Manchester United have spoken to Mason Mount's camp over the last few days to confirm their interest in the player ahead of the summer window.

Will Chelsea sell Mason Mount?

The 24-year-old's future in west London is looking increasingly unlikely as the days roll on with his contract now winding down to its final year.

There is believed to be interest coming from across the Premier League in the England international this summer with the Red Devils up there among the most interested.

Indeed, it is thought Erik ten Hag's side are seriously interested in potentially bringing the midfielder to Old Trafford as they look to strengthen on what was an impressive 2022/23 campaign.

However, the Blues are said to have an extremely high valuation on their academy product despite his contract situation.

According to reports, Chelsea will be looking for a bid in the region of £68m to allow their 24-year-old midfielder to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Red Devils have recently held further discussions with the player's camp to assure them of their intentions this summer:

"I can tell you that also in the last two-three days, Manchester United, in the contacts they had with the player side, they confirmed their intention to go for Mason [Mount]. They are not changing their mind.

"So they are confirming that they want him. They have a contract proposal ready. They know that Mason is prepared to say yes. So they kind of sent a positive message to Mason Mount."

Do Chelsea want to keep Mount?

The contract situation of the midfielder is far from ideal as he enters the final year of his time at the club which puts a lot of the power in his hands.

Yes, Chelsea will have the last say, however, they are at risk of potentially losing the player for nothing next summer if he is to stay and not sign a new deal.

But this is Chelsea. This is a club who have enormous financial backing behind them so perhaps they may be willing to take the gamble of keeping Mount ahead of next season.

Having said that, this is also Chelsea who have spent significantly under Todd Boehly's tenure and this does present an opportunity to reclaim some money this summer.

It has been reported their newly-appointed manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is keen to keep Mount around for the foreseeable future.

But the player was spotted walking around Stamford Bridge following their final game of the season against Newcastle United in what some have speculated to be a farewell.

With United seemingly so interested in bringing Mount to Stamford Bridge this summer, it is claimed the arrival of Pochettino may have come too late to persuade the £80k-per-week ace to stay.

On the eve of the first match of New Zealand’s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy defence, captain Kane Williamson would not divulge whether express bowler Lockie Ferguson would be unleashed on the Australians.The series begins at the SCG on Sunday and Williamson said New Zealand wanted to wait until the day of the match to assess the pitch and decide whether Ferguson would make his debut. At the very least, Williamson was impressed by what he saw – and faced – from Ferguson in the nets on Saturday.”He sent a couple of messages at training,” Williamson said. “He bowled really nicely so we’ll have to wait and see. He bowls quick and runs in and bumped me a few times which was great. It’s what you want to face and it’s fantastic preparation. The Australians will do the same…He’s a one in 14 chance, I suppose.”Whatever XI New Zealand choose, they will have no more than four of the same players who secured the trophy in the third ODI in Hamilton earlier this year: Williamson, Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls and Matt Henry. And it is possible that Nicholls could yet miss out, with suggestions that New Zealand would give themselves ample bowling options by including both allrounders Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme.”We want to have another look at the surface tomorrow,” Williamson said. “There’s a little bit of uncertainty about what the surface might do. It has spun here in the past. It looks a good surface, it’s quite hard, they might have rolled in perhaps some old grass clippings to get a little bit more grass on it, maybe to add a bit of pace.”New Zealand begin this series ranked third on the ICC’s one-day international table while Australia are on top. Even if New Zealand were to win all three games they would not gain a position, though it would be enough for Australia to drop below South Africa and into second place.”It’s an enjoyable series, it always is, and they’re always tough opposition and a very strong side so you don’t need more motivation to get up to play your best cricket against the best in the world,” Williamson said. “The focus is for us to play our best cricket and if we do that we know we can beat anyone.”

Newcastle United are preparing to make an official approach for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, according to reports.

Is Kieran Tierney leaving Arsenal?

The Scotland international first arrived in the Premier League back in 2019 after graduating from the academy at Celtic and he’s since gone on to become a regular feature of the first-team fold, but after being handed just six starts in the top-flight last season, he could be looking to secure a move elsewhere during the upcoming window despite Arsenal now being a Champions League side.

