It was the worst kept secret in rugby, but finally Leicester have got their man.

As Steve Borthwick prepares to cut his ties with Eddie Jones after the best part of six years as his right-hand man for both Japan and England, Leicester fans will be hoping he can sprinkle some stardust on their club after their struggles in the past couple of seasons.

Borthwick was finally named head coach on Tuesday, with Geordan Murphy being promoted to director of rugby.

One of just four ever-present clubs in the top flight, Leicester have won 10 titles in 33 seasons and been runners-up seven times.

But the once-mighty Tigers missed out on the play-offs for the first time in 14 years when they finished fifth in 2018 - and if that was bad, what has happened since has been nothing short of a debacle.

Having sacked head coach Matt O'Connor after a heavy opening-day loss to Exeter last season, the team floundered, finishing 11th in the 12-team Premiership.

They did not make certain of survival until May, a time when in previous years, their fans would have been looking up train times for Twickenham.

The current campaign began in similar fashion and they would currently be bottom of the table, were it not for Saracens' points deduction.

At least the threat of relegation has been lifted after Sarries' continuing salary cap indiscretions prompted Premiership Rugby to order them out of the top flight come May.

So what are the issues Borthwick will face in trying to bring the roar back to Welford Road?

Increase the depth

"Leicester's star players - people like George Ford, Ellis Genge, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs - aren't always together and there have been questions about recruitment as a whole, specifically the depth of those who fill in for them when they're away on international duty," says BBC Radio Leicester's Tigers commentator Chris Egerton.

"Recruitment is showing signs of shaping up, three signings have worked from overseas.

"Tomas Lavanini is making steady progress and is that nasty ball-carrying second-row that they have needed for a while; Jordan Taufua is great in the breakdown and brings a physical edge to the back-row and, until he got his ankle injury, Hanro Liebenberg was looking very solid indeed at the lineout, which has been an issue for Leicester."

But the process by which Leicester recruit players might not suit the modern game, according to Egerton.

"With Geordan Murphy moving to director of rugby, does this mean an end to the Rugby Committee at Welford Road?

"Richard Cockerill [Leicester's former director of rugby] had been critical of interference from higher up the managerial food chain and while executive chairman Peter Tom remains the key decision-maker, I wonder if this will lead to further change at board level."

Who will pick the team?

Borthwick's role is head coach, but that job title can mean different things to different clubs.

Unlike football, in which a director of football is seen as a boardroom or overseeing type of role, directors of rugby are often more like a football manager, with the head coaches supporting them.

"Team selection is my remit; it will continue to be my remit," Murphy told BBC Radio Leicester.

"The way we do it is that we have a lot of experienced coaches in the room - we have really good discussions. That's the way I operate, I'm not a dictator - I seek advice and I listen.

"In theory I am his boss, but it's not something we have discussed in that manner. It's a partnership. He will run the rugby department, and I will support it. Steve will support me in the areas that I want support in."

Murphy took the reins after O'Connor's dismissal at the start of last season, but since then the club legend - he won eight domestic and two European titles in more than 300 games as Leicester player - has steered the Tigers to just eight victories in 29 Premiership games.

"I think he is a perfect fit for Leicester," says Egerton, of Borthwick.

"One of the criticisms about the previous forwards coach Mark Bakewell was the detail in terms of preparations for the forwards. Borthwick brings that in spades.

"He's almost made the forwards coach on a ladder look all his own - maybe he needs to bring his ladder with him.

"While he needs to bring the detail he doesn't need to massively change things in the short term, because quietly, almost unnoticed, things are starting to come together and the whole is starting to feel stronger than the individual parts, which hasn't happened for a long while."

Chance to experiment?

With relegation no longer an issue this season, Borthwick has the perfect chance to experiment when he does eventually arrive at Welford Road.

His exact start date is yet to be finalised, but Leicester have at least 10 games after the Six Nations, and Borthwick's time with England, ends - ample time to tinker should they be out of the running for a Champions Cup place.

"With no worries over relegation there is less pressure on the Tigers to play their first-choice players in the league and give the youngsters a go," adds Egerton.

