Danny Rohl is now personally driving Rangers’ approach to sign a Championship midfielder in the January transfer window, according to reports.

Rohl admits "hard to take" Hearts defeat

Just when it looked as though Rangers could climb back into Scottish Premiership title contention, their trip to Hearts has left them as many as 12 points behind. The Gers are all but down and out in pursuit of silverware and Rohl couldn’t help but admit his disappointment after Sunday’s defeat.

It’s a defeat which exposed Rangers’ need for reinforcements once again as the January transfer window arrives. And with Kevin Thelwell no longer playing a part in reinforcements or at the club in any capacity, those at Ibrox will hope that any arrivals are able to slot straight into Rohl’s side.

The German recently turned his attention towards the winter window, telling reporters at the start of December: “I think we need players that have a natural aggressivity against the ball, this is also crucial for me.

Related £7m Rangers duo have been so poor they make Miovski & Chermiti look good

This £7m Rangers duo have been so underwhelming at Ibrox that they even make Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti look good.

Posts ByDan Emery

“And we need players that also understand what it means to play for the Rangers. This is also what I feel and learn in the last weeks, which players can handle this environment and which players have to improve.”

Just who meets that criteria remains to be seen, but recent reports have name-dropped both Jens Hjerto-Dahl and former Ibrox midfielder Josh Windass.

As reported by Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, Rohl is now driving Rangers’ approach to sign Windass on loan from Wrexham in the January transfer window.

Rohl personally driving Rangers' Windass move

The £15,000-a-week ace could be on his way back to Rangers for the first time since leaving for Wigan Athletic in 2018. It would be Rohl’s first signing in Scotland and would undoubtedly improve what has been a fairly blunt attack at times so far this season.

Having only just signed Windass on a free in the summer, however, Wrexham are not reportedly keen to sell or loan their midfielder in the winter window in an early blow for Rangers. Whether Windass, who has started 13 out of 19 Championship games this season, feels different remains to be seen.

Josh Windass

Rangers record

Appearances

73

Goals

19

Assists

13

It would be quite the full-circle moment for Windass if he did complete a move back to Scotland, having impressed in his previous spell, but Phil Parkinson’s praise suggests that he may well be staying put in Wales.

Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer window insight Gain deeper context by subscribing to the newsletter for focused transfer coverage – analysis of Rangers’ January targets, player-fit breakdowns, and expert interpretation to inform your view of the squad’s plans. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer window insight Gain deeper context by subscribing to the newsletter for focused transfer coverage – analysis of Rangers’ January targets, player-fit breakdowns, and expert interpretation to inform your view of the squad’s plans.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Wrexham boss told reporters earlier this season: “Josh is a very talented player, but he works for the team as well. Defending starts from the front. He’s good at that. His physical data backs it up.”

Javagal Srinath tuned up for the forthcoming Test match at Dhaka witha haul of 4/86 as Karnataka forced Hyderabad to follow-on in theirRanji Trophy South Zone contest at Bangalore. The visitors were rolledover for 291 in their first knock and settled at 15 without loss intheir second when stumps intervened.The Hyderabad openers resumed battle at 48/0 and were quicklyseparated as Srinath trapped Nandakishore leg before. Daniel Manoharand VVS Laxman now joined hands in a century partnership to keep theKarnataka attack, comprising four Test bowlers, at bay.The memory of Laxman’s 353 in the last encounter between the two sidesjust over six months ago on the same ground was firmly exorcised asSunil Joshi had him stumped for a puny 60 (99 balls, 8 fours, 2sixes). Seventeen runs later, Manohar (73) knocked the left armspinner down Arun Kumar’s throat at midwicket and it was only a brave68 by Vinay Kumar that prevented the Hyderabad innings fromdisintegrating completely.Thilak Naidu had another busy day, collecting three catches and astumping to go with the 122 he made off the bat. The innings closed inthe 98th over, Hyderabad conceding a lead of 254, and the two openerswatchfully negotiated the remaining 3.1 overs from Srinath and Prasad.

