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A round-up of Bangladesh Cricket League games played between February 19 and 22, 2017

The Report by Mohammad Isam22-Feb-2017Surviving a draw against South Zone on the last day helped North Zone retain their position on top of the BCL points table.Asked to follow on after trailing by 259 runs in the first innings, Farhad Hossain and Naeem Islam added 136 runs for the third wicket, as their individual centuries helped North Zone survive the fourth day on 403 for 8.Farhad’s 119 was studded with nine fours and three sixes, while Naeem remained unbeaten on 129, having batted for more than six hours. Naeem is now the second-highest run-getter of the tournament – averaging 106.25 – behind Tushar Imran, whose double-hundred helped South Zone post 501 in 144.4 overs.Tushar, the No.4 batsman, added 215 runs for the fourth wicket with Shahriar Nafees (74) and later strung a 96-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, who chipped in with a 65-ball 57.Tushar knocked off 220 runs – his highest first-class score – to improve on his unbeaten 203 in the National Cricket League in 2015.Suhrawadi Shuvo returned the best figures for North Zone, picking up 4 for 105, before their batting line-up folded for 242 in the 63rd over.South Zone offspinner Nahidul Islam’s successive five-fors in the game earned him his maiden first-class ten-wicket haul and kept his team’s pursuit of victory alive till the end. He found able support in Abdur Razzak and Al-Amin Hossain, who claimed five wickets between them, but their efforts proved insufficient as North Zone managed to retain the last two wickets.Central Zone, meanwhile, registered their first win in the tournament, after crushing East Zone by 227 runs at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.Put in to bat, Central Zone were bowled out for 328 in the first innings, despite fifties from Nurul Hasan (65) and Mohammad Sharif (70). East Zone seamer Abu Jayed picked up 5 for 77, while Saqlain Sajib and off-spinner Afif Hossain took two wickets apiece.Central Zone later snatched a first-innings lead of 117 runs, as Sharif, Shuvagata Hom and Mosharraf Hossain fetched combined returns of 8 for 143 to skittle East Zone for 211.Half-centuries from Marshall Ayub and Taibur Rahman then helped Central zone add 282 in their second innings; their overall lead soaring to 399 runs.With his side chasing 400, East Zone captain Alok Kapali (71) found little support from other batsmen, as Central Zone’s bowling attack – led by Hom’s four-wicket haul – strangled East Zone to 117 all out in 56.2 overs.Sharif’s all-round performance – 6 for 78 coupled with 71 runs – earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.

The BCCI’s technical committee has recommended that all Ranji Trophy matches in 2016-17 be played at neutral venues to make domestic cricket more competitive

Arun Venugopal29-May-20163:42

Agarkar: Should be good enough to play at opposition’s home

The BCCI’s technical committee has recommended that all Ranji Trophy matches in 2016-17 be played at neutral venues to make domestic cricket more competitive. The committee’s recommendations, according to the BCCI, seek to “rule out the issues related to preparing specific wickets for home teams, as well as to expose players to play in different conditions.” These recommendations will have to be ratified by the board’s working committee. A similar recommendation, to play all Ranji matches at neutral venues, was made before the 2012-13 season but was later turned down.The pitches used in the Ranji Trophy last season came under scrutiny after nine matches finished inside two days. Former India captain Rahul Dravid was critical of the “poor” pitches that stunted the development of young cricketers. He had also said state associations had to be forced to prepare good surfaces.

India A’s tour to Australia approved

The BCCI’s technical committee has approved India A’s tour of Australia in August for two four-day matches and a tri-series. India A had last toured Australia in July 2014 where they played two unofficial Tests against Australia A before playing a quadrangular series that also featured South Africa A and Australia’s National Performance Squad. Australia A had returned the visit with a tour to India in August last year, where it played two Tests against the home side before playing a tri-series that comprised South Africa A as well.

