Sunny has come to stay

Elias Sunny

Newly-included national team cricketer Elias Sunny said he is eyeing to make a permanent place in the Bangladesh team in all three formats despite a fierce competition in the recent times.
Sunny  is the latest addition to the long list of left-arm spinners that Bangladesh unveiled on Friday when they included him in the 14-man squad for the one off Twenty20 match against West Indies in October.
‘I cannot express in words how happy I am,’ Sunny told New Age on Friday while giving his instant reaction after his call-up.
Elated at his inclusion the all-rounder from Dhaka now aims to cement his place in the national team rather than basking in his glory.
‘My aim is to play well if I get a chance and make a permanent place in the national side through my performance,’ said Sunny.
‘I know it is going to be extremely tough as the competition is very stiff,’ he said.
Elias, 26, is seasoned campaigner in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket for many years, but it was not until he scored a 498 runs at 45.27 and took 24 wickets in the last National Cricket League that his name came under consideration.
Sunny contributed immensely to help Dhaka clinch the trophy in the one-day format of NCL with his all-round performance.
He scored 159 runs at an average of 26.50 and took 10 wickets, but more notably played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 87 against Barisal in the final.
In the recently concluded BCB Cup he claimed seven wickets and scored 43 runs for Bangladesh A and followed it up with four wickets in the just held four-day warm-up match.
Sunny said he was grateful to all his family members who had given him relentless support but remembered his first coach Shahjahan Hossain Shaju in his happiest moment of life.
‘I played under different coaches at different stages of my career but I deeply remember my coach Shaju who had given me baptism in cricket,’ said Sunny.

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Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam In & Junaid Siddique Out

Top-order batsman Junaid Siddique has been left out of Bangladesh's squad for the limited-overs leg of the home series against West Indies. Fast bowler Shahadat Hossain has been recalled for the one-day series, which begins on October 13.

This will be Mushfiqur Rahim's first assignment as captain, following the sacking of Shakib Al Hasan earlier this month.

The other changes were the axeing of medium-pacer Robiul Islam and the inclusion of Dhaka's 25-year-old allrounder Elias Sunny, who impressed with his left-arm spin in the recent Bangladesh Board Cup.

Shahadat, 25, is one of the country's most experienced fast bowlers, having played 29 Tests and 46 ODIs, but last represented Bangladesh during the tour of England in 2010. He lost his spot to younger quicks like Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain.

Junaid, a regular in the side until the end of the 2011 World Cup, lost his place after failing to make a half-century in his previous eight one-day innings.

West Indies begin their tour on October 7 with the first of two warm-up matches, followed by one Twenty20, three one-dayers and two Tests.

Twenty20 squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Mahmudullah (vc), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Elias Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain.

Additions to one-day squad: Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees, Shuvagoto Hom, Shahadat Hossain.

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Wisden copy brings peace for Tamim

Opener Tamim Iqbal said on Thursday that receiving a copy of Wisden Cricketers Almanack 2011, has brought mental peace to his somewhat disturbed life and hoped it will boost him in the coming days.
Tamim was handed a copy of Almanack by Bangladesh Cricket Board media committee chairman Jalal Yunus minutes after he had smashed 77 off 87 balls to lead Bangladesh Red to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh Green in the four-day warm-up match.
‘Last few months were tough for me for whatever had happened and I was mentally disturbed for that,’ Tamim confessed to reporters.
‘I was not being able to do the things that I could do with my bat the earlier and that left me disturbed. Now I have got this award   which will surely inspire me,’ he said.
Tamim was named as one of four cricketers of the year by Widen Almanack earlier this year for his performance in the English summer in 2010.
His latest summer, however, did not bring any good result for him as he was forced to eat a humble pie in Zimbabwe in August and was subsequently stripped of national team vice-captaincy.
He was dismissed by Zimbabwean Brian Vitori in three consecutive innings after he notoriously dubbed the left-arm pacer ‘ordinary bowler’ at end of fourth day during the only Test of the series.
Tamim scored only one fifty in Zimbabwe despite him having a start in quite a few innings. He, however, started showing signs of regaining his form when he scored two fifties in the BCB Cup before Thursday’s blast.
‘I won’t say I started very well but I think I batted well
after lunch and it is the way I should play,’ said Tamim of his Thursday’s innings.
‘Even if I had got out earlier I would be satisfied because I like to bat in this manner. Had I got out trying to play in a different way then I would have felt worse,’ he said.
Tamim also praised Imrul Kayes for returning to form as his opening partner scored two fifties in the four-day match after going through a lean patch lately.
 ‘We all knew that Imrul (Kayes) is a class player but somehow he could not score runs,’ said Tamim.
‘In the last two innings he really came back to form which I think will be a big bonus for us.’

