Zak Crawley hit 94 and Brydon Carse took four wickets as England stretched their legs on the first day of action on their tour of New Zealand.After opting to bowl, England dismissed the Prime Minister’s XI shortly after lunch, with Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson and Carse sharing the wickets. They then raced into the lead, Crawley providing the impetus in an innings that featured 14 fours and two sixes.Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, sat out day one of the two-day game, with Ollie Pope leading the side in his absence.The youthful PM XI, which featured five players aged 23 or under, were soon in trouble against England’s new-ball pair of Woakes and Atkinson, who took two apiece up front to leave the hosts 20 for 4.Snehith Reddy, the 17-year-old New Zealand U19 allrounder, hit 60 from No. 6 but Carse – one of five bowlers used, alongside Matt Potts and Shoaib Bashir – helped England chip out the rest of the order.Crawley launched the reply in typically aggressive fashion, putting on 90 in 15.1 overs alongside Ollie Pope (42) for the second wicket and 50 in seven overs with Joe Root for the third. But Harry Brook and Chris Woakes were the only other batters to reach 20 as the innings ended in a clatter of wickets.England are expected to give most of their 16-man squad game time in the match, which is their only warm-up fixture before the first Test in Christchurch, starting on Thursday.

Liverpool are in uncharted waters, with these deep fathoms threatening not only the future of Arne Slot, who won the Premier League a matter of months ago, but that of Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players in the club’s history, too.

Where is the respite? At the moment, Liverpool can’t catch a break, fumbling a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Leeds United on Saturday after previously drawing against well-worth-their-money Sunderland at Anfield. All told, the Reds have won only two of their past ten league fixtures, losing six.

But Liverpool have sculpted this disaster themselves. They have patented a startling ability to wreak havoc on their own progress, with tactical imbalances sparking crises of confidence, sparking mutiny.

Salah’s flaming interview at Elland Road will go down in the history books, and though FSG have since underlined their faith in Slot’s stewardship, the severity of this crossroads cannot be understated.

The latest on Slot's Liverpool future

Slot is in an unenviable position, with Salah’s outburst proving the latest and most damaging in a long line of mishaps since the summer.

While FSG retain the faith in the 47-year-old, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last year after Jurgen Klopp stepped down, there’s an acceptance that results are needed quickly if something is to be salvaged from this campaign.

The fact of the matter is that Slot’s Liverpool started wobbling well before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he now needs to show that he can sort out the defence and restore balance to the team. He needs to show that quickly.

27

Games

52

23

Wins

26

3

Draws

10

1

Losses

16

2.66

PPG

1.69

73

Goals scored

91

27

Goals conceded

69

Liverpool are in big bother, and though FSG have been steadfast in their backing of the Dutchman, their leniency will only stretch so far, especially when there is such an exciting successor for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider.

Liverpool could hire Slot upgrade

Last week, it was reported that FSG have been considering Julian Nagelsmann as a candidate to replace Slot, should the Reds coach be sacked, though they will face a tough task in wrestling him away from the German national team, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.

Nagelsmann, 38, is among the world’s finest young coaches, having managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in his homeland.

Would he be willing to park his international ambitions? Probably not. That’s why it’s anticipated he could be lined up ahead of the start of next season, meaning Liverpool would need to find an interim boss if Slot is dismissed before the end of the term.

What Nagelsmann would offer Liverpool

Nagelsmann has been described as the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, and though he’s the junior of practically all of the game’s standout managers, he’s hardly inexperienced, with a keen tactical mind that could be the remedy to a Liverpool team who have fallen by the wayside.

This is a fluid and interchangeable tactician. Nagelsmann employed a counter-pressing system at Leipzig before changing to a more dominant playing style at the Allianz Arena. He recognises the quirks and whims of the players at his disposal, and he crafts a system that caters to his troops.

Journalist Kai Iliev has even named him a “world-class manager” for his ability to fix a range of flaws within Germany’s national set-up. Now they are contenders. Now they believe again.

Liverpool could do with a bit of that, right? The appointment of Nagelsmann might even play into keeping Salah at the club; with the Egyptian King’s relationship under Slot having broken down, something has to give.