“A lot of people criticise and say Ranji Trophy [knockout] matches should be held in home venues of teams,” he said. “But if teams resort to doing these kind of things, then I think it is better the knockout matches are staged in neutral venues.”While Karnataka coach J Arun Kumar welcomed the panel’s recommendation, his Assam counterpart Sanath Kumar disagreed with the idea.”Apart from not having the home-crowd advantage and the home-pitch advantage, I don’t see anything wrong in that,” Arun Kumar told ESPNcricinfo. “There have been a lot of problems in the past with home-team advantage [resulting in] very bad wickets. Not having crowd support is the only setback but otherwise I think it’s a very fair move.”Sanath Kumar said the existing system, where a team played four games at home and four away, was fair. “I don’t think anybody will now come and watch. [Playing games at home meant] at least a few fans will come and support the team,” he said. “It will be like a knockout match where hardly anybody is watching the game. Instead of this recommendation, they could have had a [neutral] curator to prepare the pitches. That would have been an easier solution.”The technical committee has also recommended that the Duleep Trophy be played entirely as a day-night tournament, with four teams, picked by the selectors, playing in a round-robin format. In January, the BCCI tours and fixtures committee had asked the technical committee to explore the possibility of trialing the pink ball in the tournament. This move is significant considering the board’s keenness to host a day-night Test during India’s long home season where they will play series against New Zealand, England and Australia.Sanath Kumar said there had been discussions about changes in the zonal format of the Duleep Trophy since last season. “[In the coaches and captains enclave last year] we told the BCCI that the zonal system didn’t make much sense,” he said. “In the past we used to play Ranji Trophy at the zonal level and then we go to the knockouts. That time Duleep Trophy had a lot of relevance whereas now Ranji Trophy itself has become an all-India tournament and so Duleep doesn’t have a lot of recognition. Even the players don’t take it seriously.”We suggested that if the selectors select four teams like they do for the Challenger Trophy, it would be a better way of going about things.”

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the decision to include Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud in the selection committee was a result of lack of communication between the players and coach Chandika Hathurusingha

Mohammad Isam22-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the decision to include Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud in the selection committee was a result of lack of communication between the players and coach Chandika Hathurusingha. In a heated press conference in Mirpur on Wednesday, Hassan said he was tired of explaining why he changed the selection structure from a three-member to a six-member committee.Explaining the reason behind the manager’s inclusion, Hassan mentioned an incident during the World T20, when he attended a team meeting and found the Bangladesh players not challenging Hathurusingha. He said the players often used Mahmud as their envoy to push for suggestions regarding team selection but they were not approaching Hathurusingha directly.Hassan said Mahmud, after informing him of these suggestions, would relay the message to Hathurusingha. To relieve himself of getting too involved in selection matters, Hassan has included Mahmud in the selection committee, where he will act as the captains’ representative.”I have to explain this out of disappointment,” Hassan said. “You know that I am very much involved with the players. During the World Cup and the World T20, I attended the team meetings. I saw there that the coach gives a strategic plan for every aspect of the match, in a lot of detail.”Unfortunately, I saw that our players didn’t challenge the coach but when I got out of their meeting room, couple of the players walked out with me. They told me that there has to be some changes made, mainly about selection. I asked them, ‘Why didn’t you tell him in the meeting?’ But they don’t get into any argument with the coach, whether it is the captain or the other players.”When I don’t attend these meetings, they communicate via the manager Sujon [Mahmud], who conveys it to me and I have to tell the coach. I don’t want to be involved in these things. So I thought that I should have lesser involvement in these matters. We can’t run things in this way so this is why I have included the manager in the selection committee. The only person who could have a problem with the manager in this committee is the captain. But he is fine with it, so why does the selector have a problem with it?”It is extremely rare for a BCB president to reveal such details from within the Bangladesh dressing room. Hathurusingha has been hailed as instrumental to the team’s successes in 2015, with many players suggesting he has given them freedom to express themselves in every match situation.While Hathurusingha has had public fallings-out with the chief selector Faruque Ahmed and former cricket operations chairman Naimur Rahman, he has never publicly criticised any Bangladesh player. Nor has any player spoken of communication difficulties with Hathurusingha.When contacted, a number of Bangladesh players refused to comment on the board president taking about the team’s private matters. Hassan admitted he wasn’t supposed to reveal such information in a press conference but he succumbed to the continuous questioning about Mahmud’s inclusion in the revamped selection committee.”Is it a good thing that I just said that our captains and players are scared of the coach?” Hassan said. “This news will now spread around the world but you won’t leave me alone until I say all these things.”

