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The tournament, to played early in the season, will now feature the eight WBBL sides plus a team from ACT

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2024The new women’s domestic T20 competition in Australia will now be aligned to the eight WBBL clubs, alongside an ACT side, rather than state teams after pressure from Victoria and New South Wales over the proposed structure.The tournament, designed to make up for the reduced WBBL which has been trimmed to a 40-game regular season, was initially going to be state-based but Victoria and New South Wales, who both provide two teams in the WBBL, were unhappy with that model and feared some of their fringe players could potentially lose out on playing opportunities.Under the solution thrashed out by the states and CA, there will now be eight teams under their WBBL banners plus a side from ACT who play in the WNCL one-day tournament. The competition will take place before the WBBL season with each side playing four matches and the top four teams moving to the semi-finals.The timing of the tournament means it will run alongside the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh so the Australia players won’t be involved which naturally opens up spots in teams while overseas stars are not expected to feature prominently.A complicating factor will be around ACT who have a number of players contracted to WBBL clubs including key batter Katie Mack who plays for Adelaide Strikers.With the WBBL being trimmed to match the BBL in an attempt to manage the increasing workloads of the game’s leading players, ensure overseas names still want to join, encouraging growth in crowds and to cut out non-primetime matches, there was a strong push to ensure that there was not an overall reduction in matches for state cricketers.The restructuring of the women’s domestic programme was announced at the launch of CA’s Women’s and Girls Action Plan last month but since then the stance of Victoria and New South Wales has required reworking of the original plans.”Cricket NSW has always been committed to the success of the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder and the tournament announced today will help both of our clubs in their quest for WBBL success and to produce players for Australia,” New South Wales chief executive Lee Germon said.”That enhanced player pathway is in the best interests of Australian Cricket and provides further opportunity for the continued success of our national women’s teams.”The delay in confirming the structure of the competition also meant that state contracts, which would normally have been confirmed by the end of April, were put on hold amid the uncertainty.The new T20 competition will raise the average female domestic player salary for 2024-25 to AU$163,322 while the current WBBL salary cap has been maintained meaning no reduction in player payments.

Mexican club Chivas have registered players sharing the names of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane for the new season which has sparked a buzz among fans.

Namesake of Ronaldo and Zidane register for Mexican team ChivasJoins Carlos and RobinhoCoached by former Barcelona player MilitoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Cristiano Ronaldo Rojas Vidal, 16, and Zinedine Sidane Hernandez Quezada, 18, have been added to the Mexican side's squad. They join players called Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernandez and Angel Robinho Romero Quintero, who were already part of the team, ahead of the upcoming Apertura season The Guadalajara club will hope the four players live up to their famous namesakes.

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With Ronaldo, Zidane, Carlos and Robinho being some of football’s greatest players, whose careers are filled with accolades and trophies, it is no surprise parents are inspired to name their children after such legends. In an interview in 2023, Sidane’s father confirmed so, saying: “It's a real tribute to Zinedine Zidane. I played football in Mexico and I've always had a lot of affection for France and Brazil. He's a player who really left his mark on me. Why with an S and not a Z? Because when it came to registering him in Mexico, the person didn't write it correctly.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Chivas are coached by former Barcelona defender Gabriel Milito, who spent four years at the club from 2007 to 2011 and was part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side in 2011. 

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO, SIDANE AND CHIVAS ?

Chivas hope the young players can perform well without being weighed down by the expectations their names bring. The players, in turn, aim to impress coach Milito and earn starting spots for the Mexican side.

As the England midfielder leaves the Etihad Stadium for Everton, GOAL counts down the worst deals of the Manchester City coach's career

Jack Grealish and Pep Guardiola often felt like an odd couple, a strange alliance between the ultimate individual and a coach who insists on structure and rehearsed patterns of play. Now, four years after their unlikely relationship began with the player's Premier League record transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City, it has come to a sad end. 