Liverpool, of course, will now back Salah over Slot. To do the contrary would result in anarchy. But this latest splinter in an outfit splitting wide open is not the root cause. Slot’s system is in a tailspin, and if he cannot establish form and fluency quickly, he will find that he has exhausted all the credit in the bank, and Edwards and Hughes will be forced into making a tough call.

The German coach’s principal 4-2-3-1 set-up would accommodate new signing Florian Wirtz and allow Salah to arc inwards once more and find passages into the danger area. This season, the 33-year-old has only posted five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Who could have expected this when Liverpool lifted the Premier League title? Salah was not the main man but the author of his long-term outfit’s illustrious success.

It’s not controversial to suggest that many, many Liverpool supporters would be dejected if Salah were to leave this winter, and it would be sure to put more than just a dampener on Slot’s reign at the Anfield helm.

If results do not continue over the coming weeks – with Salah off to AFCON after Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend – FSG will have to face the reality of theirt spiraling situation and make a change.

Could that prompt Salah to stay? Working under Nagelsmann on Merseyside, it just might, though whether the Reds are able to keep the African legend appeased and reach a decision that would see him remain at the club he has served so well over the past nine years remains to be seen.

In any case, this is a staggering, stomach-sinking situation, one that nobody could have foreseen, and Liverpool’s powers that be need to make sure an upswing is found – quickly.

Sell him before Salah & Konate: FSG must bin Liverpool's "major issue"

Liverpool have collapsed this season, and some tough decisions need to be made.

1 ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

England head coach Thomas Tuchel was spotted at Manchester City's training centre as he shared a warm embrace with old adversary Pep Guardiola and was also seen sharing a chat with City and Three Lions defender John Stones. Tuchel is keeping an eye on the Premier League matches ahead of the September international break, where England will play two of World Cup qualifying matches.

Tuchel visited Man City training groundShared warm embrace with GuardiolaEngland to play two World Cup qualifiers in SeptemberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel caught up with the England players in the City squad, including John Stones, as he visited the club's training on Sunday. He also shared a warm embrace with Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola.

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England are set to compete in the World Cup qualifiers during the international break next month as they are scheduled to face Andorra and Serbia on September 6 and 9, respectively. Tuchel attended the Premier League games in its opening weekend and will watch the remaining two gameweeks to monitor the English stars, before picking his best possible squad. 

DID YOU KNOW?

City were off to a flying start in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign as they demolished Wolves 4-0, riding on Erling Haaland's brace, while Tijjani Reijnders scored on his league debut.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Guardiola's men will next face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at home on August 23.

As they continue to chase a deal to sign Benjamin Nygren, Celtic could also reportedly pursue a move to sign a Premier League forward who is “one to keep an eye on”.

Celtic expected to sign Nygren

Following the arrival of Kieran Tierney for his second spell in Scotland, Celtic are now reportedly expected to sign Nygren from Nordsjaelland this summer. The talented winger looks likely to arrive fresh off the back of an impressive season in Denmark, in which he scored 16 goals in all competitions. Another arrival that will boost Celtic’s title defence next season, the Bhoys certainly mean business.

In the space of a few weeks, the Bhoys will have signed both Tierney and the impressive Nygren. Whilst those at Celtic Park already know just how talented the former is, they are set for an exciting suprise when Nygren wears the colours of the Scottish champions for the first time.

That said, Tierney is still one to watch under Brendan Rodgers. The returning left-back told the club’s media channels when asked about his Celtic return: “Honestly, I cannot wait and I can’t describe it. It will be emotional, for sure.

“I’ve already thought about it and it will be emotional for me and my family. It’s been a long time, we’ve had ups and downs in the last few years, so coming back here and walking out at Celtic Park will be just incredible.”

Celtic can land bigger signing than Schlupp in move for "incredible" star

Celtic have progressed in their attempts to sign a left-back who would be even better than Jeffrey Schlupp.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 14, 2025

Seemingly in the mood to welcome fresh faces this summer, Celtic still may not be done after Nygren and Tierney with one reporter now claiming that a Premier League striker is “one to keep an eye on”.

Celtic considering Evan Ferguson swoop

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Evan Ferguson is now “one to keep an eye on” with Celtic considering a move to sign the Brighton & Hove Albion forward. The Irishman spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham United but was still unable to rediscover his best form. Now, he could on the move away from The Amex once again.

