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Including Euro 2022 champions, but also runners-up from Euro 2009 and the 2023 World Cup, GOAL ranks England's best women's players since 2000…

At the start of the 21st century, England were not a force in women's football. They'd failed to qualify for both the 1997 European Championship and the 1999 Women's World Cup and, after crashing out in the group stages of Euro 2001, would also fall short of reaching the 2003 World Cup. However, that's all changed now, with the Lionesses winning their first major tournament at Euro 2022 and backing it up with a first Women's World Cup final a year later.

Hope Powell, one of the finest coaches the women's game has seen, played a huge part in laying the foundations for this rise, and so did a lot of top players who did not have the resources and professional status that the stars of today do. For every Leah Williamson and Georgia Stanway, there is a Faye White and a Jill Scott who helped to pave the way.

Because of the many different eras that the England women's national team has gone through in the past 25 years alone, it is tricky to rank the best players to represent the Lionesses in that time. Yes, the current generation have achieved things that those of the past never did, but achievements such as reaching the Euro 2009 final or finishing third at the 2015 Women's World Cup are also important, particularly in the journey to reaching the point England are at today.

So, who are the greatest players to represent the Lionesses in the 21st century? Taking into account only international exploits, GOAL runs through the cream of the crop…

Getty Images25Rachel Unitt

One of only six players to be named England Women's Player of the Year more than once, Rachel Unitt racked up 102 caps for the Lionesses after making her debut back in 2000. From there, she'd establish herself as a regular under Powell, to the extent that when central contracts were first handed out by the Football Association back in 2009, the left-back was among the 17 players who received one. A few months after that, Unitt was part of the England team that enjoyed an historic run to the Euro 2009 final.

Sadly, after hitting a century of caps in 2012, Unitt would be hampered by injuries which drew her international career to a premature end. A foot problem ruled her out of that year's Olympic Games, which provided a watershed moment for women's football in Great Britain, and an ACL injury ruled her out of Euro 2013. However, the disappointing conclusion to her time as an England player should not overshadow what a fantastic servant Unitt was to her country.

AdvertisementGetty Images24Rachel Brown-Finnis

England's starting goalkeeper for that run to the Euro 2009 final, Rachel Brown-Finnis spent the first few years of the 21st century battling it out with stalwart Pauline Cope for the No.1 shirt, racking up a decent number of caps along the way despite generally remaining an understudy until Cope's shock retirement in 2004. From there, Brown-Finnis emerged from the pack to become the Lionesses' new first-choice goalkeeper.

After playing all four of England's games at the 2007 Women's World Cup, and keeping an impressive clean sheet against Germany, the Everton icon remained the Lionesses' go-to shot-stopper for a memorable, and somewhat unexpected, Euro 2009 campaign.

Despite keeping five clean sheets in seven outings in qualifying for the 2011 World Cup, she would lose her starting berth at that tournament to Karen Bardsley. But Brown-Finnis was England's best goalkeeper for at least five strong years in this century, which is more than enough for a place on this list.

Getty Images23Rachel Daly

There is an argument to be made that there has been no greater servant to the Lionesses this century than Rachel Daly. Despite making her international debut in 2016, it wasn't until 2023 that the striker actually started to compete for game time with England in her natural position. Throughout the seven years prior, Daly played almost every outfield role possible. "I'm ready to play in whatever position I'm needed," she would say.

While playing at right-back, left-back, out wide and even in a rather rogue No.10 role might have been tough at times, as it could stop Daly from really bringing her very best attributes to the table, it helped the team massively. Her six successive starts at left-back at Euro 2022 were her biggest contribution, helping Sarina Wiegman to plug a problem position as the Lionesses won their first-ever major tournament.

After showing attitude and commitment that was absolutely second-to-none, Daly surprisingly called time on her international career in April 2024, and Wiegman's reaction summed up what makes her one of England's best players of this century. "It has been a privilege to work with her," she said. "I have never worked with a player so versatile, always with a smile on her face, always bringing energy, and trying to do her best for the team."

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Getty Images22Sue Smith

While Sue Smith's time as an England player didn't overlap with their most successful era, there are many that would pick her out as one of the most talented women's footballers that the country has ever produced. A tricky forward with a knack for the spectacular, she made her international debut back in 1997 and would enjoy 15 years as a Lioness, with the pinnacle certainly the run to the Euro 2009 final.