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Tamim, Imrul dazzle in Red’s win

Bangladesh Red top scorer Tamim Iqbal (77) cuts the ball through the off-side against Bangladesh Green during the fourth and final day of their practice match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

Opener Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes stroked sparking half-centuries as Bangladesh Red cantered to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh Green in the four-day match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.
Tamim made 77 off 87 balls while Imrul had an even better strike rate in his 82-ball 75 that catapulted Reds to 234 in little over 45 overs after they had dismissed Green for 237 runs in the second innings.
Shuvagoto Hom (45 not out) and Mushfiqur Rahim (26 not out) added 60 runs in their unbroken fourth-wicket partnership after opening pair fetched them 145 runs as the match ended shortly after the tea break.
Mohammad Ashraful is the only batsman to have missed out on a scoring opportunity having been dismissed for a duck in only the second ball he faced.
Batting looked like a very easy job the moment Tamim and Imrul stepped in to chase down the target in little over two sessions on a surface that was offering uneven bounce from the third day.
They never looked back when the openers took them to 63-0 off nine overs at lunch with Tamim unbeaten on 27 and Imrul on 31.
The only blemish in their batting was a catch offered to Elias Sunny by Tamim off Robiul Islsm when the left-hander was on eight.
The catch was cleanly taken but Tamim stayed on as the umpire judged it as a no-ball. Apart from that Tamim’s innings was purely a treat to watch with two huge sixes and nine fours decorating it.
Tamim missed out on a deserved century when he was caught at mid-off by Naeem Islam off Sunny.
Imrul, on the other hand, never allowed himself to be overshadowed by Tamim and he played some delicate shots to score his second fifty in the game.
His innings, which followed a similarly impressive 85 runs in the first innings, contained three sixes and eight fours. A miscued hook shot off Shahadat brought an end to his innings with Naeem taking the catch at deep square-leg.
Earlier, Roqibul Hassan scored 72 from 147 balls to help Greens set a challenging target for the Reds to chase after they resumed their second innings at 174-6.
Roqibul, unbeaten on 48 overnight, added 24 runs as the Greens were all out for 237 runs after batting 16.1 overs in the morning session.
Mahmudullah took highest 3-44 for Reds in the second innings while left-arm spinner Sohrawardi Shuvo and Abdur Razzak claimed two wickets each.

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BCB Red in driving seat

Bangladesh Red’s top scorer Nasir Hossain (93 not out) blasts the ball to the fence against Bangladesh Green on the third day of their four day practice match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday. — 

All-rounder Nasir Hossain gave the selectors a timely reminder of his talent by cracking an unbeaten 93 off 144 balls, leading Bangladesh Red to a slender four-run lead on the third day of the four-day match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday. Resuming at 215-7, Reds added 70 to their overnight score before they were all out for 285 runs about half-an-hour before the lunch break.
Nasir, unbeaten on 40 overnight, alone scored 53 runs for the Reds in the morning to help them get past Bangladesh Green’s 281 all out before he ran short of partners.
He seemed well poised for a century with Sohrawardi Shuvo (12) and Abdur Razzak (15) providing him very good support.  He also guided Rubel Hossain and Nazmul Hossain to move closer to his hundred, but was finally left stranded on 93.
‘I am happy that I could finish unbeaten. This is what the coaches have asked me to do and I did it,’ said Nasir, who played four one-day internationals in Zimbabwe but is yet to make his Test debut.
At close on the third day, Bangladesh Green scored 174-4, riding on an unbeaten 48 of Roqibul Hassan. Shahriar Nafees was among the other Green batsmen to have got some runs when he made 46.
Green suffered a jolt when opener Junaed Siddique bruised his elbow after being hit by a Rubel Hossain delivery and left the crease. Sahgir Hossain joined Shahriar to score 70 runs in the opening stand before both of them fell to off-spinner Mahmudullah.
 In between Shahriar and Sahgir (26), Abdur Razzak dismissed first innings hero Naeem Islam to restore parity in the game.
Sohrawardi Shuvo struck twice to get rid of Alok Kapali and Mominul Haque while Shubhagata Hom ended Junaed’s resistance on 16 after he resumed his innings.
But Roqibul showed some character as he played a dogged 112-ball innings and kept Green’s hopes for a respectable draw alive.
Despite Roqibul’s unbeaten innings, the spotlight was on Nasir, who alone steered the Reds to safety in the morning with his audacious innings that saw nine fours and two sixes.
 ‘I like to play shots and that’s the way I am comfortable,’ Nasir told reporters.
‘It was pleasing that I could help the team take the lead as that was my first goal.
‘My dream is to play Test cricket for Bangladesh and hopefully this innings will help,’ he said.