It was down and very nearly out at times, but Shane Warne somehow found a way to hoist a punchdrunk Australia off the canvas on a frenetic third day of the Third Test against New Zealand at the WACA Ground in Perth today. By stumps, a phenomenal innings of 99 from Warne had permitted the Australians to reach relative safety with their first innings score of 351 after they had been reeling at a sorry 6/192 in the early afternoon.There was some wonderful bowling, some wonderful fielding, and some more wonderful suffocation of Australia by New Zealand as the third day ofthis engrossing match began. But several fundamental lapses in concentration cost the Black Caps dearly, leaving them only to wonder at what mighthave been.Nathan Astle, a hero yesterday, turned villain today when he spilled a catch to play an unwitting but central role in the defining piece of action of theday. And possibly even the entire Test match too.Though there was ultimately tragedy awaiting him as he perished one run short of a maiden Test century, Warne survived that miss at 10 to mountthe most productive innings of his entire first-class career. On a day replete with a series of bewitching twists and turns inspired by two of the bestspinners in the game.The bowling of Daniel Vettori (6/87) was of an electrically high standard early, his flight and guile impeccable in relatively unhelpful conditions.Though the first 80 minutes passed without setbacks for Australia, Vettori was quick to consolidate the advantage that his team had earned courtesyof its first innings total of 9/534, driving stakes through the heart of the Australian cause by removing its two most experienced batsmen in the spaceof 20 telling minutes in the opening session.Mark Waugh (42) was brilliantly caught by Shane Bond, low and to his left, at deep backward point and then Australian captain Steve Waugh (8)was deceived by a delivery of perfect length, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Parore as he defended marginally inside the line of a ball thatturned across him.Further problems arrived for Australia on the other side of the luncheon adjournment.The plucky Justin Langer (75), who remains easily the highest run-scorer of the series, gloved a catch to Parore as he hooked at Chris Cairns(2/86), though the dismissal was not without controversy as television replays suggested that the ball had been delivered from forward of the crease.And then New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming summoned up visions of Australia’s tour of India earlier in the year when he clustered men aroundthe bat of Adam Gilchrist (0), attacked him immediately with spin, and promptly had him caught at short leg from another lovely Vettori delivery.It was then that two doughty partnerships, each featuring Warne, extricated Australia from the mire.The first – with a free stroking Damien Martyn (60) – yielded an invaluable 78 runs for the seventh wicket and then another 72 runs arrived in aneighth wicket stand with the stubborn Brett Lee (17).Warne adopted the role of a corsair, generally expertly choosing which deliveries to defend and which to plunder. He rode his luck equally well.Until, that is, he tried to play one attacking shot too many and lofted a high catch to Mark Richardson running a few metres in from his position atdeep mid wicket.He dodged the most threatening bullet when Astle was deceived at second slip by the speed of a ball that looped to him from the back of the bat asa Bond (1/74) delivery was defended. But there came another escape act at 16 as a Lou Vincent throw at the stumps from cover missed with ascrambling Warne short of his ground in attempting to complete a single. Another life was granted to him when Cairns grassed a caught and bowledchance at 51. And there was a further stroke of fortune at 80 when umpire Ian Robinson denied a beseeching appeal, decreeing that he had notedged a flailing drive at the luckless Chris Martin (1/88).All the while, he unleashed crisp drives, cuts and pulls in a hand that perfectly balanced attack with defence.Warne was also helped by a decline in the standard of New Zealand’s out-cricket; where excellence had earlier prevailed, suddenly errors overtookthe tourists’ game. An overdose of short-pitched deliveries, in particular, permitted him the chance to issue horizontal bat shots with audaciousauthority and to leave deliveries with comfort when he chose not to be lured into playing strokes.But, in a Test that continues to confound most understandings of normality, he then struck upon the most cruel of departures. With the final act of theday, he attacked a flighted delivery from Vettori but cracked it into the teeth of an eddying breeze, lobbing a catch to a gleeful Richardson in theshadows of the Inverarity Stand.Warne, left high and dry on 99, cut a tragic figure on his exit from the ground; Vettori chanced upon his best Test figures in Australia; Richardsonshowed little restraint in showing a raucous crowd what he felt about the catch; and, New Zealand had fashioned a first innings lead of 183 runs. Allthis after the Australians had somehow avoided the prospect of having their country follow on for the first time in 144 Test matches.It’s rare for the emotions to become any more worn (or Warne) down than this.

	Brendon McCullum: “Because it was the first time there was uncertainty about the figures so I had no idea what I’d sell for” © Getty Images

