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The Reds have already signed Cody Gakpo from PSV, but who could follow him through the door at Anfield?

It looks as if the January transfer window is going to be a busy one for Liverpool.

With the Cody Gakpo deal done, the Reds’ business is well underway as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his squad for what looks like being a tense race for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, but will be hoping to see their form pick up considerably in the second half of the campaign, and the arrival of some new faces in January could aid that process considerably.

But who might be on the agenda? GOAL takes a look at some potential targets for Klopp’s side…

Getty ImagesJude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

It is no secret that Liverpool are desperate to convince England’s latest young superstar to come to Anfield, and it is understood that they, along with Real Madrid and Manchester City, are among the most serious contenders for Bellingham’s signature.

Nobody within the club is playing down the Reds’ interest, with Klopp speaking publicly about the Borussia Dortmund midfielder prior to Liverpool’s game with Aston Villa. “Just exceptional,” was his verdict.

A January move, to Liverpool or anywhere else, looks unlikely, with Dortmund still in the Champions League and Bellingham keen to leave the club on good terms, but a summer switch is undoubtedly on the cards.

As reported by GOAL, Madrid appear to be at the front of the queue, with the England international interested in a switch to the Bernabeu, but Liverpool still hold out hope that they can convince him to join them instead.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEnzo Fernandez (Benfica)

Another midfielder heavily linked has been Fernandez, who was one of the stars of Argentina’s World Cup triumph.

The 21-year-old only joined Benfica last summer, but reports in Portugal suggest he is already ready to make the next step, with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea – who have been reportedly already offered over £106 million ($128m) – all credited with an interest.

Liverpool sources have, unlike with Bellingham, dismissed suggestions they are close to agreeing a deal, and have even played down the club’s interest, but it looks likely that Fernandez will be on the move before too long.

GettyMoises Caicedo (Brighton)

It’s all about midfielders as far as Liverpool are concerned, with their defence well stocked and Gakpo’s arrival significantly boosting their attacking options.

Caicedo is one that has caught the eye, the Brighton and Ecuador star emerging as one of the up-and-coming players of the Premier League over the past 12 months.

Liverpool scouts have been suitably impressed, and Brighton’s policy of developing players to sell on – see also; Ben White, Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella – means they would be confident of getting him out of the Amex Stadium.

The fee, however, could be a stumbling block, with Brighton likely to demand more than £50 million ($60m) for the talented 21-year-old.

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GettySofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

The links with World Cup stars keep on coming, with Morocco’s Amrabat another to be heavily tipped for a move to Merseyside.

Amrabat, a specialist midfield destroyer as opposed to some of the all-rounders on this list, plays in Italy with Fiorentina and is valued at around £35m ($42m). At 26, he is approaching his prime and may feel the time has come to make a big move.

Whether Liverpool will be in the market, however, is another matter. With Fabinho very much established as their first-choice No.6, and with teenager Stefan Bajcetic emerging as a player with serious potential, their need for a player of Amrabat’s talents is less than it is for, say, a Bellingham or a Caicedo.

Australia completed a 277-run demolition of West Indies inside four days at Sabina Park to win the Frank Worrell Trophy 2-0

The Report by George Binoy14-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc took 3 for 34 in the second innings•Getty ImagesAustralia completed a 277-run demolition of West Indies inside four days at Sabina Park to win the Frank Worrell Trophy 2-0. West Indies began the day with eight wickets in hand, but their resistance was feeble. The contest was all but over after they lost 5 for 56 in the first session, and they crumbled for 114 shortly after lunch.Smart Stats

0.65 West Indies’ win-loss ratio at home over the last 10 years, the worst for any top-eight team. West Indies have played 41 home Test during this period, winning 11 and losing 17.
9 Number of times three out of West Indies’ top six batsmen have been dismissed for ducks in a Test innings. Five of those instances have come since 2000.
31 Runs scored by West Indies’ top six batsmen in the second innings, the second-fewest in a Test innings at home. The fewest runs scored is 24, also at Sabina Park, against England in 2004.
49 The eighth-wicket partnership between Veerasammy Permaul and Denesh Ramdin in the second innings, the highest in 24 years for West Indies against Australia in a home Test.
611 Balls faced (or 101.5 overs) by West Indies’ batsmen in this Test, the third-fewest against Australia when they have been bowled out twice. The fewest balls faced is 457 (or 76.1 overs) in Port of Spain in 1999.