Grealish is set to join Everton on loan after effectively agreeing to leave City at the start of the summer when he was left out of the squad for the Club World Cup. The departure follows two bitterly disappointing seasons for the England international after the high of winning the treble in 2023. Guardiola desperately wanted to help Grealish return to those heady days, but back in January he effectively admitted he had given up on that aim, remarking: "Do I want the Jack that won the treble? Yeah, I want it, but I try to be honest with myself."

City have already moved on from Grealish, signing Jeremy Doku in 2023, Savinho in 2024 and Rayan Cherki this summer to compete with him, and the £100-million man's disappointing career at the Etihad Stadium underlines that Guardiola does not always get it right in the transfer market. 

So where does Grealish rank among the worst signings Guardiola has ever made? GOAL runs down the top 10:

Getty Images10Nolito (Man City, £14m)

Guardiola had known Nolito since the forward's days in Barcelona's reserve team and had watched his progress closely before bringing him to City from Celta Vigo during his first summer in charge of the Blues.

Nolito was a late bloomer, having only started to thrive in La Liga in his late 20s, and the move to City was simply to big of a step up for him. He scored twice against Stoke City in his second appearance, but could not build on his strong start and struggled to adapt to life in England, eventually making headlines by declaring that the lack of sunshine in Manchester had made his daughter's skin change colour and that she looked like she had been "living in a cave" as a doctor even advised him to give her vitamin D tablets.

Nolito lasted just one season at City, making only nine Premier League starts while scoring four times, before returning to his natural habitat by joining Sevilla.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Martin Caceres (Barcelona, £14m)

Martin Caceres was the first signing Guardiola ever made as a coach, but proved to be one of his worst. The centre-back joined Barca from Villarreal having spent the previous season on loan at Recreativo de Huelva, and despite arriving for what was a sizeable transfer fee at the time, Caceres barely got a look in as he quickly dropped down the pecking order to become fourth-choice centre-back.

He made just eight La Liga starts all season and Barca won just four of them, a miserable ratio considering they stormed to the title that season. His standing was so low that even when Dani Alves and Rafael Marquez were injured for the Champions League final, he still didn't get in the team, with Guardiola opting to play Yaya Toure at centre-back instead.

Caceres left for Juventus that summer, lasting just one season at Camp Nou.

Getty8Medhi Benatia (Bayern Munich, £22m)

Medhi Benatia had impressed as a goal-scoring centre-back for Roma, but suffered an acrimonious departure from Stadio Olimpico as he joined Bayern in the summer of 2015, ahead of Guardiola's second campaign in Munich. The coach, however, quickly lost trust in him, and over two seasons handed Benatia just 24 Bundesliga starts.

The Morocco international also became notorious for producing high-profile errors, such as getting sent off against City in a Champions League group-stage game and making costly lapses in both legs of the semi-final tie against Barcelona, which Bayern lost 5-3 on aggregate.

He subsequently had a reduced role in his second season, Guardiola's last, and then left for Juventus.

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Getty7Joao Cancelo (Man City, £60m)

Joao Cancelo can be filed alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the category of being a brilliant player but with a volcanic personality which ultimately ruined his relationship with Guardiola. The Portugal international had two fantastic seasons with City, but clashed too many times with the coach, and there was only ever going to be one winner.

It has been revealed that Cancelo got off to a rocky start just weeks after completing his £60m ($76m) move from Juventus and threatened to leave after losing his place in the line-up to Kyle Walker. Urged to change his ways by sporting director Txiki Begiristain, Cancelo reinvented himself as an inverted left-back and was instrumental to City's successive title wins in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

But he could not handle being dropped again after the 2022 World Cup and started disrespecting Guardiola, even wearing headphones during one of his team talks. The coach made it clear that Cancelo had to leave "for the good of the team" and was loaned out to Bayern Munich, where he also endured a disappointing spell.

He continued to underwhelm during a subsequent loan at Barcelona before he was eventually sold to Saudi side Al-Hilal in 2024.