Bailey told 67HailHail: “What better place for him to get his form back, his confidence back than at Celtic? I’m told that it could happen and I think it makes sense for Brighton, makes sense for the player and makes sense for Celtic.”

At just 20 years old, Ferguson is still a player full of potential even if that hasn’t been on show in the last 12 months. If Celtic can land a cut-price deal then he is someone that will be worth taking a gamble on.

Once dubbed “unique” by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and valued at £60m just last year, Ferguson desperately needs his next move to get his career back on track.

وصف ريان شرقي صانع ألعاب مانشستر سيتي مدربه بيب جوارديولا بالمجنون، مؤكدا أنه ليس صعبا وصف مدى سعادته بعد انضمامه لصفوف الفريق الإنجليزي خلال الصيف الماضي.

وشارك ريان شرقي أساسياً للمرة الثانية فقط هذا الموسم في فوز فريقه مانشستر سيتي ضد سوانزي سيتي بثلاث أهداف لهدف واحد في كأس كاراباو.

وكان ريان شرقي قد غاب لستة أسابيع بسبب إصابة في الفخد، وقد كان الأمر محبطاً للنجم الفرنسي الذي سجل هدفا في أول مباراة له ضد وولفرهامبتون.

وتغزل ريان شرقي في مدربه بيب جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “مانشستر إيفنينج نيوز” :”إنه رائع جداً ومجنون مثلي، رجلان مجنونان، نتحدث عن كل شيء، إنه أمر لا يصدق”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مانشستر سيتي يدرس استعادة لاعبه في يناير

وأضاف: “كرة القدم هي كل حياتي، أستمتع بها وأنام عليها وأستحم بها، لدينا فريق كبير ونريد الفوز بجميع المباريات، لا نريد تكرار ما حدث في مباراتنا الأخيرة ضد فيلا”.

وواصل: “أشعر براحة كبيرة لأن الأمر بسيط مع هؤلاء اللاعبين، نتحدث بنفس الأسلوب لذا نستمتع عندما نكون على أرض الملعب”.

وأكمل: “من المهم جداً بالنسبة لي أن يستمتع الجمهور عندما يأتي للملعب، حياتي جيدة لكني لا أعرف إن كان لدى الجمهور الكثير من الأشياء السعيدة في حياتهم لذا أريدهم أن يستمتعوا عندما يأتون لملعبهم حتى يعودوا لمنازلهم بابتسامة”.

وأتم: “أشعر أنني بحالة جيدة جداً، كنت مصاباً لفترة طويلة وسعيد جداً بالعودة، بذلت جهدا كبيرا مع أخصائي العلاج الطبيعي لأعود سريعاً، وسعيد جداً بها واللعب مع زملائي، الأهم هو الفريق وليس أنا، أريد الاستمتاع بجميع المباريات والفوز بها، عندما نخسر المباراة الأخيرة نسعى للفوز بالمباراة القادمة ولذلك نحن سعداء”.

As they look to continue their spending after Fer Lopez, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly confident that they’ll win the race to sign a Premier League winner this summer.

Wolves pushing on after Lopez

Wolves have money to burn after selling both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri and have already left a small dent in their budget by splashing out £19m to sign Lopez from Celta Vigo. Given that Cunha alone cost Manchester United £63m, however, it’s fair to say that Molineux chiefs could still have a fairly large budget to work with this summer.

With that budget in mind, it’s no surprise that several names have seemingly found themselves on Wolves’ radar this summer. And that includes Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi.

Vitor Pereira and co. have reportedly joined the race to sign the Colombian defender, whose £24m release clause is set to expire on July 10. With Wolves, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur – among others – chasing his signature, the race to sign Lucumi is certainly hectic and is only set to heat up as the clock ticks down on his release clause.

Whether those in the Midlands can beat their Premier League rivals is the big question at Molineux. It would certainly show plenty of ambition if they managed to do so and ambition is exactly what they must show after losing key men this summer.

If Pereira is to pick up where he left off in his first full season in charge then replacing Cunha’s creativity will be particularly important. It won’t be an easy task to find the heir to the Brazilian’s throne but on Premier League gem would certainly be a strong candidate.