There were some real lows in that decade-and-a-half, too, which Smith had to bounce back from. Be it a broken leg, torn ligaments or omissions from major tournament squads, she always rebounded in a big way in an international career which returned three Player of the Year awards, 93 caps and plenty of magical moments.

Leeds United have made four signings to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window, which closes at the end of this month, so far.

Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, and Joe Rothwell have all been brought in to improve Daniel Farke's options across the pitch for this season.

Meanwhile, Charlie Cresswell, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Archie Gray have all been sold by the Whites ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

There is still plenty of work for Leeds to do in the transfer market before the end of August and they reportedly have their sights set on a Premier League defender.

Leeds eyeing up Spanish talent

According to The Athletic, the Whites are in the race to land Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Hugo Bueno on a season-long loan deal.

The report claims that they could face competition from Dutch giants Feyenoord and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, who are also keen on a loan for the Spaniard.

It states, however, that Wolves currently see the full-back as being an important part of their plans and they are not prepared to send him out on loan yet.

The outlet also reveals that the West Yorkshire outfit are a difficult team for Premier League sides to do loans with, as they do not offer guarantees on game time – as other clubs in the EFL do.

If the situation changes and Leeds are able to get a deal over the line for the Spain U21 international before the end of the window then they could land an exciting partner for Wilfried Gnonto down the left flank.

Exciting left flank for Leeds

Firstly, Bueno could come in to provide Junior Firpo with competition for his place in the team, whilst also being an alternative option for Farke to call upon when required.

When the Wolves loanee is needed, if they sign him, he could use his progressive play in possession to provide Gnonto, who could move to the left in the absence of Crysencio Summerville, with plenty of opportunities to make things happen in the final third.

In the 2023/24 Premier League season, the £10k-per-week star ranked within the top 24% of full-backs in the division for progressive carries per 90 (2.67) and the top 22% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.97).

This shows that he can get the ball up the pitch on a regular basis by taking on opposition defenders and carrying it forward, which could then allow Gnonto to make runs off the ball rather than being the one tasked with progressing the ball.

Appearances

15

49

48

Goals

1

4

1

Assists

3

10

1

As you can see in the table above, Bueno also has the potential to provide a creative outlet down the left side if Farke can help him to unlock his academy form at first-team level.

The 21-year-old ace, who Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs hailed as "exciting", could supply Gnonto with chances to score, which would allow the winger to thrive.

In the Championship last term, the Italian whiz scored eight goals from 5.36 xG, which speaks to his impressive finishing quality, and he could form an exciting relationship with Bueno, due to his creative and progressive qualities at left-back.

Trevor Hohns knows that those players also involved in the T20 World Cup will get very little red-ball preparation

Andrew McGlashan24-Apr-2021Australia’s national selector Trevor Hohns has admitted to being “very concerned” about the lack of Test cricket the team will play ahead of the Ashes next season.With the tour of South Africa last month postponed, there will be a 10-month gap between Tests when they are due to play Afghanistan in a one-off match in late November before facing England.That game against Afghanistan could be the only red-ball cricket those players also involved in the T20 World Cup will have ahead of the Ashes due to the likely need to quarantine on their return from India.For those not in the T20 set-up, Hohns expects there to be a decent amount of Sheffield Shield cricket available in the first part of the next season but he conceded it is not an ideal situation with England having a full Test season ahead of them at home.Related

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“Very concerned about that, no doubt, and hopeful that they’ll be plenty of Shield cricket – and I believe there will be – programmed leading up to the first Test,” he said. “However, that won’t help some of our players as hopefully they’ll be fully engaged in the T20 World Cup.”It’s a difficult one, England are certainly playing plenty of Test cricket and we haven’t got anything on the plate so it’s a concern.”There will be at least two Test batting positions vacant leading into the next home summer following the announcement of a trimmed down central contracts list that only included three specialist Test batters – David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – along with allrounder Cameron Green.An opening partner for Warner will need to be found – Will Pucovski will be the frontrunner if he recovers from shoulder reconstruction – along with a middle-order batter to fill the No. 5 spot which rotated between Travis Head and Matthew Wade against India, both of who lost their contracts.Will Pucovski made a promising start to his Test career but has since undergone shoulder surgery•Getty Images”There’s no secret that there are positions available whether that’s middle order or the top of the list,” Hohns said. “Yes, it is a concern because there’s no standout but that’s what we are challenging our players to really put their hands up at the start of next season then get into the Australia side and perform well when they do.”There may also be conversations about whether the bowling attack needs freshening up with Hohns indicating that rotation is likely to be forced on the fast bowlers to ensure they aren’t flagging towards the end of the series as happened against India where Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins played throughout alongside Nathan Lyon. While Green’s introduction provided somebody to share the burden he did not take a wicket in the series.James Pattinson was retained on the contracts list despite playing just four Tests in the last five years with Hohns terming him “our premier back-up fast bowler” although Jhye Richardson and the uncontracted Michael Neser will also come into contention.The initial part of the new contract period will be heavily focused on T20 with the World Cup in October and a number of the players on the list are likely to only feature in white-ball cricket. Hohns said that the idea of offering separate white and red-ball deals had been floated but it was still some way off being an option.”It’s an interesting conversation and while we have mentioned that we are not quite ready for that yet, but it may progress to that down the track because it’s becoming more obvious that players are specializing in the different formats. Certainly something to be looked at down the track.”There’s a little bit of focus on T20 cricket but we also try to make sure we remain focused on the fact that Test cricket to us, and hopefully to our players, is the prime form of the game. We see that as the top of tree, but there is a T20 World Cup coming up so we’ve had to cover a core group of players we think will feature in this list.”