India’s coach is happy with the way his bowlers managed their workloads in back-to-back Tests

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali24-Nov-20162:50

‘Jayant’s debut augers well’ – Kumble

A dry pitch – especially so in the good and full length areas – is set to be rolled out in Mohali for the third Test of the series, which India lead 1-0. The expectation is that it would be spin-friendly, like it was against South Africa last year.There was a time when fast bowlers would look forward to matches at the PCA stadium. There was a time when it was the fastest and bounciest track in the country. India’s current coach Anil Kumble was part of a few of them. He was one of Dion Nash’s six victims in 1999, when New Zealand bundled India for 83. Javagal Srinath returned the kindness with 6 for 45 in a drawn game.

Kumble on

Kohli ball-tampering allegations: As far as I am concerned, neither the umpires nor match referee never ever came to us talking about it. Even for someone like Faf du Plessis, South Africa has played exceptional cricket to beat Australia 2-0 and to be told that this ball tampering or whatever, I think it is very silly. It’s making a mountain out of a molehill.
On picking Parthiv: Parthiv has been really consistent, both in his keeping as well as batting. Yes, Rishabh [Pant] has certainly shown the exuberance and what a young cricketer can bring in. He has shown a lot of his batting skills. He has obviously got a lot of runs this season in the domestic circuit. But Parthiv was chosen for his keeping skills and his experience. Regarding Dinesh [Karthik], at the moment I don’t think Dinesh is keeping wickets for Tamil Nadu, and I am not sure why that is the case.

Courtney Walsh and Kenny Benjamin decimated India here in 1994. The report read: “Only [Navjot Singh] Sidhu was out, but [Manoj] Prabhakar was led off after one over, his nose broken by a ball from Walsh that burst through his helmet grille. That made the Indian batsmen uneasy, especially on a pitch which continued to play true; it retained some bounce to the end and the ball moved in the morning”Those days, however, are firmly in the past. The last Test played in Mohali was on a pitch that spun from day one, while in the most recent first-class match, Delhi piled on 495 in their first innings in a drawn game against Odisha..”It has certainly gone a lot slower to what it probably used to be in the 90’s,” Kumble said. “But having said that, I am someone who certainly does not give too much importance to the conditions. We need to play good cricket. I certainly believe that we played good cricket, both in Rajkot and in Vizag. That’s why we are 1-0 ahead in the series. We will have to do that again, repeat that again in Mohali, no matter what the conditions are. Like I have said over the years, I think it has certainly gone slightly slower, not necessarily the way it used to be in the early 90s.”The cooler climate would be a welcome relief for the bowlers though and there may be some sideways movement in the first half hour, but when there is so little grass on the surface, “you can’t expect it to do too much for the seamers,” said England’s Chris Woakes.As such, both sides may be tempted to continue with three spinners. India certainly had great success with Jayant Yadav, who Kumble felt had a “dream debut” in Visakhapatnam. “As a youngster coming into this team, he showed a lot of character, a lot of maturity although he was playing his first match, in the way handled batting with the lower order.”Even in the second innings, batting with Shami and getting those 30-40 runs right at the end showed a lot of maturity. The way he bowled was quite impressive. It really augurs well for Indian cricket that someone who has just come into the team has really shown that kind of a approach.”Kumble was also “very impressed” with the way India’s bowlers have handled their workloads without compromising on their disciplines. “It was not easy because they bowled close to 240 overs in Rajkot and within three days, in the last Test match, the bowlers bowled almost 200 overs,” he said. “It’s never easy going back-to-back even if you have five bowlers, but still the effort and they way the responded and the way they went about being very relentless in pursuit to go out there and win was very evident.”

Afghanistan spinner joins Rizwan, Head as overseas signings in his fourth stint with club

Matt Roller17-Dec-2021Rashid Khan will return to Sussex for a fourth spell with the county in the 2022 T20 Blast.Rashid first signed for Sussex in 2018 and returned in 2019 and 2021. His stint last summer comprised only three games due to the rearranged Pakistan Super League, but included a match-winning performance in the quarter-finals against Yorkshire when he took 1 for 25 from four overs then hit 27 not out off nine balls to seal a five-wicket win.He becomes Sussex’s second major signing in as many days after Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan was unveiled as an overseas player on Thursday. Sussex will register Rashid, Rizwan and Championship captain Travis Head as their three overseas players for the Blast, with a maximum of two playing at any one time.The club said in a press release that the move would “maximise availability in the event of international call-ups or Covid-19 related disruption” with the majority of counties struggling to tie players down due to the ever-changing nature of the Future Tours Programme.Related