Mitchell Starc had accounted for Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika in the first over of the innings late on the third day, and he struck in the fifth over this morning. A full ball curled into Shane Dowrich after angling across him from over the wicket and brushed his front pad. Starc whipped around to appeal for lbw, not realising the ball had gone on to hit off stump. He had figures of 6-4-2-3.There was seam movement on offer in the morning and Josh Hazlewood bowled an impeccable length around off stump, moving the ball just enough to constantly trouble the batsmen. Darren Bravo eventually pushed forward with hard hands, and the deviation off the pitch caused the outside edge to carry to gully, where Shaun Marsh stooped to take a low catch. Shortly after, Hazlewood induced Jermaine Blackwood to play on to a delivery that nipped into the right-hander from a good length, and West Indies were 33 for 5.The partnership between 21-year old Shai Hope and Denesh Ramdin lasted nine overs before Mitchell Johnson let one rip from round the wicket. Hope pushed forward with a gap between bat and pad and the ball cut in to hit off stump. There was no resistance from Jason Holder this time; he fell clipping Shane Watson tamely to short midwicket.West Indies were 72 for 7 at lunch but Ramdin and Veerasammy Permaul kept Australia waiting after the break. Their partnership extended to 49 at 4.5 runs at over before Johnson broke through. He squared Ramdin up and Michael Clarke dived to his right at second slip to take a low catch.The offspinner Nathan Lyon had not been used much in the innings but in his seventh over he ended the match off consecutive deliveries. Kemar Roach popped a catch to short leg, before Jerome Taylor was bowled slogging across the line to bag a pair. West Indies had lost 20 wickets in 101.5 overs in the Test.

Ex-Manchester United star Jesse Lingard has received words of encouragement from Patrice Evra after posting another video of a solo training session.

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Released by Forest at the end of last seasonSpent time with West Ham & El-EttifaqRemains a free agent heading into 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The former England international remains a free agent on the back of his release by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The 30-year-old playmaker would have expected to have found a new club by now, but contracts are proving hard to come by.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lingard is doing his best to keep himself in shape, as he works with personal instructors, and will be eager to see his patience and persistence rewarded at some stage. He has spent time at Inter Miami’s training facility, while also taking in trial spells with West Ham and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq.

WHAT EVRA SAID ABOUT LINGARD

Evra is among those urging Lingard to keep his head up, with the former United defender backing his one-time Old Trafford team-mate to find a new club in the not too distant future. Evra has responded to Lingard’s latest video on social media by saying: “Your time coming soon brother keep working hard.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

Lingard struggled for form and fitness throughout his one-season stint at Forest, but he is a proven Premier League performer – with 232 appearances for United and 32 England caps to his name – and 2024 could be the year in which his career gets back on track.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain picked up important centuries to guide Bangladeshis to 377 for 7 when they declared. However, St Kitts & Nevis opener Shane Jeffers struck back with an attacking century of his own

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2014
ScorecardMushfiqur Rahim was more composed than Nasir Hossain, who made his first fifty-plus score since early June•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksMushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain picked up important centuries on day two of Bangladesh’s warm-up game in Warner Park. But the day would not end well for the visitors after St Kitts & Nevis’ Shane Jeffers pummeled 118.Shivnarine Chanderpaul cruised to an unbeaten 70 as the bowlers struggled to put together a string of good overs. At stumps, the home side were 232 for 4 after Bangladesh had declared on 377 for 7.Mushfiqur was the first to reach the three-figure mark and remained not out on 106 off 170 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. Nasir managed his first fifty-plus score since early June, grinding out 100 off 153 balls. The pair added 191 runs for the seventh wicket but the moment Nasir got out, Mushfiqur placed the onus on his bowlers. But they did not respond well.Jeffers’ aggressive intent rattled them so much that by the time his opening partner Shaquille Martina was dismissed for 9, the total had swollen to 77 in 19 overs.Jeffers collected 22 fours and was finally dismissed for 118 off 131 balls, caught at deep midwicket by Mahmudllah off Shuvagata Hom. There was a wicket each for seamer Rubel Hossain and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam as well.