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Imrul, Shahadat shine in mixed day

Bangladesh Green paceman Shahadat Hossain (R) bowls as Bangladesh Red batsman Imrul Kayes (L) watches during the second day of the four-day practice match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday. — Sourav Loskar

Imrul Kayes scored a brilliant half century to save the blushes for Bangladesh Red as they scored 215–7 on the second day of the four-day match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.
Imrul made 85 off 133 balls as Reds trailed by 66 runs at the end of the day after they had dismissed Greens for 281 in 105.1 overs. Greens added only 27 runs to their overnight total, resuming the play on 254–6.
Naeem Islam, unbeaten on 95 overnight, missed out on a century when Shafiul Islam had him caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim in the fifth ball of the morning. Naeem failed to add any run to his bedtime total.
The start of the second day’s play was delayed until 11:00am because of the early morning drizzle and on resumption, Bangladesh Red made a light work to take the remaining four Greens wickets.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak who suffered a freakish finger injury on the first day, returned to action much to the relief of the team management and struck three times to help Reds to dismiss Greens.
The start of Reds innings was also not that great, with Tamim Iqbal dragging a Shahahdat Hossain delivery onto his stumps to get dismissed for only two runs. One-down Shuvagoto Hom departed four balls later giving Roqibul Hassan a catch at gully to leave Reds 13 for two inside three overs.
Imrul and Mohammad Ashraful had to repair the innings and when it was time for them to reap the benefit of their hard work, Ashraful was caught at silly mid-on trying to flick off-spinner Sohag Gazi.
Mushfiqur Rahim (20) joined Imrul to add 50 runs for the fourth wicket before left-arm spinner Elias Sunny trapped him lbw.
Imrul, who hit 14 boundaries and a six in his three-hour innings, was ultimately got out when he edged Shahadat to wicketkeeper Sahagir Hossain although the reaction of the batsman showed that he was unhappy about the decision.
Nasir Hossain had made an unbeaten 40 off 47 balls before bad light stopped the play helping Reds avoid further damage and keep their hopes alive to take a lead in the first innings. Imrul hoped that the innings would help him regain his confidence.
‘I think this innings will help me get back my confidence,’ said Imrul, who had been struggling with form in recent times.
‘For quite some time, I could not play a big knock. But I am happy that it arrived,’ he said.
Imrul said that his change of stance was one of the reasons he played so freely. ‘Earlier I had a short stance. Then I opted for a big stance. But somehow I was not comfortable.’
‘Today after playing for some time with the long stance, I tried to get back to my own stance and it paid dividend as I could play freely,’ Imrul addded.
Shahadat Hossain, who missed the Zimbabwe tour
because of an injury, had a good comeback in the four-day match with 3–52 for Greens.
The pace bowler said that he was confident to make a comeback as he felt he was getting back his rhythm. ‘It was nice to get some wickets,’ Shahadat told reporters.
‘I feel that I am getting back my rhythm and I home make a claim in the national side before the series against West Indies,’ he added.