Defending champions forced to settle for a point after underdogs post competitive target of 109 in ten

Valkerie Baynes04-Jun-2024Scotland showed that they mean business at this T20 World Cup with Michael Jones and George Munsey forging ahead to 90 without loss in an innings cut in half by heavy rain. But the weather eventually ruined their opening match against defending champions England.An untimely rain squall, followed by a damp spot on the pitch, delayed the start by 55 minutes after Scotland had won the toss and opted to bat. A much heavier storm arrived to halt proceedings again just two balls after the powerplay with Scotland reaching 51 for nought off the back of some assured hitting from Jones, who was unbeaten on 30 from 20 balls at the time, and Munsey, who had earlier been let off by a Mark Wood no-ball.By the time the skies cleared and the ground was mopped up sufficiently, the match had been reduced to 10 overs per side. Jones and Munsey added 39 runs in the remaining 3.4 overs after the restart to push their score to 90 without loss and England were set an adjusted target of 109 to win. But as soon as they finished, the rain returned for good and condemned the contest to a wash-out.Scotland start swiftly…Wood found some late inswing with the first ball of the match, which had Munsey on the hop immediately. But Munsey settled to pick up Wood’s fourth ball from outside off stump and power it over mid-on for four. Munsey had reached 16 when he skied a Wood delivery towards deep third with Jos Buttler running back from behind the stumps to take the catch. However, the sound of the no-ball siren dampened England’s celebrations as replays showed Wood had over-stepped by a considerable margin.Scotland were 34 without loss after that fifth over, then Jones swung Chris Jordan for an 87-metre six which smashed a solar panel on the roof of the stand beyond deep midwicket. It was the first of three consecutive boundaries, the next a four punched through the covers and another scything through midwicket, as Jones took 15 runs off the over to power his side to the end of the powerplay on 49 for nought. He and Munsey added just two more runs, however, before more rain arrived and halted play for the best part of two hours.… And finish stronglyPlay resumed with 3.4 overs remaining in Scotland’s innings. With Jofra Archer and Wood unavailable with a new maximum of two overs per bowler, Adil Rashid was introduced to bowl the eighth over. Jones clubbed Rashid’s first ball over long-on for six and Munsey chimed in with a four and a six to push the scoring along.England kept the faith in Jordan’s renowned death bowling despite his expensive first over and Munsey thrashed the second ball of his next over the fence at backward square for six. Rashid was more miserly in the final over, conceding just four runs off the first five balls before Jones pulled the last ball through midwicket for four to take his side to 90 without loss.Scotland captain Richie Berrington enquires about the cut-off time•Getty ImagesIt wasn’t a chanceless innings after the restart with Munsey surviving an England review for caught behind off a googly in Rashid’s first over and Jones making his ground despite his bat sticking in the pitch as he ran over the crease to beat a direct hit when the Scotland duo took a second run off Jordan’s last ball. At that moment, the rain returned, but the 10 overs were completed, all to no avail as the showers set in.Archer’s homecomingHaving waited so long to play international cricket in his birthplace of Bridgetown, Archer’s comeback continued with a two-over spell, the first going for 10 runs, all to Jones who pounced on some extra width to dispatch his third ball through the covers for four. Archer’s second over was much tighter as he deployed his leg-cutter and only conceded two singles, closing with a short, fast delivery which brushed Jones’ glove as he attempted to pull and, fortunately for the batter, didn’t reach Buttler behind the stumps.Archer’s appearance in the second T20I at home against Pakistan late last month was his first professional match in more than a year following a lengthy battle with injuries. There, he took 2 for 28 and hit speeds of 92mph/148kph which further soured this rain-affected match. Amid the rain restrictions, England could only wonder what more he might have done.

Manchester United’s sweeping revolution under Sir Jim Ratcliffe has taken another bold step, with the club confirming the appointment of Stephen Torpey as their new academy director. The highly respected coach, who has built a reputation for shaping some of England’s brightest young stars, joins from Brentford but is best known for his near-decade of service at Manchester City.

