes the Capitals had of him returning during the second half of IPL 2021, which will be played in India between April 9 and May 30.On Thursday, the BCCI had only confirmed Iyer had been ruled out of the ongoing three-match ODI series against England without releasing any details on the injury, as well as the surgery. It also wished Iyer “speedy recovery” as response to a tweet by the Indian batsman, who said he would be “back soon.” Iyer picked the injury during the early part of the England’s chase in the first ODI. Posted at extra cover, Iyer fell awkwardly on his left shoulder while successfully intercepting a drive from Johnny Bairstow in the eighth over of the England innings. Immediately, Iyer was seen grimacing and rolling on the turf while holding his left shoulder. After brief medical attention, Iyer was rushed out for scans, which revealed he had “sublaxtion” (partially dislocated) in his shoulder.It was the third time since IPL 2020 that Iyer had hurt the left shoulder, having also hurt it during the ODI series in Australia.Indications that Iyer’s injury this time was serious, came via a tweet posted early on Thursday by Parth Jindal, the Capitals’ co-owner. Jindal said he was “devastated and gutted”, and wished Iyer “quick recovery” as India “needs you in the T20 World Cup.” Iyer had been appointed captain of the Delhi Daredevils, as they were called then, during IPL 2018. The team had won only one of their first six matches that year, which made Gautam Gambhir, then the captain, step down. Iyer, who was then 23 years old, was identified as his successor, three years after the franchise had bought him as an uncapped player.Iyer had pipped local boy Rishabh Pant to the leadership position. He soon built a close rapport with the Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting, as the team’s fortunes turned around with playoff qualifications in the last two seasons. In 2019, the Capitals lost in the Eliminator, and in IPL 2020, they reached the final, losing to Mumbai Indians. Iyer was the fourth-highest run-getter in IPL 2020.
He’s the country’s third Test captain in as many seasons, and his main task is to rebuild the team
Firdose Moonda05-Mar-2021
‘I’m still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media’ – Dean Elgar•PCB
Dean Elgar will be South Africa’s third Test captain in as many seasons but his task is the same as the pair that have gone before him: to rebuild the South African team.Faf du Plessis had to do it in 2016, when AB de Villiers went on sabbatical, and injuries kept Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel out of significant parts of the season. Quinton de Kock had to do it in 2020-21, amid administrative turmoil, a pandemic and a team for whom losing had become a habit. They both had some impact – du Plessis won home and away series against Australia and de Kock oversaw South Africa’s first series win in two years – but they also both had enough of leading.du Plessis gave up the role after a dip in form during a period of racial tension last season while de Kock has been relieved of the job after a tough Test series, personally and collectively, in Pakistan. In both cases, it was obvious that captaining had become a had-to-do, not a want-to-do, often prefaced by the word reluctant. Elgar, new to the job which is doubtless informing his early perspective, is the opposite. “It’s going to be tough, and something that you have to be willing to do. Otherwise I don’t think you should be put in this position,” he said. “I am fortunate to be put in this position and that the hard work I have put in behind the scenes has been noticed.”The desire to lead seems to be at least part of the secret of what makes a good captain. For du Plessis, initially, it made him a better batsman but when results went south, retirements mounted up, and rhetoric in the country was polarised, he stood down. For de Kock, the extra responsibility coupled with the restrictions of living in biosecure environments, always appeared too much. His form suffered, his on-field decisions were iffy, and he appeared out of his depth in interactions with the media.Related
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Even for Elgar, his first dalliance, as a stand-in for du Plessis at Lord’s in 2017, did not go well and he was only too happy to hand an imaginary armband back when du Plessis returned from paternity leave. But things have changed. “I’ve played a few more games since then and learnt a lot more about what Test cricket and how a team operates behind the scenes,” Elgar said. “I have been part of the leadership group for a couple of seasons now. Then, I was a young guy just sitting there. Deer in the headlights. I’d like to think I have established experience since then.”Not just any experience. Elgar’s 67 Tests make him the most experienced player in the current group, now that du Plessis has retired and taken with him the last link to the class of 2012, that won the Test mace. Though du Plessis was not a playing member of the team that won in England, he travelled with the squad and made his debut in the next series in Australia, where Elgar was also given his first opportunity. They were both rookies in a team that was top of the rankings, where they stayed for another three years, it’s Elgar’s task to get them back there.”It’s going to be a serious challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. I feel if we get a few things in place we can definitely take the Proteas brand back to where we were a few years ago. That will be my biggest goal,” he said. “We owe it to the game to carry on moving it forward. We’ve got a long line of young, exciting players who’ve been breaking down doors in domestic cricket to try and get a foot in this squad. It’s good to have fresh blood around. We aren’t at the level of experience we were a couple of years ago, but we do have a couple of experienced players in the squad. I’m going to rely on them to help me through this journey.”Temba Bavuma, Elgar’s vice-captain and new white-ball captain, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and de Kock are all part of the new senior core and that there are only five names in that mix says a lot about the amount of work South Africa’s Test team needs to do. There are places up for grabs and roles to be secured and Elgar hopes the installation of a permanent Test captain can begin the process of settling on a squad. “The players and potential players deserve someone to come in and give them more clarity and more reassurance and stability. That’s going to be on my agenda box-ticking as a leader, to try and get a bit of stability to the squad and try and establish an easier process coming in,” he said.Although he wouldn’t be drawn into which areas he thinks needs solidifying because South Africa have no confirmed Test fixtures in the foreseeable future. “I don’t want to rush into anything now and give a headline saying, ‘Elgar thinks the batting is poor.’ I think there are areas for us to work on but I am not going to clarify anything now because we have time,” he said.And as that time passes, the South African Test team can be guaranteed of one thing, that in Elgar they will always have a leader who speaks his mind, even when he tells them things they don’t want to hear. “I’m still going to be the same guy. I’m still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media,” he said.