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Mashrafe Mortaza hit 25 Runs in 5 Consecutive Balls [ 6 6 6 6 1 ]

Mashrafe Mortaza hit 25 Runs in 5 consecutive Balls against India with 4 sixes & 1 single [ 6 6 6 6 1 ]

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Naeem leads BCB Green forward

All-rounder Naeem Islam gave the selectors ample food for thought before they finalise the squad for the West Indies series with an unbeaten innings of 95 on the opening day of the four-day game at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.
Naeem, who has already caught the attention with a brilliant century in the just-concluded BCB Cup, hit 12 boundaries in his 289-ball marathon innings, leading BCB Green to 254-6 against BCB Red at the stumps.
The most important part of his innings was his grit and great determination that helped the out-of-favour all-rounder to occupy the crease for more than five-and-a-half hours.
He came to the crease at a time when the BCB  Green were already struggling on 19-2 after losing their captain Shahriar Nafees in the very first over  of the game and  one-down Junaed Siddique four overs later.
Paceman Shafiul Islam took both the wickets to give Reds skipper Mushfiqur Rahim a dream start in the game after Shahriar won the toss and asked them to bowl first.
Naeem sensed a disaster when one-down Sahgir Hossain also departed soon having been caught by Imrul Kayes off Rubel Hossain leaving the squad on 23 for three.
Partnering with Naeem in-form Alok Kapali (29) resurrected the innings with a 61-run fourth-wicket stand before Nazmul Islam Apu, mainly playing in the 13 versus 13 game as a back-up player, dismissed Kapali.
Roqibul Hassan joined Naeem to add another 43 runs for the fifth wicket to steady the innings. With initial danger negotiated, Naeem finally found a worthy partner in Academy batman Mominul Hoque.
Momiul, a former BKSP boy, who is also scoring runs consistently at every level over the last one year, put on 126 runs for the sixth wicket with Naeem.
Mominul was finally dismissed by Rubel for 72 runs with Mohammad Ashraful taking the catch.
The left-hander was thought to have been caught by Tamim Iqbal at short cover off Mahmudullah when he was on 53, but the umpire ruled it a bump catch.
Being frustrated Tamim threw the ball onto the ground that resulted in a verbal caution from the umpire. Tamim’s unsavoury act came a day after the BCB briefed the players about on and off the field code of conduct.
Match officials said he would have been certainly punished if there was a match referee in the game. The BCB did not feel it necessary as it was merely a warm-up game.
It is, however, more than a warm up game for players who are vying for a place in the national side for the West Indies series and Naeem had the first shot in this fierce competition. 
 ‘Naeem played extremely well and the way he batted showed the true character of him,’ skipper Shahriar later told reporters.
‘He did not give any chance and played an innings that was truly remarkable more so because the amount of ball he had played only showed others how to play the longer version game.’

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Beautiful Bangladesh - School of life

Bangladesh (ⁱ /ˈbɑːŋɡlədɛʃ/ or ⁱ /bæŋɡləˈdɛʃ/; Bengali: বাংলাদেশ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bangla: গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh) is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma (Myanmar) to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The name Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali language.

The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became East Pakistan, part of the newly formed nation of Pakistan. However, it was separated from the western wing by 1,600 km (994 mi) of Indian territory. Due to political exclusion, ethnic and linguistic discrimination, and economic neglect by the politically-dominant West Pakistan, popular agitation grew against West Pakistan and led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which the Bengali people won with the support of India. After independence, the new state endured famines, natural disasters and widespread poverty, as well as political turmoil and military coups. The restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by relative calm and economic progress. Today, Bangladesh is a secular, democratic republic.

Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country and is among the most densely populated countries in the world. The country also has a high poverty rate. However, per-capita (inflation-adjusted) GDP has more than doubled since 1975, and the poverty rate has fallen by 20% since the early 1990s. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies. Dhaka, the capital, and other urban centers have been the driving force behind this growth. Geographically, the country straddles the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta and is subject to annual monsoon floods and cyclones. Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy with an elected parliament called the Jatiyo Sangshad. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the OIC, SAARC, BIMSTEC, and the D-8. As the World Bank notes in its July 2005 Country Brief, the country has made significant progress in human development in the areas of literacy, gender parity in schooling and reduction of population growth. However, Bangladesh continues to face a number of major challenges, including widespread political and bureaucratic corruption, economic competition relative to the world, serious overpopulation, widespread poverty, and an increasing danger of hydrologic shocks brought on by ecological vulnerability to climate change.

Beautiful Bangladesh - School of life

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NCL looks bleak

Nur Hossain Munna (L) and Talha Jubair (R) chase Tigers batsman Shahriar Nafees (C) during training at the Academy ground yesterday.