Wolves now confident they'll sign Harvey Elliott

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Wolves are now confident that they’ll win the bidding war to sign Harvey Elliott this summer, who Liverpool value at £40m.

The young midfielder is one of the names likely to be shown the Anfield door at the right price in the coming months. Jarell Quansah has already suffered that fate and is on his way to Bayer Leverkusen. Now, Elliott could follow suit to join Wolves and receive a much-needed starting role.

Whilst there may be some concerns over Wolves’ ability to match his price tag, the departures of Cunha and Ait-Nouri should be able to help fund a move that would certainly be worthwhile.

Although he’s come off the back of a difficult first season under Arne Slot, it wasn’t so long ago that Elliott was on his way to becoming a key man under Jurgen Klopp, who was a huge admirer of the now Premier League winner.

Wolves join huge race to sign "excellent" defender as £24m deadline looms

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 25, 2025

The former Reds boss told reporters when the young midfielder scored against Cardiff City on his return to injury in 2022: “Harvey was unlucky with the injury but lucky with the whole process afterwards.

“Everything went really well. He did an incredible job, the medical department did an incredible job. He is a fearless boy and a great footballer so all these things.”

Star seamer leaves Southampton after four fruitful seasons, and heads for club he originally signed for in 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2025Mohammad Abbas, the Pakistan seamer, has swapped Hampshire for Nottinghamshire, where he will be available for six fixtures in the forthcoming Rothesay County Championship.Abbas, who has claimed 758 first-class wickets at an average of 20.66, will begin his stint in May, following the conclusion of Fergus O’Neill’s month-long spell with the side. He will then return to the club in September for the closing stages of the County Championship season.Abbas joins fellow seamer O’Neill and South Africa international Kyle Verreynne in agreeing terms as an overseas player for the upcoming red-ball campaign, with Conor McKerr (three-year contract) and Daniel Sams (Blast) having also joined the club ahead of the new season.He had originally agreed to join Nottinghamshire for the 2020 season, before his stint was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He subsequently starred for Hampshire, claiming 180 wickets at 19.07 across four summers, with successive 50-wicket seasons in 2022 and 2023.In a statement, Hampshire explained that they had released Abbas due to a need to “rebalance their squad”, with James Vince’s retirement from first-class cricket meaning they are exploring options for an overseas batter.”Mohammad has consistently been one of the top performers in the County Championship and has unfailingly produced his very best for Hampshire time and time again,” Giles White, the men’s director of cricket said. “His character will be sorely missed in the dressing room and on the pitch, and everyone at the Club wishes him the very best in his career.Abbas’s first-class form earned him a recall to the Pakistan Test side against South Africa this winter. In total, Abbas has 101 international wickets in 30 matches across formats, while his domestic record also includes 79 wickets for Leicestershire between 2018 and 2019.”Trent Bridge is a special place to play cricket, so it will be great to call the ground home this summer – especially after not being able to come over and play for Notts five years ago,” Abbas said.”I’ve really enjoyed my time in the English game, and the squad at Notts is in an exciting place. There’s a good blend of young talent and senior players who’ve been around for a while and know their game really well, and I’m looking forward to contributing in any way that I can to their success.”Nottinghamshire’s head coach Peter Moores said: “Players of Mo’s experience and track record don’t come around all that often, so we’re really excited about what he can bring to us this summer.”His control and his ability to find a way of getting wickets on any sort of surface make him extremely valuable; he’s certainly been a tough opponent for us to face over the years.”We’ve already got an exciting group of bowlers at our disposal for the summer, and the addition of Mo’s craft and subtlety will add a different style of bowling to the rest of our attack.”

Philippe joins Patterson in reaching three figures before bowlers dismantle Lions’ first innings

ECB Reporters Network31-Jan-2025

Australia A assumed control of the first-class match against England Lions with the tourists asked to follow-on in Sydney.Josh Philippe joined Kurtis Patterson in reaching a century as Australia A declared at 373 for 9 before the Lions were bundled out for 116. Allrounder Will Sutherland claimed 3 for 7 while Brendan Doggett took 3 for 17.Durham opener Ben McKinney reached the close unbeaten 67 as the Lions made a better fist of it second time around to be 116 for 2.Phillipe powered his way to an unbeaten 120 from 121 balls after Sam Cook (3 for 58) trapped Patterson leg before for 137. Sonny Baker returned 3 for 60 as the Lions made light work of the Australian lower order to force their declaration.The Lions were immediately in trouble with the bat, falling to 30 for 3 thanks to two early strikes from Xavier Bartlett, and never recovered with Lancashire duo Matt Hurst (34) and Rocky Flintoff (29) the top-scorers.McKinney and skipper Alex Davies began the repair job with a 106-run first-wicket partnership, but Jordan Buckingham claimed two late wickets to reinforce the home advantage.