Gihahn Cloete and Theunis de Bruyn made centuries to ensure that England Lions were kept in the field throughout the hottest of days

Ivo Tennant at Boland Park11-Jan-2015
ScorecardLiam Plunkett picked up two wickets on a tough day for the Lions bowlers (file photo)•Getty ImagesGihahn Cloete, who was making his debut for South Africa A, luxuriates in the delightful second name of Love. His nickname of “Le Glue”, in the sense that he is a thoroughly adhesive opening batsman, is equally fetching in addition to being well chosen. On the flattest of pitches at Boland Park, both he and Theunis de Bruyn made centuries to ensure that England Lions were kept in the field throughout the hottest of days.It might have made more sense for this first-class fixture to have been staged at Newlands, where both sides are staying, or at the nearby Claremont Cricket Club, where the Lions practised last week. There might well have been more than a smattering of spectators, the ever-prevalent wind in Cape Town would have made for cooler conditions, and there would have been far less travelling involved. Still, two significant matches have just been staged at Newlands and this remains a beautiful venue.In all probability Jonathan Trott, or someone else in the Lions’ upper order, would have batted for much of the day, too, but their turn will come. Their side was largely chosen on the basis of form in county cricket last season: hence the likes of Alex Lees and Adam Lyth were given the chance to press their case as possible Test openers while there was no place for the equally gifted Sam Billings.As for the bowlers, Liam Plunkett, who took the first two wickets, was probably the pick. There was little pace, however, and Adil Rashid will do well to find any spin throughout the four-day match.Omar Henry, the personable former South Africa spinner who still runs this ground, said that more grass had been left on the pitch to try to ensure a balance between bat and ball that was wholly lacking in the last fixture here. There was a little movement at the start of the day, when Cloete reckoned Plunkett, who maintained a fuller length than anyone else, was unlucky. Nevertheless, an opening partnership of 122 between him and Stiaan van Zyl, who is odds on to replace Alviro Petersen as an opener in South Africa’s full side, was as watchful as it was dominant.Both van Zyl and Andrew Puttick were taken at first slip by Lees off Plunkett, the second of these a particularly smart catch. There were scant other successes for the Lions’ bowlers. Cloete and de Bruyn, who, incidentally, is no relation of Zander de Bruyn (and is regarded as potentially a finer cricketer) are room mates of old from their South Africa U-19 days and hence know how to judge a run as well, quite clearly, as the right ball to hit.Cloete made 123 off 221 balls with 16 fours and a six; De Bruyn an unbeaten 126 from 156 balls with 22 fours. The Lions never appeared ragged in the field, however. The bowlers, other than Rashid being struck for six by Cloete to take him to 96 from the last ball before tea, never lost their lengths but there would have been no shortage of takers for ice baths at the end of this day. And Cloete’s second name? It derives from his grandmother’s surname.There was nothing so prosaic about his batting. He grew up not far from Paarl but his family moved to Kimberley when he was ten years old. He now opens for Chevrolet Knights in four day cricket. “This will help my game go forward,” he said, for this was only his sixth first-class century. Anticipate plenty more over the coming years.

South Africa will not dare to take Afghanistan lightly as they bid to bounce back from their chastening opening-round defeat to England at the Wankhede Stadium, according to Hashim Amla

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2016South Africa will not dare to take Afghanistan lightly as they bid to bounce back from their chastening opening-round defeat to England at the Wankhede Stadium, according to Hashim Amla.Despite a riotous start to South Africa’s innings, Amla’s 58 from 31 balls and a 91-run stand for the first wicket with Quinton de Kock proved insufficient to set up a victory. England, inspired by Joe Root’s 83 from 44 balls, chased down a massive 230 to win by two wickets with two balls to spare and put the pressure on South Africa ahead of their second Group 1 game against the Associate qualifiers.”I still think 230 is a very good total, no matter which venue,” Amla said. “Can you ever be satisfied with any score? I guess I could have hit that ball for six and that ball for four, but that’s not how it goes. We would definitely have taken 230 at the start of the game, we have to be grateful to get that on the board.”Looking ahead to the challenge of Afghanistan, who South Africa have only met once before, Amla said: “You can’t take any team for granted. We saw how they played against Sri Lanka and the shorter the format the more the minnow teams are in the running. We have to play our best players to beat them.”He admitted, however, that he wasn’t fully acquainted with the players he will be facing. “What we know is basically what we’ve seen in their game against Sri Lanka and the preliminary tournament. We leave that to our brains trust, but they are a good team and you don’t take them lightly.”South Africa know that defeat in their first game means the pressure is on them but Amla said captain Faf du Plessis had told his players not to panic after conceding the second-highest successful chase in T20 internationals.One area they can definitely make improvements in is the amount of extras conceded; South Africa gave up 20 runs in wides, compared to England’s two, which may have been the difference between winning and losing in a close finish that came down to the last few deliveries.”Faf has spoken about trying to be as simple as we can with our plans,” Amla said. “The difference in the game last night was us conceding too many extras and we will have to leave it at that.”We have a quality bowling attack, I believe they will be hurt, along with the team, for not executing as well as they would have liked. I’m sure in the games to follow we can bounce back.”