"It allows them to have a real go at the Challenge Cup, and with it a place in next season's Champions Cup no matter where they finish in the Premiership. But no-one is intending on finishing 11th again.

"Every Leicester fan we spoke to in Pau wanted Tigers to really go for it in Europe now, although getting into top six might be more important, but how realistic that is time will tell."

Borthwick will relish the challenge - but a lengthy to-do list awaits him as he prepares for life in the Midlands.

England head coach Eddie Jones has warned new Wales boss Wayne Pivac about the weight of expectation he faces as Warren Gatland's successor.

The Six Nations will be Pivac's first campaign, following Gatland's 12-year reign which was the longest and most successful in Welsh history.

Gatland has since had a gate outside the Principality Stadium named in his honour.

"It's a team full of expectation," said Jones.

"Warren did a great job. They've got Gatland's Gate now.

"Every time Wayne walks through there he'll be going through something that pays homage to Warren.

"And he will feel that expectation of what the Welsh fans and communities want."

Asked if he was looking forward to walking through Gatland's Gate on his next visit to Cardiff, Jones smiled and said: "There will probably be a few empty pint glasses there, mate."

During Gatland's tenure, Wales won four Six Nations and three Grand Slams, the most recent of which came last year.

Following the New Zealander's decision to step down after guiding Wales to the 2019 World Cup semi-finals, the Welsh Rugby Union turned to his compatriot Pivac as his successor.

Former Fiji coach Pivac led Scarlets to a league title in 2017 and won plaudits for their enterprising style of play.

Jones, whose England side lost to South Africa in last year's World Cup final, is looking forward to seeing how Pivac copes with the step up to international rugby.

"He's had success with the Scarlets. He's got a good coaching background in New Zealand and Fiji," the Australian said.

"He has a certain style of play and it will be interesting to see if he can impose that on the Welsh players at international level."

The NHL's All-Star Weekend isn't the mathematical midway point of the season, but it is perhaps the spiritual one. As we head into this week's events, it is a good time to reflect on some notable performances we have seen in the 2019-20 season.

But rather than running down the current leaders for individual awards, heralding players who will be recognized for their work in St. Louis this weekend or in Las Vegas at the NHL Awards this summer, let's have some fun with it by creating new categories of our own.

Here are your Analytics All-Stars for the first half of the 2019-20 regular season:

Note: Data is current through Tuesday afternoon and is sourced from Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

The William Karlsson Award

Criteria: Given to the player who has taken the biggest offensive leap, seemingly out of the blue, after having already been in the league for a couple of seasons and never really showing this level of production. So named after William Karlsson's 43-goal campaign in the Golden Knights inaugural season of 2017-18, after scoring 18 combined goals in the three seasons prior.

Winner: Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins.

One possible explanation for Rust's sudden scoring outburst is that he was secretly involved in the filming of "Space Jam 2" and has benefited from stealing the athletic ability of other star athletes. The other more realistic one is that he is now in the perfect role, riding shotgun alongside a suddenly reinvigorated Evgeni Malkin.

There is no shortage of numbers to illustrate both Rust's impressiveness and how improbable it has been given his historical track record heading into the season. Coming in with career highs of 18 goals and 38 points, he already has blown past both figures despite playing just 35 games.

His 13 5-on-5 goals are tied for the team lead with Jake Guentzel and have him in lockstep with the likes of Leon Draisaitl, Elias Pettersson and Max Pacioretty for the 15th-best total leaguewide. And that is before accounting for all the games he has missed. Once you prorate his production on a per-minute basis, Rust is seventh in goals per hour and ninth in points per hour.

On the power play, Rust already has five goals and 12 points in 77 minutes, after having only two goals, five points and just under 100 total minutes with the man advantage to his name for his career before this season.

A 19.3% shooting rate certainly helps, but it isn't like his success is entirely contingent on inflated percentages. He is generating the 48th-most shots and 21st-most high-danger chances per minute in the NHL, which is the type of volume that should sustain him even when he stops scoring on nearly one out of every five pucks he fires on net. Playing nearly 90% of his minutes with Malkin doesn't hurt, either; but it also isn't like Rust is a complete stranger to playing alongside a stud center, after seeing north of 1,200 5-on-5 minutes with Sidney Crosby over the past three seasons.