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Rizwan, for example, was due to play for Sussex from April until mid-July, but barely 90 minutes after his signing was announced, Pakistan confirmed that their ODI series against West Indies had been moved to June, compromising his availability.Rashid is likely to miss the first handful of games of the Blast season due to his likely involvement in the IPL. Afghanistan are also due to play three T20Is against Australia, ending in early June, though fixtures are yet to be confirmed. The Blast is expected to start on May 25, with Finals Day on July 16.He will be one of three legspinners in the Sussex squad along with Will Beer – who has moved to a T20-only contract – and the teenager Archie Lenham. James Kirtley, their T20 head coach, said that Rashid’s influence as a role model was a major positive for the squad.”Rash is an outstanding person and his positive effect on our environment was so obvious last summer,” Kirtley said. “The immediate care and mentoring he showed Archie showed the real class of the person.”He’s the best in the business and we are truly lucky to have him. It is great to know we have developed a long-standing relationship with the best T20 spinner in the world – not to forget his dynamic batting which we witnessed against Yorkshire in last year’s quarter-final.”It will be amazing to have his services for the majority of the T20 Blast along with our two other overseas players. This puts us in an enviable position of being able to react to the ever-changing landscape of international cricket.”Rashid, who is currently in Australia playing for Adelaide Strikers under Sussex’s former coach Jason Gillespie, said that despite the loss of two key players in Chris Jordan and Phil Salt, he was “more determined that ever to try and help bring the T20 Blast title back to Hove”.”The squad will look a little different this season with some key players having moved on,” he said, “but the youngsters coming through impressed me greatly in recent seasons and combined with some new faces I think it is a really exciting time to be a Sharks fan.”

Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh left-arm paceman, is facing shoulder surgery early next month which could sideline him for six months

Mohammad Isam30-Jul-2016Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh left-arm paceman, is facing shoulder surgery early next month which could sideline him for six months. The BCB are currently mulling whether to have the operation in England or Australia, and BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said that a decision on a surgeon will be made by Monday, but that Mustafizur was mentally prepared for the operation.Mustafizur is currently in England having linked up with Sussex after extended delays but his stint came to end last week after two matches when he suffered the shoulder injury. He has seen a specialist in the UK, who recommended that the SLAP (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior) tear – which involves the ring of cartilage that surrounds the socket of the shoulder joint – could be treated through a surgery, which may rule him out for up to six months. Such a lay-off would rule him out of England’s visit in October and the tour to New Zealand at the end of the year.”In the last few days we have sent his reports to a number of places,” Yunus said. “We want him to be operated under the best surgeons. We have found two specialists in the UK and one in Australia. By Monday we can decide who will operate on Mustafizur’s shoulder. He is mentally prepared for the operation.”This sort of injury usually is treated conservatively but we are not going that way with Mustafizur because the doctors have said that it might recur in the future.”Yunus said that Mustafizur has been BCB’s priority and has always been withdrawn from the game at the onset of any injury. The first such occurance was during the Zimbabwe series in January this year when he was down with an injured shoulder. He also missed much of the Asia Cup and World T20 through a side strain while hamstring and ankle injuries delayed his Sussex stint.”We are taking the best care of Mustafizur. We have always withdrawn him from matches whenever he has complained of any physical problem,” Yunus said. “We haven’t seen him in Test matches that much. He has focused mostly in the shorter versions.”We didn’t send him to the PSL because he had injury. He had offers from the CPL. So that he is not overstressed, we are not letting him play when he has a problem.”

“For me, it’s about how can I learn, how can I grow, and focusing on trying to do the job for the team at that time”

Deivarayan Muthu19-Feb-20213:28

Have RCB sorted their batting out?

