Current player identification lead will take over role vacated by David Parsons in July

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2019

Mohammad Bobat, the ECB’s Player Identification Lead•Getty Images

Mo Bobat, the man whose analytical approach helped to change the way that England’s squads are selected, has been named as the ECB’s new Performance Director for men’s cricket.Bobat, who is currently the board’s Player Identification Lead, will take charge from David Parsons, who left the post in July. He will work closely alongside Chris Silverwood, the newly appointed head coach, and Ed Smith, the national selector, to support the delivery of performance plans and selection strategy.A 36-year-old former PE teacher from Leicester, Bobat studied sports science and management and is also in the process of completing a Masters in sporting directorship. Prior to joining the ECB in 2011, he worked as a lecturer and teacher in Leicester, augmenting his experience as a Level 4 certified cricket coach.”I am delighted and honoured to be appointed Performance Director, at what is an exciting time for English cricket,” said Bobat.”I am looking forward to working closely with both Chris Silverwood and Ed Smith, and in doing so, supporting the performance needs of our England teams and moving us closer to achieving our aim of being the most respected team in the world.”Developing strong relationships with our counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool will be paramount. I aim to ensure that our highest potential players receive individualised support and international-specific experiences.”It is a hugely exciting role and the vision is that the strength of our counties and our high-performance system delivers deliberate and sustained success across all formats.”Commenting on the appointment, Ashley Giles, the managing director of England’s Men’s Cricket, added: “The position of Performance Director is a critical post in the development of our long-term strategy for elite performance. Mo demonstrated through his knowledge and experience that he has the attributes to take us forward in this area.”He will be responsible for identifying our highest potential players and leading programmes that will bridge the gap between county and international cricket helping us to deliver successful, respected and inspiring England players and teams.”The Performance Director will work closely with our network of counties to enhance the size and quality of our talent pool and ensuring that we’re jointly making decisions in each player’s best long-term interests.”We have to develop a long-term strategy that identifies the best players in the country that can step up and excel in the international cricket arena. We will expose them to learn and perform in all conditions around the world.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly ready for Manchester United to make a bid for a defensive "monster" in the summer transfer window, with his current club said to be panicking about his exit.

Man Utd transfer news

For the first time in a while, it does feel as though there is genuine reason for positivity both on and off the pitch at Old Trafford, following years of frustration.

Sunday's 2-1 win away to Luton Town was another step in the right direction in the Premier League, as Erik ten Hag's side push for a Champions League place this season, while the situation surrounding Ratcliffe's 25% acquisition of the club is going from strength to strength.

His investment has now been approved, which is fantastic news, and the boyhood United fan is looking to make his presence felt immediately, aiming to bring in Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth ahead of next season.

The 52-year-old has been put on gardening leave by the Magpies, and it is now a case of whether the Red Devils are willing to pay the £20m compensation fee to bring him in before 2026 or wait for two years.

Away from the Ashworth situation, United also continue to be linked with new signings, with Benfica's highly-rated young midfielder Joao Neves considered a possible addition come the end of the current campaign. Bayern Munich teenager Mathys Tel has also been linked with a move but is weighing up his future.

Man Utd ready to make bid for Gleison Bremer

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are "willing" to table an offer for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, with the report stating that "the sirens are coming" from Old Trafford.

He has been "identified" as a "fundamental reinforcement", with the Red Devils "willing to put on the table an offer" that "cannot be refused". Juve are already believed to eyeing replacements for the Brazilian, with alarm bells ringing in Turin over the likelihood of a United bid.

Gleison Bremer's Serie A stats this season	Total
Appearances	24
Starts	24
Clearances per game	4.0
Aerial duel wins per game	2.8
Tackles per game	1.6
Interceptions per game	1.3
Pass completion rate	86.9%

Bremer could be such an exciting signing at Old Trafford this summer, during a transfer window in which defensive reinforcements are essential. Raphael Varane arguably isn't the force he used to be, not to mention picking up injuries too often, while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof also aren't the answer alongside undoubted key man Lisandro Martinez.