Any way you slice it, this kind of sudden breakout isn't normal for a 27-year-old with 250-plus games of NHL service already under their belt. But the Penguins aren't your typical franchise. Beyond being blessed with two generational greats down the middle, their uncanny ability to keep uncovering gems such as Rust is a big reason for their continued success. That is especially true this season, during which they have been decimated by injuries and have needed new players to step up and fill important roles.

The John Gibson Award

Criteria: Given to the goalie who does everything humanly possible to carry his team to victory on a nightly basis, despite getting nothing resembling help from the players who are supposed to be defending in front of him. Honoring the +53.4 goals above average that John Gibson saved from 2016 to 2019 (the second-best rate, behind Sergei Bobrovsky, among all goalies in that span), ultimately netting Gibson a grand total of one third-place vote for the Vezina Trophy -- because the team in front of him wasn't good enough to get him enough wins.

Winner: Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks.

Let's play a quick blind résumé game:

Player A:

• 46 appearances

• .935 5-on-5 save percentage

• .930 overall save percentage

• 2nd in goals saved above average (+25.5)

• 3rd in goals saved above expected (+18.9)

Player B:

• 46 appearances

• .928 5-on-5 save percentage

• .924 overall save percentage

• 3rd in goals saved above average (+23.8)

• 5th in goals saved above expected (+9.7)

Player A was Robin Lehner last season with the Islanders. Player B is the pace Robin Lehner is on this season through his first 28 appearances with the Blackhawks.

It is hard to conjure up two more extreme defensive environments than the ones in which Lehner has found himself over the past two seasons. There was some understandable skepticism about his sparkling numbers with the Islanders, given the effect Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn have on their goalies, but Lehner has backed it up in a big way behind a Blackhawks team that can be charitably described as porous defensively.

If there is a metric depicting shot or scoring-chance suppression, Chicago ranks near the very bottom of it. The only reason it is staying afloat right now is because of how good its goaltending has been despite the adverse surroundings. To wit, last season Lehner was 40th out of 60 qualified goalies (minimum of 1,000 minutes) in shots faced per minute and 53rd in average distance of shots faced. This season, those figures have ballooned to first (i.e., most) and eighth (i.e., closest).

The fact that he has produced similar numbers with a sharp increase in the degree of difficulty is a testament to both how good he has been and how legitimate is his case of being a top-flight goalie.

The Jared Spurgeon Award

Criteria: Given to the player who plays heavy minutes routinely against the other team's best players and manages to avoid hurting his team with penalties, thanks to expert positioning, slick skating and deft stick work. Honoring Jared Spurgeon, who is currently in the midst of his sixth season with single-digit penalty minutes and has never taken more than 10 penalties in a single season in a decadelong NHL career, despite averaging north of 23 minutes per game.

Winner: Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes.

Our perception of penalty minutes and what they represent has arguably changed more than anything else over the years. What was once worn as a badge of honor -- representing toughness and physicality -- is now rightfully viewed as a negative. That recalibration makes a ton of sense; by going to the penalty box, it means that you are removing yourself from the game, and you also are putting your team at a disadvantage.

The Lady Byng Trophy (awarded for "gentlemanly play") should theoretically capture this concept, but it falls short of achieving its designed goal because of how it devalues the accomplishments of defensemen. Brian Campbell (2011-12) is the only blueliner to win the award since Red Kelly in the 1953-54 season, which doesn't exactly line up with the reality of how much more impressive it is for a defenseman to be disciplined and effective without the puck than their forward counterparts, given the scope of the responsibilities.

That is especially true for a player such as Slavin, who eats up a high volume of minutes and is routinely tasked with going head-to-head with the most skilled puck handlers the opponent has to offer. His ability to stick with attackers and dislodge them from the puck in high-leverage areas of the ice -- without getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar -- is something that needs to be celebrated.

He came into this season having been whistled for just 24 total infractions in nearly 7,000 NHL minutes over the course of his career, and he has taken just three penalties in 1,100 minutes this season. What is doubly impressive about those figures is that Slavin had drawn 33 penalties prior to this season, along with another 10 so far this season. The only defensemen with a penalty differential over plus-5 this season are Slavin, Samuel Girard, Ryan Ellis, Miro Heiskanen and Charlie McAvoy, further illustrating how equally rare and valuable a trait it is.