Weston McKennie has admitted that his loan spell at Leeds did not go as well as he expected and feels he "let certain people down".

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McKennie joined Leeds on loan last seasonCould not prevent club from being relegatedMidfielder is shining again at JuventusWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States midfielder was loaned to the Elland Road club in January to aid in their bid to avoid relegation to the Championship last season. He made 19 league appearances but did not have the desired effect, registering just one assist as they finished second-bottom and dropped down to the second tier.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MCKENNIE SAID

McKennie told in Italy: "I didn’t have the best performances. I felt I let certain people down. But at the end of the day, when I came back, I think it was important for me in general to have an experience like that, to have that happen to me at this moment of my career, because when I came back it felt like I was coming back here for the first time again. When I first came to Juventus, nobody knew who I was, everybody doubted me, everybody was against me, and I think it was important for me because it put chips back on my shoulder. That’s when I perform best and prove that I can do it and that I belong, so it was nice to come back and have that feeling again."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

McKennie has been given a key role by coach Massimiliano Allegri since he moved back to Juventus during the summer. He has played in all 12 of their Serie A games so far this season and remains an important part of the United States national team, playing all 90 minutes as they beat Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final first-leg.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MCKENNIE?

McKennie had to withdraw from the USMNT team before the second-leg of the Nations League tie due to an injury, however, and it has not yet been confirmed whether or not he will be fit for Juve's headline Serie A showdown against Inter on Sunday.

There are plenty of coaches around the continent who deserve huge credit for what they've achieved over the past year – but who's the best of the lot?

As another gruelling European football season draws to a close, those managers who have guided their teams through successful campaigns can finally sit back and admire their work, while others will still have their eyes on the silverware that will come within their grasp in the coming weeks.

There have been storylines galore, with names written into club folklore and history made across the continent. But who are the outstanding coaches of the 2022-23 season who deserve to be singled out for special praise?

GOAL ranks the 21 managers around Europe who have done the very best job…

Getty Images21Marco Rose (RB Leipzig)

It was by no means an easy season for Marco Rose and RB Leipzig, but he has done very well to steady the ship and guide the Roten Bullen to a third-placed league finish, the DFB-Pokal final and the Champions League knockout stages having taken over in September with his hometown club in 11th place in the Bundesliga.

AdvertisementGetty Images20Raffaele Palladino (Monza)

Raffaele Palladino has been a revelation at newly-promoted Monza having only been promoted from youth team manager in September. At just 39, he has guided the newly-promoted club to a mid-table finish in Serie A, recording victories over the likes of Juventus, Inter and champions Napoli along the way, while enjoying two lengthy unbeaten streaks that gave them huge momentum.

Their success has been propelled – and indeed bankrolled – by owner Silvio Berlusconi.

Getty19Gary O'Neil (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth were pretty much every pundit and fan's favourites for relegation from the Premier League at the start of the season, and eyebrows were raised when the club sacked Scott Parker and appointed the inexperienced Gary O'Neil as caretaker just four games in

He earned the job full-time after a strong showing, but the Cherries began to slip back down the table and appeared doomed with 10 games to go. However, a late-season resurgence saw Bournemouth pull clear of the relegation zone with time to spare.

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Getty Images18Jagoba Arrasate (Osasuna)

It has already been a memorable campaign for Osasuna, who reached the Copa del Rey final with a squad made up of predominantly academy products. Now, European football is within their grasp.

