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Liverpool are still interested in signing Torino defender Perr Schuurs and appear to have held talks over a potential move.

What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Preparations are being made at Anfield ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, with two new midfielders already brought in for Jurgen Klopp.

Deals for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have been completed, with the pair signing from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively at a combined cost of €112m (£96m).

However, there have been more midfielders leave Merseyside than arrive. James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all left on free transfers when their contracts expired and Jordan Henderson has now departed to join Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia.

Fabinho could be the next to move on, which has led to Liverpool looking at a move for another midfielder in Southampton’s Romeo Lavia. An opening £40m offer has been turned down by the Saints, however, it is “increasingly likely that a compromise will be reached”, according to James Pearce, with anew bidbeing prepared.

Alongside Lavia, it appears as if the Reds, and by extension owners FSG and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, also have their eyes on signing a new defender before the September 1 deadline.

Schuurs has been linked with a move to Merseyside, with speculation first emerging back in 2020, and the player is reportedly happy to join the Reds, with more news emerging in the last 48 hours.

Sport Witness relayed an update from Toro.it regarding Schuurs. Liverpool and Crystal Palace were named with an interest in the defender, however, negotiations have frozen due to Torino’s €40m (£34m) asking price, implying that talks have been held between the Italian side and those at Anfield.

The two Premier League sides don’t plan to give up on a potential deal, though, with Klopp identifying Schuurs to possibly play alongside fellow countryman Virgil van Dijk going forward.

Who is Perr Schuurs?

Schuurs is 23 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-back who is sponsored by Nike. He began his career in Fortuna Sittard’s academy before moving to Ajax in 2018. Schuurs made 95 senior appearances for the Eredivisie giants before going on to sign for Torino last summer.

Since then, the defender has been a regular in Italy, turning out on 33 occasions during the previous campaign, averaging more tackles and clearance per 90 than any of his teammates, as per WhoScored.

Journalist Josh Bunting described Schuurs as a “mountain" last year, and it looks as if he is at the peak of his powers with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.

Klopp currently has five senior centre-back options to choose from in Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Nathaniel Phillips, although the latter of the five has been linked with an exit.

Therefore, should one or two centre-backs leave Merseyside over the coming weeks, Schuurs could be viewed as a solid replacement, and it appears as if a deal could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

After battling illness last week, Philander has now been struck with back spasms on the eve of the final Test at Old Trafford and faces a fitness test

Firdose Moonda at Old Trafford03-Aug-2017A last-minute call will be taken on Vernon Philander’s availability for the final Test against England at Old Trafford after he began to suffer with lower-back spasms on the eve of the must-win game. Philander has only just recovered from the viral infection which limited his participation in the third Test and when he spoke on Wednesday he said had put the illness behind him and was “looking forward” to having more of a say in the upcoming fixture, especially as he felt his intensity was missed at The Oval.South Africa are similarly anxious to have a fully-fit Philander in their XI as they look to square the series and go home with something to show for what has been an otherwise disappointing three-month tour. After the third Test, captain Faf du Plessis cited Philander’s illness, which resulted in him only bowling 32 overs out of 183.1 at The Oval, as one of the key reasons for South Africa’s defeat. Before the fourth Test, du Plessis elaborated on how Philander’s fitness, or lack thereof, will impact on team selection.”Vernon at 100% fit means we can look at playing three seamers and play seven batters. Vernon at 90% doesn’t mean you can play three seamers because you don’t want to be in a position where you have a seamer break down and then you only have two bowlers, because that is basically the Test match over right there,” du Plessis said. “The one occasion where we managed to pull a miracle off was in Australia with two seamers, but normally you can’t win a Test match with two bowlers. If he is not 100% fit, it’s important to look at having four seamers.”The match du Plessis was referring to was played in Perth last November when Dale Steyn broke his shoulder. Then, Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj made up a three-man attack and were able to bowl Australia out with a lead of just two runs in the first innings. South Africa’s current crop of Rabada, Morne Morkel and Maharaj were unable to replicate that at The Oval, making Philander an even more crucial member of the side now than he was nine months ago. Not only is he the container-in-chief, but Philander’s runs have been also vital to South Africa, which is why he is key to balance.If Philander can operate at his optimal, South Africa seem to be pondering lengthening the batting line-up, which would likely mean the inclusion of Theunis de Bruyn ahead of Chris Morris, in order to make up for the lapses of their top five. Should they play an XI that includes de Bruyn and not Morris, Philander will have to bowl more overs. But if Philander’s workload needs to be monitored, then South Africa will need Morris to make up those overs and so can’t play de Bruyn. That means Philander will bat at No. 7, with Morris at No. 8, placing extra pressure on both of them to produce with bat and ball.This is the fourth time in the series Philander has carried an ailment. He went into the Lord’s Test on the back of an ankle injury sustained during a county stint with Sussex which prevented him from playing in the tour match. During that game, he was struck on the hand though that did not result in any serious damage apart from a dropped catch. Last week, Philander was laid low by a stomach bug which quickly escalated into a viral infection and now there is a back problem.Philander will undergo a fitness test on Thursday afternoon but South Africa will wait to see how feels on Friday morning before making a final decision.

