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Seekkuge Prasanna has been picked in place of Jeffrey Vandersay, while fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has also been omitted

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jan-20170:46

Who is Thikshila de Silva?

Uncapped batting allrounder Thikshila de Silva has been named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the T20 series against South Africa, which starts from January 20. Thikshila is yet to play international cricket in any format; the other new member of the T20 squad is the left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, who has played three Tests and an ODI.Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who impressed in the World T20 last year, has been left out in favour of Seekkuge Prasanna, who also offers hitting power. Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been omitted as well, while seamers Isuru Udana and Nuwan Kulasekara have earned recalls. The other major omissions are wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera, and allrounders Thisara Perera (who is currently playing in the Big Bash League) and Dasun Shanaka.Sri Lanka’s T20 squad

Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Seekkuge Prasanna, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asela Gunaratne, Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sandakan, Thikshila de Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara

Thikshila, 23, has largely been picked on potential and on his reputation as a clean striker of the ball for Chilaw Marians. In 15 domestic T20 innings so far, he has hit 15 sixes and as many fours, collecting his 218 runs at a strike rate of 144. A left-handed batsman, Thikshila also bowls right-arm seam, and has six T20 wickets and an economy rate of 8.38. Though there has been no domestic T20 cricket in Sri Lanka since last February, he hit a run-a-ball 92 against SSC in the most recent round of the Premier League Tournament, which began on January 6.Though largely considered a long-format bowler, it is perhaps Sandakan’s ability to turn the ball away from the left-handed batsmen that has earned him his selection, with Prasanna already in the squad, along with left-arm spinning allrounder Sachith Pathirana. Sandakan made a promising start to his Test career last year, but only has 16 domestic T20 wickets and an economy rate of 8.74 across 15 appearances.Lakshan Sandakan made a promising start to his Test career last year but has only 16 wickets in 15 domestic T20 games•Associated PressKulasekara’s return to the T20 squad was expected, after he had appeared to reclaim some of his old rhythm and inswing in the recent ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe. He had had a long, ineffective run in 2015, and had been dropped from both limited-overs sides. Udana – a T20 specialist with a number of slower balls – Suranga Lakmal, and Nuwan Pradeep make up the remaining frontline seam options.Save for Kusal Perera’s omission, there were no major surprises on the batting front. Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella are be among those who will be considered for top-order spots, with captain Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal likely to feature in the XI.Kusal Perera’s omission appears to be largely due to lack of form. In four ODI innings during the Zimbabwe tri-series, he had scores of 21, 4, 7 and 14. He also collected single-figure scores in the first Test against South Africa, and was subsequently dropped from the Test XI.A bout of dengue before Christmas slowed Lasith Malinga’s efforts to regain match fitness, leaving him unavailable for the T20Is and ODIs in South Africa. He will now only attempt to return in time for the three-match T20 series against Australia, scheduled to begin on February 17The first of the three T20s against South Africa is set to be played on January 20 in Centurion.

Leeds United are yet to make their first move in the 2023 summer transfer window with the 49ers club takeover yet to be concluded, but that has not stopped rumours of Jayson Molumby's possible transfer to Elland Road.

The West Bromwich Albion star has been in fine fettle and one of the centrepieces behind the Championship outfit's resurgence after a dismal start to the most recent campaign, and Leeds have taken note.

That's according to The Sun's Alan Nixon, who has recently claimed via his Patreon account that Leeds have earmarked the dynamic midfielder as a top target this summer.

Rated at £4m by Football Transfers, Molumby would be an excellent fit for the West Yorkshire outfit, at least, that's according to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who said: "You need players that the Leeds fans can trust and identify with. And this is someone who would certainly show all the determination and drive that you would really expect from Leeds and want in his position.”

How good is Jayson Molumby?

If Leeds could pull off what would be a signing to catalyse the central midfield's robustness and effectiveness, it could represent the dream replacement for Weston McKennie, who endured a lacklustre six-month loan spell with the Whites after signing from Juventus in January.