The Sun report that Eddie Howe has placed the 26-year-old at the top of his list of targets in that left-back position, and the boss has been given a huge boost in his pursuit after The Times claimed that Mikel Arteta has given his ace the green-light to complete a switch to the northeast.

Sky Sports also recently relayed an update stating that the St. James’ Park outfit are confident that they are in pole position to secure their target’s services, and if the following update is to be believed, PIF are already laying the groundwork on a move behind the scenes.

Are Newcastle signing Tierney?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle are indeed "strong favourites" to sign Tierney and a "well-placed source" has revealed that a deal "could be agreed" with Arsenal should they receive a fee of £35m. The Magpies are "long-term admirers" of the defender and are therefore "gearing up to make an approach" ahead of the summer transfer window opening on June 14.

Newcastle will know that Tierney wasn’t given a fair shot at proving what he’s capable of during the 2022/23 season, but in 2021/22, he showed the defensive quality he possesses, and having been dubbed a “baller” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, PIF should cash out to secure his services at the reported fee.

Arsenal’s left-footed ace won 14 out of his 18 tackles and was averaging 2.2 clearances per top-flight game so is a rock out on the flank, but he also likes to burst down the wing and whip crosses into the box, which he did on 79 occasions, the third-highest total in N7, as per FBRef.

Tierney, who is a versatile operator with his ability to play higher up in the midfield and even at centre-back, also shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Nick Pope, Ciaran Clark, Kell Watts, Javier Manquillo and Elliot Anderson, so this existing representative connection could give the northeast outfit an advantage in the race to get a deal over the line.

Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to bolster their defence as a first port of call in this newly-opened summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Roger Ibanez to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to reports in Italy, as Sportitalia note that Ange Postecoglou has taken a particular interest in AS Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez.

Whilst it is claimed that they are not the sole team to have taken an interest, they are the only ones explicitly mentioned within the report.

A fee of around €40m (£34m) continues to be touted, as the Brazilian defender has just two years remaining on his £32k-per-week deal.

Would Roger Ibanez improve Cristian Romero?

Only five clubs last season conceded more goals than Spurs, three of which got relegated.

For all the defensive security Antonio Conte's appointment promised, it arguably made them weaker than ever at the back. They just could not soak up pressure like his teams of old, and as such just left a threadbare back-line open to wave after wave of attack. Eventually, they were bound to concede a few.

Cristian Romero has been one of the few shining lights since his move to north London in 2021 however, and yet even he struggled to offset the consistent shipping of easy goals last campaign. He still retained an admirable personal year in the league though, maintaining a 6.97 average rating.

However, his peak from the season before even that is a fairer estimation of his talents, and the assets that could fuse so perfectly with Ibanez, should Postecoglou make him his first signing this summer.

The Argentina international would uphold a 7.15 average rating that term in the league, sustained through an 87% pass accuracy, 64% dribble success rate and 2.4 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game, via Sofascore. He was defensively unstoppable and offered plenty with his build-up.

Fortunately for the 25-year-old, who has been both praised and lambasted for his abrasive and rash tendencies, the presence of a stable and calming influence like Ibanez could offer the balance needed to stabilise their otherwise shaky back-line.

Under Jose Mourinho's tutelage last season, the 24-year-old maintained a 7.00 average rating in Serie A alongside an 88% pass accuracy and two interceptions, two tackles and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Such imperious form even led his legendary Portuguese manager to label him as "untouchable".

With a couple of South American stoppers hell-bent on keeping the ball out of their net, the duo could combine to shore up Spurs' defence under Postecoglou with passion, solidity and a touch of quality wrapped into one outstanding pairing.

اختار طارق محروس المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر لكرة اليد 16 لاعبًا للمشاركة في دورة الألعاب الإفريقية المقامة حاليًا في غانا.

وتقام منافسات كرة اليد خلال الفترة من 13 إلى 22 مارس الجاري.