Torpey joins as new academy chiefINEOS continue major Old Trafford overhaulYouth focus central to United’s revivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Torpey is no stranger to United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, who worked alongside him closely during their shared time at the Etihad. The pair played central roles in building City’s much-admired youth system, which has regularly supplied Pep Guardiola with first-team-ready talent.

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This latest move continues United’s growing habit of prising key figures away from the blue half of Manchester, as INEOS seeks to rewire the club’s foundations from top to bottom. They have already snapped up chief executive Omar Berrada, performance director Sam Erith, and chief communications officer Toby Craig, all with City backgrounds.

WHAT WILCOX & TORPEY SAID

Wilcox hailed the appointment, describing Torpey as a man with a proven track record in developing elite-level footballers.

“After an extensive recruitment process, we are delighted to have appointed Stephen at such an exciting time for our academy," he said. “Stephen’s record of youth development is outstanding; throughout his career he has played a significant role in the development of some of the most talented players in the country. We will work closely together to ensure that the academy continues to foster the right environment to nurture our young players individually while developing the best talent ready to excel in our first team.”

Torpey himself was brimming with enthusiasm after sealing the switch to Old Trafford.

“I am really proud to have this opportunity to lead Manchester United’s academy," he said. "It is obviously a great time to be joining as the club enters an exciting new era; I can’t wait to play my role in continuing the incredible tradition of youth development here. After spending time with the leadership team, it is clear that the academy will always remain key to the identity of Manchester United, with our primary aim being to produce players ready to support a first team capable of challenging for the biggest honours.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Torpey is being lined up as the official successor to Nick Cox, who is set to depart after a successful spell guiding the academy. Cox will stay in position during Torpey’s period of gardening leave, ensuring a seamless handover before he leaves to take up his new job as Everton’s technical director.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes was not impressed after seeing his daughter wearing an Arsenal shirt during Sunday's clash between the two teams.

Man Utd host Arsenal at Old TraffordAlicia Scholes shows support for GunnersDad makes his feelings clearFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alicia Scholes filmed herself wearing an Arsenal shirt as the Gunners kicked off their Premier League season at Old Trafford on Sunday. The daughter of the Manchester United legend then wandered over to show dad, who was watching the game at home lying on the sofa, and clearly wasn't happy with her choice of attire. "Take it off," was the message from the former midfielder star. Alicia replies with a simple "No."

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Arsenal went on to win the match 1-0, thanks to a solitary goal from Riccardo Calafiori. It's another poor result for Ruben Amorim's side, although new signings Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha did shine on their Premier League debuts for the Red Devils. However, another goalkeeping error – this time by Altay Bayindir – proved costly as United suffered yet another defeat.

DID YOU KNOW?

All six of Arsenal’s away wins against Manchester United in the Premier League have been 1-0 victories; the most away wins one side has over another in the competition with 100% coming by the same scoreline

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Amorim's side now head to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham as they aim to pick up their first points of the new season.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to test Manchester City’s resolve once again, with reports claiming they will submit an improved bid of over €70 million (£60.6m/$82m) for Savinho following Saturday’s clash at the Etihad. Spurs had already missed out on signing Eberechi Eze, who is on the verge of joining Arsenal, and are now determined to land the Brazilian winger despite City’s resistance.

Tottenham preparing improved €70m+ Savinho bidCity blocked all approaches in past ten daysSpurs missed out on Eze, now targeting Brazilian wingerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fabrizio Romano reports Spurs will increase their offer for Savinho after the weekend, with City blocking every approach over the past 10 days. Pep Guardiola confirmed the 21-year-old will not feature against Tottenham due to minor fitness issues. However, Spurs manager Thomas Frank remains eager to bolster his attack after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

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Tottenham’s pursuit of Savinho comes after losing out to Arsenal for Eze, who will join the Gunners in a £67.5m deal. The Brazilian winger is seen as a priority target due to his pace and creativity, making him an ideal fit for Frank’s system. However, City are reluctant to sell a player they consider key for the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

Savinho, 21, joined City in 2024 from Troyes after his breakout season on loan with Girona, where he impressed with his attacking displays. His performances have made him one of Europe’s most sought-after young wingers. Spurs believe his addition could transform their frontline as they look to compete for a Champions League spot.