Bremer could be seen as the Argentine's natural long-term partner at the heart of the defence, having made an impressive average of four clearances per game in Serie A this season, across a total of 24 starts in the competition. Meanwhile, data analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed him as a "monster", such is his dominance at centre-back.

Still only 26, the Juve ace shouldn't drift past his peak for some time yet, and if United could acquire his signature, as well as strengthen in other important areas, things will look positive ahead of next season.

It does feel like it's all streamlining at Tottenham Hotspur this season, with Ange Postecoglou leading the charge toward European football once again.

Last year Spurs fell by the wayside in the Premier League and chairman Daniel Levy knew that, having dismissed Antonio Conte, he had to get it right, lest his outfit sink further into the mire of midtable.

Postecoglou had never managed in a top-five European league but his work in Scotland with Celtic with Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos spoke of his credentials and Tottenham made their move.

Tottenham remain a distance away from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, both literally and figuratively, but shrewd transfer recruitment and an entertaining and effective new playing style have rekindled the fires of belief in supporters' hearts.

That recruitment has seen improvements not only in the type of player but how deals have crossed the line, with James Maddison arriving from Leicester City for £40m, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario moving from Empoli for an initial £17m fee and Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski both completing permanent moves for relatively shrewd fees.

At first, Micky van de Ven's £43m transfer fee from Wolfsburg appeared to be somewhat steep; Liverpool were also interested in the Netherlands international but reportedly pulled out of the race in July with financial concerns.

But the 22-year-old has been a bona fide success and his acquisition looks to be more of a bargain each time he graces the Premier League with his athleticism and defensive strength.

Micky van de Ven's Spurs career in numbers

Van de Ven has unquestionably been one of the Premier League's best and most influential additions of recent years, with his singular defensive skill set, blended together with the elite aggression of Cristian Romero, elevating Tottenham's backline and putting the woes of the 2022/23 campaign into distant memory.

As per Sofascore, he has completed 95% of his passes and has come out on top in 66% of his ground duels, also averaging 1.7 tackles, 5.8 ball recoveries and 2.8 clearances per game.

Moreover, he ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, highlighting how energetic and proactive he is in his duties.

His remarkable pace and innate ease in his defending have already eradicated any questions surrounding the £43m paid for his signature, and while that fee is large – though not inordinately so – the fact that his services were wrapped up with a weekly salary of £50k-per-week speaks volumes regarding the astute dealing from Levy and co.

Timo Werner (*loanee)

£165k-per-week

Radu Dragusin

£85k-per-week

Guglielmo Vicario

£75k-per-week

Brennan Johnson

£70k-per-week

Manor Solomon

£60k-per-week

Micky van de Ven

£50k-per-week

Believe it or not, the Dutchman actually pockets the measliest earnings of any of Tottenham's signings since Postecoglou's anointment last summer, and while he's only young this represents a promising and refreshing change of track.

Take, for example, Tottenham's £27m move for Steven Bergwijn back in January 2020. Van de Ven's fellow Dutchman left Ajax to head to the English capital with a weight of expectation, but he flattered to deceive and lasted just a season-and-a-half at the club.

Steven Bergwijn's earnings at Spurs

Bergwijn was 22 years old at the time of his arrival unlike Van de Ven he struggled to carry over the fine form in his homeland that had seen him post five goals and ten assists across his final 16 Eredivisie appearances.

Journalist Phil Casey – rather scathingly – called Bergwijn a "useless makeweight" for his inability to perform for Tottenham, with such remarks derived from the player's return of just eight goals from 83 fixtures in all competitions for the Lilywhites.

Despite some slick skills and fleet-footedness that caused English opposition problems, the 5 foot 10 forward really did flatter to deceive and started just four times in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, ending Bergwijn's stay and allowing Ajax to swoop back in and re-sign him on a club record £26m deal.

Considering he earned a £75k-per-week wage with Spurs and indeed the same amount at Ajax – some £25k-per-week more than Van de Ven – it can only go down as a failed acquisition and one that is very much emblematic of the dismal few years following Mauricio Pochettino's tenure.