The Claude Giroux Award

Criteria: Given to the former star player who looked like his best days might be behind him after a couple of down seasons, only to turn back the clock and put together a vintage campaign. Honoring Claude Giroux's 2017-18 season, in which he finished second in scoring with 102 points and fourth in MVP voting. What made his performance particularly impressive was his career-worst 2016-17 season with his 58 points, marking the third consecutive campaign in which his individual production had dipped.

Winner: Max Pacioretty, Vegas Golden Knights.

Much like Giroux and most other players who have swings in performance, context is key here. In Giroux's case, it was a combination of getting healthy and handing over some defensive responsibilities to Sean Couturier as he slid to the wing.

In Pacioretty's case, he undoubtedly finds himself in a great spot this season, getting to play full-time minutes alongside a player such as Mark Stone. Stone's brilliance as a possession player is well-established, but the beautiful marriage between his skill set and Pacioretty's own as a trigger man has gotten the best out of both parties. With the two of them on the ice at 5-on-5, the Golden Knights have been absolutely decimating opponents territorially: They are controlling 62.3% of the shot attempts, 61.9% of the shots on goal, 64.6% of the high-danger chances and 65.0% of the expected goals (while actually outscoring teams by a 30-21 margin).

Pacioretty looks poised to set new career highs in every offensive category at the age of 31. Here are his current paces:

• 34 goals

• 32 primary assists

• 76 points

• 350 shots on goal

• 622 shot attempts

Those last two categories are especially impressive, because they put Pacioretty in rarified air alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Alex Ovechkin. Things haven't gone the way they were supposed to for Vegas this season, but if there has been one consistent silver lining, it has been Pacioretty's return to form as an offensive freight train. It is good timing too, considering the Knights' $28 million investment in him (not to mention the assets they traded in the first place).

The Summer of 2016 Award

Criteria: Given to the free-agent signing who looked like a bad investment from day one but became an albatross more quickly than any of us could've imagined. Honoring the financially disastrous events of July 1, 2016, during which Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd, Loui Eriksson, Frans Nielsen, David Backes, Darren Helm and Troy Brouwer signed for a combined $260 million.

Winner: Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers.

Considering that the Panthers tragically committed to paying Bobrovsky big money for his age-31 through age-37 seasons, the contract was going to be ultimately doomed at the back end. Yet even the biggest critics of the decision itself (myself included) couldn't have reasonably seen the wheels coming off this quickly or to this degree.

Out of 67 qualified goalies this season with a minimum of 200 minutes, here are Bobrovsky's ranks in the major categories:

• Salary: $11.5 million (2nd)

• 5-on-5 save percentage: .904 (57th)

• Overall save percentage: .897 (54th)

• Goals saved above average: -12.1 (64th)

• Goals saved above expected: -13.1 (63rd)

As bad as he has been, it isn't entirely his fault. The situation is less than ideal, with the Panthers struggling mightily in their own zone despite all of the money they spent on new coach Joel Quenneville and other new players this summer. They're in the bottom 10 when it comes to the rate at which they concede shots, high-danger chances and expected goals against, meaning that their troubles extend beyond just the person in the net.

That said, when you invest $70 million into a player, like they did with Bobrovsky, you would like to see better return and a greater impact than the one the Panthers have received so far. It also raises the fair point of whether teams should be sinking premium resources into the goalie position, when they surely would be better off using it to address everything that is going on in front of them, instead.

When you compare Bobrovsky's performance this season to the ones the Blue Jackets have received from the relative unknowns who have replaced him following his departure, it is especially eye-popping. Columbus is spending less than $3 million combined on the three goalies who have appeared in games this season (Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks), and they are second in save percentage as a team at 5-on-5 and third in save percentage overall. They make life significantly easier on their netminders with their exceptional shot blocking and scoring-chance suppression, which only further shines a light on just how dependant goalie performance is on the defensive system.