Aston Villa are plotting a summer move to sign free agent Adama Traore, according to fresh reports.

Where is Adama Traore now?

The right-winger was most recently at Wolverhampton Wanderers where he made a total of 194 appearances, but with his deal there having expired which saw him depart on July 1, he is now technically able to speak to other clubs, and the Old Gold's sporting director Matt Hobbs has delivered an update on his future. He said:

“As the manager said in his press conferences recently, Adama is a player we’d like to keep and we’re still talking to him. He’s now out of contract, but it doesn’t mean there’s not an opportunity to still come to an agreement, so conversations will be ongoing. He’s probably earned the right to understand what else is out there.”

Read The Latest Aston Villa Transfer News HERE…

The Spaniard will already be familiar with life across the Midlands having had a one-year spell with Unai Emery’s side from 2015-16, which despite being a period of time that didn’t work out as a result of him leaving after a single season, his name is once again being brought onto the radar of chiefs at Villa Park.

Are Aston Villa signing Adama Traore?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are “plotting a surprise move” for Traore ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. NSWE and Monchi have “set their sights” on the attacker and are “turning their attention” towards trying to get a deal over the line having placed him on a “shortlist” of transfer targets.

Wolves have tabled their former talisman a new “contract offer”, but it’s less than his previous one meaning that he’s more likely to want to start afresh elsewhere, with Emery looking to add “pace and cutting edge” to his frontline.

During his time at Wolves, Traore posted 34 goal contributions (20 assists and 14 goals) across all competitions, and whilst the 27-year-old’s first spell at Aston Villa was short, it would be an absolute bargain to once again secure his services for the cost of nothing having been dubbed a “monster” by members of the media.

The Gestifute client, who has the versatility to operate in seven different positions over the grass, last season ranked in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons and recorded 81 crosses which was more than any other of his teammates, via FBRef, highlighting his ability to dribble past his marker and whip balls into the box for his strikers.

Spain’s eight-cap international also has a decent record against Villa, having secured four victories and registering one assist when part of the opposition’s team, so if he can perform well for the away side, imagine what he’d be capable of under the guidance of Emery.

Villa recently secured the signing of Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen who is also a right-winger, but this doesn't seem to have stopped the hierarchy from looking at a deal for Traore, so should he put pen to paper, the boss will have two new solid options to choose from on that side of the flank next season.