The country's lone first-class cricket tournament, the National Cricket League (NCL), has already run into trouble. It is now unlikely for the competition to begin on the originally scheduled date of October 10 as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is not finding enough players to fill up the eight teams.
The erstwhile six-team NCL has been expanded to eight teams with the addition of Rangpur and Dhaka Metropolis. Now with the Tigers playing against West Indies next month, Bangladesh A scheduled to fly off to the West Indies at the end of October and the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy also set to tour India, there is a dearth of cricketers good enough to play first-class cricket.
According to BCB's tournament committee secretary Hafizur Rahman Joarder, just one division has enough players while the rest would find it difficult to field even a playing eleven.
"Only Rajshahi can field a good team but not teams like Khulna. They have players in the national setup and some are also injured," he said last night after their meeting was cancelled due to tournament committee chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain's illness.
Lack of competitiveness is the main deterrent for the tournament committee and they are not ready to host an NCL without some of these top players. They fear that matches could be over in two days, drawing ire from all concerned.
Some however have doubted whether it is so difficult to find 120-150 cricketers good enough for first-class cricket. Since the inception of the competition, the organisers have always tried to make the incumbent top players play first-class cricket but in the last few seasons, hardly any of the national players have taken part in the competition.
Though it creates space for lesser known talents to come up through the ranks, the poor infrastructural facilities across the country stop such players from making a mark. Only Dhaka, Rajshahi and part of the northern belt have active cricket academies with Rajshahi as the biggest beneficiary. But divisions like Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong have very little to work with.
The addition of Dhaka Metropolis as the eighth team is also curious as there are very few quality cricketers who are residents of the capital city. Though Dhaka is the centre of cricketing activities, the leagues (First Division and Premier) teams hardly have a player who lives in Dhaka in their line-ups.
A more reformed approach with development in the regional centres could solve this problem that creeps up every year but BCB has hardly ever addressed it in the proper way.
Meanwhile, the NCL's format is also different this year with eights teams playing in a single-league format. Later in December, the top four will play in the Super League with the best two set to play a five-day final in April next year. The four teams who don't make it to the second phase could also play three-day games against each other.
Grounds in Rajshahi, Bogra, BKSP, Sylhet and Jessore have been earmarked as the NCL venues.

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Shahadat Hossain hattrick vs Zimbabwe

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Mega Six by Ashraful.......biggest six......Pllshot

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Mega Six by Ashraful .......biggest six..pullshot  against New Zealand

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Some performances go unnoticed

A tournament final provides opportunities for the lesser known players to make a name for themselves and at the same time, grasp the nuances of performing on the big stage.
The BCB Cup final on Wednesday was an ideal setting for those on the periphery but while most let it slip by, some grabbed it with both hands -- though one of those remained mostly unnoticed.
Obviously there isn't any doubt on Mahmudullah Riyad winning the best player's award in the final. The newly-appointed Tigers' vice-captain not only bowled a tight spell and played the match-winning knock, the superb catch he took running back from mid-on to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim was more than enough to win him the man-of-the-match award. Alok Kapali threatened him till the death as the Sylhet batsman had an inspired day with both bat and ball.
It was quite justified that Kapali gave a good account of himself after he was ignored from the Zimbabwe tour on the back of a single game against Australia.
Riyad was the better of the two throughout the tournament, topping the run-getter's chart while also picking up seven wickets while Kapali, one dare say, got limited opportunity except in the last game.
Riyad wasn't the only one to score more than 150 runs as Tamim Iqbal showed that despite all the controversy, his batting form had remained intact. Mushfiqur Rahim continued to thrive on his bright patch while Naeem Islam struck the only century of the tournament. Mohammad Ashraful possibly played the most pleasurable knock but as usual, in what was his only innings of note.
Among the bowlers, Rubel Hossain stood out with nine wickets and his effort in the final is worth mentioning simply because he was defending a paltry total and gave it his all in three excellent spells.
While the recognised faces did what was expected of them, others like Shuvogoto Hom Chowdhury, Shamsur Rahman, Jahurul Islam and Syed Rasel could have used the tournament like a trampoline for the rest of the season but they hardly put a foot right.
Instead, it was Elias Sunny who continued to impress anyone who was interested to notice.
With his left-arm spin, Sunny has proved to be more than just a promising performer as in two consecutive domestic finals in the space of less than a year, he has delivered. Last year, it was Sunny who blasted the match-winning 87 to propel Dhaka to the National Cricket League one-day competition when all seemed lost against Barisal in the final. This time too, Sunny had a say in the final. In his eight-over spell, he tied up the Tigers with his accurate left-arm spin, conceding only 13 runs as he picked up two wickets.
His performance was easily overshadowed by the half-centuries, brilliant catches and his own batting failure but take away his spell and Bangladesh A would have been chasing a 200-plus total. Sunny also topped the bowling economy chart (2.93 per over) and he's second in the wicket-taker's list with seven wickets.
The selection panel's reticence about Sunny and disapproval of Rubel ("I am not happy with the bowling performances" -- Akram) is slightly surprising. Maybe more is expected from Rubel and he was stereotyped with Shafiul Islam and Nazmul Hossain (who took just six wickets between them).
Sunny's effort should be appreciated more vocally as it is more than clear that Shakib Al Hasan lacks a good spin partner in Test cricket while Abdur Razzak has also seen better days in ODIs. If someone like Akram Khan encourages Sunny, it would inspire the rest of the spinners who are vying for a spot in the national side.
Since the selectors have admitted that their net has widened, appreciating some of the lesser known players would go a long way into finding even more talented gems outside their net.
Source: The Daily Star