This is not to explicitly say that Molumby is a 'better' player than McKennie, who, of course, boasts a wealth of experience across multiple top-flight European leagues and has starred for USA at the 2022 World Cup, but it simply didn't work out for the industrious midfielder at Elland Road, and he floundered to an average rating of 6.67 – as per Sofascore – across his 19 matches in the division. This was just the 13th-best rating in the squad last term.

Hailed as "an insane talent" by journalist Rudy Kinsella, Molumby is tried and tested in the second tier and would surely view a transfer to Leeds as a step up in his career and the chance to cement a starting berth in an outfit hoping to rectify the past wrongs with a swift return to the Premier League.

The omens are certainly promising, with the Waterford-born ace playing 43 times in the Championship this season as West Brom eradicated the concerns over relegation and forged a path to promotion contention, missing out on the play-offs by just three points.

The 23-year-old recorded an average rating of 6.83 after posting four goals and assists apiece, also completing 86% of his passes and averaging 1.4 tackles per game.

Praised as an "animal" by manager Carlos Corberan, the Republic of Ireland international seemingly boasts the tenacity and guile to succeed in the Championship, and he would certainly be a massive upgrade on McKennie, who was indifferent during his time at Elland Road.

Eoin Morgan has said he remains ‘comfortable’ with his decision not to take part in England’s tour of Bangladesh due to his concerns over the security situation

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2016Eoin Morgan has said he remains “comfortable” with his decision not to take part in England’s tour of Bangladesh due to his concerns over the security situation.Morgan and Alex Hales made themselves unavailable for the tour following the terror attacks in the country earlier this year despite the unprecedented levels of security the team were granted for the visit.Andrew Strauss, the managing director of England cricket, who gave the players the right to choose, said an individual’s decision would not be held against them in future selection. Morgan, who is currently in Australia for a spell at the Big Bash for Sydney Thunder, has been recalled to captain the limited-overs squads in India next month. Hales has also been included with Ben Duckett, who made two half-centuries in the one-day series win over Bangladesh, losing his place.”I wasn’t comfortable travelling because of security concerns and I weighed up the question ‘would I be able to perform as a captain and as a player given the security concerns in Bangladesh?'” Morgan said. “I’m still comfortable with it. It is something I considered before confirming my decision to the ECB. I tried to imagine all the different circumstances and didn’t feel comfortable enough in my mind to go and be able to perform.”I have had a great deal of support, everyone who I trust in a tight-knit circle has supported me, everyone within the game that I trust has supported me, players ex and current who I lean on for big decisions. It’s been really good, it was a difficult decision to make and I don’t think a lot of people would have made it but I am certainly happy with the decision that I have made.”Shortly before Morgan confirmed his decision not to tour he cited being involved in previous security scares in both Bangladesh, when he played domestic cricket 2013-14, and India, during the 2010 IPL, as a factor that was weighing heavily on his mind. He has since returned to India on both international and IPL duty but explained that his concerns over Bangladesh also stemmed from the fact that England were the first western team to tour there since the attacks in Dhaka on July 1.”I think one thing that had changed from 2010 in India was that other teams had travelled there and security had increased, also since then there had been no terrorist attacks or sightings or threats in regard to either a tournament or a national team,” he said. “I think going to Bangladesh and being the first western team to travel there since the terrorist attack and the fact that Australia had pulled out even before the terrorist attack happened, was another reason.”England’s three-match one-day series begins in Pune on January 15 and is followed by a three-match T20 series. The first half of 2017 is entirely one-day focused for England with a short tour to West Indies followed by series against Ireland and South Africa in May ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Manchester United are in pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount and their advances are 'slowly creeping along' with the possibility of a deal being completed before an official takeover of the club is finalized not being out of the question, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United are set to approach Chelsea with a formal bid for Mount before too long; however, a gap in valuation between the two clubs is still in play.

The report states that discussions are continuing over the England international between Manchester United and Chelsea, with the Red Devils keen to avoid paying over the odds to land Mount.

