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Bangladesh are grouped with Pakistan and New Zealand and have ambitions of making it past the preliminary stage

Mohammad Isam20-Sep-2012

Overview

How Shakib Al Hasan fares in Sri Lanka could determine whether Bangladesh makes it past round one•AFP

The World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka will be as much a test of Bangladesh’s skills and preparation as a measure of their progress as an international side. They’ve been grouped with a team they crushed in ODIs two years ago, and the contest in Pallekele will be Bangladesh’s first against New Zealand since that 4-0 result. The other, and more recent, source of confidence is their wins against India and Sri Lanka during this year’s Asia Cup, when Bangladesh qualified for the final.Even Bangladesh’s poor record against their other Group D opponents should provide extra inspiration. They haven’t beaten Pakistan in 13 years, though in their last two matches they showed the readiness to fight, especially in the Asia Cup final in March.Bangladesh’s performance in that tournament is now considered the marker by many, though expecting the players to take a step further in the World Twenty20, where one bad over or shot could see them knocked out of the group stages, might be asking too much. They’re primarily focused on making it past the New Zealand game unscathed and hoping for a Super Eights berth. It is a realistic target for a team that played a quarter of all their Twenty20 internationals four months before the World Twenty20.

Key player

Shakib Al Hasan considers himself a leader in the team, and rightly so. He provides match-winning ability to a team that needs it, despite the presence of other talented players. Shakib’s batting and bowling averages are substantially better in Bangladesh wins in the past six years, a measure of his contribution to the team’s cause. He will be playing with a dodgy knee and will bat at No 3. The bowling attack will also revolve around his left-arm spin.

Surprise package

In Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh finally have an end-over hitter who can clear his right leg and swing powerfully. After an awkward teething period in Zimbabwe, Rahman hit eleven sixes during the build-up tours and broadened his range from just midwicket. He can use his feet against the spinners but high pace will test him: when he encountered such bowling against South Africa in June, Rahman settled for boundaries and the odd nudge. A fast-bowling talent cut short due to injury, Rahman reinvented himself as the sort of a shock-value player Bangladesh has lacked since Mohammad Rafique’s heyday.

Weakness

Spin will test the Bangladesh batsmen, especially Pakistan’s offspinners. They tend to play out overs, which is a flawed strategy in a Twenty20 game. Also, they can be inflexible when things don’t go according to plan. A recent example of this was the middle-order collapses after Shakib’s dismissal during the two practice games in Sri Lanka.

World T20 history

A surprise win over West Indies took them to the Super Eights in 2007, but they failed to make it past the group stages in 2009 and 2010.

Recent form

Bangladesh have won four games out of six in 2012, results that include the 3-0 series win over Ireland in July. That performance took Bangladesh all the way up to No. 4 in the Twenty20 rankings but they returned to ninth three days later, after an unflattering start to their series in the Netherlands, where they won once and lost twice. One of those defeats was against Scotland. During an off-season dedicated to Twenty20, Bangladesh also won unofficial matches against South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Barbados on either side of the Europe tour.

Essex Eagles won a thrilling Clydesdale Bank 40 clash against Lancashire at Old Trafford by six wickets with two balls