وزار معسكر المنتخب في المركز الأولمبي محمد الأمين رئيس اتحاد اليد وعمرو صلاح أمين صندوق الاتحاد، بحضور محمد الألفي المشرف على المنتخب، وحرصوا على تحفيز اللاعبين قبل السفر إلى غانا للمشاركة في دورة الألعاب الإفريقية.

وأكد مسئولو اتحاد اليد على ثقتهم في اللاعبين لحصد الميدالية الذهبية في منافسات كرة اليد.

طالع أيضًا | محمد ممدوح هاشم يعلن انتقاله إلى الدوري الفرنسي

ومن المقرر أن يلعب منتخب مصر مباراتين وديتين مع الجزيرة وطلائع الجيش يومي 8 و9 مارس الجاري، قبل السفر إلى غانا للمشاركة في دورة الألعاب الإفريقية.

وأسفرت قرعة منافسات كرة اليد بدورة الألعاب الإفريقية عن وقوع منتخب اليد في المجموعة الأولى مع نيجيريا ومالي وتوجو، بينما تضم المجموعة الثانية، الكونغو الديمقراطية وكينيا وبنين وغانا. قائمة منتخب مصر لكرة اليد في دورة الألعاب الإفريقية

حراسة المرمى: عبد الرحمن حُميد – يوسف وليد – يوسف ناجي.

اللاعبون: محمد لاشين – سيف هاني فوكس – هشام صلاح – عبد الله إمام – محمد عماد – ياسين محمد عبد المنعم – عمر عدلان – زياد حشاد – بلال إبراهيم مسعود – محمد مؤمن صفا – محمد عبد الغني – أحمد تغيان – معاذ عزب.

يقود منتخب مصر لكرة اليد في دورة الألعاب الإفريقية: طارق محروس مديرًا فنيًا – مهند السحيلي مدرب عام – منعم السيد مدربًا لحراس المرمى – محمد عبد المنعم المدير الإداري – الدكتور روماني سعد طبيب المنتخب، ومحمد الألفي مديرًا للمنتخبات الوطنية.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has a 'high probability' of leaving Stamford Bridge this summer and the Blues aren't confident of being able to keep him around, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

Football Insider claim that Mount has told Chelsea that he wants to join Manchester United this summer, with negotiations between the Red Devils and the England international said to be 'advancing' as he seeks an exit route from Stamford Bridge.

The report states that Mount has agreed personal terms with Manchester United; however, both clubs are yet to come to terms on an acceptable fee for the £80k-a-week ace.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently delivered an update on the state of play regarding Mount's future, stating on Twitter: "Manchester United are preparing their opening bid for Mason Mount but the main issue remains Chelsea’s position on price tag. Man Utd remain calm as Mount’s keen on the move — strategy game on."

As per The Sun, Chelsea will demand a fee in the region of £70 million for Mount this off-season and it is believed that he wants a wage packet of around £250,000 per week, either at the Blues or Manchester United.

Mount has rejected multiple offers from his current employers who have looked to tie him down to a longer-term deal in west London and now looks likely to leave the club in the next few months.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that there is a 'high probability' that Mount will depart Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "Coming back to Mount in a little bit more detail, I think Chelsea do not have optimism at this stage that Mason Mount will stay. It's no secret that Mauricio Pochettino likes the player and wants him to remain and Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have also directly communicated that they would like to keep Mount, but Chelsea haven't been able to make any progress on the contract talks side. They always plan to pick it up at the end of the season. At this stage, there is still a high probability that Mount will exit."

Would losing Mason Mount be a blow to Chelsea?

Mount has been an influential player over the years for Chelsea and would be a big miss around Stamford Bridge should he depart this summer.

Across his time at the Blues, Mount has netted 33 goals and laid on 37 assists in 195 appearances for his boyhood club, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, talkSPORT report that Chelsea may have to sell several first-team players this summer to apply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Homegrown players come under the bracket of pure profit for Chelsea and can help to balance the books quicker, which may explain why the club may let Mount go this summer if they can net an appropriate fee for his services.