90min understand that Chelsea are holding out for around £70 million before they will consider parting ways with the 24-year-old, who is set to enter the final 12 months of his £80k-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are still willing to try and convince Mount to sign an extension and Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be keen to work with the Portsmouth-born playmaker next term.

As per The Mirror, the ownership of Manchester United could be about to change hands in the coming weeks, as both Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani's Nine Two Foundation and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's petrochemicals firm INEOS are vying to assume control at Old Trafford.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones hasn't ruled out the possibility of Mount joining Manchester United before a takeover of the Red Devils is officially completed.

Jones told FFC: "I don't think this one is especially dependent on a takeover. I'm not sure they could do a Harry Kane style deal before a takeover is confirmed, but Mount's been moving forward slowly, creeping along over the past week."

What would Mason Mount bring to Manchester United?

Mount would bring quality, a high work ethic and further composure to Manchester United's midfield and would be a smart acquisition by Erik Ten Hag despite his inconsistent campaign at Chelsea that has just gone.

All in, the 24-year-old made 35 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions across 2022/23 and managed to register three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

FBRef also take into account that Mount has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions regarding progressive passes, having made around 5.95 per 90 minutes on the field across the past 365 days, putting him in the top 10% of midfielders in big leagues on the continent for this metric.

As per WhoScored, Mount also carried a keen goal threat during the season, amassing 1.4 shots on goal per fixture in the Premier League.

Manchester United are a side that are slowly embracing an upward trajectory and bringing Mount to Old Trafford would help them to move closer to becoming title challengers in the English top flight.

Liverpool have "lots of work to do" with Darwin Nunez next season, according to Redmen TV presenter Ste Hoare.

The Uruguayan international joined Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for a club-record fee of £85m, but the Liverpool expert believes that the enigmatic forward isn't the best player available in any frontline position at the club.

Has Darwin Nunez had a good first season?

After arriving from Benfica, Nunez has had an interesting first season on Merseyside, with incredible highs balanced out with embarrassing lows.

The 23-year-old made 42 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, and registered 15 goals and four assists, with his highlights being a brace in the Reds' historic 7-0 victory against arch-rivals Manchester United, as well as a fantastic opening goal in Liverpool's first-leg clash against LaLiga giants Real Madrid.

However, it hasn't been all positive for the former Almeria whiz, with moments such as his debut red card against Crystal Palace at Anfield, whilst a whopping 20 big chances missed in the Premier League gives further cause for concern.

The 6 foot 2 forward has found himself falling down the pecking order as well following the arrival of Cody Gakpo in January in tandem with the return from injury of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, with the striker only starting three of the club's final 12 league games.

What has Ste Hoare said about Darwin Nunez and Liverpool?

Speaking on Nunez's situation at the club, the Redmen TV presenter told Football FanCast:

"There’s a question mark of how he fits into the team. Because he isn’t the best left option. And he isn’t the best forward option.

"Jota and Diaz are both better than him on the left, and at this moment in time, Gakpo and Jota are both better than him up front, so I think there is lots of work to be done on Darwin Nunez, to be honest with you."

What does the future hold for Darwin Nunez in Liverpool?

Liverpool won't give up on the £140k-per-week star just yet, with manager Jurgen Klopp stating before the Red's clash with Nottingham Forest in April that the situation is a "long-term project".

Whilst on the face of it, Nunez has had a mediocre campaign, his underlying numbers paint the picture of a player with all the potential to become one of the most feared attackers in European football.

His non-penalty expected goals + assists per 90 is 0.97, which according to FBref, is among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues, showcasing that should Nunez become more clinical and decisive, he could be contributing almost a goal a game.

Liverpool supporters will be hoping that the Uruguayan has a similar trajectory as his time at Benfica, where after a disappointing first campaign, the Uruguayan attacker burst to life, having scored 34 goals in 41 games across all competitions.