He will leave England, for whom he has been bowling coach, after the end of the third Test against West Indies in September

George Dobell30-Aug-2017Ottis Gibson has been appointed as the head coach of the South Africa team.Gibson, the former West Indies seamer, will leave his role as England bowling coach at the end of the Investec Test series against West Indies. He has previously been head coach of West Indies (2010-2014), during which time he helped lead the side to success in the 2012 World T20.ESPNcricinfo had previously reported that a compensation package had been agreed between Cricket South Africa and the ECB to allow Gibson to leave his ECB contract early.”I am delighted to embark on this new chapter in my coaching career and I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for giving me this opportunity and the England and Wales Cricket Board for their understanding of my position,” Gibson said. “I have spent a number of happy times in South Africa as a player and I am now looking forward to return as a coach.”The news confirms the departure of Russell Domingo who has moved to the role of head coach of the A side. He was the South Africa coach for the last four years but was obliged to reapply for his job when CSA announced it would be reviewing its options for the position in January; a stance originally explained as an exercise in corporate governance.Ultimately, however, the five-man panel charged with appointing the coach – a panel that included former national coaches Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons – concluded that Gibson would be a better option. Domingo’s next assignment will see him coach Pretoria Mavericks in the T20 Global League.Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Russell Domingo for his positive contributions during his time with the Proteas and I am delighted he will remain in our setup as head coach of the South Africa A side. This is an important position that prepares our up-and-coming players in the next stage of their journey to become potential Proteas. I must also thank the ECB for their understanding and co-operation in releasing Ottis from his current contract.”Gibson, who played domestic cricket in South Africa, has had two spells as England’s bowling coach. He first joined them in 2007 and remained with them until he took the West Indies job in 2010. He returned to the ECB in 2015.It is understood that the ECB will advertise for a new bowling coach immediately. Richard Johnson (who is currently with Middlesex), Graeme Welch (who is currently with Leicestershire) and Steffan Jones (who is currently freelance) are all thought likely to apply. There may also be short-term consultancy roles for the likes of Darren Gough available.”Ottis has played a vital role in our progress over the past few years,” Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, said. “His knowledge of the international game and the way he has supported all our bowlers in their development has been immeasurable.”He will no doubt relish the challenge of becoming a head coach once again and coupled with his strong affinity with South African cricket, he will look to take them forward.””I would like to place on record my thanks to Ottis Gibson for his services to English cricket,” Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said. “Ottis has been an integral part of the England team in his two stints as bowling coach. His experience, tactical awareness and understanding of bowling in all conditions has benefited our approach and has helped our bowling unit develop greatly across all formats of the game.”He is an ambitious man and when this opportunity presented itself it was difficult for him to turn down. On behalf of the ECB, I would like to wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.”

The BCB president has asked the selectors to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series that is scheduled to begin on September 28