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen was dragged to the ground by Mario Lemina at the end of West Ham’s win over Wolves as a furious scuffle broke out.

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Hammers skipper netted winning goalTempers boiled over at the final whistleLemina argued with team-mates & coachesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After netting the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory for the Hammers, England international Bowen was eager to shake hands with Premier League rivals at the final whistle. Fellow skipper Lemina was the first player in his sights, but the Wolves midfielder brushed past Bowen’s outstretched hand.

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That show of petulance drew an inevitably fiery response from Bowen, who took to shoving Lemina in the chest and grabbing at his shirt. West Ham’s captain then tried to drag the Gabonese star to the turf, before being hauled to the ground himself.

DID YOU KNOW?

Players from both teams stepped in, as an unsightly melee broke out, but Lemina was not done there. He proceeded to argue with his own team-mates and members of Wolves’ coaching staff before being ushered away to calm down.

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With tempers boiling over in the Wolves camp, there have been suggestions that a managerial change could be on the cards. Gary O’Neil finds himself under mounting pressure after picking up just nine points from 15 games to sit second-from-bottom in the Premier League table.

Rangers have just under a week remaining to wrap up any late transfer deals they wish to complete, as they eye a deal for a £2m attacker.

Pressure is arguably already on Rangers manager Philippe Clement as the club faces another season without Champions League football, with the Scottish side instead having to settle for the Europa League. The Gers are also expected to challenge Celtic for the league title as well as the cup competitions, but they already find themselves two points behind their rivals.

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ByBrett Worthington Aug 23, 2024 Rangers transfer news

Celtic were comfortably in control last season in terms of the league, so it is no surprise to see that Rangers have been busy in the transfer market this summer, as they eye a big improvement. Not only has Clement been busy bringing new players to the club, ones he hopes can improve the club’s performances and results, but Rangers have also been busy letting players leave.

Mohamed Diomande

Nordsjaelland

Robin Propper

Twente FC

Hamza Igamane

FAR Rabat

Vaclav Cerny

VfL Wolfsburg

Jefte

Fluminense

Connor Barron

Aberdeen

Liam Kelly

Motherwell

Clinton Nsiala

AC Milan U20

It came to light this week that striker Cyriel Dessers was very close to leaving Ibrox, as Rangers and Atlanta United were in discussions over a deal that would have seen the player swap Scotland for the MLS, but in the end, the deal broke down, as Dessers was against the idea.

Apart from the news about Dessers, it has been more about which players Rangers are potentially interested in signing before Friday’s transfer deadline. Fiorentina winger Josip Brekalo is said to be on the Ibrox transfer radar, with the player expected to leave the Serie A side in this transfer window after falling out of favour. The Gers are also said to be eyeing a move to sign young Dundee sensation Sebastian Lochhead, but they are not the only top-flight side chasing his signature.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported by the reliable Fabrizio Romano that the Scottish side have seen a loan bid worth €750k plus Rangers then having the option to buy Kaiky for €7 million, bringing a total package to £6.5 million rejected by Spanish side Almeria.

Clearly, Rangers are still in the market for new players, and they now have their eye on another attacking player.

Rangers eyeing Norwich City’s Abu Kamara

According to Football Scotland, relayed by Ibrox News, Rangers are interested in signing Norwich City winger Abu Kamara. The report states that the 21-year-old could be available for as little as £2 million, but the problem the Scottish side faces is that they would need to sell players first before buying Kamara.