Vernon Philander took five wickets as Australia were rolled for 85 on the first day in Hobart

The Report by Brydon Coverdale11-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:47

‘Smith showed pitch wasn’t impossible to bat on’

Australia have become used to humiliating collapses in recent years. There was 47 all out in Cape Town in 2011. There was 60 all out in Nottingham last year. But, at least those debacles occurred halfway around the world, not in front of a home crowd. On the first day in Hobart, Australia found a new way to embarrass themselves, folding for 85 against South Africa, lasting only 32.5 overs as Vernon Philander led the perfect bowling display for the conditions.Only one other time in the post-war era had Australia survived so few deliveries in a Test innings at home. That was in 1984, against Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding at the WACA of old, mitigating circumstances if ever there were. The innings was over so quickly on that occasion that Courtney Walsh, on debut, didn’t even get a bowl. In any case, Australia’s captain Kim Hughes lasted only one more Test before resigning in tears.Such context is important in understanding just how disastrous Australia’s performance truly was on the first day in Hobart. Steven Smith was the only batsman capable of fighting, and he finished unbeaten on 48. Only one other man reached double figures: the debutant Joe Mennie, a bowler who came in at No.8 and struck a couple of boundaries in reaching 10. Australia’s scorecard featured more single figures than a dating website.But to focus entirely on Australia’s batting is to unfairly devalue the efforts of South Africa’s bowlers and fielders. Faf du Plessis won the toss and sent Australia in – Smith conceded he would also have fielded if he had the choice – and although there was cloud overhead and moisture in the pitch, the bowlers still needed to make the most of those advantages. With Philander their leader, they did that most brilliantly.The ball moved off the seam, sharply at times, and it swung, and South Africa’s bowlers found the perfect lengths and lines to make Australia’s batsmen play. Philander finished with 5 for 21, remarkable considering he left the field mid-innings with what appeared at the time to be a nasty shoulder injury, and Kyle Abbott picked up 3 for 41. The catching and throwing – a direct hit from 12th man Dane Vilas especially – backed up the bowlers.By stumps, Australia’s bowlers had tried to fight back as best they could. Mitchell Starc was briefly at his fearsome best in a post-tea spell that brought him three wickets in 10 balls, and Josh Hazlewood backed him up with two breakthroughs, but Australia’s miserable batting meant they had still given up a significant advantage by stumps. South Africa finished the day on 5 for 171 and were 86 runs in front, with Temba Bavuma on 38 and Quinton de Kock on 28.David Warner’s wicket in the first over triggered the collapse•AFPTheir partnership had reached 39, which meant that South Africa had already managed four stands of greater value than any put up by an Australian pair earlier in the day. Heavy falls had been expected in Hobart on Saturday, but it turned out to be wickets rather than rain. And it all began early, with both of Australia’s openers back in the dressing room by the end of the second over of the match.In the first over, David Warner flashed wildly and widely outside off and edged Philander behind. In the second over, the recalled Joe Burns was lbw to an Abbott delivery that jagged back so sharply, it was as if Abbott was bowling fast offspin. In the ninth over, Philander had Usman Khawaja caught at slip from another seamer, and next ball, he drew Adam Voges forward and nipped one away, which was edged behind to Quinton de Kock for a golden duck.Australia were 4 for 8, which was their lowest four-down total in a Test innings for nearly 80 years. It was into this environment that debutant Callum Ferguson walked, needing also to survive his first ball in Test cricket in order to prevent a Philander hat-trick. He did that, but the chaos was far from over.Ferguson was run out for 3 when he pushed Abbott through backward point, where Vilas misfielded. Ferguson came back for a second run but his dive was beaten by a stunning direct hit from the recovering Vilas, who had only been on the field for three balls after Philander left with a shoulder injury. Philander, who had 3 for 3 at the time, had collided painfully with Smith, but was able to return after lunch to help run through Australia’s tail.Australia lost a sixth wicket before lunch when Peter Nevill was lbw to Kagiso Rabada, and they went to the break on 6 for 43. After lunch, Philander bowled Mennie, before Abbott had both Starc and Hazlewood caught in the cordon, Hazlewood to a brilliant take by the diving Hashim Amla. Australia’s humiliation – and Philander’s five-for – was complete when Nathan Lyon edged behind for 2. Nobody had managed to stick around with Smith for any significant stay. He didn’t even have time for a fifty.If Australia hoped the conditions would make life equally difficult for South Africa’s top order, they were to be initially disappointed. By tea, South Africa’s openers had moved to 43 without loss, but after the resumption, Starc found a little of his best as a searing yorker trapped Dean Elgar lbw for 17 with the first ball of the session. Later that over, Starc also had Stephen Cook caught behind for 23, and in his next over, JP Duminy edged to slip on 1.But South Africa moved along to 76 before losing a fourth wicket – du Plessis lbw for 7 to a Hazlewood delivery that seamed in – and all the while, Amla was frustrating Australia at the other end. Amla compiled 47 and put on 56 for the fifth wicket with Bavuma, before he edged behind off Hazlewood.It meant 15 wickets had fallen in the day, although Australia lost twice as many as South Africa. And by stumps, South Africa had scored more than twice as many runs as Australia. As far as humiliations go, this day was right up there for Australia. Or, perhaps more accurately, down there.