Having guided the club to mid-table finishes each season since their promotion back to La Liga in 2019, Jagoba Arrasate has pushed on in 2022-23 and his side currently occupies a Europa Conference League place with one game to go.

For Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday’s judgement was far worse than the franchises expected and the initial reaction was to hunker down, close ranks and reflect on the situation rather than react

Arun Venugopal14-Jul-2015For Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday’s judgement was far worse than the franchises expected and the initial reaction was to hunker down, close ranks and reflect on the situation rather than react. Speculation abounded in the absence of any official comment from either franchise, including rumours that suggested the franchises might be up for sale, but it seems whatever decisions are to be taken will be done after consideration and not in a knee-jerk manner.As the initial shock wore off concerns shifted to the huge hit the franchises’ brand identity would have taken. The immediate impact of Super Kings’ suspension, for instance, was felt in the stock market as India Cements’ share price dipped in the afternoon. Later in the day Aircel, one of Super Kings’ key sponsors, said in a statement that it was “reviewing our position in the matter [its association with the team].”One senior Super Kings official, however, said they had not once entertained thoughts of giving up the team. “You know, we have worked very hard to nurture the team over eight years,” he said. “Besides, will anyone even come up to buy the team now? We will never sell the team.”The official swiftly dismissed as rumour news of Super Kings appealing against the order. “All that you have been hearing and reading are rumours,” he said. “We haven’t taken any decision and neither will we arrive at anything without consulting our in-house legal counsel. We will be sitting down to discuss this in a day or two. The pros and cons of an appeal will have to be considered. We are not in a hurry.”The official, however, admitted that the outcome was “shattering.””We were trying to brace ourselves for this as everyone was talking about a possible suspension. But we didn’t expect to be suspended for two years. In that way, it has been very disappointing,” the official stated.The Royals management, meanwhile, were nervous ahead of the announcement in the morning, but slipped into a huddle soon after. It is understood they, too, are in consultation with their legal team to study the different aspects of the order.”I thought we would get away,” one Royals source said. “I don’t know whether it was the heart thinking or my head. So, the suspension was a bit of a shock.”The biggest impact, as the Super Kings official said, would be on the brand identity. George John, manager, marketing and operations, Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, said it was too early to speculate on how much the team will be hurt on the sponsorship front. He, however, said sponsors had not abandoned them even in the wake of the 2013 spot-fixing scandal that saw top Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan being arrested.”We have never had any problem with our sponsors,” John told ESPNcricinfo. “They have always stood by us. They know what we stand for.”Brand consultant Harish Bijoor felt while the reputation of the two teams had corroded, advertisers and broadcasters were unlikely to pay a huge price. “They are all fair weather friends,” Bijoor said of advertisers and broadcasters. “Their money is totally protected, their contracts are reasonably waterproof to protect themselves against these things. Contracts are clean and sharp. The only people who suffer are the two franchise owners.”Please note that the recommendations are that these two teams don’t play for two years. It’s quite likely that many of the stars of these teams are likely to be figuring in other teams. Two or three teams, theoretically, might come into the IPL. End of the day, the net count of the matches will remain the same if not go up. Nobody loses except the franchises.”Bijoor said it was the end of the road for both Super Kings and Royals as brands, “even if not legally.” “Brands have morality elements. The real custodian of the brand is the viewer. The problem is this brand is not like EPL. It is not as old as a Manchester United is, or as old as a Chelsea is. And loyalties are portable. People will take their loyalties to a new brand. At the end of the day, nobody is wedded to a team as much as to a [MS] Dhoni or a [Suresh] Raina or a [Rahul] Dravid.”He suggested that the teams re-brand themselves if and when they come back into the league, either after the term of suspension or after a change in ownership: “Brands enjoy positive karma and negative karma. This is a bit of negative karma as far as these brands are concerned. Changing the name, the ownership, the entire ethos and putting together a set of corporate governance laws will change that. It has to be an amalgam of many things. It’s a brand restructuring guy’s delight.”