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Tottenham will table their new €70m+ bid after Saturday’s game, hoping to tempt City into reconsidering. Guardiola is still keen to keep Savinho, though pressure may grow if the winger pushes for a move. For now, Spurs remain persistent in their chase as they aim to secure a marquee signing before the window closes.

Robert Lewandowski has admitted that he is embracing a reduced role at Barcelona, focusing on quality performances over chasing minutes this season.

Veteran striker shifts focus from minutesLearning from fatigue and injury setbacksBarca eyeing long-term successor optionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Polish superstar Lewandowski has openly acknowledged a change in perspective as he enters the final year of his Barcelona contract. The 37-year-old, who has yet to start a La Liga game this season and missed the opener through injury, insisted he is no longer focused on the number of minutes he plays but instead on delivering when it matters most.

Last season at this stage, Lewandowski had already scored three goals, but this year he has largely been limited to substitute appearances as Ferran Torres continues to impress under new boss Hansi Flick, who was chosen in the previous game against Rayo Vallecano, when expectations were set on Lewa to start. Despite the reduced role, the veteran striker stressed that the quality of contribution outweighs quantity as he adapts to his current situation.

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Speaking while on international duty, Lewandowski reflected on his new outlook, saying: "This year, I’m personally approaching my situation differently: I’m not so focused on the number of minutes I get, and I’ll have conversations throughout the season…I don’t think I have to play by decree either: we have a squad that allows us to rotate, and that’s important. Sometimes it’s more important to focus on the quality of the minutes than the quantity.

"This season we’ll constantly analyse how I’m feeling. Last season I played a lot of games and at a high intensity. There were times when I felt very tired, and I was also injured towards the end of the season.

"We know that when the Champions League starts, there’s very little recovery time between games, and it’ll be important to manage the wear and tear well. I think this start to the season will be just as difficult as the last, so we have to be prepared."

He added: "Let’s not kid ourselves, I was injured for two weeks. But the season has just started; it’s very long. I wasn’t under pressure to play as many minutes as possible as quickly as possible. I know August is the month to get into rhythm, but everything starts in September, so I knew I had to take it easy."

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Lewandowski’s recalibrated approach comes after a gruelling 2024-25 season in which he scored 42 goals but fading in decisive matches due to fatigue and injury. The striker admitted that physical exhaustion left him short of strength in the campaign’s final stretch, and he is determined not to repeat those mistakes.

With Barcelona eyeing long-term replacements, including English hero Harry Kane as a possible 2026 arrival, Lewa’s words signal a pragmatic acceptance of his evolving role. He could also be considering winding down his career elsewhere, with potential options in MLS or Saudi Arabia once his deal expires. Still, for now, Barca will rely on his goals and experience in Champions League and title-deciding matches, with the veteran keen to be sharp when the stakes are highest.

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Blaugrana face a delicate balancing act and Flick has to juggle a veteran like Lewandowski, who remains invaluable for big nights, with emerging forwards such as Torres and potential reinforcements in the pipeline. Lewandowski’s acceptance of a rotational role may ease dressing-room pressure, but it also signals that the Catalans must accelerate succession planning.

With speculation growing that the Polish striker could finish his career outside Europe, Barcelona’s reported interest in Kane and other forwards underlines their intent to prepare for life beyond him. For now, though, the immediate challenge is to keep Lewandowski fit, fresh, and decisive in the Champions League campaign and in La Liga’s crunch title races.

Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen says he has heard nothing about rumours linking him to a move to Bayern Munich rumours.