Kyle Jamieson had originally planned to sleep through the IPL auction, like Jimmy Neesham, but then woke up at around midnight in Christchurch to watch the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings bid furiously for him. The 6’8″ quick ended up attracting the day’s second-highest winning bid, with Mike Hesson’s Royal Challengers signing him up for INR 15 crore (USD 2 million approx).”It was pretty surreal, really, and it’s such a unique experience to watch yourself go through an auction like that in the early hours of the morning,” Jamieson said. “And I think it’s probably still trying to sink in a little bit and try to take in…Related

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“Yeah, it was weird, there’s no textbook to say how to approach that sort of stuff – that’s probably how I’ve tried to take it. It’s such a unique experience and it’s trying to embrace the whole situation of it all as just try to, I guess, enjoy the moment.”Having watched the madness unfold, Jamieson first called up his partner and then his parents.”I actually called my partner and actually woke her up,” Jamieson said. “She was asleep, and that was a pretty cool moment. Kind of sit back and there wasn’t a whole lot of words to be spoken to be fair, but then called mum and dad – they were up as well. Did that and then turned the phone off and tried to get some sleep.”Jamieson was also pleased to share the moment with former New Zealand quick Shane Bond who incidentally will plot against Jamieson in the Mumbai Indians backroom in the forthcoming IPL.”I had a message from Shane Bond as it [auction] was going and he was sort of saying, ‘How good is this!’ I didn’t actually know what the amount of money was and how that translated to New Zealand dollars,” Jamieson said. “It was quite cool to share that moment with him and sort of ride that two or three minutes with him.”Having become the highest-paid New Zealander at an IPL auction – his senior fast-bowling partner Trent Boult had previously attracted a bid of INR 5 crore from the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 – Jamieson is now preparing to buy coffee and beer for his team-mates and also cop some friendly banter from them.”Yeah, I think there will be a bit [of banter] from Boult, [Tim] Southee etc. So, no, it’s all part of it, and there’s a lot of banter thrown around in this group anyway and it’s such an enjoyable place to be. It’s all harmless and just good fun.”‘I accept that there will be expectations but that’s been the case the whole time I’ve played’•Getty Images

Jamieson was looking forward to linking up with a star-studded RCB contingent, which also includes Australia allrounder Glenn Maxwell who was signed for INR 14.25 crore (USD 1.95 million approx).”I think it’s such a special experience and I think [I’m] so fortunate to go to a team with superstars of the game like that,” Jamieson said. “They’ve had success for such a long period of time – those guys…Just to rub shoulders with them and try to learn and grow as a cricketer is something that I’m relishing.”Jamieson has never played competitive cricket in India previously, and the hefty price tag could invite pressure, but he downplayed it and hoped to pick up new tricks. His maiden IPL stint could potentially tune him up for the T20 World Cup, which is also slated to be held in India later this year.”To be fair, I don’t think a whole lot changes to me,” Jamieson said. “I accept that there will be expectations but that’s been the case the whole time I’ve played. When you play your first one-day game, first Test, and different series, there’s always expectation, but it’s probably more externally than it is with me. For me, it’s about how can I learn, how can I grow, and focusing on trying to do the job for the team at that time.”Shane Jurgensen, the New Zealand bowling coach, also believed Jamieson wouldn’t be distracted by the price tag and backed him to succeed in India with his pace and bounce.”He won’t change,” Jurgensen said. “He will still do his thing, his preparation, and he works hard. Like all our guys, he will do what he does. I think he will take it and he’s a very level young man – he’s worked hard on a lot of areas in his game and as I said it’s [a] reward for all he’s done.”After Jamieson bagged 6 for 7 – the best figures by a New Zealander and the fifth-best overall in T20 cricket – in the Super Smash on New Year’s Day in 2019, Hesson had tweeted: “An impressive bowler who at 6ft 8in can swing it… another one to add to the @BLACKCAPS stable.” Jamieson has since broken into New Zealand’s side across formats, most notably playing a crucial hand in their run to the WTC final, and now Hesson has added Jamieson to the RCB stable as well.

