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Daniel Farke has shown this season, even with all the pressures on his back of having to manage a Leeds United team expected to win promotion back up to the Premier League, that he doesn't hesitate when it comes to gifting youngsters chances to impress.

Archie Gray has notably benefitted from his manager's forward-thinking approach to throw starlets straight into the first-team mix unfazed, with the 18-year-old now a fully-fledged senior face at Elland Road by amassing 38 Championship appearances this campaign.

Mateo Joseph has also found his minutes increased in recent weeks, with the German boss even allowing 17-year-old Charlie Crew a spot on the Leeds substitutes bench in his side's last two second tier games.

Farke won't just make do with the crop of talented youngsters he has at his disposal currently, however, as Leeds look to tie down this prolific teenager to a permanent deal soon.

Leeds United transfer news

The Championship title-chasing Whites clearly see a lot of potential in young Sunderland attacker Mason Cotcher, having had the 17-year-old attacker on trial at Thorp Arch for the last two months.

It's now believed that the West Yorkshire titans are scrambling to sign Cotcher on a permanent deal and have made an offer to do just that according to Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath, with the Sunderland homegrown product leaving behind his boyhood club in the process.

Formerly on trial at both Arsenal and Manchester United – the latter of whom he spent time with in January – before Leeds came calling, the teen sensation has clearly left more of a lasting impact on his third suitor if rumours are correct.

Cotcher will view Leeds as an attractive destination to stay put in, having seen what Farke has managed to achieve with Gray in a staggeringly short amount of time.

With Patrick Bamford also not getting any younger at 30 years of age, and his dismal display against Hull City still stinging, Cotcher could send tremors through the Leeds first team soon up top if he continues to impress those at Thorp Arch.

Mason Cotcher's statistics at youth level

From just four starts in the Leeds youth set-up to date, Cotcher has proven himself to be a prolific finisher and even made the step-up to Premier League 2 action last time out.

The 17-year-old has also proven himself to be a flexible figure, slotting in to play at attacking midfield for Leeds and not finding this position switch to be troubling in the slightest.

Cotcher has bagged both of his Leeds goals from this spot actually, which included a winner against Sunderland U18s when facing off against the familiar Wearside opponent.

Scanning the table above though, it's obvious that Cotcher's most dangerous position is as a striker leading the line with five of his Sunderland youth strikes coming from that role.

However, as has been seen with Gray slotting in at right-back regularly despite being more of a natural in the middle of the park for Leeds, Farke will love Cotcher's adaptability and value it as a worthwhile trait.

Cotcher is some way off making waves in the Leeds senior side just yet though, but with Gray taking to men's football like a duck to water and others knocking on the door for more first-team opportunities springing up from the youth structure in West Yorkshire, it won't be viewed as a major shock if the 17-year-old becomes Leeds' next Gray over time.

What a treat it would be to see a player who had come close to linking up with those at Old Trafford then go on to sparkle at Elland Road…

Report shares concerning off-field news out of Leeds United on Archie Gray

He’s been catching the eye.

By
Charlie Smith

Apr 3, 2024

Axel Witsel has sealed his next move after leaving Atletico Madrid, with the veteran midfielder set to remain in Spain’s top flight.

• Veteran midfielder secures fresh La Liga deal
• Leaves Atletico Madrid after contract expiry
• Remains in Spain for next career chapter

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Belgian international Witsel has decided to extend his career in La Liga after leaving Atletico Madrid as a free agent this summer, according to a report from The 36-year-old midfielder who initially appeared set for a move to Serie A side Udinese after agreeing personal terms, ultimately turned down the deal. Girona stepped in with a longer contract offer, two years instead of Udinese’s one, and that proved decisive in convincing Witsel to join the Catalan club ahead of the 2025-26 season.

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  Witsel’s decision reflects both his desire to continue playing in a top European league and his ambition to stay sharp ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Belgium. Despite interest from the Saudi Pro League in the past, he has prioritised competitive football in Spain over potentially more lucrative offers elsewhere. His move also adds valuable experience to a Girona side aiming to consolidate their position in La Liga after recent progress.

• TELL ME MORE

  During his three seasons with Atleti, Witsel was a reliable figure, particularly in his first two campaigns, making 68 La Liga appearances in 78 matches. However, his role diminished in the 2024-25 season, with Jose Maria Gimenez, Clement Lenglet, and Robin Le Normand ahead of him in Diego Simeone’s pecking order. Atletico’s defensive rebuild, including the permanent signing of Lenglet and new arrivals such as Marc Pubill and David Hancko, meant his contract was not renewed. Girona’s offer of an extra year, combined with the opportunity for regular playing time, proved the perfect fit.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WITSEL AND GIRONA?