The Jaccob Slavin Award

Criteria: Given to the player who is wildly underrated by the hockey masses, unlike present-day Jaccob Slavin, who has become properly recognized as one of the most effective defensemen in the league and is now an All-Star.

Winner: Blake Coleman, New Jersey Devils

It is going to be tough for Coleman to get the love he deserves considering all of the factors conspiring against him right now. He came into the league as a relatively unknown and an undrafted college free agent, and he is stuck on a Devils team that has had a season from hell (pun fully intended). Strip the name brand value from the equation and all of the biases associated with it. Now check out Coleman's résumé this season:

• Tied for 10th in 5-on-5 goals with Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Jack Eichel

• 8th in 5-on-5 shots, sandwiched between David Pastrnak and Patrick Kane

• Only Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty generate shots at greater per-minute rate

• 8th in 5-on-5 chances generated, one behind Auston Matthews

• 22 5-on-5 points, which is one more than former teammate Taylor Hall

• Plays 2:54 per game on the penalty kill, sixth most among all forwards

• Tied for lead in short-handed goals (3)

• Created 11 high-danger chances while killing penalties

We wrote about his ascension into a legitimate weapon last season, and he has only continued to grow as a playmaker and creator since then. After quietly scoring 22 goals last season, Coleman is now on pace to become a 30-goal scorer in 2019-20, without being gifted any real power-play opportunities. He has always been a real asset as a penalty killer, using his speed and motor to create unexpected offense out of thin air. He also has found excellent chemistry playing with Nikita Gusev at 5-on-5 more recently, dazzling viewers with a number of superhuman efforts.

Coleman also is creating a good problem for the Devils moving forward. They have him under contract for next season at just $1.8 million, which is an incredible bargain for this type of dual-threat weapon. You would have to imagine that there are any number of playoff contenders that would be salivating at the idea of adding a player with his skill set at that price tag for not one potential playoff run, but perhaps two.

As valuable as he has been as a breath of fresh air to a Devils team that hasn't had much else going for it this season, the potential return they can get for Coleman at the deadline might be too great to pass up. That is especially true given their current timeline as a franchise following the Hall trade and the fact that Coleman will be 30 years old in the first season of his next contract.

The Sean Couturier Award

Criteria: Given to the player who is already one of the best defensive players in the league and deserves Selke Trophy consideration, but likely won't earn the award because he doesn't score enough yet. Honoring Sean Couturier, who has been one of the most impactful defensive forces for years but didn't start to get real Selke votes until he began playing with Claude Giroux and scoring more. In 2016-17, Couturier finished 47th in voting with two fifth-place votes largely because his 14 goals and 34 points didn't catch the eye of voters. Since then, he has put together back-to-back campaigns of 30-plus goals and 70-plus points -- and finished second and sixth in Selke voting.

Winner: Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning.

You'll never believe this, but the Lightning have uncovered yet another gem outside of the first round. Cirelli becomes the latest in a long line of impressive talents whom the Lightning have drafted outside the first round, which has been a big driving force behind their sustained success.

Cirelli has had an intriguing developmental trajectory, because he has become consistently better year over year while jumping from one difficulty level to the next. That trend has continued in his second full season in the NHL, in which he has skyrocketed from playing 11:13 minutes per game at 5-on-5 to 13:46 at 5-on-5 and from 14:51 to 18:38 overall.

You can often tell how coaches feel about certain players based on the ways they use them; if that's the case here, then Jon Cooper must love Cirelli. His 2:58 per game on the penalty kill is the fourth-highest rate among all forwards, and that boost in even-strength usage suddenly has him less than a minute behind the likes of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov for tops among all Lightning forwards. Maybe most importantly, that progression has allowed Cooper to spell Steven Stamkos from full-time center duties, freeing him up to roam more on the wing -- similar to what the Flyers did with Couturier and Giroux.

From the eye test, it is easy to see why Cirelli has gained so much trust from Cooper in such a short period of time. His game is equally tireless and relentless, and he is the type of puck hound that must be abjectly miserable to play against with any regularity. It has shown up in the numbers, as well, with the Lightning controlling 53.3% of the shots, 59.1% of the high-danger chances and 57.6% of the expected goals with Cirelli on the ice at 5-on-5. The other added benefit of that speed and dogged nature are reflected in his impressive penalty rates, where his 23 drawn penalties and +11 differential are both in the top 10 leaguewide.