Mashrafe Mortaza said he has gradually developed the ability to separate his role as bowler from his role as limited-overs captain of Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam27-Sep-2016Mashrafe Mortaza has said he gradually developed the ability to separate his role as bowler from his limited-overs captaincy of Bangladesh. Mashrafe took 2 for 42 in the first ODI against Afghanistan, as Bangladesh held their nerve for a seven-run win.”I don’t end up complicating things,” Mashrafe said. “I try to keep my on-field decision-making and bowling as normal as possible. I try to compartmentalise everything. It has turned into a habit actually. I have been captaining for almost the last two years. I have become a lot more relaxed now.”On a flat pitch, Mashrafe showed great composure with the batsmen coming hard at him, particularly in his last two spells in which he kept set batsmen Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah in check, before taking the wicket of Najibullah Zadran in his last over. Mashrafe conceded 10 and 13 in those two two-over spells to help his side keep the game within control.”I always try to bowl consistently on a flat surface,” Mashrafe said. “In modern cricket, the batsmen charge at you but if you keep bowling in the same spot, there’s some chance of success. So I try to focus on that – plus, there’s always luck. They needed about six runs an over at one stage but when Shakib and I came on to bowl after the 30th over, we could bring that up to seven runs an over.”Mashrafe’s steady performance was overshadowed by those of Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed, but he was content to remain in the background and quietly contribute to the team’s victory. With that victory, Bangladesh are now one away from their 100th ODI win, and from sealing the three-match ODI series. Almost two years into in his third stint as Bangladesh captain, after two short stints in 2009 and 2010, Mashrafe is presiding over one of the best ever phases of Bangladesh cricket.”Someone would have been the captain, but it is going to be a big achievement,” Mashrafe said of Bangladesh’s imminent ODI milestone. “We will try to make sure that we can achieve it in the second ODI but for that we have to play a better game.”One area where Bangladesh will hope to show marked improvement is the fielding. They put down three chances in the first match, with one drop each from Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mashrafe said that improvement in that department would have to “come from the inside” and go hand in hand with improved body language.”It is not right to give poor fielding as an excuse. Fielding is such a thing that it has to come from the inside in order to improve. I hope we improve in the second game. I think our body language was also not right, which made it harder.”

Sangakkara’s advice for India’s T20 World Cup hopefuls is to “focus on the IPL”

Sruthi Ravindranath11-Apr-20215:34

Sangakkara: ‘Everyone has individual strengths that are valued, we try to meld that into a good unit’

While Rajasthan Royals’ new captain Sanju Samson believes their batting order will see “a bit more stability” in IPL 2021, their team director Kumar Sangakkara, however, wants the team to keep its options open before finalising the first-choice pair at the top of the order, where they tried five different combinations last season.The Royals had the likes of Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Steven Smith taking turns to open for them last season, before settling on the pair of Ben Stokes and Robin Uthappa for their last five matches. Samson is hopeful of bringing about a change this time around, as he acknowledged the importance of giving the opening pair time to settle.Related

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“Sanga and I will try to give the best combination for our team,” Samson said during a virtual press conference. “From my point of view, I feel it’s important to give an individual or a pair of opening partners enough time in the tournament, so I think a bit of stability will be seen this time in the tournament. I think the rest will depend upon how we go.””I think it’s a decision we’ll undertake with the full buying of the players involved and we look to finalise later on today before we go for training,” Sangakkara said. “We want to keep our options open. The most important things is that players are communicated clearly as to what their roles are and get them to commit to it.”An area of concern for the Royals as they enter the season is the lack of experience in their Indian pace-bowling contingent. The likes of Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron were expensive last season, Kartik Tyagi and their two news buys – Chetan Sakariya and Kuldip Yadav – are a tad inexperienced to shoulder the responsibility. To work around this, their new foreign recruit Chris Morris will be expected to carry most of the load, especially in the absence of Jofra Archer, who was not only the leader of the attack but also their most consistent performer last season.”It’s a big blow for us. I think Jofra is an absolutely vital part of our make up,” Sangakkara said. “Not to have him unfortunately is the reality of it and we have to plan around it. We have contingencies. We understand it’s a difficult time for Jofra. He’s played through a full series against India for England through pain and did excellently well. We’re hoping at some point he’ll be able to join us and play some part in our IPL [campaign].”I think inexperience sometimes work for you and again inexperience could mean the opposition has not seen them either. But fast bowling, especially in the IPL, is not an easy task. I’m confident our fast bowlers will step up. We have Kartik Tyagi who did very well lasts season in patches and various phases of the game. This time we have new additions in Kuldip Yadav and Chetan Sakariya. So I think it’s about keeping them focused on what their job is really and get them trained and prepared to execute all the different deliveries and scenarios and match plans for the opposition. But at the same time concentrate in giving them confidence about their own strengths.”Sangakkara’s advice for T20 world Cup hopefuls: ‘Focus on the IPL’With the T20 World Cup less than five months away, Sangakkara feels India hopefuls Samson and Rahul Tewatia need to focus on their performances in the IPL to book their spot for the tournament. Samson’s heroics at the IPL last season earned him a place in the India side for the T20Is against Australia, but he made just 48 runs in three games on the tour and was then left out for the series against England. Tewatia was called up for the England T20Is but he did not get a game.Sangakkara had some advice for the two, who, according to him, have got “great cricketing sense”, on how to deal with the pressure and expectations.”I think the pressure is always there,” Sangakkara said. “You can try and forget about it but the reality is that expectations is always there. You have various coping mechanism and techniques to deal with them. It’s important to have those grand ambitions of regularly playing international cricket. I think Sanju and Rahul are absolutely capable of being regulars, not just that but great outstanding performers on the international stage. They’ve got amazing ability, great cricketing sense and both of them over the years have progressed. Sanju has been a young batting superstar for quite a while on the Indian scene and is always talked about.”I think the real key is the process to get to the ambition, take it match by match in the IPL, and keep your focus on the IPL. Each game you play each innings and that’s how you break that process down. It is important that both of them have the freedom and trust of the team to express themselves – to be Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia.”