  Witsel is expected to slot into Girona’s midfield and defence, providing leadership and versatility for a team that will also compete in Europe this season. Girona begin their La Liga campaign at home to Rayo Vallecano on August 15, while Witsel will also have one eye on Belgium’s September World Cup qualifiers. His experience and tactical intelligence could be a key asset as Girona aim for another strong season in Spain’s top flight.

Seamer targets fourth first-class trophy in five seasons in Bob Willis Final at Lord’s

Alan Gardner21-Sep-2020At some point over the next few days, Jamie Porter will take the new ball in a five-day match at Lord’s. It won’t quite be the Test debut that he has spent his career working towards, but it will nevertheless be a memorable way to sign off a season that almost wasn’t, as Essex and Somerset contest the first – perhaps only – Bob Willis Trophy final.”I’ve been saying, ‘lads, we’ll be one of only two teams playing a red-ball game at Lord’s this year’. That makes it kind of special,” Porter says, before adding: “It’s a weird one because I haven’t really looked at the occasion, I’ve just been looking at the opposition. Somerset’s going to be a tough game and I’ve just been looking at how am I going to get through their batting line-up and how are we going to win the game.”That pretty much sums up the approach of Essex’s senior seamer, a genial destroyer with a Stakhanovite work-rate, who has been “getting through” opposition line-ups with alacrity over the last six seasons. Winning games has been the natural by-product, with Essex looking to secure a fourth first-class trophy in five seasons.You’ve probably heard a version of the numbers by now. Since Porter’s debut in September 2014, his tally of 341 first-class wickets at 23.63 is second only to Durham’s Chris Rushworth in England and Wales. Over the last four years, in Division One of the Championship and this summer’s Willis Trophy, that record improves to 202 at 21.38, with only his Essex team-mate, offspinner Simon Harmer, more prolific.ALSO READ: ‘I’m trying to be the best Jack Leach I can be’And yet, despite being called up to England’s Test squad as recently as the 2018 home series with India, when an expanded training squad was named following the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year, Porter had seemingly fallen off the selectors’ radar.”It was a bit of a shock. I feel if you were picking a 55-man squad, and with my numbers over the last few years – to not be in there, I was gutted, I was really disappointed,” he says. “I had a week when I was pretty down about it all. But it did help motivate me for when we got back – there’s only one way I can really answer back and that’s by taking wickets. That’s what I’ve done and hopefully I’ll keep doing.”I had a conversation with Ed Smith at the time. It’s a tough one, because the obvious answer is you’ve got to take wickets and bowl well. I probably knew that anyway. Sometimes things just come down to a matter of opinion and you’ve got to accept that. Unfortunately the decision-makers’ opinion is they wanted to give that opportunity to other people. All I can do is bounce back, get better and hopefully keep knocking on the door.”As the six behind-closed-doors Test against West Indies and Pakistan demonstrated, England’s seam stocks have rarely been higher – but rather than worry about whether he has slipped behind the likes of Ollie Robinson or Craig Overton, Porter has set himself the highest standard to try and emulate.”The way I look at it is how can I be better than Jimmy Anderson? Because he’s been the best in the world for God knows how long. So if I can look to be better than him… and if I fall short, I still reckon I’ll be a half-decent bowler.”Anderson, of course, recently became the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets; 103 of them have come at Lord’s, though he did not bowl a ball there this summer. Lord’s missed out on hosting bio-secure Tests and the five-day domestic final will be the only first-class match held at the ground in 2020, as Essex and Somerset play out a rematch of their Championship decider at Taunton last year.Jamie Porter bowls for Essex•Getty Images