While Cirelli's play off the puck is already advanced, his game with it is coming around better than some might have expected. While it remains unclear just how much talent he possesses as a shooter, it won't ultimately matter if he can continue getting to the net with as much force and consistency as he has this season. He has been known to bull-rush toward the net with seemingly no regard for the well-being of himself or the opposing goaltender; and for someone who doesn't profile as a pure, one-shot scorer, getting some cheap goals in tight is important.

Given his career path to date and the magic the Lightning spin when it comes to developing young players, I wouldn't put anything out of reach when it comes to Cirelli's ceiling. He already is really good, but if he keeps developing at this rate and adding more wrinkles to his game, he could eventually graduate to being great.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the United States is "on the verge of becoming a great soccer power" during a dinner hosted by President Donald Trump on Tuesday night.

President Trump is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and with the U.S., alongside Canada and Mexico, set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Infantino was invited to introduce the president at a dinner with global business leaders.

"I have to inform you that the U.S. is on the verge of becoming the soccer power of the world," Infantino said during his address.

"President Trump has been in this venture [planning for the 2026 World Cup] since the beginning. He wanted it to be organized with Canada and Mexico.

"The American dream is something we all need to have. All those who love soccer. The 4 billion people around the world. We all need to dream this dream and I am sure that with your help, President, with your contribution and the contribution of all of you here, we can make sure that the American dream becomes reality, not only in America, as we have seen, but all over the world."

The U.S. has high hopes for the years ahead, with the men's national team -- featuring Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie -- hoping to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after missing out on the last tournament. The U.S. has won the past three Women's World Cups, including last year's event in France.

Trump and Infantino last met in September at the White House, with the two men discussing equal pay for women's soccer on that occasion. At Tuesday's dinner, Trump expressed his excitement at the men's World Cup coming to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.

- World Cup 2022 qualifying: All you need to know

"It's an honor to be involved with bringing the World Cup to the United States," President Trump replied in response to Infantino's address.

"I was involved as president-elect and even a little bit before that, but they called and they said, 'Could you help?' And through yourself [Infantino] and your people, [FIFA] chose the United States, and we're bringing some games to Mexico and to Canada, and it will be tremendous.

"It's going to be very exciting. ... I want to thank you very much. You have been my great friend, and it has been an honor."

Quinton de Kock says that he intends to lead South Africa in his own "street-smart" style when he takes over as ODI captain for next month's series against England. However, he will also take a leaf out of Faf du Plessis' captaincy, in particular his ability to balance big egos at the highest level of professional sport.

De Kock was named as South Africa's 50-over captain on Tuesday and appears to have been identified as the long-term successor despite independent selector Linda Zondi saying du Plessis has not officially stepped down. He says he will draw from du Plessis' diplomacy as he begins his own leadership journey.

"What I've learnt from Faf is the amount of patience he has created and developed over the years with the players," de Kock said, in his first media appearance since being named captain. "Being captain and dealing with a lot of high-profile players and guys with a lot of opinions, for him to have the patience to deal with that as a captain, it's grown him as a person. I've seen it from the side, standing next to him as 'keeper and helping him with one or two things on the field and off the field, I have learnt from him."

But that's as much copy-catting as de Kock would like to do. The rest of his management style will be more fluid than we have become used to from South African cricket, which tends to be methodical but not always easily adaptable.

De Kock, who is known for his intuitive batting style, has promised to bring that to his captaincy.

"There will be some sort of planning you have to do, some homework," he said. "You always have Plan A, Plan B and if those two don't work, I like to come up with things on the field. You have to make decisions on the go, especially in the heat of everything.

"Most of the time, I will keep it pretty street-smart - not just me but also the players. I would enjoy if the players become street-smart out there and don't always have to go just on a certain plan. That's when guys end up learning from the game, without them planning things. I think that helps grow people and cricketers in general."

Asked whether his elevation to the ODI captaincy could be a precursor to him taking over the Test team, de Kock was unwilling to look that far into the future but admitted he would not say no if it was offered to him.