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Superman catch from Tamim Iqbal

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Tigers to face NZ, Pakistan in World T20

The 2012 World Twenty20 will be held between September 18 and October 12, 2012 in Sri Lanka the ICC has confirmed. Colombo, Pallekele and Hambantota will be venues for the men's tournament, while the women's group games will be played in Galle.
The format will see four groups of three in a preliminary round. England, the defending champions, and India are in Group A and will be joined by one of the associate or affiliate teams that qualify. The other qualifying team will be in Group B with West Indies and Australia. Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe make up Group C, and Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh are in Group D.
The top two teams in each group will make it through the preliminary round, after which there will be a Super Eight stage, featuring two groups. The format is essentially the same as the last edition in 2010, though there are four fewer teams this time.
The tournament will include two teams qualifying from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012, which will be staged in the United Arab Emirates from March 13-14 2012.
Hosts Sri Lanka will play the tournament's opening fixture against Zimbabwe in Hambantota. England begin their defence against a qualifying team on September 21 and will then play India in Colombo on September 23.
The women's tournament has Australia, India and England in one group with a qualifying team, and New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka with the other qualifying team in the other. The men's and women's semi-finals and finals will be played on the same day, in Colombo. The semi-finals are on October 4 and October 5 with the finals on October 7.
Tickets for the tournament are planned to go on sale to the public from March 1, 2012 and will be available via website and box-office sales in Sri Lanka. The ICC's chief executive Haroon Lorgat assured they would be reasonably priced.

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Mahmudullah spoils Mushfique’s party

Bangladesh ‘A’ team players led by captain Mahmudullah celebrate with the BCB Cup trophy after defeating Bangladesh national team in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday. — Sourav Loskar