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group B matches played on October 28, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2016A century stand for the fourth wicket between centurion Gautam Gambhir and Rishabh Pant helped Delhi finish the second day with a 114-run lead over Odisha in Mohali. Delhi resumed on 43 for no loss, with an overnight deficit of 194, and lost Unmukt Chand (19) in the fourth over of the day, dismissed by Suryakant Pradhan. Delhi captain Gambhir put on 71 for the second wicket with Dhruv Shorey (29) and then joined the 19-year-old Pant (80) to put on 114 in only 117 balls to help Delhi go past Odisha’s 237.With the lead only 18, Dhiraj Singh dismissed Pant, and Gambhir fell seven overs later, three runs short of 150, as Delhi lost three wickets for 28 runs. Milind Kumar and Sumit Narwal steered the lead past 100 with a 56-run seventh-wicket stand, out of which Narwal struck 35 off 30 balls. Dhiraj dismissed him with just under 10 overs left for stumps, before Milind (39) and Manan Sharma saw out the day without further losses. Dhiraj ended the day with figures of 3 for 61, while offspinner Govinda Poddar took 2 for 65.Unbeaten centuries from Robin Uthappa and Karun Nair helped Karnataka regain the impetus against Assam in Mumbai.Karnataka began the day by breaking the overnight stand, as Stuart Binny removed Swarupam Purkayastha for 59. Former Karnataka batsman Amit Verma, who had rescued Assam on the first day, scored 41 of the 57 runs Assam added to their total, remaining unbeaten on 166 as they folded for 325. Legspinner Shreyas Gopal took the last three wickets to finish with 3 for 74. S Aravind didn’t add to his five-for from the first day.In response, Karnataka were in early trouble, losing both openers for ducks, before Uthappa and Nair came together to put on an unbroken 219 to take them to 223 for 2 at stumps. Both were batting on 108.Maharashtra stretched their first-innings total to 461 on the back of half-centuries from Rahul Tripathi and Vishant More, against Rajasthan in Hyderabad. In reply, Rajasthan reached 76 for 2, losing their first two wickets with 29 on the board before Manender Singh (31) and Ashok Menaria (19) took them to stumps without further damage.Naushad Shaikh and Tripathi extended their overnight 63-run stand to 122 before Shaikh fell for 143. Tripathi, who began the day on 18, put on 67 with More before falling five short of his fourth first-class century. More (62) then batted with the tail to score his maiden first-class half-century and take Maharashtra to 461. He was the last batsman dismissed, falling to Pankaj Singh who finished with 4 for 87.Ishank Jaggi’s unbeaten 112 helped Jharkhand declare with a 257-run first-innings lead against Vidarbha in Wayanand.Jharkhand began the day 146 for 1, leading by 41. They lost both their overnight batsmen, Anand Singh and Pratyush Singh, with neither converting their half-centuries into hundreds, before Saurabh Tiwary (45) and Jaggi put on 83 for the fourth wicket. Jaggi went on to score his second consecutive first-class century though he found little support from the lower order. Jharkhand slipped from 272 for 3 to 346 for 8, before they declared at 362 for 8. Medium-pacers Shrikant Wagh and Rajneesh Gurbani and the ambidextrous spinner Akshay Karnewar all finished with two wickets each.Sanjay Ramaswamy and Faiz Fazal played out the last 11 overs of the day as Vidarbha went to stumps 48 for no loss in their second innings.