It goes on to add that personal terms for Rangers to sign Kamara would not be an issue, who has now requested to leave the Championship side after not breaking into the first team after his impressive stint at Portsmouth last season.

Kamara has come through the academy at Carrow Road and has impressed with the club’s academy throughout the years. Last season, the young attacker got the opportunity to join Portsmouth on loan, and he took his chance, as he netted eight goals and recorded 10 assists in 46 League One games.

He has since come back to Norwich and played in every game for the club this season, scoring in the EFL Cup, but Kamara is said to want to leave the club in what remains of this transfer window. While at Portsmouth last season, assistant manager Jon Harley heaped huge praise on the winger, labelling him “outstanding” as he played a big role in the club’s promotion campaign.

Hosts fluff their lines in response to meagre first innings as 16 wickets fall in a day

David Hopps27-May-2021It was the last ball of the day that really rubbed it in. A ball that said that Essex would take some beating from here. A ball that said their Championship defence was growing in intensity. A ball that said that Durham might be about to suffer more anguish after their heartache in the same fixture last month.David Bedingham had been Durham’s highly-fancied representative in the race to be first to 1,000 runs before it became apparent that the only winner would be a sour-faced English Spring. And when Sam Cook shaded a delivery away from him to strike his off stump, and held out his fists in exultation, it already had the makings of a decisive moment.Sixteen wickets fell on the first day and with Durham resting on 58 for 6, Essex’s 182 suddenly looked indomitable. Massive credit for that goes to Michael Pepper, whose previous three first-class matches had brought 61 runs at 10.61, but who stood in for England-bound Dan Lawrence with such alacrity that he posted 92 and must have had visions of his maiden first-class century when he fell lbw.Related

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Bedingham’s wicket – Cook’s third – had added impact because he actually hit the stumps. As many as 11 batters fell leg before as the ball nipped around, including all five of the other Durham wickets to fall, which has only been surpassed on the first day of a Championship match on one occasion – an extraordinary day at Luton in 1995. It can all become a bit repetitive, especially if somebody close to you wants to discuss the intricacies of the lbw Law. On days like this, umpires deserve double pay.You couldn’t argue with any of them, but people do. Durham’s captain, Scott Borthwick, appeared to contest his even though replays suggested Cook had him bang to rights, and emerged from his crouch to gesture at the umpire. He appeared to be suggesting the ball had done too much (it hadn’t), but he could have been signalling “can you bring me the bill please?” – a practice gesture perhaps for the evening ahead now that the restaurants have reopened.Most lbws on first day of a Championship match

13: Northamptonshire v Essex, Luton, 1995
11: Gloucestershire v Sussex, Bristol, 2010
11: Durham v Essex, Chester-le-Street, 2021

Borthwick has had a lean time with the bat since he made a century against Essex at Chelmsford – all to no avail – but he has supervised a sturdy Durham recovery which even if they lost here (players must not give up, but journalists are obliged to forecast) would still leave them in contention when the final two rounds take place in July.There has been no finer recovery in this Championship season than Essex’s victory over Durham in that fixture in mid-April. Blown away for 96 and 163 runs adrift on first innings, they still triumphed by 43 runs. Durham, as hard as they tried to block it out, endured the creeping realisation for several hours that all would not turn out well.Six weeks on, and Group One remains in the balance. Without that victory, Essex would have been out of contention. Despite that defeat, Durham have proved a resilient bunch. Essex, who began three points ahead of them in second place, but who have only three matches left to Durham’s four, have reached a pivotal point in their Championship defence – and they have the leaders, Nottinghamshire, up next.Scourge of Durham in that first meet-up was Simon Harmer, whose match return of 10 for 136 suggested that once more county batters would collapse before him. But a decidedly cold April has been followed by a markedly wet May. Now the seamers hold sway and everybody is expected to be permanently menacing. Half an hour without a wicket, with 20 added, is a recovery.Virtually the first warm weather of the summer sucked the dampness from the ground, the ball seamed and the relaid Riverside square is so uneven that wicketkeepers are learning the art of stopping the ball with their ankles. (Perhaps David de Gea could try it in the next penalty shoot-out). The square has been known to go flat this season, but it would be a surprise if it did so in the next couple of days.Unsurprisingly, Chris Rushworth had a say in things. Having now passed graham Onions as Durham’s leading first-class wicket-taker, he can make himself unassailable. He only took one new-ball wicket on his way to 4 for 32, but it was that of Alastair Cook, a left-hander who was lbw to a ball from around the wicket, a difficult art but not as difficult as everybody imagined before ball tracking which is why what was once a sign of desperation has become the norm.Chris Rushworth celebrates taking the wicket of Alastair Cook•Getty ImagesPepper was also a victim for Rushworth, so annoyed to be hit in front that he walked off instantly. He survived a couple of early lbw appeals, but it did not inhibit his off-side drives and cuts when the opportunity presented itself and he played all of them with a flourish. When he fell, Essex capsized, losing their last five wickets for three runs in 17 balls.If Rushworth had been around in 1659, he would assuredly have led the Rising of the North and it would probably have got further than Bramham Moor, with the Earl of Sussex imagining that he was about to emerge victorious and then being struck on the ankle by an arrow.Ben Raine did not bowl as well, but he found enough movement to finish with four cut-price wickets, including the Essex skipper, Tom Westley, who made a 14-ball duck before he – you’ve guessed it – was lbw, too. In his England days, that used to be presented as a weakness, but 11 in the day does provide a decent-enough alibi.Durham’s response was a disaster, played out over 33 overs. Michael Jones left his delivery and was aghast at his error. The most successful batter was Cameron Bancroft. There again, when you have had to suffer the nonsensical over-analysis of a guarded and thoroughly responsible answer to a rewarmed question about ball tampering the treachery of a Chester-le-Street pitch is nothing to worry about at all.