“I’d definitely say there’s a little bit of a rivalry there – a healthy rivalry, we appreciate how good a side they are and we know they’re capable of winning titles themselves,” Porter says of the opposition. “But we don’t want that because we want to be winning the titles. They’re always a team we want to beat.”While Somerset’s wait for a maiden Championship will go on even if they claim the inaugural Willis Trophy, Essex have established themselves as the format’s dominant force. Having been promoted and then relegated three times previously, the club made it a priority to get back into Division One at around the time Porter was breaking into the first team, and have since enjoyed a period of success to rival the Fletcher and Gooch dynasties of the 1980s and ’90s.”We take a lot of pride in our red-ball cricket,” Porter says, pointing to Essex’s focus on bringing through local talent.”Every time a young guy has been given an opportunity in the red-ball side they’ve come in and taken it. Not only shown us what they can do but at the level to compete for trophies. Look at the last game against Middlesex, Aaron Beard bowled that spell second innings and should definitely have had five-for – on another day he’d have had six or seven. That was probably the best spell of seam-bowling I’ve seen this season.”Sam Cook at the other end was unbelievable, he could have had four or five. Those are the two least-experienced guys in our bowling attack, and they’re the ones in the last innings of a big game putting their hands up and taking the wickets, which is credit to them and credit to the club for bringing through young players who can step up when we need it.””All the young lads that have had a go have stepped up and done well. Paul Walter’s opened the batting and looked brilliant, Feroze Khushi has done brilliantly, Aaron and Sam have done brilliantly. It’s great for us that not only have we got into the final but we’ve got there with academy guys leading the way.”Porter was a beneficiary of that faith himself, quitting his job in recruitment to pursue a county career at the age of 21. Three years later, Essex were county champions for the first time since 1992, with Porter named one of ‘s Five Cricketers of the Year; last summer, they became the first county to win a Championship and T20 double. If a Test cap remains elusive, success has not.”If it happens it happens, if not I’m fortunate enough that I’m playing in a very successful side in Essex and I’ve achieved quite a lot already. If I don’t play for England, I still think there’s quite a lot to look forward to.”

Nicolas Jackson has been offered to clubs in the Premier League and Serie A by Chelsea but there are no takers so far.

• Jackson tipped to leave Chelsea this summer
• Club have signed Joao Pedro and Liam Delap
• Striker offered to three clubs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jackson's days at Stamford Bridge could be numbered following the arrival this summer of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. The Blues have offered the Senegal international to Newcastle, Manchester United and AC Milan but are yet to strike a deal, according to talkSPORT. The Blues are also said to have slashed an initial asking price of £100 million ($135m) to £80m ($106m) for Jackson.

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  Newcastle and Manchester United appear to have prioritised a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, rather than Jackson, and are believed to be battling for his signature. The Red Devils have also been linked with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic ahead of the start of the new Premier League season. 

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jackson has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances since joining Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and was first choice last season. However, costly red cards against Newcastle in the Premier League and Flamengo at the Club World Cup may have helped end his career at the club.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

  Chelsea have friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan lined up before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace. Manager Enzo Maresca's team selections for those friendlies may well offer clues as to whether Jackson has any future still at Stamford Bridge.

Former captain believes BCCI is ‘thinking about women’s cricket’, but wants clearer flow of information

PTI04-Aug-2020Anjum Chopra, the former India women’s captain and current television commentator, believes that the BCCI has a plan for women’s cricket but wants the board to communicate its ideas more clearly.Speaking to PTI, Chopra said: “It’s not that the BCCI is not thinking about women’s cricket. I only think they need to be more specific in communication about women’s cricket.”I firmly believe that they must be thinking about women’s cricket but the communication all this while has been very specific to men’s cricket.”The BCCI has received criticism of withdrawing the women from a tour of England in September, owing to logistical issues arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then there is the question of the Women’s T20 Challenge clashing with the WBBL.Chopra said missing out on the England tour is “not nice” but Indian players’ participation in the T20 Challenge will still be useful preparation for next year’s ODI World Cup.”It is heartening to see women’s cricket making headlines,” Chopra said. “They should have been a part of that England tour and it did not feel nice initially but the women’s IPL [T20 Challenge], irrespective of the format, will be helpful for World Cup preparations. Any form of cricket is good preparation.”Missing out on a tournament is not nice, but logistically there may have been issues. And you can’t send an under-prepared team.”If you see it in isolation, we may have missed out on an opportunity to play in England. The more the girls play the better it is, before playing a tournament of the stature of World Cup. [But] the assurance from the president [Sourav Ganguly] is a very good thing.”ALSO READ: The issues facing India women’s cricket in the face of Covid-19Chopra welcomed the decision to hold the women’s event in the UAE alongside the IPL, which will run from September 19 to November 10. The women’s T20 Challenge will coincide with the knockouts of the men’s league.”I am definitely happy, it’s always nice to be part of any cricket anywhere across the world,” Chopra said. “They should have been nearing the final stages of the preparation for the World Cup by now, but because of the pandemic things did not go as planned.”