At the end of a tumultuous summer, Michael Clarke admitted he spoke of a World Cup victory based on skill over emotion as a way of convincing himself that he could endure the toll of this most draining season

Daniel Brettig at the MCG29-Mar-2015At the end of a summer when Australia went through the unspeakable grief of bidding farewell to Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke admitted he spoke of a World Cup victory based on skill over emotion as a way of convincing himself that he could endure the toll of this most draining season.Clarke spoke fully and frankly of the longest of summers after lifting the Cup in front of a world record MCG crowd and signing off from limited-overs cricket with an emphatic win over New Zealand. But it was clear how much it had stretched Clarke, from the emotional tumult around the death of Hughes to running battles with the selection panel over his fitness to lead.”The summer has been different because it’s not just about the physical side of the game,” he said. “I think we’ve all experienced the mental side and the emotion of what’s happened, and I guess that’s why the boys deserve even more credit, to be able to continue to get up every single day and want to perform and help the team have success with that emotion that runs through your body.”I think through the whole World Cup, I made it very clear that it was going to be skill, not emotion that won us the World Cup, and I think a lot of the things I’ve said in press conferences have actually been for myself. I’m saying it out loud so I can hear it myself, and I think that’s probably one of the main things I’ve been saying, skill over emotion will win the World Cup for us, and I think I’ve needed to hear that, as well. I’ve needed to say it out loud because it has been emotional, there’s no doubt about it.”To fight my backside off and work as hard as I possibly have to get back into the team, number one, after surgery, and then I guess to deal with what we’ve all dealt with over the last few months and to win a World Cup in front of your home fans, it’s taken amazing discipline from all the players, a lot of hard work, and it’s a fitting reward, like I say, for the pain everyone has gone through.”Clarke said he had found it harder to deal with the gap left in his life by his friend and “little brother” as the summer went on, spending a lot of time speaking with the Hughes family, whom he had shepherded through the days before and after the 25-year-old’s death.”Hughesy is thought about and spoken about on a daily basis,” Clarke said. “I think probably the last couple of months for me personally, it’s probably been harder than when he first passed away. I’ve been in regular contact with his sister and his family. And I know they would have been watching tonight. I guess that’s what makes it so special, that we are still thinking about him. We are still talking about him, and we always will.”Like I say, I won’t play another game, I certainly won’t play a Test match without his Test number on my heart, and I’ll wear this black armband for the rest of my career. You know, we’ve spoken about it as a team. We believe we played this World Cup with 16 players in our squad, and that will continue for the rest of my career, that’s for sure.”A little more than a day after he had announced his ODI retirement, Clarke was convinced the team was in good hands. Marshalled by the coach Darren Lehmann and Clarke’s likely successor Steven Smith, they can be expected to carry on in the same aggressive vein that typified their success in this World Cup. Certainly Clarke had no doubt he was leaving the side in better shape than when he first led it in 2011.

I think the team is in a great place. I think that talent will not just be talent, it’ll be consistent performance. Like I said, I think it’s the right time for me to go now

“Now I know it’s the right time,” he said. “There’s no such thing as fairytales in sport but that’s as close as it gets for me, not only to win a World Cup but to win in front of your home fans. There was a lot of expectation, a lot of added pressure, the fact we were playing in Australia in front of our home fans. I think the boys soaked that up from day one and loved every minute of it.”We’ve worked really hard. Even today once we bowled New Zealand out, six or seven of the guys went to the nets for a hit in the lead-up to our batting innings just to make sure they were as well prepared as they possibly could be and ready to walk out and chase those 180 runs. It shows the discipline and the dedication to wanting the team to have success. I’m extremely proud and really happy with how the day panned out.”I think the team is in a great place. I think they’ll continue to have success. I think they’ll continue to get better. I think that talent will not just be talent, it’ll be consistent performance. I think, like I said, I think it’s the right time for me to go now. I think this team is ready to move forward and continue to have a lot of success all around the world.”As for the timing of his retirement announcement, something a few had questioned on match eve, Clarke gave a simple and logical explanation. In doing so he illustrated how much attention he has paid to the media cycle during his career, both its bouquets and brickbats.”Because I think tomorrow’s press is going to be about the team, and if I announced it tonight, then tomorrow’s press wouldn’t have been about the team,” Clarke said. “I’ve probably taken one day of media rather than a week of it. I’m hoping the next week is full of positive things about every single player in that change room and what they’ve achieved in this tournament. But you guys will dictate that.”