Having a full-strength squad at his disposal for the first time should help

Mohammad Isam02-Feb-2021Fifteen months into his Test captaincy, Mominul Haque will finally get a full-strength Bangladesh side at his disposal. The return of Shakib Al Hasan, the man he had replaced on the fateful evening of October 29, 2019, has made this possible.In his first series as Test captain, Bangladesh were without Shakib and Tamim Iqbal. For the second, Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t travel to Pakistan for the Rawalpindi Test. Then against Zimbabwe last February, Mominul had both Tamim and Mushfiqur in the line-up; Mushfiqur going on to score the match-winning double-century. But adding Shakib to the mix is certainly a big difference to the captain’s arsenal.Mominul said that the senior players are already supportive of his captaincy, but their presence in the field is going to add a missing dimension in terms of skills, experience and temperament.”It is a good opportunity for a young captain when the full squad is available,” he said. “Shakib’s batting and bowling is going to help me lead the side that will now have a better combination. The senior players have played for around 12 or 13 years.”I have nothing to ask for anything extra. They are all professionals, and they know exactly how to react and contribute. I am happy with their support in telling me how to handle certain situations.”It is likely that Bangladesh will pick all four of their best spinners in the XI – Shakib, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan and Nayeem Hasan. It also seems likely that they will field a rejuvenated Mustafizur Rahman, who has developed the in swinger to the right-hander along with his bag of cutters and other variations.This strength is such a sharp contrast to Mominul’s first two tours as Test captain, where he had to handle a depleted squad. In India, the gap in skills between the two Test sides was starkly evident. Bangladesh were beaten in a little over three days in both Indore and Kolkata, which hosted a huge party to commemorate the country’s first pink-ball Test.Then Bangladesh went down to their third innings defeat in a row against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, even as the country hadn’t fully gotten over their historic triumph at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. Then they somehow redeemed themselves against Zimbabwe at home.While having the seniors around is an advantage, Mominul would want to leave his stamp, both as a leader and batsman. While he is an established Test batsman, there have been rumblings on and off about his home and away record. He is regarded highly by senior cricketers, something that was particularly evident when Chandika Hathurusingha had dropped him in 2017, and later had to reinstate him in the squad.Mominul’s captaincy from this point is going to be an interesting period in Bangladesh cricket, where captaincy is often dependent on hierarchy. On perhaps only a couple of occasions, has the BCB chose a captain before his perceived “turn” in terms of seniority.After senior cricketers led the side during its pre-Test status era, the appointment of Naimur Rahman was a bit of a surprise in 2000. Nine years later, the 22-year old Shakib Al Hasan being thrust into the leadership role in the absence of the often injured Mortaza was another “out of turn” appointment.Bangladesh have been led by one of their five senior cricketers since 2009, so Mominul’s hasty ascent during that distressing October evening in Dhaka was a bit of a surprise. He has captained in four Tests but even Mominul would admit that he hasn’t quite become a leader of the team.For that, he would certainly need to lead the side in the presence of Bangladesh’s best cricketers, not just to prove to everyone that he can lead, but to ensure that he gives himself the best opportunity to win a Test match.