Two Leeds United players are not expected to play again this season and one of them could soon be on the way out of Elland Road, according to a new update.

Leeds pushing for immediate Premier League return

The Whites are currently top of the Championship, with Daniel Farke now preparing his side for a crucial run-in with the games coming thick and fast.

Leeds have been in unbelievable form in 2024, winning 12 of 13 second-tier games, conceding just three goals during that time. Now, just eight league fixtures remain, starting this Friday against Watford before a home meeting with Hull City on Monday.

The Whites have a number of injury concerns ahead of the trip to Vicarage Road, though, with Georginio Rutter having minor surgery after the recent win against Millwall.

Meanwhile, Connor Roberts appeared to suffer an injury for Wales on Tuesday, whereas Junior Firpo won’t return from international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo until Thursday.

Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas remain long-term absentees, with Farke sharing news on Wednesday that the former has undergone surgery and will return in pre-season, and it looks like we won't be seeing Dallas in a Leeds shirt any time soon either.

Journalist shares Stuart Dallas update

It is now approaching two years since Dallas suffered a serious leg injury against Manchester City. The 31-year-old hasn’t returned to action since, suffering a number of setbacks during that time. Farke said last month: “With Stuart, the same. He gets all the time he needs. He’s been out for so many months, it is not possible to speak about days. We give him all the time. He’s seen different consultants.

“We’ve tried everything in order to work with him in the most-professional way and hope it works out in the end. We try everything to support him and don’t want to put any pressure on him.”

Meanwhile, Dallas recently said on his condition: “I’m doing okay. It’s almost two years since the injury but I am doing okay and working towards trying to get back before the end of the season. I’m doing everything I can to do that.”

Now, Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has said that Dallas is not expected to play for Leeds again this season and is likely to leave Elland Road when his £45,000-a-week contract expires in the summer.

He states that there is ‘no timeline’ for Dallas’ comeback at Leeds and that he’s set to be released this summer in what is a heartbreaking update for the player and everyone associated with Leeds, with the Northern Ireland international a fan favourite in Yorkshire.

Revenue projections for 2020-21 will now be done when full extent of Covid-19 impact is known

Daniel Brettig04-Jul-2020An ugly pay dispute between Cricket Australia and the players’ union appears to have been averted, after the two parties agreed to defer revenue calculations until there is a clearer picture of the Covid-19 toll on the forthcoming season.CA had previously sought a significant reduction in the amount of money to be distributed into the player payment pool negotiated with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) as a fixed percentage of revenue under the MoU signed in 2017.While this would not affect retainers and match fees for the looming season, the amounts passed onto the players as part of the “adjustment ledger” distributed annually to account for revenue above CA’s 2017 projections stood to be drastically reduced. Anger at this move, combined with a similar dispute between CA and the state associations, had paralysed the game for more than three months up to the exit of the chief executive Kevin Roberts.ALSO READ: Knowledge, power – inside the fall of Kevin RobertsAs recently as early June, Roberts and CA had claimed that projected revenue for the forthcoming summer would be almost halved by the impact of the pandemic, even though it had announced a full international schedule including an India tour valued at around A$300 million. The compromise, with the ACA agreeing to drop a formal notice of dispute that could have seen the players and the governing body go to court, means the revenue forecast calculation will not be made until the financial tale of the 2020-21 season is more readily able to be pieced together.”Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have today agreed a way forward on Australian Cricket’s response to COVID-19,” a CA spokesman said. “The parties have agreed to postpone the Australian Cricket Revenue projection until such time they are better able to assess the financial impact of the pandemic and calculate a clear projection for the year ahead.”With today’s agreement, the ACA has agreed to withdraw its notice of dispute lodged last month with CA. We would like to thank the ACA for the constructive manner in which they have engaged in discussions in what has been a challenging time for the game.”CA’s chairman Earl Eddings has been closely involved in board to board discussions with his ACA opposite number Greg Dyer, while the interim chief executive Nick Hockley had also entered talks with the ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson in recent days.”Today’s agreement is a significant step forward in cricket’s response to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and should provide our stakeholders with renewed clarity and confidence about the summer ahead,” the spokesman said.”Calculating revenue projections 12 months ahead during a once-in-a-century pandemic has not been without its challenges, but we believe we have arrived at a position that provides all parties with greater certainty about how to navigate the next year.”The ACR will be reassessed in due course, providing time to better assess the financial impact of the pandemic and calculate a clear projection for the year ahead.”Nicholson welcomed the resolution: “This ‘reset’ is both welcome and sensible. CA is free to reforecast again at various times over the next financial year, should there be a material revenue event affecting cricket.”CA remains in discussions with the state associations about their annual distributions, with reductions most vigorously opposed by New South Wales and Queensland. In the meantime, more than 150 state staff and 40 CA staff have been made redundant from their roles.