14-Aug-2011
ScorecardEssex Eagles won a thrilling Clydesdale Bank 40 clash against Lancashire at Old Trafford by six wickets with two balls to spare thanks in the main to century-maker Mark Pettini and Owais Shah.It meant Essex kept their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive as they chased down 258, all but ending their opponents’ last-four hopes in the process. Essex always had wickets in hand as they chased but Lancashire’s bowlers squeezed well in the field to leave the visitors needing 114 off 66 balls with eight wickets in hand.Pettini and Shah, however, shared 111 in 14 overs for the third wicket, punishing Sajid Mahmood, Oliver Newby and Steven Croft’s offspin in particular. Pettini finished with 104 off 101 balls and Shah 75 off 56, hitting a combined total of 12 fours and three sixes.This was Lancashire’s first defeat in 12 one-day matches in both competitions but they were the team in the ascendancy at the halfway stage thanks to Karl Brown’s maiden one-day hundred. After James Foster had elected to bowl, Lancashire calmly built a platform on a good pitch as opener Stephen Moore scored 69 off 67 balls.He shared 84 for the third wicket with Brown before the latter and Gareth Cross (58 not out off 51 balls) added an unbroken 119 for the fifth wicket inside the last 15 overs of the innings. They also wreaked havoc in the last six overs, amassing a whopping 80 runs.Cross hit Graham Napier for two leg-side sixes, both parried over the fence by Chris Wright and Adam Wheater, and he and Brown reached their respective milestones in the last over, bowled by left-arm spinner Tim Phillips and costing 19. Brown finished on 101 not out off 86 balls, including 10 fours and a six.Ravi Bopara, fresh from the Edgbaston Test, took the two wickets of Croft and Moore with his medium pace. And he played a part in the Essex chase with 39 off 53 balls, sharing 88 inside 17 overs for the second wicket with Pettini.Despite the fact the Eagles, now level on 13 points with second-placed Nottinghamshire after 10 matches, had wickets in hand, they were dropping further and further behind by rate. But Pettini and Shah reduced the target of 114 off 66 balls at its toughest to nine off the last over with some power hitting and good running as the home attack unusually lost their way.Gary Keedy and Newby got rid of Pettini, stumped by Cross, and Shah, caught at cover by Tom Smith, within the last three overs. But it was not enough as Ryan ten Doeschate hit the winning runs to delight the home dressing room.

New Zealand’s Dambulla adventure had started so promisingly, with their biggest win over India, but it ended on a disheartening note for their inexperienced side

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla25-Aug-2010New Zealand’s Dambulla adventure had started so promisingly, with their biggest win over India, but it ended on a disheartening note for their inexperienced side, which was eliminated after a 105-run defeat in the final league match.Hamstrung by the absence of senior bowlers, Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram, New Zealand were unable to keep the pressure on India after their bowlers inflicted another top-order collapse. Their captain, Ross Taylor, picked out the 107-run stand between Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni for the fifth wicket as the turning point.”The partnership between Sehwag and Dhoni was about 100-odd and we lost by that margin,” he said. “We were just outplayed in all areas of the game. India played well and we didn’t.”After that partnership, New Zealand prised out the final five wickets for 24 runs, restricting India to 223, which Man of the Match Sehwag didn’t think was enough at the time. “I didn’t think it was a winning total,” he said. “But since they had only two experienced batsmen in Styris and Taylor, we knew if we could get early wickets, we would put them under pressure.”Both Styris and Taylor were part of a feeble batting performance, which began so poorly that New Zealand’s chances of victory evaporated as early as the ninth over. “I guess we didn’t start well and, when you get put on the back foot straightaway, a total like 220 is a long way away,” Taylor said. “They bowled well but our batters, we just didn’t step up. It’s disappointing to finish the tournament on a poor note.”New Zealand briefly threatened to break the record for their lowest total in ODIs but avoided that embarrassment thanks to an entertaining, but futile, half-century from vice-captain Kyle Mills. He lashed two straight sixes off Ravindra Jadeja and one powerful pull over square leg off Praveen Kumar on his way to a 35-ball 52. From 52 for 7, Mills hauled New Zealand to a more respectable 118.”When I went out to bat, I just tried to be as aggressive as I possibly could,” Mills said. “There probably was no expectation of you to go out and chase down 220 runs. I was fortunate I was able to get myself in for the first six or so balls and I decided I would be aggressive. I got a couple in my areas and I was able to get them away.”While the margin of defeat was dispiriting, Taylor said there were plenty of gains for New Zealand during the tournament, and chose Andy McKay and Kane Williamson as players to watch. “One of the biggest things is probably the experience over here, and the experience we have given some youngsters.”McKay was the fastest of New Zealand’s bowlers while Williamson had a tough initiation to international cricket, making ducks in his first two matches. “I guess Andy McKay is not young but he is very raw and the way he has bowled over the last two or three games is exciting,” Taylor said. “Williamson, we didn’t see the best of him with the bat, but his bowling – he’s a better bowler than a part-timer. If he can keep improving both skills, then we can take that.”Dambulla’s pitch wasn’t the typical flat, batting wicket expected of the subcontinent, which would have been ideal preparation for next year’s World Cup, but New Zealand will get a taste of those conditions in their next assignment, a full tour of India starting in early November.