New Zealand’s players contracted to the Indian Premier League were working out how to spend their money after receiving huge figures during Wednesday’s auction. Another house and a racehorse are on the cards for Brendon McCullum while Stephen Fleming and Jacob Oram are happy their futures are more secure.”Because it was the first time there was uncertainty about the figures so I had no idea what I’d sell for,” McCullum told the Dominion Post. “When I was signed for US$700,000 I was obviously blown away and having slept on it, it’s a great feeling and it’s nice to get the recognition.”McCullum was the biggest winner from New Zealand while Oram picked up $675,000, Daniel Vettori $625,000, Fleming $350,000 and Scott Styris $175,000. The paper reported Fleming texted “Sorry, can’t at the moment, at the bank” when asked for an interview. He later said he was “just pleased to get picked up”. “I saw the amounts of money being thrown around and I thought: `Wow, I hope they keep trading.’ It was incredible to be involved in.”Oram was speechless when his amount came through. “I was expecting nothing like what I went for,” he said. “Dan was first up and I was happy for him. I was hoping I’d be somewhere close to him, I always thought he would be top dog.”The participation of Oram, Vettori and McCullum will be limited in the first year because their tour of England begins on April 27, leaving them only a handful of chances to participate in the inaugural event.”The players realise where their priority lies,” Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said. “It might hurt them in the pocket in the first year but the following two years are clear for them.” There are no problems for Fleming, who has retired, while Styris has stood down from Tests and will be available for all of Hyderabad’s matches.

Stephen Peters, the former Northamptonshire captain, has announced his immediate retirement from the game. Peters, 36, was in the final year of his contract and has chosen to call time on a career that spanned almost two decades.The last ten years have been spent at Northamptonshire, who Peters led to promotion from Division Two of the Championship in 2013. He was replaced by Alex Wakely after their subsequent relegation but chose to stay on at Northamptonshire after being told he could speak to other clubs.Peters has played nine times in the Championship this season, with four half-centuries – the last of which came in May. His overall Northamptonshire record was more impressive, with 22 hundreds and 8832 runs at 38.73. Between 2006, his first at Wantage Road, and 2011, the opener consistently aggregated close to 1000 first-class runs at an average above 40.”It is with a heavy heart but a clear mind that I have decided to retire from playing,” Peters said. “The last 20 years have been very special and the memories and friends I have made will stay with me forever.”To be a professional cricketer is harder maybe then many people realise, the emotional ups and downs of success and failure are never far away but mostly it has been great fun. I have traveled the world and realised many dreams along the way but all good things come to an end.”I would like to thank Essex and Worcestershire but especially Northants where the last ten years have been fantastic. I wish the club and all the players the very best for the future. It’s a small club but with a big heart and it holds a special place in mine.”Thank you to all the people who have supporter and followed my career since I was a boy, I hope I gave you some smiles along the way. Lastly, thanks to my close family and friends, whose continued support and love has made this journey possible and have always been there when I needed you.”Peters began his career with Essex in 1996 and scored a hundred in the final of the Under-19 World Cup, which England won, in 1998. He moved on to Worcestershire, where he spent three seasons, before settling at Northamptonshire, eventually taking on the Championship captaincy from Andrew Hall at the end of 2012.Northamptonshire’s coach, David Ripley, said: “Pedro has been a top professional over many seasons. He is a real competitor, never taking a backward step on the field. What we shared in 2013 as first team captain and coach will stay with us forever. His input into that season was massive and his contribution to Northants cricket has been much more than a top quality opening batsman. A top bloke; we wish him well.”

Wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami made a comeback to the Zimbabwe limited-overs squads to face Pakistan for the two T20s this month and three ODIs in October. Mutumbami replaced Regis Chakabva in the squad that played against New Zealand in August, and pacer Taurai Muzarabani, who played the lone T20 against New Zealand and is uncapped in ODIs, was included for both formats.

Changes in Zimbabwe’s squad

IN: Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani
OUT: Regis Chakabva

Chakabva was dropped after low scores of 13, 3 and 2 in one T20 and two ODIs against New Zealand, and even though Mutumbami’s recent scores have not been impressive either, he got the nod ahead of Chakabva.Muzarabani has played only three T20Is so far with two wickets to his name and has a List A average of 28.72 from 46 matches. He bowled spells of 0 for 19 from three overs and 0 for 18 from four overs for Zimbabwe President’s XI in the Africa T20 Cup recently.Even though Zimbabwe’s bowling had struggled against New Zealand, taking ten wickets overall in three ODIs, including a wicketless second match, the selectors did not make any changes in the bowling options apart from Muzarabani’s inclusion.Malcolm Waller, who was dropped for the first two ODIs against New Zealand and replaced Vusi Sibanda later, was included in the 16-man squad while Sibanda failed to make a comeback. Waller was not a part of the playing XI in the third ODI and his bowling action was cleared by the ICC later in August.”The dynamic of the squad is made up of a calm and aggressive combination for the Pakistan series. It’s a squad based on building a performance-related culture and giving a platform to the younger future players to prove their ability,” Zimbabwe’s convener of selectors Kenyon Ziehl said.The two T20s will be played on September 27 and 29 followed by the ODIs on October 1, 3 and 5. All five matches will be played in Harare.Zimbabwe squad: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Sikandar Raza, Chamu Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams