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2017Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan has made a recommendation to the selectors by asking them to consider Anamul Haque as an opening option for the South Africa Test series later this month. Anamul last played a Test three years ago and fell out of favour with the Bangladesh team management after a slow 70-ball 47 in a T20I in November 2015. He hasn’t appeared in an international fixture ever since.Hassan, however, paid little heed to Anamul’s inadequate game time in the international arena of late and, as has been his tendency over the past 12 months, recommended a player’s name to the selectors ahead of a series. Only weeks ago, he had intervened to include Mominul Haque in the Test squad ahead of the Australia series after the batsman was dropped by the selectors the previous day. In March this year, Hassan had stepped in to keep Mahmudullah in the squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka after the team management decided to send him home ahead of the game. Hassan later said that Mehidy Hasan’s inclusion in the limited-overs leg of that tour was also his recommendation.Previously, he had also recommended Mehedi Maruf and Shahriar Nafees to the board after they had put in decent performances in the BPL last year. Mosharraf Hossain, too, had the president’s attention during the Afghanistan ODIs.Hassan said on Friday that the board was focused on having more right-left combinations in the Bangladesh batting line-up, which is why he suggested Anamul’s name to the selectors.”If Imrul [Kayes] had done well, we would have thought of putting him ahead of Soumya [Sarkar] but that didn’t happen,” Hassan said. “There isn’t anyone extraordinary coming up in that position, but we are looking for someone. Bijoy (Anamul Haque) is an option as a right-hander. You will be surprised to know that I have already mentioned his name to the board the day before yesterday. I think he will be considered. We have to work with a left-right combination.”At the end of the second Test, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim sought clarity from the decision makers over his roles in the team – apart from leading it, he is also a key batsman and the wicketkeeper. Hassan responded by saying that, while he does discuss strategies with the players, such things had to be solved by the individual on their own.”I think it is Mushfiqur’s problem,” Hassan said. “Doesn’t Mashrafe [Mortaza] captain the side? He has never faced such a problem. Shakib [Al Hasan], the new T20 captain, will never face a problem. These things are a captain’s decision. We can give him a strategy but he has to take the decision in the field. Mashrafe decides by himself who will bowl and bat. We can give him information, maybe tell him, ‘Try this, try him,’ but nothing more than that.”We asked him if he wants to keep wickets. We asked him if he wants to bat at No. 4. Even the day before the second innings [of the Chittagong Test], I sent him word to bat at No. 4, but he didn’t do it. So it is up to him. He sent Nasir [Hossain at No. 4]; maybe he didn’t want to change his position. I will ask him since he said such a thing in the media. After end of play on the first day, I discussed plans and strategies with Shakib, Miraz, Taijul [Islam] and the coach. But I won’t dictate them what to do.”Hassan also revealed Bangladesh’s long-term plan for the 2019 World Cup, saying that Bangladesh will experiment for the first 10 matches out of the 30-odd games that they will play in the run-up to the tournament, but will keep a similar line-up for the rest of the matches.”Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, we have 30 international matches scheduled. In the last 18-20 matches, we will not make any changes,” he said. “We want a set team for the World Cup. But in the first 10-odd games, we will make many experiments. There may be a few who wouldn’t be happy with it but we have to have a settled World Cup team.”

Manchester United are reportedly expected to sign Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo this summer in a deal worth €30m.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils have made two signings so far in Mason Mount and Andre Onana from Chelsea and Inter Milan ahead of Erik ten Hag's second season in charge at Old Trafford.

A third player looks set to be confirmed shortly in forward Rasmus Hojlund. An agreement worth a total of £72m has been reached with Serie A side Atalanta, with the player now in the UK finalising a deal.

It is believed that a transfer for Hojlund could be confirmed around the pre-season friendly against Lens on Saturday at Old Trafford, and attention could soon be on more signings.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Fabrizio Romano recently said that United’s focus will be on another new midfielder after Hojlund, although he did claim that Todibo is still being monitored after club scouts watched the player back in April.

“I mentioned in April that Man United sent their scouts multiple times to follow both Todibo and Disasi – they’re very attentive to French market.

“Todibo is still being monitored, and we’ll have to wait and see how Man United will act. The priority will be a midfielder for now, so there’s nothing imminent on Todibo.”

It looks as if the club are expected to bring in the defender, though, going off fresh speculation in recent days.

TEAMtalk relayed an update from Spain in the last 48 hours regarding Man United and a move for Todibo. The report claims that the player has given the green light to an Old Trafford move, although Barcelona have been given the option to bring the player back to the Nou Camp.

However, it is the Red Devils who are expected to sign the defender in a deal worth €30m (£25.8m), with Todibo set to fill the void left by Harry Maguire, with an Old Trafford exit thought to be likely.

How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?

Todibo is 23 years of age and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation. The Frenchman made a permanent move to Nice back in 2021 from Barcelona following a loan spell and has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the French side.

An out-and-out centre-back, Todibo has been hailed as “solid as a rock” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and has even been compared to United's Lisandro Martinez over the past 12 months, as per FBref.

He ranks in the top 3% for ball recoveries and top 5% for tackles won, showing his defensive qualities, and the player has even impressed in possession. Todibo also ranks in the top 5% of centre-backs for successful take-ons, top 4% for carries and top 5% for short passes completed.