How Steven Bergwijn has performed since leaving Spurs

Last season, Bergwijn plundered 16 goals and six assists from 45 matches for Ajax but failed to stop Feyenoord from running away with the Eredivisie title. Still, his sublime ball-playing skills and electric movements returned and left Spurs questioning what had gone wrong.

And this year, while his outfit have been suffering with some dreadful performances, Bergwijn has taken his performances to a whole new level, scoring seven goals and adding four assists from just 16 top-flight games but, moreover, completing 87% of his passes and averaging 3.9 ball recoveries, 2.1 dribbles and 4.9 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

The clip above shows a simple but noteworthy whipped cross into the path of his teammate Brian Brobbey; at his best, Bergwijn combines his natural attributes with polished technicality and selfless creativity to form the make-up of a Premier League star.

It didn't work out at Spurs but at 26 years old he may yet return to English shores and catch the eye, ranking among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie for pass completion, the top 12% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, to showcase this point.

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Ultimately, Van de Ven and his fellow Postecoglou signings all look to be successes and this is a demonstration of the new approach at the club that might just sprout success. It's a new era and the Lilywhites must not look back.

Leeds United brought in a manager well-known for his work with young players when they appointed German head coach Daniel Farke last summer.

The 47-year-old tactician developed the likes of Max Aarons, James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, and Emi Buendia, among others, during his previous stint in England with Norwich City.

His willingness to bring through youth players has already been on full display this season as Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray have emerged as first-team options for the Whites.

Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa was cut from the same cloth as he was also prepared to develop academy talent. However, not every player who debuted under him went on to be a success, with Kun Temenuzhkov being a prime example.

Kun Temenuzhkov's time at Leeds

The Bulgarian centre-forward was snapped up from Barcelona's U18 side in the summer of 2017 to link up with Carlos Corberan's U21 outfit in Yorkshire.

He arrived in England off the back of an exceptional return of 30 goals in 30 league matches for the Spanish giants at U18 level, to secure a league title for his team, which earned him a comparison to his idol Luis Suarez by The Guardian, who cited his predatory instincts in the box.

After around 18 months with Leeds in their academy, Bielsa decided to hand him a first-team debut for the club against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2019.

Temenuzhkov played 11 minutes off the bench in what turned out to be his only senior appearance for the Whites before his release in the summer of 2022.

Between that appearance against QPR and his exit from Elland Road, the young forward spent time on loan with La Nucia and Real Union, but only scored six goals in 47 matches for the two sides combined.

Where Kun Temenuzhkov currently plays

The Leeds prospect never kicked on after Bielsa provided him with a first-team opportunity and was eventually released by the club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Since then, Temenuzhkov has played for three different teams and now finds himself playing in Gibraltar for Lincoln Red Imps, who he joined from Spanish outfit Zamora in January of this year.

Appearances

34

Ten

Seven

Goals

Eight

One

Three

Assists

One

Zero

Three

Now 24, the ex-Barcelona starlet is yet to enjoy a truly prolific season as a striker at first-team level as his eight goals for Navalcarnero during the 2022/23 season remain the most he has plundered in a single term.

However, the Bulgarian dynamo has produced three goals and three assists in six league matches for Lincoln in 2024, which suggests that he is on his way to finding his feet as a regular scorer.

The caveat to that is that Gibraltar is currently FIFA's 201st worst nation based on their world rankings, only slightly above San Marino in 210th, and that does not say much for the standard of opposition the former Leeds forward is up against each week in comparison to the major European leagues or the Championship.

Hopefully, Temenuzhkov will go on to enjoy a successful career, as he still has plenty of time left at the age of 24, after it did not work out for him at Elland Road.

With much of the focus at Aston Villa remaining on the hunt for the top four, one eye has turned towards the summer with the Villans preparing to make some potential moves ahead of the transfer window opening.

Aston Villa braced for big summer

Whilst fears about being the next Premier League club to face financial fair play sanctions have dampened some of the excitement around Villa's summer business, the potential windfall from Champions League qualification could see them able to flex their muscles in the market.