Bayern eye Brighton keeper as Neuer heirDutchman insists career focus on BrightonGoalkeeper taking career 'step-by-step'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Brighton goalkeeper Verbruggen has addressed growing speculation and reports linking him with Bayern as a potential long-term successor to veteran Manuel Neuer. The 23-year-old Dutch international has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest goalkeeping talents and was recently quizzed about Bayern’s reported interest ahead of Netherlands’ World Cup qualifier against Poland. Verbruggen, however, insisted he remains focused on Brighton and the national team, despite acknowledging the compliment of being associated with elite clubs like Bayern.

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Verbruggen told reporters: "It's always a compliment to be linked with such big clubs, but I haven't really given it much thought.

"Honestly, I don't know what was right and what wasn't. My agent is keeping me away from that. When something becomes concrete and decisions have to be made, I'll automatically know."

"I've had problems with my knee this summer and have focused on staying fit. To be honest, I don’t know what has or hasn’t been going on. My agent keeps me out of it. If something becomes very concrete and choices have to be made, I’ll hear about it.

"It's important to stay calm and take everything step by step. Then I’ll see where it takes me in the end. The focus this week is on the Dutch national team, playing the qualifying matches and achieving good results."

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Bayern’s search for Neuer’s eventual heir has been ongoing, with multiple options scouted across Europe. Despite already having Jonas Urbig and Sven Ulreich in the squad, and loaning out Alexander Nubel and Daniel Peretz for development, the German champions continue to monitor external options. Verbruggen’s rapid rise from Anderlecht to Brighton has made him a potential successor. 

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Bayern’s long-term succession planning in goal remains unresolved and with Neuer at 39 and approaching the twilight of his career, the Bundesliga side face a decisive choice of whether to trust one of their loanees like Nubel or Peretz, or spend big on an established young star such as Verbruggen. For now, they will rely on the veteran shot stopper.

England batter focused on learning as much as he can as they gear up for the Test series in New Zealand

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Feb-2023″Cheers Broady!” beamed Ollie Pope, smiling from ear to ear, cheeks tinged with a bit of embarrassment.Moments before he sits down for Friday’s media engagement at the team hotel, Pope is informed of the words of Stuart Broad, who had been in that chair five minutes earlier.”I think Pope is a great leader in the group, actually,” Broad said after Pope captained an England warm-up match for the second time in three months, this time acting as Ben Stokes’ understudy in Hamilton against a New Zealand XI, after a first go in Abu Dhabi against England Lions ahead of the Pakistan series.Related

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“He’s grown so much in the last year, the way he operates, the confidence and responsibility he’s been given. He speaks really well in the group, he’s got a great cricket mind. There’s no doubt you can see him as a future England captain.”He’s been probably the most impressive growing cricketer in the group that I’ve seen over the last year. From where his confidence was to where he is now. How Popey has grown as a character is very impressive.”There aren’t many better to gauge what makes a good Test captain given Broad has played under six of them across his 16 years and 159 caps at this level. The 36-year old was covertly given vice-captain duties last summer and came close to stepping up for the main job at Headingley against New Zealand when Stokes was battling with an illness. As such, his lauding of Pope as one in waiting carries considerable weight.Pope, while appreciating the compliment, is in no rush to get to that point. Nor does he quite regard himself as a FEC (Future England Captain). His only previous dalliance with captaincy in professional cricket came in September 2021, when standing in for Rory Burns for Surrey’s County Championship match against Glamorgan. Beyond that were games at the helm for Surrey under-17s and Cranleigh School.”I don’t necessarily see that. I’m going to keep developing my cricket brain,” Pope said. “If that opportunity came up in the future I’ll make sure I can learn as much as possible before then.”But at the same time, I realise I’ve got a big job at number three to keep doing. If I can keep impressing there who knows what the future holds. But I’ll keep learning and developing as an all-round cricketer as much as I can. If that happens (becoming England captain), great. If not, that’s okay.”There’s no doubt Pope’s new home at number three adds to the overriding sense of maturity around the 25-year old. Even the acquisition of the role spoke of a kid wanting to fast-track himself to seniority: calling up Stokes not long after the allrounder had been made Test captain and all but demanding the only available slot in the batting order.