Match facts

Thursday, October 22
Start time 9.30am local (0730 GMT)Afghanistan will need an inspired batting effort to level the five-match series that stands at 2-1 in Zimbabwe’s favour•Zimbabwe Cricket

Big Picture

Zimbabwe pulled ahead in the series with their win on Tuesday, but that success wasn’t entirely convincing. Zimbabwe did always seem to be just ahead of the game in their chase, but they won with only two balls to spare and, had Afghanistan made the most of their chances in the field, the match would have been much tighter. Top-scorer Richmond Mutumbami was dropped twice on his way to 74, and there were also a handful of misfields which allowed extra runs to be squeezed out of the bowlers.Yet a win is a win, and the hosts will be pleased that their captain was able to spend significant time in the middle. Elton Chigumbura put on 61 for the fourth wicket with Sean Williams, and then saw Zimbabwe home in Sikandar Raza’s company. He finished 49 not out, and seemed to rediscover his timing as his knock progressed. Zimbabwe look a far stronger side when their captain is fit and firing in the middle order, and their focus will be to wrap up the series with a match to spare on Thursday.Afghanistan are simultaneously one of the most watchable and the most frustrating of the Associate nations. Their no-holds barred approach to the game makes them so exciting to watch means they are also susceptible to batting implosions sparked by the inevitability of their aggressive stroke play. Opener Noor Ali Zadran is one who bucks that trend, and though his strike rate of 51.85 on Tuesday was pedestrian by modern standards, his efforts meant Afghanistan were put into a position of relative safety.That position was squandered by the middle order, and their brittle middle will be Afghanistan’s main concern. The visitors have expressed a preference for batting first so far in this series, with Asghar Stanikzai winning every toss, but it may be time to reconsider that approach.

Form guide

Zimbabwe WLWLW (last five completed games most recent first)
Afghanistan LWLLL

In the spotlight

Richmond Mutumbami prepared very hard for his move up the order this season, facing the new ball in the nets and tightening his technique. Mutumbami was initially unsure if he was ready to make the move when he opened against Pakistan earlier this month, having struggled as a one-day opener against South Africa last year. But he appears to be settling into the role. He is Zimbabwe’s top scorer in the series so far, with 139 runs at 46.33, and he has averaged a reasonable 32.71 since switching back to an opening role against Pakistan.Legspinner Rashid Khan didn’t take any wickets on Tuesday, and the bad balls he bowled were very, very bad. But the good ones were virtually unplayable In other words, he’s a typical legspinner. He was plucked from the obscurity of Afghanistan’s Under19 side to come on this tour, having collected a bagful of wickets in the ACC U-19 Premier League, and though he’s still only 17, he has looked the part.

Team news

Zimbabwe seem to have struck the right balance with the return of Sean Williams, and are likely to take an unchanged XI into the fourth game.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Tino Mutombodzi, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Tendai Chisoro, 10 Wellington Masakadza, 11 Tinashe Panyangara.Afghanistan’s top order and their bowling department appear settled, but the middle order has proved a persistent worry. Nawroz Mangal, who opened in the first match before dropping into the middle, has scored 6, 2 and 0 in the ODIs, and with the series on the line Afghanistan may be forced to make a change, with one of their two young left-handers – Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran – waiting in the wings.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Noor Ali Zadran, 2 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 3 Mohammad Nabi, 4 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi/Najibullah Zadran, 6 Samiullah Shenwari, 7 Shafiqullah, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Amir Hamza, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Aftab Alam.

Pitch and conditions

There were 71 overs of spin in a match that lasted 99.4 overs on Tuesday, showing just how important the slow bowlers can be at the Queens Sports Club, particularly when there is no early cloud cover. Similar conditions are expected on Thursday, which should be hot and dry with minimal cloud cover. Yet the pitch remains a good one to bat on for those with an aptitude for playing spin bowling, and the short square boundaries offer the opportunity to score heavily off the sweep shot.

Stats and Trivia

• Spinners have taken 25 of the 40 wickets that have fallen in the series. Zimbabwe’s left-arm spinners Wellington Masakadza and Tendai Chisoro are the leading wicket-takers tally with six scalps apiece
• Afghanistan’s Nos. 4, 5 and 6 have contributed a total of 78 runs in three matches.
• Afghanistan’s batsmen have hit 14 sixes in three matches, as opposed to 10 by Zimbabwe. But Afghanistan have also lost more wickets: 24 to Zimbabwe’s 16

Quotes

“The guys showed good character, and executed their skills better. The good thing was, the guys were calm under pressure. The focus is on the areas we have to improve.”
“Lack of partnerships in the middle order is affecting us. But we’re good at bouncing back, so the boys are confident of turning things around.”