England, meanwhile, will be looking to maintain their winning start to the tournament when they take on Scotland

Sruthi Ravindranath12-Oct-2024England vs ScotlandSharjah, 2pm local timeEngland squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni WyattScotland squad: Kathryn Bryce (capt), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce (wk), Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey, Rachel SlaterTournament form guide: England have won both matches they’ve played so far – against Bangladesh and South Africa – while Scotland are coming into the match having lost all three of their games.News brief: These teams will be facing each other for the first time in T20Is. England are coming into this match after a gap of five days, having last played against South Africa on Monday.Scotland are out of the semi-final race. The Group B table has three teams – England, West Indies and South Africa – still in contention for the semi-final, with England having the lowest net run rate among them. England will be looking to improve their NRR with a big win.”There was a little bit of illness at one point but I think hopefully everyone will be available,” England captain Heather Knight said of player availability ahead of the match.This will also be Scotland wicketkeeper-batter Lorna Jack-Brown’s last international match.Player to watch: Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been solid at top of the order for England. Chasing a tricky target of 125 on a slow Sharjah pitch, with left-arm spinners bowling from both ends, she dropped anchor after the early loss of Maia Bouchier and stitched a 64-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt. She finished with 43 in as many balls, which followed her Player-of-the-Match performance of 41 against Bangladesh.Harmanpreet Kaur’s 52 took India to a win against Sri Lanka•ICC via Getty ImagesAustralia vs IndiaSharjah, 6pm local timeAustralia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia WarehamIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, S SajanaTournament form guide: Australia have three wins in three matches and are coming into this contest having comprehensively beaten Pakistan. With that win, they also all but sealed a semi-final spot thanks to their net run rate of 2.786. India have two wins in three games. In their previous match, they posted the highest total of the tournament so far – 172 for 3 – and in return bundled Sri Lanka out for 90 to post their biggest win by runs at the T20 World Cup.Related

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News brief: Australia have major injury concerns heading into the crucial clash. Just four balls into the match against Pakistan, Tayla Vlaeminck was out with a right shoulder dislocation. To make things worse, captain Alyssa Healy suffered “an acute right foot injury” while batting on 37 as she hobbled off the field with Australia needing 14 runs to win. Both players went for scans on Saturday.India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had hurt her neck in the match against Pakistan, turned up with a pain-relief patch on the right side of her neck during the Sri Lanka match. She also didn’t take the field during the chase. Fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar bowled full-tilt before the Sri Lanka game but didn’t play.India will want a big win against Australia. If they win by more than 61 runs, they will move ahead of Australia, thereby automatically qualifying for the semi-final. In a case where India win by fewer than 60 runs, they will hope New Zealand win by a very small margin against Pakistan on Monday. For instance, if India make 150 against Australia and win by exactly 10 runs, New Zealand need to beat Pakistan by 28 runs defending 150 to go ahead of India’s NRR. If India lose to Australia by more than 17 runs while chasing a target of 151, then New Zealand’s NRR will be ahead of India, even if Pakistan beat New Zealand by just 1 run while defending 150.Overall, India have won just eight out of 34 T20Is they’ve played against Australia. Two of those wins came in the group-stage games of previous T20 World Cups, in 2018 and 2020.Players to watch: Two of their best batters finding their form bodes well for India heading into the big game. Harmanpreet and Mandhana’s collaborative effort against Pakistan boosted India’s NRR with the semi-final race heating up. Mandhana, after a cautious start to her innings, changed gears and took on Sri Lanka’s spinners to make 50 off 38 balls. Harmanpreet, continuing from where she’d left against Pakistan, played a classic, hitting eight fours and a six on her way to a 27-ball 52. It was just what India needed to reinvigorate their T20 World Cup campaign.