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A name recently linked with a move to Villa Park is Athletico Madrid defender, Mario Hermoso. The 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer and could add some much-needed Champions League experience to Unai Emery's side. Bringing the Spaniard in would also help negate the persistent issues Villa have suffered this season with injuries to key players in defensive areas.

Other recent rumours out of the West Midlands suggest that Villa could be in for Brazilian forward Pedro. Linked with a £25.6million move for the Flamengo man, it is clear that Emery is eager to bolster his attack during the summer window. The Villans have also held an interest in Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams who looks set to leave the Basque outfit at the end of the season.

With an attacker clearly at the forefront of NSWE's spending plans, there is no wonder why Villa are one of a host of English clubs linked with a move for a promising European striker.

Aston Villa interested in German striker

As first reported on the X account of Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Villa appear to be among a growing group of sides interested in Hoffenheim striker Maximillian Beier, saying all top eight English clubs, therefore those at Villa Park, are "monitoring" the player.

Plettenberg quotes that a figure of around £25million would be necessary to tempt the "top striker" away from Hoffenheim and a deal could be completed before the European Championships kick off in June.

With 12 goals in the league this season, Beier has attracted interest from around Europe as well as a number of clubs at the top of the German league. Making his Bundesliga debut at just 17 years of age, Beier is a player that has been playing football at the highest level since a very young age.

Non-Penalty Goals

0.60

84th percentile

Shots

3.16

82nd percentile

Touches

5.37

77th percentile

Progressive Passes Received

8.23

91st percentile

Now aged 21, Beier recently received his first call-up to the German national team and looks set to make his debut for his country in their upcoming games against France and the Netherlands. With the youngster looking to feature in Julian Nagelsmann's squad for the upcoming Euros, there is no doubt that Beier is set for an impressive end to the season.

If Villa are planning to find a young striker to give competition to Ollie Watkins, signing Beier could fill this role with ease, giving Emery a proven goalscorer with plenty of room to improve.

France boss Didier Deschamps called Lamine Yamal's wondergoal 'lucky' after their loss in the Euro 2024 semi-final.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Deschamps calls Yamal 'lucky'
• Became youngest-ever goalscorer in Euros
• Spain aiming to win record fourth title on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Barcelona wonderkid cancelled out Randal Kolo Muani's early goal with a world-class strike in the first half to become the youngest scorer in the European Championship, having broken the record set by Johan Vonlanthen when he struck for Switzerland in Euro 2004 at the age of 18.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the teenager received a lot of adulation for his brilliant goal that helped Spain secure a place in the final of the Euros for the first time since 2012, opposition coach Deschamps labelled the strike as a 'lucky' one. The Frenchman, however, gave the youngster credit for scoring such an outrageous goal.

• WHAT DIDIER DESCHAMPS SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the match, the 55-year-old said, "His shot was magnificent. He was very lucky, but we shouldn't take away his credit. We were obviously one too far behind him. The Spanish have many good strikers outside the box. We gave him a little too much freedom."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SPAIN?

  La Roja will aim to lift their record fourth European title on Sunday in Berlin as they are set to face the winner of the second semi-final between Netherlands and England which will be played in Dortmund on Wednesday.

Within their ranks, Arsenal have a vast array of talent at their disposal. This is shown by their position in the Premier League table over the last couple of seasons.

The 2023/24 in particular is one where Mikel Arteta's men have shone. The Gunners find themselves residing in third place and have won each of their last six top-flight games.

This includes a statement win against fellow title rivals, Liverpool, whom they managed to sneak three goals past.

This win set the north London club on something of a winning streak as they are yet to lose a game since their triumph at the Emirates.

This winning streak has included victories such as their 5-0 thrashing of Burnley and even a 6-0 dismantling of fellow Londoners, West Ham United.

Whilst a lot of their form is down to the tactical decisions of Arteta, the performances their players have been putting in have been phenomenal, thus vindicating the decision to loan out stars such as Albert Sambi Lokonga.

How Lokonga has performed this season

Despite making 15 appearances for Arsenal last season, Lokonga was loaned out in the summer to Premier League newcomers, Luton Town.

Since then, he has appeared a total of 14 times for Rob Edwards' side and has managed to assist his teammates a total of two times, even recently receiving praise from Jurgen Klopp for his form away from the Emirates.