Pope to continue as wicketkeeper, Stokes fit after back niggle

Vithushan Ehantharajah04-Dec-2024Jacob Bethell will continue at No. 3 after England announced an unchanged XI for the second Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve.Victory in Christchurch by eight wickets was rounded out by a maiden half-century from Bethell. The 21-year-old debutant struck an unbeaten 50 from 37 deliveries as England chased down a fourth-innings total of 104 in 12.4 overs.Bethell’s first innings at the Hagley Oval – 10 off 34 – was the first time the Warwickshire batter had ever gone in higher than No. 4, from a sample size of just 20 first-class matches. The England management deliberated changes, particularly with Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson in situ after being drafted to replace the injured Jordan Cox but decided to stick with the same team.Related

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That means Ollie Pope will continue with the gloves at No.6. England’s vice-captain was shifted from his usual spot at first-drop to focus on keeping duties. It will be his fifth Test as designated wicketkeeper, all of which have come overseas.Pope reiterated he wishes to remain at No. 3 after scoring a vital 77 in the first innings – from No. 6 – and he is expected to return to the spot he has held consistently throughout Ben Stokes’ tenure when Jamie Smith comes back into the XI. Pope was tidy throughout the first match, with a couple of catches, and looked broadly at ease in the role.”They always say when you don’t notice a keeper he’s done a good job and Ollie certainly did that,” said Chris Woakes on Wednesday in Wellington. “He was brilliant last week, stepping into a role he hasn’t done a lot of.”Obviously he can keep and has done previously for England, but to step up at short notice like that and do the job he did was fantastic. For him to score runs just shows his character, putting his hand up for the team without any fuss and cracking on. to move to number six, get such a good score for us and contribute to a big partnership was massive.”Stokes retains his own spot and is set to continue as an allrounder at No. 7 after sustaining a back niggle in the first Test, which prompted him to abort an over midway through on the fourth and final morning.Woakes also backed Zak Crawley to turn around his form against New Zealand, which took a hit after a duck and 1 in the first Test. The opener now averages a dismal 9.88 against the Black Caps in 17 innings, who have emerged as a bogey team for the Kent batter.”A lot of the time I think these stats that come out are pure coincidence,” said Woakes. “I don’t think it’s anything to do with anything. New Zealand have some very good opening bowlers. He faces the new ball when they are their freshest and best, so he’s probably got some good balls in there.”We’ve see the quality Zak has. Opening the batting is such a difficult job to do, that you will have occasions where you get low scores. We’ve seen what Zak can do. When he gets in, he’s one of the worst batters to be bowling at in international cricket. I’m sure that will change.”England: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2⁠ ⁠Ben Duckett, 3⁠ ⁠Jacob Bethell, 4⁠ ⁠Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6⁠ ⁠Ollie Pope (wk), 7⁠ ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 8⁠ ⁠Chris Woakes, 9⁠ ⁠Gus Atkinson, 10⁠ ⁠Brydon Carse, 11⁠ ⁠Shoaib Bashir

Side strain denies fast bowler chance of England debut as selectors overlook proven back-up

Andrew Miller21-Aug-2023John Turner, the uncapped Hampshire fast bowler, has been ruled out of England’s T20I squad for this month’s series against New Zealand after sustaining a side injury during his Men’s Hundred stint with Trent Rockets. He will be replaced by the Durham quick, Brydon Carse.Turner, 22, had been the surprise call-up for England’s 20-over squad when it was unveiled last week, having made his professional debut in the format as recently as June.His ability as a 90mph-plus bowler was highlighted in his most recent outing, when he bowled Jonny Bairstow on his Hundred debut against Welsh Fire in Cardiff. However, he has not featured in the competition since.Related