From Test match double centuries to a one-day game ahead of its time, Dean Jones was one of the dominant players of his era

Daniel Brettig24-Sep-202010:23

Tom Moody recalls the multiple roles of Dean Jones

In both his cricket and his life, Dean Jones’ departures left a sense of shock and loss for their arrival before so many could say goodbye.At the end of his international career as a wonderfully livewire batsman and limited-overs pioneer, this was because Jones found himself out of Test calculations and on the edge of the one-day team in South Africa in 1994, compelling him to call a summary retirement press conference on what had to that point been the nominal farewell tour of Allan Border.Twenty-six years later, Jones left this world almost in mid-stride, suffering a cardiac arrest while working as an analyst on the latest edition of the IPL for Star in Mumbai. In both cases his departure left a deep, tangible sense of conversations and moments lost, of thank yous unable to be given. Similarly, his induction to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame had been done via video link when Jones was occupied by a T20 coaching assignment, and now his death left so many around the world feeling bereft, or perhaps even less articulate than that.ALSO READ: ‘One of a kind you were, Deano’What we are left with is a rich trove of moments and memories, many more than those typically provided by cricketers of longer subsequent careers, and to ponder the jumble of contradictions, frustrations and triumphs of the man known universally as Deano.Two qualities in particular stand out. The first was his sheer energy, a characteristic that helped push him to some of the most extraordinary cricketing heights. If Jones was flagging towards the end of his unforgettable 210 against India in Chennai in 1986, his captain Border knew how to bring on a second wind, suggesting that it was time to get a Queenslander, Greg Ritchie, in to do what a Victorian could not. His civic pride suitably threatened, Jones went on, past 200 and into legend.Jones’ many other brilliant performances, and a few not quite so brilliant, were infused with a similar mix of bravado and courage. Whether it was smiting the West Indies all around Adelaide Oval for his second double century in Tests in early 1989, cuffing a young Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for twin hundreds at the same venue a year later, or obliterating Sir Richard Hadlee in an Auckland ODI later the same season, Jones could be utterly irresistible. On the 1989 Ashes tour, Mark Taylor led the aggregates and Steve Waugh the headlines, but none batted better or more predatorially than Jones.In one-day matches, Jones’ knack for finding gaps and running with what seemed Olympian speed between the wickets made him the most feared batsman in the world in the realm of limited overs. A technicolour innings of 145 against England at the Gabba in 1990-91, wearing the gold cap then the white floppy hat and cheered on by a packed house, alerted a generation of aspiring schoolchildren that batting need not be all about getting through to stumps: the T20 age was probably born in the imaginative aftermath of a Jones innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis precise knowledge of things like how much quicker he could run two if he turned blind than not, was also well ahead of its time. A pair of flicks to the fine leg boundary of Hansie Cronje at the SCG in his final international summer, the second followed by a pointed punch of the fist as the crowd went wild, underlined how infuriating Jones could be to bowl to, or captain against.Of course, the manic enthusiasm for the game and the national team that Jones wore so proudly also led to plenty of occasions where brio outstripped sense.Who but Jones would find himself run out after being bowled by a Courtney Walsh no-ball in the West Indies in 1991? Who but Jones would find the ball trapped between his glove and pads after advancing to Venkatapathy Raju at the MCG later that year, flicking it away and forever denying he could have been out handled the ball? Who but Jones would ever conceive of, let alone act upon, a plot to ask Curtly Ambrose to remove his wrist band under the pretence of losing sight of the white ball in the 1993 World Series finals? And who but Jones would actually write, innocently and truthfully in a column ghosted by Mark Ray, that the absence of the famously litigious coach Bob Simpson from the dressing room during a Gabba one-day game in early 1994 had helped the team to relax? Simpson threatened to sue his own player.None of these moments helped Jones or his career, but they all added richly to cricket’s lore.The second quality, for which Jones was equally famous, is the sense of something incomplete or unjust about his career and its aftermath. There is no more highly ranked Victorian than the state’s Premier, and in Dan Andrews’ social media tribute there came the words “should have been picked for many more than his 52 Tests”. It is a view that has been able to enhance the Melbourne pub trade for most of the past 28 years by generating extra conversation and by extension extra rounds, and it was never discouraged by Jones.ALSO READ: ‘I can’t remember a thing after 120 in that innings’ In his 1997 book, Matters of Choice, the former selector John Benaud gave a very good, reasoned and frank depiction of all the cross currents running through the selection panel’s call to make Jones 12th man for the Gabba Test against the West Indies in 1992. These ranged from Jones’ increasing levels of inconsistency, the need for a fresh approach to tackling the Caribbean side, and his poor record against the West Indies outside the aforementioned Adelaide 200, to the fact that the Sheffield Shield draw for that season had given him precious few hits relative to those afforded to Damien Martyn, who was ultimately to debut instead.