England have buckled at all the wrong times, but they have to mount a better challenge to stop India from winning their fifth series on the trot

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-2016Match factsDecember 8-12, 2016
Start time 9.30 local (0400GMT)3:03

Trott: England will be very positive at Wankhede

Big pictureSmall margins. England have lost two Test matches because they haven’t minded them as much as they are capable of, and now, they have to win in Mumbai to stay alive in the series.India are not without troubles themselves. Their lead fast bowler Mohammed Shami has a sore knee and middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane broke his right index finger in the nets* and has been ruled out of the series. Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey and Mumbai seamer Shardul Thakur have been added to the squad as cover.England are also carrying some aching players – chiefly Stuart Broad – but it is their performance so far in the series that would concern them more.Alastair Cook has spoken about how he leads a side that can match India for skill and that the bowling they have faced has not been magical. Those comments were meant to put perspective on the scoreline that reads 2-0 against them; words that would have been stronger had they not been steeped with frustration.James Anderson and company have bounced M Vijay out enough times to suggest a pattern and R Ashwin has had to man rescue operations from the lower-middle order. England have made their plays, had their chances, even won two tosses, but have been found wanting when the moments to dig in have arrived.A week’s worth of rest and time with family should have lifted their spirits though. Plus, if anything could help England forget how they let the opposition get away from 156 for 5 to 417, or how they lost wickets in the last over before stumps twice, it could be their return to Mumbai, the venue of one of their most famous victories.India, on the other hand, drew the game in Rajkot despite chasing most of it, slammed two hundreds to offset the openers’ fall within the first five overs in Visakhapatnam, and took four wickets in the morning session in Mohali to erase a spate of fielding errors. The tenacity that Virat Kohli’s men have shown has been a welcome sight to their fans. More importantly, it has put them in a position to win their fifth Test series in a row. Only once in 84 years has an Indian team achieved that. Wankhede Stadium takes centre stage, again.India are waiting on their fifth straight series win•Associated Press

Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
India WWDWW
England LLDLW
In the spotlightOne game into his comeback from a hamstring injury, KL Rahul found himself on the bench nursing a forearm injury. Can’t fault a man for blows sustained at short leg, though. He was first in the nets on Tuesday and is expected to play in Mumbai. It must help that Rahul has the unwavering backing of the team management, especially considering the stop-start nature of his career. A big innings wouldn’t go amiss either, considering he made 0 and 10 in his previous game.At times, especially in the last Test, Ben Stokes looked the only England bowler capable of getting wickets. That was because he never stopped trying. The allrounder was tireless in the pursuit for reverse swing, or the far more rare movement off the pitch. More of his resolve would be necessary for the team to come back from the position they are in.Team newsKarun Nair should retain his place in the middle order after Rahane’s injury. A call on Mohammed Shami will be made on the morning of the Test. If he is unfit, India may bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the XI. Parthiv Patel retains his role as wicketkeeper with Wriddhiman Saha yet to recover from his thigh strain. KL Rahul should slot back in the top of the order.India (probable) 1 KL Rahul, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Karun Nair/Manish Pandey, 6 R Ashwin, 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Jayant Yadav, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Mohammad Shami/ Bhuvneshwar KumarStuart Broad had a 50-50 chance of playing in Mumbai following his foot injury three weeks ago. He did some light training on Tuesday and should he be ready to play, England may well go in with four seamers and two spinners. Keaton Jennings will debut as opener in place of the injured Haseeb Hameed.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Joe Root, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Stuart Broad/ Steven Finn, 11 James AndersonPitch and conditionsThis series has been played on surfaces that have largely behaved themselves, and the trend is likely to continue. There will be spin, of course, but reports suggested it won’t alarm batsmen until the third day.Stats and trivia In the last 50 years, 14 England batsmen have made more than 300 runs in a series in India. Alastair Cook is one of them and he can do so again, along with Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. England have won their last two matches at Wankhede Stadium. India have won 10 out of 24 matches at the venue. In the nine Tests at Wankhede over the last 20 years, no fast bowler has picked up a five-wicket haul. In the same period, the spinners have 13. Virat Kohli needs 41 runs to complete 4000 in Test cricket. He would be the sixth-fastest Indian to the mark in terms of innings played; Virender Sehwag, with 79, is at the top.QuotesPressure to me is people who can’t afford food or who are struggling to live. This is just a game of cricket. I’ll give it my best shot.