Arne Slot has reportedly cut his holiday short to meet with Rayan Cherki as Liverpool eye the Lyon star as an alternative to Florian Wirtz.

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• Wirtz remains Liverpool's first-choice
• No agreement on fee yet
• Slot makes an effort to meet Cherki

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool are keeping multiple options open, even as their primary focus remains on signing Bayer Leverkusen star Wirtz. Their interest in him is longstanding, and the commitment is reflected in the magnitude of their bid — a package reportedly worth up to €130 million (£109m/$148m), which includes both a guaranteed sum and various performance-based add-ons. However, Reds boss Slot also cut short his summer break to personally engage in discussions with Man City target Cherki, as reported by

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  Cherki, whose contract at Lyon expires next summer, does not have a fixed release clause, contrary to some reports suggesting a €22.5m (£19m/$26m) fee would be sufficient. Lyon are said to be holding out for a significantly higher price, knowing the player’s value and the level of interest he is generating from multiple top clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With Liverpool in pole position to sign Wirtz, this week could prove crucial in determining whether the club lands its marquee target. The Germany international is thought to favour a move to Anfield, and the club’s readiness to meet Leverkusen’s high demands demonstrates how much they want to bring him to Merseyside. Continued dialogue between the two clubs is ongoing, and the Reds are prepared to raise their offer if necessary to get the deal over the line.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  By keeping tabs on talents like Cherki while working diligently on their top targets, Liverpool are making sure no stone is left unturned. Slot’s direct involvement in talks with Cherki underlines Liverpool’s seriousness about the player. As the transfer saga unfolds, it remains to be seen if Liverpool’s bold bid for Wirtz bears fruit or Cherki becomes the newest addition to the red half of Merseyside.

Rangers could reportedly secure the record-breaking signing of an "electric" player during the summer transfer window, but only on one condition.

Rangers transfer news

Philippe Clement's side find themselves at the top of the Scottish Premiership table currently, managing to gain a two-point advantage over rivals Celtic. There is still a long way to go, but supporters will be dreaming of glory this season, not only because of the joy of winning the league, but also due to the players they could attract this summer.

Two players who have been linked with moves to Ibrox at the end of the campaign are Rapid Vienna pair Leopold Querfeld and Matthias Seidl, with the former an imposing young centre-back and the latter an Austria international midfielder.

Meanwhile, Coventry City attacking midifelder Callum O'Hare has also emerged as a target for Rangers, as he continues to shine for the Championship side. This season, he has six goals and three assists to his name in the league, and will become a free agent at the end of the campaign.

Lawrence Shankland was backed to join the Gers during the January window, as he enjoys a superb campaign leading the line for Hearts, and it remains to be seen if they could come back in for him in the coming months.

Rangers will sign "electric" star if they win the league

According to Football Insider, Rangers "will" seal the record-breaking signing of Abdallah Sima in the summer, assuming they clinch Scottish Premiership title glory.

That's because of the "huge transfer kitty" they would receive through qualifying for the Champions League, generating funds for new faces to come in. Sima's current permanent club Brighton value him between £10-15m, meaning Rangers will likely have to break their transfer record of £12m spent on striker Tore Andre Flo way back in 2000.

The Gers should definitely be looking to bring in the 22-year-old on a permanent basis this summer, considering how much he has already caught the eye on loan at Ibrox. He has 10 goals in 20 league outings this season, only 15 of which have been starts, and he is a big miss through injury at the moment.

Given his age, Sima would be viewed as a player who can develop into an even more polished and fearsome prospect over time, and Rangers captain James Tavernier has heaped praise on his teammate.

Rangers and Clement now eyeing double deal for two in-demand talents

The Gers aren’t the only club interested.

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 8, 2024

Granted, the money that Brighton will demand will be a significant amount, but if Clement's side do get Champions League football, the money will be there to spend, ensuring they find another gear next season.