Therefore, it looks as if he could be a shrewd addition to rival the likes of Martinez and Raphael Varane in the upcoming campaign and beyond, and should Maguire leave Old Trafford, with West Ham interested, we could see Todibo arrive as his replacement.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia all summer and an encouraging update has emerged regarding their hopes of signing him.

Are Liverpool signing Romeo Lavia?

The 19-year-old has been expected to leave Saints ever since they were relegated from the Premier League back in May, with a young talent of such huge potential unlikely to be playing Championship football.

It is Liverpool who have emerged as the favourites to sign Lavia for much of the summer transfer window, with constant reports claiming he is seen as the No.1 option to come in and replace Fabinho in the defensive midfield role.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Chelsea have now also entered the race to sign the Belgian, however, in a crazy period in recent days that have also seen the two clubs scrambling to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo ahead of their season opener at Stamford Bridge. It looks as though the Blues may win that battle, but a new update has emerged over Lavia's future.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have an agreement in place with Lavia over a move, but Chelsea have out-bid the Reds and are continuing to fight them for his services in more transfer drama.

"Liverpool have not given up hope of signing Romeo Lavia even though they have been out-bid by Chelsea in more transfer drama, sources have told Football Insider. The Merseysiders are working on bringing in another central midfielder and have a personal agreement in place with the Southampton star.

"Chelsea have offered around £55m for Lavia, who has been the subject of three failed bids from Liverpool worth up to £48m, despite also looking to complete a British-record deal for Moises Caicedo."

If Caicedo doesn't end up moving to Liverpool this summer, which looks like it could be the case, it is essential that Lavia is brought in instead, standing out as the next-best option. In an ideal world, both would come in, completing the Reds' midfield rebuild in the process, but that is wishful thinking, given Chelsea's interest and the money it would cost to sign the pair.

At 19, Lavia is still very much an improving player, so he shouldn't be expected to be a star man from the off, but with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Stefan Bajcetic and even Curtis Jones all capable of playing in the No.6 role, he could be given time to adjust to his new surroundings.

Over time, though, the Southampton starlet, lauded as "outstanding" by members of the media, may grow into a brilliant defensive midfielder, possessing all the attributes to excel there in the same manner that Fabinho did for four years, prior to his performances taking a dip last season.

Lavia covers ground, breaks up play and uses the ball intelligently and effectively, with an 86.4% pass completion rate for a struggling Saints side last season an impressive tally, considering he was playing a team often on the receiving end of poor results and not being able to dominate possession in games.

Missing out both him and Caicedo would be an extremely tough one to take for Liverpool and the hope is that a new arrival is confirmed as soon as possible.

Head coach Hemantha Devapriya is optimistic about Sri Lanka’s batting prowess after a demonstrable improvement in the Women’s World Cup earlier this year

Madushka Balasuriya 05-Oct-2017Sri Lanka women have left for their tour of the West Indies, beginning from October 11, in high spirits, boosted by a positive showing with the bat in this year’s Women’s World Cup in England.Despite losing six of their seven World Cup matches, the team crossed the 200-mark four times – one of which was a winning total of 221 for 7 against Pakistan in their final game – and came close in two other losing causes, with the only real blemish being their drubbing at the hands of South Africa when they were bowled out for 101.”[Prior to the tournament] a concern was that we were not getting close to 200. The team used to average 130, which was not good enough. But in the seven matches in the World Cup, we averaged 190 [195],” said head coach Hemantha Devapriya.This drastic improvement was in part down to the fine form of Chamari Atapattu, who was responsible for one the highlights of the tournament when she bludgeoned an unbeaten 178 in 143 balls against Australia. The rest of the team more than held their own though, thanks to a new-found focus on rotating the strike.”We developed a range of shots to increase the number of singles. We were therefore able to increase from an average of 40 runs, to 80 at the World Cup through singles,” Devapriya explained.The inclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Rebeca Vandort in the 15-player squad travelling to the West Indies highlights the team’s intent of doubling down on their batting strength. Seven specialist batsmen in total have been included in the squad, while the likes of Shashikala Siriwardene, Atapattu and Sripali Weerakkody offer options with both bat and ball.The team will face the West Indies in three ODIs and three T20s.Sri Lanka squad: Inoka Ranaweera (capt), Sripali Weerakkody, Rebeca Vandort (wk), Prasadani Weerakkody, Chamari Atapattu, Dilani Manodara, Nipuni Hansika, Hasini Perera, Yashoda Mendis, Chandima Gunaratne, Hansima Karunaratne, Shashikala Siriwardene, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani

In the format he loves, the New Zealand opener, on his way to a century, aced a test he had failed earlier in the tour

Vishal Dikshit in Rajkot05-Nov-20171:45

Century in India ‘means a heck of a lot’ – Munro

Colin Munro may not have been the most confident player in the New Zealand camp when the ongoing tour of India started last month. He had just returned to the ODI side, he was being asked to open for the first time in his international career and he didn’t have the best technique to combat spin on the slow Indian surfaces. The troubles swelled when his opening partner Martin Guptill was unable to get strong starts, and Munro fell victim to slower balls for two straight matches at the beginning of the series.After Munro’s blistering half-century in the third ODI in Kanpur, the Indian bowlers thought of deceiving him with some slower ones again in the second T20 on Saturday. Munro didn’t have to face many in the Powerplay, until debutant Mohammed Siraj sent down a few in his second over. That eighth over had two slower deliveries dispatched by Munro over his favoured leg side for sixes.Munro showed his issues with slower balls was not a weakness, but only a brief trend based on a small sample size, something he overcame pretty soon, especially once the formats changed.”To be honest, I wasn’t expecting too many slower balls in the first couple of ODIs,” Munro said on Saturday. “Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] and [Jasprit] Bumrah just bowled back of a length, trying to nick you out, get lbws. And the way I came out was aggressive and that made them change a bit. They bowled really well in terms of that. Bumrah’s slower ball… he has made a name of himself with that slower ball and Bhuvi’s knuckle ball is very good with the new ball.”[Now] it’s Twenty20 and you’ve got to be aggressive. Tonight it came off, another night it might not.”India’s best fast bowler against Munro on Saturday was Bumrah but he said changing his plans on the field was not easy and does not always work when a batsman like Munro is in that mood.”You can’t have a fixed plan,” Bumrah explained of bowling to Munro. “Over here if you had a fixed plan that you bowl slower balls, he was hitting them really well.”As compared to the hitches at the beginning of the tour, Munro looks a different player now. Twenty20 is the format he is more suited to as he gets to express himself “more freely” without the pressure of building a long innings. Munro is a specialised T20 player who struck his first T20I century earlier this year against Bangladesh. He may have been dropped from the ODI side then, but he followed it by racking up 366 runs for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, with three half-centuries, at a strike rate of 135. Munro had even considered turning into a freelance T20 player as he was not a regular in the ODI side and has played only one Test so far.”I enjoy Twenty20,” Munro said. “It’s a game where you know it’s a short game and you go out there to express yourself and when it comes off, it comes off. Sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself in the longer form where you’ve got to score runs all the time. In Twenty20, you just got to go out there and express yourself and take the good with the bad. Sometimes it comes off like it did tonight and the other night it didn’t come off. You just got to go with the flow.”I think I’ve always felt good in this format. It was just a matter of it hasn’t quite clicked. It’s one of those games where when you’re going well, you’re going really well. And when you’re not, you’re not. For me it’s a mindset thing. I’ve tried not to expect too much from myself playing at this level or at Twenty20. It’s just about trying to keep as even as you can and I think I’ve done that over the last two years.”Switching formats requires both technical as well as mental changes. To combat the challenges posed by India’s quick bowlers, Munro batted with a slightly more open stance on Saturday that helped him clear his front foot and hammer four sixes over his preferred long-on arc, an area that fetched him 30% of his runs. The key is not only to score runs though. Munro is frank about why things have not worked for him in the past when he put too much pressure on himself.”For me, the biggest part of being successful at this level is the mental side,” Munro said. “I’ve scored runs for Auckland for a long time, it’s just trying to get the same mental aptitude at this level. I think in the past I’ve probably put too much pressure on myself and haven’t always cemented my spot in the team. So it’s always what can I do to make the team rather than what I do now – which is what can I do to win a game. Or what I can do to contribute to the game. And that’s what makes a difference. Even if it’s 20 off 10, that’s a contribution, whereas in the past I’ve been not good enough to stay in the team. But now it’s more of a mental mindshift.”Munro’s innings had the elements a T20 century usually has – he attacked from the very first ball he faced, he survived at least two chances – put down by the Indian fielders – and he collected a lot of runs off edges. Not just the innings on Saturday, his scores in T20 internationals this year also reflect the ups and downs of a T20 game: 0, 101, 0, 0, 7 and 109*.No matter how the third T20 goes for Munro, he would be fairly pleased with the performances on the India tour so far. He now says he “loves” batting at the top of the order and scoring a hundred through the innings in India “means a heck of a lot”.