“I can see cricket from a bit more perspective. It’s still my priority, I’m not one of those players who’ve had kids and seen a new side of things. It’s more that I’ve allowed the pressure to be taken off a little bit and trust you can bounce back after some low performances.”Ollie Pope

Results, so far, have been sound, averaging 40.82 – above the career rate of 32.56 – from 10 Tests at first drop, with two of his three centuries to date. It is clear from those numbers we are still at the early stage of all this with Pope, as we are with the Test side under Brendon McCullum.For a batter who had the whiff of arrested development at the highest level in his first 23 appearances, beginning with a wide-eyed debut at Lord’s in 2018 against India aged 20, this phase of his career has been somewhat overdue. It is something Pope acknowledges, not least because he recognises how conducive the environment has been to his evolution into a senior member of the changing room after those early growing pains.”I think that tough (period) however long it was – and it felt like a long time – allowed me to get to where I am now. We’ve got this great mindset as a team at the minute and as a batting unit we’re not fearing getting out and I think we spent too long worrying about our techniques and worrying about how the bowler is going to get us out rather than work and score runs.”That’s probably showing in the way we are playing at the minute with our strike rates and things like that. But it’s also allowing us to feel like it is our team and stop spending time dwelling on too many negatives. That’s come down from the top: Stokesy and Baz have been top drawer in terms of simplifying Test cricket for us all.”Pope admits to being more robust emotionally, too. Back in the pandemic summer of 2020, he was the first cricketer to open up about the “intense and challenging” bio-secure bubbles. It was a welcome admission, especially as many of his team-mates felt the same but had not yet articulated as much.Ollie Pope has evolved to become a senior member in England’s dressing room•Getty Images”I’m not that experienced now – I’m only 25 – but I’ll be able to deal with that a lot better now. I guess Pakistan was a similar environment in terms of you’re not really allowed to get out of the hotel. But the way we deal with it as a team now is a lot better.”We ended up playing X-box and playing cricket and then spending too much time doing those two things, probably, for that whole summer. It was so hard to switch off and I let my cricket performance affect the mood I’m in as a person, which is a pretty bad way to be, I think, especially at this level when there’s so much pressure on.”I can see cricket from a bit more perspective. It’s still my priority, I’m not one of those players who’ve had kids and seen a new side of things. It’s more that I’ve allowed the pressure to be taken off a little bit and trust you can bounce back after some low performances. If I was to go back into that Covid bubble then I’d deal with it a lot better than I necessarily have done or did do in the past.”Focus, for now, will be squarely on batting. The distraction of wicketkeeping, which crept up on him on the previous tour of Pakistan when Ben Foakes fell ill on the morning of the first Test, and carried over into the second Test for tactical reasons, looks to have come to an end. Unless there is another spanner in the works, which was the case back on the 2019 tour here when Pope took the gloves in Hamilton after Jos Buttler broke a finger. He has his own with him this time, having borrowed Foakes’ in Rawalpindi and Multan.The most intriguing aspect of the next two weeks will be how New Zealand approach these two Tests, starting in Mount Maunganui on Thursday. They were the first to be stung by the new era at the start of the last English summer, whitewashed in emphatic fashion. Pope, like the rest, expect a reaction. Perhaps even a replication of the fast scoring, particularly with Tim Southee exhibiting some McCullum-like qualities in the early days of his Test captaincy.”I’m interested to see that: see if they adjust, how they play, slightly. But obviously at the same time that series in the summer we won three-nil but in each of those Test matches there were points that it could have gone either way so they’ll probably see it from that perspective and they’ll stick to what they do well and probably trust what they do in their own conditions.”It’s exciting, we’ve sort of seen glimpses of the way we play going to other teams at points and so it’ll be interesting to see if anything that we’ve done has rubbed off on them.”