When the opening whistle blew at Elland Road to commence play against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 22/23 campaign, Leeds United perhaps had a glimmer of hope that victory could be secured and a stunning ascent from the relegation zone at the death could be achieved.

It was not to be. The Lilywhites comprehensively drubbed the stricken Whites 4-1 and a return to the Championship after three terms in the top flight was confirmed.

Leeds were the architects of their own demise, winning just one of their final 11 top-flight matches, with the appointment of relegation specialist Sam Allardyce too little too late.

Turning to the new season, Leeds are now eyeing a permanent manager to lead them back to prominence, and former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is at the forefront of candidates, according to the Sun.

Despite coming up short with the Villans and receiving the sack earlier this term, Gerrard proved during his time with Scottish giants Rangers that he can craft success and mount a title challenge to ascend from the Championship swiftly.

Should Leeds appoint Steven Gerrard?

Gerrard is believed to be enticed by the opportunity to take the helm at Elland Road, presented with the perfect opportunity to rekindle his managerial career to coincide with an outfit desperate for a fugacious stay back in the second tier.

Praised as an "incredible leader" as a player by Wayne Rooney, Gerrard favours an attacking, possession-based 4-3-3 style of football, which could work nicely at Leeds if implemented aptly, given the blistering success of Marcelo Bielsa, whose entertaining style sent the club barrelling back into the Premier League and indeed cementing a spot in the top half.

There will be alarm bells over his failure to unlock the full potential of the Aston Villa squad, which is evidenced by the very same set of players ascending to a seventh-placed finish the very same season under the sage tutelage of Unai Emery, now awaiting a return to European competition.

Sometimes, though, it just doesn't work out, and Gerrard demonstrated his aptitude with the Gers by clinching the Scottish Premiership title in an invincible campaign where the outfit harvested 102 points and ended nine years of Celtic's dominance.

In that campaign, the balance was found superbly and Rangers scored a stunning 92 goals while shipping just 13 at the back, drawing six times and indeed avoiding defeat across the 38-game campaign.

While Leeds might struggle to avoid a loss throughout the turbulence of the Championship season, Gerrard holds the formula for crafting a team capable of challenging for a century when provided the tools.

Some will be apprehensive over the feasibility of appointing the Liverpool legend, but should Leeds retain enough talent to forge an immediate challenge for a spot at the top of the table while boasting enough pull to clinch several first-rate new signings, and if Gerrard can indeed stamp his style into the squad, it could be a dream made in heaven.

Batsmen Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson have been included in Australia’s Test squad for the second Test against South Africa, which begins in Hobart on November 12