Hearts will be expected to improve on their mediocre season last term, failing to reach the semi-finals of either of the two domestic cups while finishing in fourth place after a poor end to the campaign, winning just two of their final seven matches.

Steven Naismith was in charge for these games, initially on an interim basis, however, he is now in permanent charge of the Tynecastle side as the 2023/24 season fast approaches.

The priority for him now will be to retain players of quality such as Lawrence Shankland and Josh Ginnelly, who contributed a staggering 52 goal contributions between them last term, while also getting defender Craig Halkett back fighting fit following a serious injury.

Adding a few faces will also be expected, and with loan star James Hill impressing during his stay in the capital last term, could he be open to a permanent stay?

The AFC Bournemouth defender may have potentially given the supporters a glimmer of hope after his recent comments, saying: “It would definitely be in consideration because everyone at Hearts has been amazing.

“They’ve made me feel at home. I’m not out of place here. I feel like a massive part of this squad. When you have that belief, the sky is the limit.

“The group at Hearts is incredible and the standard of this league is a surprise when other players step in because there is such quality.”

Could Hearts sign James Hill this summer?

With these comments, nothing can be ruled out, although with the defender having a contract at the Cherries until 2026, Naismith will have to splash the cash to lure the £14k-per-week man to Edinburgh this summer.

It’s safe to say that he was impressive upon joining the club in January, and as such, he could well be a dream signing for the new boss as he looks to reinvigorate the player squad.

Indeed, the centre-back featured 17 times across all competitions and averaged a respectable Sofascore rating of 6.8, enough to rank him in ninth position out of the whole squad.

He also ranked third for tackles per game (1.8) and first for interceptions per game (1.5), in the squad, showcasing his undisputed quality as he took no time at all to settle in at the club. It's players such as Hill that could be vital as the Jambos look to improve under Naismith, and considering he already knows the club well, it shouldn't take him long to accommodate to things once more.

The 21-year-old has only made four appearances for Bournemouth since joining them in January 2022 from Fleetwood Town, however, journalist Gregg Evans praised the club and claimed Hill was “another success story” as he made the leap up from League One to the Championship.

With an England U21 cap in his possession, the future is clearly bright for the 6-foot youngster, however, will it lie at Hearts? It should well do.

Manchester United are keen to bring Juventus defender Gleison Bremer to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Gleison Bremer leaving Juventus?

The Brazilian international only arrived at the Allianz Stadium from Torino last summer and he impressed during his debut season, establishing himself as Massimiliano Allegri’s overall third best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92.

However, even though the 26-year-old still has another four years remaining on his contract, the Serie A outfit are in need of funds and will therefore be looking to raise cash by selling some of their most prized assets during the upcoming window, the centre-back being one of them.

Back in 2021, Fantacalcio credited the Red Devils with an interest in the 6 foot 2 colossus when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge, and if the following update is to be believed, Erik Ten Hag is allegedly preparing to make a second attempt at securing his services.

Are Man United signing Bremer?

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Man United are “looking at” a potential summer swoop for Bremer. The Old Trafford side are “thinking about” the defender and are “particularly interested” in wrapping up a deal in the weeks and months ahead.

Juventus will demand an offer of at least €60m (£51m) in order to “carefully” consider a sale, and whilst a switch “doesn’t seem obvious at this stage”, Old Trafford chiefs did watch him live in action last season.

Where could Bremer fit in under Ten Hag?

Man United’s captain Harry Maguire has been heavily linked with a summer exit so Ten Hag will need a replacement in central defence should he depart, and having been dubbed an “animal” by Torino’s Mergim Vojvoda, Bremer could be the perfect candidate.

The World Cup participant was averaging 3.8 clearances and 2.6 aerial wins per Serie A game during the previous term, via WhoScored, so was a real solid option in the heart of the backline, but he also posed a threat in the final third with five goal contributions (four goals and one assist) to his name.