Equally, in ten of the squad's last 11 top-flight games, Lokonga has played the full 90 minutes a total of five times. This not only shows how much has developed whilst being with the Hatters, but it also shows that Edwards sees potential in the youngster.

It's a major change from the start of the season where, in Luton's first ten Premier League games, the midfielder was left out of the squad for eight of them, with injury yet again playing its part.

However, despite his clear advancements on the pitch, there is another Arsenal loanee who is currently creating waves in the footballing world whom Arteta should consider unleashing next season – that player being Charlie Patino.

Why Charlie Patino is perfect for Arteta's system

Patino has been with Arsenal since he was 11 years old, when he was signed from Luton for a fee in the region of £10k.

Since then, he has made his senior debut for the Gunners in the Carabao Cup back in December 2021, in what was quite a memorable first senior outing.

The youngster managed to slot a goal past Sunderland in the quarter-finals of the competition and helped Arteta's side in their 5-1 win.

In the following two seasons, Patino has been loaned out to the Championship and represented both Blackpool and Swansea.

However, it's during his spell in Wales that he has seen the most improvement. He has become pivotal to the squad and has played a total of 29 games and has contributed to four goals and four assists in all competitions.

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Respected data analyst Ben Mattinson has even claimed that the youngster would "explode in Arteta's system." With the current form that the 20-year-old finds himself in, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the thriving youngster unleashed in Arsenal's first team next season.

With competition for places rife in Arteta's midfield ranks, this promotion for Patino could, however, leave Lokonga without a spot in the squad and staring down the barrel of a temporary or permanent exit this summer…

The 16-year-old fast bowler has found a support system within the Pakistan team to help him cope following his mother’s death

Umar Farooq19-Nov-20192:38

From Lower Dir to top tier, the Naseem Shah story

When Pakistan began their tour match against Australia A in Perth last week, Naseem Shah’s foremost concern was to show the world why he had been called up to the national squad at the age of 16, and to push for a place in the pace attack for the first Test.His world, however, was soon turned upside-down by news that his mother had passed away.Naseem broke down instantly when he heard the news. He wanted to go back home. But the journey of more than 9000km, to Lower Dir in the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, would take more than 48 hours. The funeral couldn’t wait for longer than 24 hours. The PCB’s logistics department tried to arrange his transport, but the quickest route would still take two days.Naseem’s brothers convinced him to stay back in Australia and make his country proud.Pakistan asked if they could field a replacement player in the warm-up game, and Cricket Australia was ready to strip the match of first-class status in order to accommodate the incoming player.In the end, Naseem stayed on, chose to not bowl in the first innings, and came out in the second innings to send down eight hostile overs, taking the wicket of Marcus Harris with a snorter that spat up from just short of a length.It’s been an ordeal for Naseem, but through it he has had sources of support to lean on, particularly his team-mate and best friend Muhammad Musa, and team manager Mansoor Rehan. The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit made an exception for Naseem during the match, allowing him to use the team manager’s phone in the dressing room whenever he wished to speak to his family.Naseem Shah picked up the wicket of Marcus Harris•Getty Images”I think a parent is irreplaceable, and the guts and courage he showed coming out to the ground were quite commendable,” Shan Masood, the Pakistan opener, said at a press conference. “At 16, he is that mature. If we only talk about his cricket right now, that is a lot of maturity right there.”But losing his mother and still stepping out in the field, when he’s all the way in Australia, at the other end of the world… yet he’s not going back, and staying here. Putting his hand up. He wants to do well for the team, for the country. That is commendable. That is going to reward him.”That is the sort of attitude we are looking for in all the guys and as a team. We are going to stick behind him. All we can offer is support, prayers, and hope for his well-being. We are all very happy the way he is responding and hopefully, he is going to be a star in the making.”Masood is excited by Naseem’s potential as a fast bowler.”It’s very exciting to see a 16-year old come to the fore and he’s sort of taken domestic circuit by surprise,” Masood said. “I don’t know if you followed our domestic season, but the pitches were docile and he (18 wickets at 19.27 in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy) has been the standout bowler. After the sad loss of his mother, I think it took guts, and we should appreciate what he did, stepping out in the field in the second innings at the Optus, producing really good spells. I hope he plays, I am sure if he plays he is going to enjoy bowing on such tracks against a formidable side like Australia.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is reportedly on "borrowed time", as per a former Scottish Premiership club chief.