With Friday's transfer deadline approaching, West Ham United chiefs are reportedly in talks with Real Sociedad to show the door to one of their first-team players in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

West Ham transfer news

It's been a positive summer for West Ham, who are undoubtedly among the winners of the window. The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean Clair-Todibo and Crysencio Summerville have all arrived, among others, to hand Julen Lopetegui the perfect start to life in London.

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The pressure will certainly be on the Spaniard now, however, and rightly so. What certainly helped ease that pressure was his side's first three points of the season against Crystal Palace, which saw them bounce back from opening-day defeat against Aston Villa.

Alas, with so many fresh faces arriving, sales were always inevitable in the latter stages of the window and that's exactly what the Hammers' have focused on as the market comes to a close for the summer. The likes of James Ward-Prowse and Nayef Aguerd are among those potentially heading for the exit door, with the former reportedly closing in on a deal to join Nottingham Forest on loan.

Meanwhile, according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, West Ham chiefs are in talks to loan Aguerd out to Real Sociedad in a deal that will see them get rid of the defender who has fallen down the pecking order amid the arrivals of Max Kilman and Todibo.

Earning a reported £50,000-a-week, it's no major surprise that West Ham are looking to show Aguerd the door, and one would presume Sociedad will cover some of those wages.

The centre-back was left out of Lopetegui's squad in both Premier League games so far this season and suffered the same fate in the Hammers' Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth, creating the need for a late exit. With time running out though, Sociedad will undoubtedly need to act quickly to secure Aguerd's signature.

"Quick" Aguerd is no longer needed at West Ham

It speaks volumes that Lopetegui failed to turn towards Aguerd even in the Carabao Cup. Suddenly, the defender finds himself in a fairly dire situation and in desperate need of a move away. Sociedad would be a solid next step too. The La Liga club are likely to compete for European football once again in Spain to hand the defender a sideways step over a downward move.

West Ham, meanwhile, have the chance to clear £50k-a-week from their wage bill by showing the door to a player who once found himself at the centre of David Moyes' praise when he first arrived. Joining the Hammers in the summer of 2022, Aguerd battled back from injury to impress Moyes, who said via The Evening Standard: “I don't want to put too much on him.

“I want to give him time. But he's a good reader of the game. He's quick and he's good in the air. But because he's not played any Premier League games, it's difficult for us to give an overall judgement.

"I don't think he's ready for the Premier League games but we'll see for this European games. He's keen and he's a good character. I've got to say, we think he's a really stylish footballer."

Sonia Bompastor revealed the half-time team talk that inspired Chelsea's comeback win over Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League.

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Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-1Won all six of their Women's Champions League group gamesBompastor revealed team talk that inspired Chelsea's comebackFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blue staged a remarkable comeback in the second half as they beat Real Madrid 2-1 to maintain their 100 percent win record in the Women's Champions League group stage and qualify for the round of 16 in first place. Caroline Weir broke the deadlock for the hosts in the seventh minute of the game as they carried a one-goal lead into half-time. Catarina Macario then converted two penalties in a span of five minutes after the break to seal a win for her team.