ALSO READ: Ngidi, Bavuma return to South Africa ODI squad

"I'm not too sure. There's a lot of guys that are well prepared to be Test captain. Temba is vice-captain and he has come back and scored a lot of runs so his name is always also going to be there," de Kock said. "It's not up to me whether they want me to be Test captain or not, it's entirely up to the coaches and Graeme and all those guys. I don't think I will push for it, but if they want me to then I will do it to the best of my ability."

Du Plessis has indicated that The Wanderers Test could be his last at home, with South Africa only due to play two more Tests in West Indies in July, before du Plessis reassesses his career after November's T20 World Cup. Before that, du Plessis has the task of leading South Africa in a must-win match this week, in an attempt to square the series and avoid losing three rubbers in a row.

"What I am trying to do is back Faf," de Kock said. "There is a bit of pressure, not just on him, a couple of other guys as well. I'm trying to be there, help the guys out, lighten the mood at times. It's quite difficult when you are a player under so much pressure. When I have an opportunity to make someone feel better, or give them advice or just say, 'life's not so bad' then I add my two cents or do what I can to help the guys."

Some would argue the best thing de Kock could do to help is score runs, and he is already making big strides in that regard. He is South Africa's leading run-scorer in the series, and 23 runs behind overall leader Ben Stokes. Those statistics suggest it's perhaps not de Kock, but the rest of the line-up that needs to stand up, but the man himself holds high standards which he knows he has yet to meet.

"I've gotten out in quite soft ways a couple of times. It's just about me trying to rectify it," he said.

At St George's Park, de Kock was one of several batsmen whose shot selection was questionable and working on a combination of technique and mindset has been the focus of their preparation. De Kock would advise them not to overthink things and respond in the moment.

"In the situation guys forget that we need to play the situation and not the bowler at the time. A lot of people forget about that," he said.

Zimbabwe's debutant opener Kevin Kasuza has suffered a delayed concussion after sustaining a blow to the helmet at short leg on day three of the first Test in Harare. Although Kasuza had been cleared of concussion via scans on Tuesday, Zimbabwe's team doctor has confirmed that concussion has set in on Wednesday

The hosts have now named a like-for-like concussion substitute under the ICC's new rules, bringing in 24-year old opener Brian Mudzinganyama into the XI. Mudzinganyama has impressed in recent domestic matches, hitting 127 for Rangers in late December. The substitution means he will now be make a Test debut.

Kasuza, who made 63 in the first innings, had not immediately felt the effects of the blow, when a full-blooded Kusal Mendis pull caught him flush on the helmet in the first session of day three. After a few seconds, however, he took his helmet off, and suddenly appeared groggy. He was able to continue standing, partly with the support of his teammates, and after the Zimbabwe team doctor came out to assess him, he left the field before another ball was bowled. Despite being cleared of an immediate concussion by scans, Kasuza did not return to the field of play .

The recently introduced concussion substitution protocols dictate that the team's medical representative - usually the physio - must run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee. On this occasion, match referee Javagal Srinath has accepted that Kasuza is suffering from concussion. It seems likely that Kasuza will be unavailable for the second Test as well, which starts on Monday.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has purchased a minority stake in the Phoenix Suns, becoming the second active NFL player with an NBA ownership share, league sources tell ESPN.

The limited partnership has been in the works for months, if not longer, and it allows Fitzgerald to join Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who purchased a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, as the only NFL players now a part of NBA ownership of teams.

Fitzgerald, second all-time in NFL receiving yards, has built a strong relationship with Suns managing partner Robert Sarver. Fitzgerald, 36, had already taken on a significant ambassador's role with the Suns. Even so, his presence has been more than ceremonial. While Fitzgerald has done everything from sit in on potential front office candidate interviews to canvass for a Suns public arena vote, he won't take a more active role with the Suns until his professional football playing career is over, sources told ESPN. He's been a season ticket holder with the team since 2005.

An iconic Arizona sporting and philanthropic figure, Fitzgerald is expected to bring an additional level of credibility to Sarver and the Suns. Fitzgerald, 36, has been engaged in well-regarded charitable foundations in the Phoenix-area for much of his career. He was honored as the NFL's 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Fitzgerald is considered the greatest Cardinal player in history, breaking every significant offensive receiving record in franchise history. He's been voted an All-Pro in 11 of his 16 pro seasons.