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Carse, a fellow South Africa-born quick, steps into the vacancy created by Turner’s injury. Despite claiming a solitary wicket in six outings for Northern Superchargers in this year’s Hundred, he remains highly rated by the selectors, having played nine ODIs in the past two years, most recently against South Africa on his county home ground at Chester-le-Street – the same venue where he could now make his T20I debut against New Zealand on August 30.He has been preferred in the T20I squad to several proven competitors, not least Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills, both of whom have been in fine form with the ball for Southern Brave.However, with England’s white-ball squad focussed on the forthcoming 50-over World Cup, which gets underway in India in October, the 20-over series is being used by the selectors to explore the team’s bench-strength, with Josh Tongue and Luke Wood also named in the squad, alongside Gus Atkinson, who is England’s surprise pick for the 50-over set-up in the absence of the injured Jofra Archer.John Turner removed Jonny Bairstow on his Hundred debut•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Explaining the desire to test the strength of England’s pace reserves, Luke Wright, the national selector, acknowledged that the risk of injury was a constant concern, therefore broadening the experience of the available resources was a priority, with the next T20 World Cup looming in June next year.”It’s something we’re really excited about, to see the amount of pace that is going around in county cricket with these guys that have come through,” Wright said last week. “We have to look ahead to that T20 World Cup next year as well, and try and get as much depth as possible. And we know with these fast bowlers, there’s going to be injuries with them.”So to have that depth but give them that exposure as well is obviously going to be hugely important. I think it’s really exciting to see these guys coming through. It’s been hugely impressive watching them in the Hundred and I look forward to seeing them go against New Zealand.”

The matches will also be shown on ICC TV free of cost

Mohammad Isam21-Jun-2022Local channel has bagged the broadcasting rights for the remainder of Bangladesh’s tour of West Indies, starting with the St Lucia Test from June 24. The channel’s chief executive Ishtiaque Sadeque confirmed the good news for the fans in Bangladesh. Later, the ICC also confirmed to the BCB that they will show the rest of the West Indies-Bangladesh series free of cost on ICC TV.The latest developments will come as a relief to Bangladesh fans following a TV blackout of the first Test in Antigua, as none of the Bangladeshi channels picked up the West Indies tour. It was the first time since 2001 that a Test match involving Bangladesh wasn’t shown on TV in the country.Negotiations between the rights-holders, Total Sports Management, and Bangladesh’s TV networks had failed to agree on a deal. The Antigua Test was at first only available on the ICC streaming channel for a subscription fee, before the BCB showed the match on days three and four on their Facebook and YouTube channels only for Bangladeshi viewers.It had reached this point after or , incidentally the two channels that have been showing Bangladesh’s international matches in recent years, didn’t land a deal with TSM. Both channels have reportedly bought the BCB’s broadcasting rights for 2021-23 from , who had initially bought it from the board for $19.07 million last year.The possibility of a TV blackout had always been likely from earlier this year when the Bangladesh broadcasting rights were only picked up a week from the start of the New Zealand-Bangladesh Test series in January. Last year, the Bangladesh-Australia T20I series wasn’t aired in Australia due to a lack of interest. The last time a Bangladesh Test wasn’t shown on TV was back in 2001, during the Asian Test Championship.After the second Test in St Lucia, Bangladesh will play West Indies in three T20Is on July 2, 3 and 7, and three ODIs on July 10, 13 and 16.

Himanshu Pandya died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack

PTI16-Jan-2021India allrounders Hardik and Krunal Pandya have lost their father Himanshu, who died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack. He was 71.Krunal, who was leading Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, left the team’s bio-bubble to be with his family, Baroda Cricket Association secretary Ajit Lele told PTI. Hardik is not playing the tournament as he is preparing for the white-ball series against England. He has also left Mumbai, where he was training, to go to Vadodara.Himanshu had played a key role in the success of his sons, who have represented India and the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity in condoling his demise.