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Despite extending their winning streak in Europe, manager Bompastor claimed that she was not happy with the performance of the team in the first 45 minutes and revealed what pep talk she used to inspire her players to stage the comeback.

WHAT SONIA BOMPASOR SAID

Speaking to reporters, the French coach said: "I was not happy at half-time. I said: 'We need to be on the same page, we only have 45 minutes to achieve our goal and after you will be on your vacation so just give everything you have'."

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The reigning Women's Super League champions will now enjoy a well-earned holiday over the winter break and will be back in action on January 12 when they face Charlton in a Women's FA Cup fourth-round clash.

Wayne Rooney has been told his Plymouth Argyle side need to improve fast if they are to stave off relegation to League One.

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Plymouth struggling under manager RooneySent Championship relegation warningTold "biggest disappointment" this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Having lost nine and drawn two of their 11 away Championship games this season, ex-Wolves striker Don Goodman has criticised the job Rooney is doing at Plymouth. He believes the Pilgrims' inability to win on the road will be the 39-year-old's "biggest disappointment" so far and they are in real danger of getting relegated.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT DON GOODMAN SAID

He told Coin Poker: "For Wayne Rooney, or anybody else, managing Plymouth Argyle was always going to be a tough gig. The fact their budget is one of the lowest in the division is reflected by the recruitment and some of the players that they brought in. You must remember this is a squad that only survived on the final day of last season. That's what Wayne Rooney walked into. Wayne has always backed himself, no matter if that was going to Birmingham City, Derby County or DC United.

"I think the biggest disappointment for him will be the performances away from home, where they have capitulated at times. That's what I think we can criticise Wayne Rooney for. They need to be harder to beat away from home and have only scored three goals while conceding 29. How on earth are you meant to pick up points by doing that? Plymouth have a big scrap on their hands. In the Championship and under these circumstances, it will always be a question if Argyle can do enough to keep themselves above that dreaded relegation zone. They managed to do it last season but if they're going to do it this season things will have to improve pretty soon."

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Rooney took over at Plymouth in the summer but currently they sit second from bottom in the Championship. The Manchester United legend is yet to prove he is cut out for management after being sacked by Birmingham City and failing to post a win percentage above 30 at Derby County and DC United. If results don't improve soon, Rooney will be looking for a new club.

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Plymouth are much stronger at Home Park, however, and will hope to beat sixth-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday in the Championship.

Piet Botha and Prasanna Agoram are the other additions in the Lions backroom staff

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2021Former South Africa international JP Duminy has been appointed head of the batting department for the Johannesburg-based Lions team for the 2021/22 season. This is Duminy’s first coaching job.The Lions, who have kept their name from the franchise system but now only represent the province of Gauteng in the new two-tier system – North-West were the other team that made up the franchise and will play as North-West in Division 1 – have also acquired the services of former Warriors coach Piet Botha as bowling coach and former national team analyst Prasanna Agoram to bulk up a backroom staff that also includes former North-West player Jimmy Kgamadi. Wandile Gwavu, who has been the Lions head coach for the last two seasons, will continue in that role.While Gwavu and Kgamadi will work exclusively with the men’s provincial side, Duminy, Botha and Agoram have been contracted to the province for the entire pipeline which will involve women’s and age-group teams.Duminy, who had a 15-year international career, retired from Test cricket in 2017 and from white-ball cricket after the 2019 World Cup. He has since been involved in commentary for a variety of international and league fixtures, most recently the ongoing PSL.Agoram worked with the national men’s team for 11 years until January this year when he was replaced by Rivash Gobind, who joined the team for the tour of Pakistan. While Cricket South Africa did not give explicit reasons for parting ways with Agoram, it is understood they were looking to give the analyst position to a local candidate. Agoram, who is from India, remains held in high regard in South Africa as the Lions have demonstrated.”In our quest for excellence, we have secured Prasanna Agoram, undoubtedly the cricketing world’s number one High-Performance Analyst. As the High-Performance Manager, Prasanna adds an unquantifiable value to the Lions Cricket system, overseeing talent acceleration from grassroots through to professional level,” Lions CEO Jono-Leaf Wright said.The 2021/22 season will see South African domestic cricket played under a new system to the one that was in place since the 2004/5 season. Instead of a six-team franchise competition and 14-team provincial set-up, the franchises have been discontinued, and 14 provinces have been divided into two tiers. Provinces in each tier will compete in four-day and one-day cricket while a T20 tournament in the form of the Mzansi Super League is also expected to take place.