Bremer, who has the versatility to operate at right-back, also shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Raphael Varane, so his representative will already hold an existing connection to the club from when his other client joined, and this is a relationship that could give the Red Devils an advantage in trying to get a deal over the line this summer.

Tamil Nadu captain Abhinav Mukund expressed happiness at the manner in which a young seam attack stood up and delivered after his team became the first to enter the semi-final of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu in Visakhapatnam25-Dec-2016Tamil Nadu captain Abhinav Mukund, who was ill, slept through most parts of Saturday, and then woke up to watch his team trample Karnataka in two days. Last December, it was Tamil Nadu who were at the wrong end of a two-day finish and crashed out of the Ranji Trophy. They have turned the tables dramatically this season by becoming the first team to secure a spot in the semi-final.Former Tamil Nadu captain S Badrinath had said last year that wilting under pressure held the side back. The mental make-up of the team seems to have changed for the better in 2016-17 under the guidance of Abhinav and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the first player from outside the state to be appointed Tamil Nadu coach.They were without R Ashwin and M Vijay, who were both injured, for the quarter-final against a full-strength Karnataka team that had seven players with international experience. Tamil Nadu, though, stepped up under pressure and beat Karnataka for the first time since the 2003-04 season. This was also Tamil Nadu’s first win over Karnataka in a knockout clash in the Ranji Trophy in three attempts.”We have never really focussed on who the opponent is,” Abhinav said. “That is the good thing about this team. It is lack of knowledge or people don’t bother about their opponents and continue doing their own things.”Abhinav took pride in mentoring and shaping a young seam bowling attack, which has adapted impressively to neutral venues. K Vignesh, T Natarajan and Aswin Crist have picked up 94 wickets between them. They were so relentless in Visakhapatnam that Tamil Nadu did not need the services of left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas in both innings.”It is always heartening when people you pick and mentor are doing great things,” Abhinav said. “I have backed certain number of players this season, and I think they are doing really good things. Someone just said he [K Vignesh] has taken 39 [37] wickets. I don’t know the last time two Tamil Nadu fast bowlers had more than 30 wickets [in a season]. It is really amazing and heartening for me. I have always hoped something like this would happen after [L] Balaji. Touchwood! Hope this continues.”Abhinav also cautioned against getting excited by recent success, as did coach Kanitkar.”No smile on my face yet. There are two more matches to go,” Kanitkar said. “Ideally, I would have liked us to chase 87 without losing a wicket. We need to improve in every area.””Hrishi is one of the best things to have happened to Tamil Nadu,” Ramji Srinivasan, the former India and current Tamil Nadu fitness trainer, said. “His inputs and very sharp and valuable, and he wants excellence and we strive for it.”Kanitkar is no stranger to building a team. After representing Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, he led Rajasthan to back-to-back Ranji titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12 from nowhere.”Huge proportion is from what I learned from Rajasthan,” he said. “There, I was myself learning things, as I was also new to the role and still playing. It’s all about what you say to each player. Those boys taught me how different people need to be told differently.”[In the Tamil Nadu team] Somebody like Dinesh Karthik has a certain way of batting and Abhinav has a certain way of batting. Both are very experienced; Dinesh has slightly more international experience.”Telling them, you have to specific. You don’t need to tell much to Dinesh. You just need to tell him what little bit is needed. Abhi usually discusses more and tries to learn new things. Dinesh knows what works for him, and I am with that. We let him be in his space. The same way, a new player might need extra throw-downs. So I do things accordingly.”The management also rotated players and even dropped B Aparajith, who started the season as the vice-captain, midway through the campaign, after a string of low scores. Kanitkar said that proper communication promoted a healthy environment in the dressing room.”The rotation was only based on the form of players, and the need of the team,” he said. “It wasn’t a set policy. We did just what the team needed.”As a coach, it is very important for me to tell why a player is playing and why he is dropped so that there is no puzzle in his mind and has to work out why he has been dropped… I tell them the reason and make sure they get their chance when they are doing well again. I keep my eye on them. They just don’t disappear from my sight.”