For years on the internet, there was a sizable cottage industry built on the claim that Derek Jeter was overrated. In the five years since Jeter retired, new takes in that vein have grown sparse. And don't we miss them? This week, with Jeter falling just short of becoming the second player to win unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame, we've seen a minor revival of this old genre. Maybe one of those old pieces caused the lone holdout among the voters to lose his or her grip on reality.

Maybe the no-Jeter voter was right. He clearly would have been the most overrated unanimous Hall of Famer. There was an overwhelming consensus last year that Jeter's former teammate Mariano Rivera was the game's best relief pitcher ever. The few detractors about Rivera's Hall candidacy were those who believe relief pitchers have no place in Cooperstown. But if you are going to include relievers, there's no argument against Rivera being enshrined. He was the best ever at what he did. No one ever credibly referred to Rivera as overrated.

Few claim that Jeter is the best shortstop ever, but there are some who make that argument -- loudly. When the analysis and think pieces about Jeter's defense began to spread during the early part of this century, he crossed that rare threshold through which someone is so commonly referred to as overrated that he ends up underrated, and that too leads to a kind of counter-backlash. Few would deny Jeter's overall greatness, but the discussion was always about how much of that greatness was rubbed out by his defense.

Let's begin with this set of rankings of the top 25 career shortstops. Keep in mind the word "career." The rankings reflect our analysis last week, when we published our annual piece that slots Hall of Famers into tiers. There are some additional names introduced here, which we'll get to. This list is our starting point:

Quality draw in Detroit
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent

Peru’s World No.6 Diego Elias and Egypt’s World No.8 Marwan ElShorbagy are seeded to meet in the final of the Motor City Open when the tournament takes place in Detroit between February 5-9.

The tournament’s No.1 seed Elias will face either England’s Nathan Lake or Indian Aditya Jagtap in the second round of the PSA World Tour Silver event, after receiving a bye through to the last 16.

He could then face fellow Latin American Cesar Salazar in the quarter finals, before a possible meeting with defending Motor City Open champion Mohamed Abouelghar in the semis, ahead of a clash with 2018 winner Marwan ElShorbagy in the final.

Last season, Elias beat Marwan in the semi-finals before going down to Abouelghar in the final, losing 11-8 in the fifth game.

To reach the final, ‘the Jackal’ could have to beat another former Motor City Open champion, in 2015 winner Miguel Rodriguez, in the semi-finals. His first match of the event will be against either George Parker or Todd Harrity, before a potential clash with Hong Kong No.1 Leo Au.

Meanwhile, ahead of that possible clash with the No.1 seed in the last four, reigning champion Mohamed Abouelghar will start his week against either Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi or Karim El Hammamy in the second round, before a possible meeting with compatriot Zahed Salem in the quarter-finals.

No.4 seed, and 2015 champion, Miguel Rodriguez will play either Chris Hanson or Mohamed ElSherbini in the second round, ahead of a potential meeting with French No.1 Gregoire Marche in the last eight.

The tournament takes place from February 5-9, with 24 players looking to take home the winner’s share of the $76,000 prize pot from the PSA World Tour Silver event.

PSA $70,000 Men’s Motor City Open 2020, Birmingham Athletic Club, Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

First Round Draw:

[1] Diego Elias (PER) – [Bye]
Aditya Jagtap (IND) v Nathan Lake (ENG)
Arturo Salazar (MEX) v Sebastian Bonmalais (FRA)
[8] Cesar Salazar (MEX) – [Bye]
[6] Zahed Salem (EGY) – [Bye]
Benjamin Aubert (FRA) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[3] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) – [Bye]
[4] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) – [Bye]
Chris Hanson (USA) v Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) v Richie Fallows (ENG)
[5] Gregoire Marche (FRA) – [Bye]
[7] Leo Au (HKG) – [Bye]
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v Vikram Malhotra (IND)
George Parker (ENG) v Todd Harrity (USA)
[2] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) – [Bye] 
 

Pictures courtesy of PSA