Daniel Brettig at the WACA07-Nov-2016Shaun Marsh has been ruled out of the rest of the South Africa series with a broken finger, meaning Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson have been included in Australia’s Test squad for the second Test in Hobart, which begins on Saturday.The injury occurred when Marsh was fielding on the first day of the Perth Test, a re-break of the same finger he injured during the limited-overs leg of the tour of Sri Lanka in August. However Cricket Australia kept the injury in-house until after the match.This was partly due to Marsh being undecided about whether he was going to submit to surgery that will rule him out of the remainder of the series and put him under pressure to be fit in time for the start of the Pakistan Tests in mid-December.On Monday, Cricket Australia physiotherapist David Beakley said of the injury: “Shaun re-injured his left little finger on day one while fielding. Subsequent x-rays have shown a similar break to the previous one and he will now require surgery to stabilise the bone fragment. At this stage, all going according to plan, we expect Shaun to be available for selection [for the Pakistan Test series].”However it was also the product of indecision among the selectors about who was to be called into the squad, a call not made until Monday afternoon when the panel settled on Burns and Ferguson. There is also doubt over the fitness of Adam Voges due to a hamstring strain, while the allrounder Mitchell Marsh is under severe pressure to hold on to his place in the team following a string of underwhelming scores.Before play on Sunday, the coach Darren Lehmann had denied there would be any changes to the team for Hobart, when asked on ABC Radio by the broadcaster Gerard Whateley.”Just to clarify, is the squad for Perth the squad for Hobart, as that’s how it was selected?” Whateley asked.”Yes,” replied Lehmann.”So the 12’s the 12?” Whateley pursued further.”The 12’s the 12,” concluded Lehmann.Ferguson, 31, is yet to debut in Test cricket, and although he has played 30 ODIs and three T20Is, he has not appeared for Australia since April 2011. He has had a mixed start to the Sheffield Shield this season, scoring a century and a duck in two games for South Australia. His longest run in the ODI team took place in 2009, ending when he suffered a serious knee injury while fielding in that year’s Champions Trophy final against New Zealand.Burns, who was dropped during Australia’s Test whitewash in Sri Lanka, was Man of the Match for his 170 and 65 against New Zealand in Christchurch in February – Australia’s previous Test assignment to the Sri Lanka tour. He too, like Ferguson, has one century in his first two Sheffield Shield games this season. In his 12 Tests, Burns, has 872 runs at 41.52 with three centuries and four fifties.Marsh, who made 63 and 15 in Perth, also had hamstring trouble before this Test series, and had to prove his fitness before being picked for the first Test.Australia are 1-0 down in the series, having lost the Perth Test by 177 runs after a poor showing with the bat. Fast bowler Joe Mennie, named 12th man in Perth, will again link up with the squad in Hobart.Squad for Hobart: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Callum Ferguson, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle, Joe Mennie, Nathan Lyon

Manchester United are plotting a move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

Who is signing for Man United?

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Man United are "pushing" to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with Erik ten Hag giving the green light, however rivals Liverpool are also interested in signing the 24-year-old.

As such, the Red Devils could reignite their interest in Caicedo, having been linked with the Brighton star back in May, with The Telegraph now reporting they are one of a number of Premier League clubs currently plotting moves.

Chelsea and Arsenal are also named as potential suitors for the Ecuadorian, while Liverpool could also enter the race, depending on the finances involved, having already swooped for his teammate, Alexis Mac Allister.

Brighton are demanding more than £70m to part with the midfielder, with interest in his signature now beginning to intensify, having rejected a bid of £70m from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

Although they were unwilling to part with the 21-year-old in the previous window, Brighton are willing to let him leave in the coming weeks, having sealed qualification for next season's Europa League.

Who will Moises Caicedo sign for?

According to a report from Ecuadorian news outlet Teradeportes, the youngster "dreams" of playing in the Champions League, which means Man United could have an advantage over the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for his signature.

However, the same report details the central midfielder has already "agreed personal terms" with Arsenal, viewing a move to the Emirates Stadium as his "priority" this summer, so the Red Devils have a lot of ground to make up on the Gunners.

Should United manage to tempt the Ecuador international into a move to Old Trafford, there is plenty of evidence he could be an excellent signing, having been hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media last season.

The most impressive aspects of the starlet's game are his defensive attributes, ranking in the 89th percentile for interceptions, and in the 87th percentile for tackles per 90 over the course of the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Caicedo could be a solid signing for Man United, perhaps as a long-term heir for Casemiro, who is now 31-years-old, however Ten Hag's priority is a striker, so it may be unwise to spend a significant amount of the budget on a defensive midfielder.