Although he is South Africa’s leading white-ball wicket-taker in 2020, he says he wants to be more economical

Firdose Moonda16-Apr-2020Lungi Ngidi, South Africa’s highest white-ball wicket-taker in 2020 so far, has given himself a six out of 10 for his performances over the past summer and believes there is room for improvement. Ngidi did not play any of South Africa’s four home Tests after injuring a hamstring in the Mzansi Super League (MSL) in mid-December last year but was part of all six T20Is and four of the five completed ODIs and finished with 25 wickets in total.”If I had to rate my performance over the last summer, I probably rate it at about a six. It was good, but to me it still wasn’t good enough,” Ngidi said. “There were a few games where I could have gone for a lot less runs. I picked up a few wickets and that’s my job, so I was happy with that but it’s not the finished product. I still feel I can deliver a whole lot more and a whole lot better.”The numbers show he is not wrong about being expensive. Ngidi’s T20I economy rate this year has been 10.6 while he conceded 5.67 runs an over in the ODIs. Both are his highest over the three years of his international career but need to be assessed in context.His most expensive ODI performance came in Johannesburg against England where his first five overs cost 52 runs but he returned to take 3 for 11 in four overs at the death and almost helped South Africa snatch victory. Similarly, in the three T20Is where he conceded more than 10 runs an over, Ngidi was among the wickets, and got rid of Ben Stokes in his penultimate over in Centurion, taking two wickets in his final spell against England in Durban, and playing a key part in defending 43 off the last five overs against Australia in Port Elizabeth.Ngidi finished the home summer with a career-best 6 for 58 in the ODI in Bloemfontein where he took wickets at the top and tail of the innings to cap off a superb comeback from injury and fitness concerns. He credited the CSA conditioning camp, which took place in January for Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts and Sisanda Magala, and bowling coach Charl Langeveldt for his success. “Every person has a different formula and I was still trying to figure mine out, so going to that camp helped me do that. I figured out that I have probably got to work a lot harder than most people. It doesn’t come as naturally to me,” he said. “Having Langeveldt back has been really good for me. He is really supportive and encourages the way I think. He is very understanding with that and he has got a lot of knowledge. He is a very skillful bowler. It has really helped my cricket a lot.”He also gave a nod to South Africa’s batsmen, who improved as the summer wore on, and found new names to rely on. Centuries came from Heinrich Klaasen and Janneman Malan and the mood in the camp lifted. “I really had fun watching the guys go about their batting and the confidence that they showed. You could just see how happy the camp was when guys were performing and scoring their runs,” Ngidi said, adding that by the time South Africa got to the ODI series against Australia, their last of the season, a series-win was a non-negotiable for them.South Africa had not managed to claim the trophy in any of the four rubbers that went before (Tests, T20Is and ODIs against England and T20Is against Australia) but whitewashed Australia 3-0 in the ODIs to restore their pride. “The guys were desperate to win, so I think that made the difference at the end of the day in terms of the performances we put out. It’s not nice losing a series at home, so to come out and want to win was one of the main things that I think drove the players towards that whitewash,” Ngidi said. “Winning games like that gives you a lot of confidence and moving forward to India, you could see a different energy in the team and that was really exciting to see. But that’s probably gone now, so we are going to have to start from scratch and rebuild towards that energy that we had.”In India, South Africa did not play a game after the Dharamsala ODI was washed out and the remaining two matches called off as the coronavirus pandemic broke. Since then, Ngidi has been at home and has not seen his family in over a month. South Africa returned from India on March 18 and the squad was asked to self-isolate for two weeks. Eight days into that period, South Africa began a 21-day country-wide lockdown, which has been extended to a 35-day stay-at-home exercise due to end on April 30. “It’s always difficult being away from the family but it’s better this way. Coming from India, going through Dubai, I couldn’t risk going home,” Ngidi said. “But they seem to be doing well, so that does lower the anxiety levels a bit.”Like many of his team-mates, Ngidi has been spending his time trying to keep fit but is itching to get out on the park again. “|I live in an apartment so I can pretty much just work out and watch TV and read a bit. I am watching a lot more documentaries and brushing up on a lot of general knowledge that I didn’t have before,” he said. “What I am looking forward to most after this is probably just to go outside and have a jog. But also just a nice net session with the team and just being together on the field again, is something I am really looking forward to.”