Celtic chasing Rangers

The former Liverpool manager is currently on his second stint with Celtic, with his first time in charge beginning in May 2016. His first tenure was of course incredibly successful, with the 51-year-old managing to win seven honours whilst at the club, with two of those being league titles.

However, despite being welcomed back to The Hoops with (mostly) open arms, his second spell with the Scottish side has been far from smooth sailing. The club currently reside in second place and have only won three of their last five Premiership games.

Brendan Rodgers' 2023/24 season at Celtic so far

Games

39

Wins

25

Draws

6

Losses

8

Data from Transfermarkt

This is quite a fall from grace for Celtic following their previous season, as Ange Postecoglou's side managed to finish on 99 points and only lose three domestic games the entire campaign. The sole outlier being the 2020/21 season where Steven Gerrard led Rangers to an undefeated season with 102 points, the Bhoys have won 11 out of the last 12 titles, so anything less than first place is correctly categorised as failure.

And as Phillipe Clement's men are currently leading the way by two points, Celtic's streak of dominance could once again be stopped by their rivals. If Rodgers does fail to lead the club to a title they are expected to look to replace him in the near future, with former Aberdeen Club Chief Keith Wyness claiming the Northern Ireland manager is on "borrowed time."

Rodgers running out of time

Speaking on Football Insiders' Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old suggested Rodgers could be replaced "within a year or two".

"I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change in manager in the off-season. I don’t know if Rodgers was the right pick," said Wyness. "It’s not a happy ship. It does seem to be on the pitch where the failings have come. It certainly seems that they’ve been underperforming in some pretty key games."

These claims come after the Hoops were knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League after only amassing four points out of a possible 18. Rodgers has, however, managed to overcome Celtic's Old Firm rivals on two occasions this term.

Despite triumphing over their arch rivals twice, Wyness went on to claim he has "no sympathy" for the 51-year-old.

"If you’re not first in Scotland, you’re nowhere – and I think the footballing side is what I’d be focusing on to find answers. I don’t have any sympathy for Rodgers. He’s a very experienced manager and he knew what he was walking into. I think he’s running on borrowed time. It’s going to be very hard to claw it back after this unhappy start.

"Even if he wins the league, I think it will only be a year or two before he ends up leaving.”

Australian swing bowler Michael Neser will join Surrey for the first half of their County Championship season next year.Neser, who was part of Australia’s Ashes squad but never made it into the playing XI, has become a prolific wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield in recent years.He took 39 wickets in Queensland’s victorious campaign in 2017-18, before returning a further 33 in 2018-19 to seal his Ashes berth, and has 12 wickets at 15.91 in his two appearances so far this season.Neser played two ODIs during Australia’s 5-0 hammering in England last summer – including an international debut at The Oval – and is a useful batsman too, with an average of 25.81 in first-class cricket. In last season’s Shield, he scored 481 runs at an average of 43.72, including five half-centuries.After signing his deal, Neser said that playing county cricket was a “long-held ambition” of his.”To be able to do so at The Kia Oval alongside some fabulous players is obviously hugely exciting for me,” he said. “I look forward to contributing and helping the guys challenge at the top of the County Championship in 2020.”Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “What I have seen of him plus strong recommendations from former Australian players whose opinions I greatly respect means I am very pleased Michael will join us for the first half of next year’s County Championship.”The experience he will have gained from being a part of Australia’s Ashes squad will stand him in good stead for the coming season. I look forward to seeing him perform successfully in a Surrey shirt.”Surrey underwhelmed in the Championship last season, winning just two of their 14 games as they finished sixth out of eight teams while attempting to defend their title.They are also expected to announce soon the signings of Hashim Amla, on a Kolpak deal, and Reece Topley.