After struggling for goals last season, Everton are reportedly looking to sign a forward this summer, potentially giving Sean Dyche the forward he needs to lead the line.

Last season, the Toffees scored the second least number of goals in the Premier League, with their tally of 35 only better than Wolverhampton Wanderers' total of 31.

The Merseyside club are working on a solution to their problems, however.

What's the latest on Che Adams to Everton?

Providing an update on Everton's pursuit of Che Adams, Jacob Tanswell and Paddy Boyland of The Athletic have reported that the Toffees have made a £12m bid for the Southampton striker.

Tanswell revealed noise from the Saints end is that the offer is reasonable: "Everton have made a £12m offer to sign Che Adams from Saints. Adams is in final year of his deal with no extension discussed. #NFFC & #afcb have shown interest but #EFC are long-standing admirers & put in a bid viewed as reasonable."

The Merseyside club look set to win the race to sign the Scotland international, who has also reportedly attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth this summer.

Adams, of course, has been busy getting off to a flying start in the Championship, scoring twice in as many games for the Saints, who will no doubt be desperate to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

They may have to do it without their star striker, though, as the end of the transfer window looms.

Should Everton sign Che Adams?

Everton's goal scoring problems were exposed for all to see on the opening day of the season, as Fulham defeated the toothless Toffees 1-0 at Goodison Park.

Given Dominic Calvert-Lewin's consistent injury problems, too – the England international missed 14 games last season – signing a striker is imperative for Everton's top flight status. And that's where Adams could come in. The 27-year-old is Premier League proven, making him an ideal option to provide support to fellow new arrival Youssef Chermiti.

In the last campaign, even as Southampton suffered the heartbreak of relegation, Adams scored 10 goals in all competitions, which would have made him Everton's top goal scorer.

Even as his future remains undecided, too, the forward's attitude has not changed, resulting in praise from Saints manager Russell Martin, who said, via The Irish News: "The hardest decision for the team was to decide which one (striker) we played, I think we can get both on the pitch as well. They both got a goal and the way Che reacted to not playing was amazing – brilliant energy and so respectful.

“There was a lot of noise around him, we turned down a bid for him a couple of weeks ago and nothing has happened since. The way he dealt with that is amazing. He got a nice reception getting off the bus from Sheffield Wednesday fans, so for him to score I am delighted.”

Statistically speaking, too, Adams would be an instant upgrade on Neal Maupay.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

According to FBref, the Scottish forward made more progressive passes and carries, enjoyed better take-on success, and was dispossessed fewer times throughout last season.

Every way you look at it, Adams seems like a player who would improve Dyche's side, and potentially steer them away from the relegation scrap this season. With their £12m bid reportedly deemed reasonable, we may well see the Southampton man make the move before the window slams shut.