Daniel Vettori has been roped in to work with the England Performance Programme spinners next month in Dubai. The former New Zealand left-arm spinner and captain will join the EPP batting and spin group, led by Andy Flower, for 10 days in November and work with Surrey allrounder Zafar Ansari, new Sussex signing Danny Briggs, Tom Westley (Essex) and Stephen Parry (Lancashire).The squad has a heavy limited-overs emphasis ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, reflecting the strong emphasis that Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, is placing on the shorter game.Some gesture to Test cricket can perhaps be seen in nthe fact that Ravi Patel (Middlesex), Will Beer (Sussex) and Matt Carter (Nottinghamshire) will also be a part of the squad in a net bowling capacity.Vettori, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup this year, signed a three-year contract with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in April. He also coaches Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.”Daniel has been one of the most successful and respected spinners in world cricket for almost two decades, so we are delighted to add his considerable experience to the England Performance Programme this winter,” Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin bowling coach, said. “I am sure that the players will benefit from working with him for the 10 days that he is with the EPP in November.”The appointment is the latest example of England bringing in an overseas coach to help plug a specific gap. Mahela Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka batsman who is acting as a consultant with England’s Test squad in the UAE, said it was important to help young players learn about the game.”Everyone has a different way of thinking and if you can learn from that it will enhance your game,” he said. “Especially the juniors, because that is an investment that you put on to the table. This England group is quite young and I see them having another ten-year span – that’s a good core group of guys you are working with. The more you invest in that, the better it is going to be for English cricket.”In a separate ECB placement scheme, legspinner Scott Borthwick will travel to New Zealand to play club cricket. He will also practice and train with Wellington, where he will be mentored by offspinner Jeetan Patel.Twelve young English spinners will be travelling overseas this winter, either with England’s Under-19s in Sri Lanka or on ECB-led placements to Australia and New Zealand. Warwickshire legspinner Josh Poysden and Glamorgan’s Andrew Salter will play Grade cricket in Sydney, while Somerset’s Jack Leach has been placed in Perth.Such said ECB was looking to provide its spinners with more “match play” overs. “We are looking to expose our spinners to cricket overseas during the off season, for the experience of competing overseas, taking more personal responsibility and also to continue their development by bowling those much needed match play and practice overs,” he said.

ScorecardFile photo – Wayne Parnell cracked nine fours and five sixes•AFP

Opening the batting, Wayne Parnell blitzed 99 – his first T20 fifty – to help Cape Cobras hunt down 154 against Lions with six wickets to spare in Johannesburg. The win took Cobras to second place with 20 points, eight behind Titans.Parnell struck back-to-back fours off Dwaine Pretorius early in his innings before tucking into the spinners. He brought up his fifty off 32 balls after the fall of Andrew Puttick but the wicket did not hamper him. Eddie Leie was swept over midwicket, Hardus Viljoen was hit over the covers and long-on. Parnell then moved from 87 to 99 with a brace of sixes but missed the century as he skewered one to backward point. He fell with his side eight runs away from the target but Rory Kleinveldt put the seal on the win with a six over midwicket.Earlier Kleinveldt had bowled a tidy spell, backing up Justin Kemp, despite some late blows from Pretorius and Thami Tsolekile, who added an unbroken 53 for the sixth wicket in 4.3 overs. The top order, though, did not convert starts – opener Devon Conway’s 37 off 36 balls was the highest score. Alviro Petersen managed 20 but eventually the total of 153 turned out to be inadequate.

Twenty wickets fell on the second day of the Super League tie betweenSaurashtra and Orissa at the Municipal Stadium in Rajkot today. Orissatightened the screws on the home side by taking a first innings leadof 134 although they were in a spot of bother at 18-2 in their secondinnings.Earlier the Orissa first innings terminated at 372. RR Parida made 76and Debashish Mohanty remained not out on 20. Niraj Odedra’s 6-117 wasby far the best figures of the innings.Saurashtra were struggling at 35-5 in their second knock butswashbuckling innings from Hitesh Parsana (76, 80 balls, 7 fours, 5sixes) and MM Parmar (71, 89 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) helped them to arespectable score of 238. Debashish Mohanty and Sanjay Satpathy tookfour wickets each.When Orissa replied, Saurashtra opening bowler AA Merchant grabbed twowickets with the second and fifth balls of his first over. Bothopeners, Y Mohanty and P Mullick, fell for ducks.