RIP you magnificent cricketer

Finally got the elusive 100 at his home ground, just happened to be against Australia pic.twitter.com/Sjv8CFp0cJ

— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) September 24, 2020

Martyn’s own tale is one of rejection and recrimination before his own summary decision to retire, and it was a burden that Jones carried through the next two years and, arguably, for the rest of his time around the game. Steve Waugh’s diary reflection on Jones’ international retirement, in South Africa in 1994, bears repeating: “I know how he desperately wanted to wear the baggy green cap again and when he thought that was an impossibility, he didn’t want to keep torturing himself.” Waugh was not alone in being far more calculating in later years when it came to the rules of engagement with selectors in particular, and the Jones precedent doubtless helped.The selectors came close to recalling Jones one final time, for the 1996 World Cup, but stopped short at the very last moment. Jones’ riposte was to make a hundred for a World XI against the Australians in an MCG match to mark the centenary of the Victorian Cricket Association on their return from the cup. Though a vaudevillian Dean Jones tribute match had been played at the ground the season before, this was as close as he got to a true farewell: for parochial Victorians, Jones versus Australia was almost better than Australia with Jones.It should not be forgotten, either, that both Jones and Border were the primary losers in the graduation of Australian cricketers from solid contracts to eye-popping ones. When they retired, neither commanded ACB deals of more than five figures, yet within a couple of years the likes of Waugh, Shane Warne and Mark Taylor were raking in earnings before endorsements much closer to half a million apiece. If there was ever a perception of selfishness or opportunism about Jones, his unfortunate place in cricket’s money trail is worth remembering.As it was, Jones spent the rest of his days jumping between coaching, commentary and other assignments, including a brief and hotly debated stint on the Australia senior PGA golf tour in 2012-13. He was rightly castigated for a couple of heedless commentary moments, one a reference to not caring about the state of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe while there to cover a series, and the other a reference to Hashim Amla as “the terrorist” picking up a wicket. He was never likely to fit the cloth of a Cricket Australia coaching job, although he did consult briefly in 2012.

I normally wouldn’t share screenshots of any convos but I think ppl should know the kind of man #DeanJones was off the field. One of the most compassionate ppl. This he sent to me when Asif was going through a tough time, he believed in Asif & Asif delivered that season. pic.twitter.com/xbhjsNVosc

— Rehan Ulhaq (@Rehan_ulhaq) September 24, 2020

A third attribute, undersold by many, must be Jones’ generosity. Not always defined in the ways that cricketers or administrators might have wanted it to be, it was largely in the sharing and developing of ideas about the game of cricket and sport more broadly. Apart from One Day Magic in 1991 and My Call in 1994, which both carried strong instructional or counselling elements, Jones’ final book was a collection of cricket tips gleaned from his many and varied travels as a commentator and coach.Its launch at the MCG in 2016 saw Jones in his very best form, holding court and discussing concepts he had picked up to share from the likes of VVS Laxman, Waqar Younis and Ricky Ponting, offering up photo opportunities and autographs as though he was still Australia’s No. 4 batsman instead of Steven Smith.More recently, and in a more personal tale, Jones thought nothing of responding to a brief request of his memory with a long, jovial phone call and a bevy of advice about how best my partner and I might move out of a Covid-19 Melbourne into country Victoria should we so choose to. There was a warmth in this Jones that contrasted with the coolness others had experienced, just as his batting days could so swiftly veer between the sublime and the ridiculous. Either way, they were always memorable. So goodbye Deano, and thank you. You are gone much too soon.