Staff Correspondent
Mahmudullah outshone Mushfiqur Rahim in their first meeting since the Bangladesh Cricket Board settled the captaincy issue as the Bangladesh ‘A’ team lifted the BCB Cup with a four-wicket win over the national team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.
The BCB preferred Mushfique over Mahmudullah for the captaincy of the national team, but the all-rounder, who was appointed as vice-captain, showed that he too has the ability to lead a side from the front when he smashed 78 not-out to take his A team to 187-6 after the bowlers dismissed the senior side for 185 runs.
Mahmudullah was also at his brilliant best in the field, taking a spectacular catch to dismiss none other than Mushfique as well as picking up the timely wicket of Alok Kapali.
Kapali was looking in ominous touch after seeing off the initial danger posed by the A team bowlers before Mahumudullah struck, forcing the elegant stroke-maker to offer a return catch that effectively ended the Tigers’ hopes for a 200-plus total.
Kapali strengthened his claim for a place in the national team for the West Indies series with his 68 off 77 balls that not only provided Bangladesh’s innings with a fresh impetus but also provided huge entertainment to the spectators, who had paid the BCB a minimum of Tk 10 to watch the game.
The match looked to be a one-sided affair with the Tigers slumping to 5-74 before Kapali and Sohrawardi Shuvo added 73 runs for the seventh wicket to save their blushes.
Newly-elected national captain Mushjfiqur Rahim distributed sweets in both the dressing rooms before the game started and his joy doubled as he won his first toss after which he readily decided to bat first.
However, the festivity in the Bangladesh dressing room did not last too long as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, although they were given a steady start by Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes who added 39 runs for the opening wicket.
Farhad Reza gave the A team their first breakthrough when he had Tamim caught by Shahadat for 19 runs, but Imrul did not let the Tigers realise the damage as he struck two sixes and a four until Elias Sunny brought his inning to an abrupt end on 26.
Mohammad Ashraful also showed a positive intent hitting two fours but, as he always does, played a reckless pull-shot to be caught at deep square leg by Roqibul Hassan to be dismissed for 12 runs.
Shuvagoto Hom followed him in the next over for a duck, giving Roqibul another catch, this time at short-fine leg off the bowling of Sunny, who bowled superbly to concede only 13 runs in his eight overs for two wickets.
The Tigers were hoping that an in-form Mushfique with an average of 129 in the tournament would stem the rot but he too failed, owing to Mahmudullah’s brilliant catch.  His dismissal for five left the Tigers tottering at 74 for five, raising the prospect of a one-sided final.
However, Alok had different plans in his mind.
The all-rounder showed signs of returning to form in the first match of the tournament with 22 not out, though it could not have been enough for one looking to make a comeback in the national team.   To win the heart of the selectors, he needed something big and that was exactly what Alok was aiming for in this game.  And he finally delivered a performance that could seal his place in the side.

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Mushfiq made cricket captain, Mahmudullah his deputy

DHAKA: Mushfiqur Rahim has been made captain and Mahmudullah Riyadh vice-captain of the national cricket team ahead of Bangladesh tour by Pakistan and West Indies cricketers. 

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made the announcement Tuesday, as Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have been removed from the two key posts following Zimbabwe debacle.      

BCB Media Wing chairman Jalal Yunus told journalists, “Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have been chosen to lead Bangladesh in the next series against West Indies and Pakistan.”

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Tamim, Nasir combine to crush ‘A’ team

Tamim Iqbal struck a blazing half-century after Nasir Hossain mesmerised the batsmen with his off-spin as the Bangladesh national side crushed the A team by 10 wickets in their last group match of the BCB Cup on Monday.
Set a revised target of 100 runs in 20 overs after rain delayed the innings of Tigers for more than two hours.  Tamim struck 66 off 51 balls, helping the side to knock off the target with exactly five over to spare.
Tamim, who hit 10 fours and a six in his typical explosive innings, had one big let-off in his innings with Roqibul Hassan spilling an easy catch at deep midwicket off Farhad Reza when he was on 12.
The left-hander missed the previous game for a stiff neck and groin problem but showed no signs of pain on return, taking almost every A team bowler with equal disdain to score his second half-century in the tournament.
Imrul Kayes, largely overshadowed by Tamim during the innings, also had reason to feel happy for his 20 not out that came after a string of poor performances in Zimbabwe and at the BCB Cup.
Imrul, one of the most consistent batsman for Bangladesh in 2010, however, has got full backing from Tamim, his long-standing opening partner in both Test and one-day sides.
‘He batted well for a year. Everyone has to realise that it is a matter of one good innings before his confidence picks up. I am sure he will find support from everyone involved,’ said Tamim of Imrul.
‘This sort of tournament is a good initiative. It was competitive today and the matches have the look and feel of a real competition, because we plan in that manner. I hope they continue to hold such tournaments like the BCB Cup,’ said Tamim.
Nasir Hossain set up the win with his 4-29 that helped the Tigers bowl out the A team for 167 in 46.3 overs after Abdur Razzak put  them in after winning his first toss as captain of the national side, leading  them for the second time in the tournament.
Razzak was made captain in the previous game against the GP-BCB Academy side, but he did not have a chance to show his leadership skill with rain ruining the game half-way through.
Nazmul Hossain, replacing Rubel Hossin in the line-up, struck  twice in his opening spell before Razzak brought himself in and introduced Nasir from the other side to asphyxiate the A team.
Razzak ended the resistance of A team’s top-scorer Sahagir Hossain (36) after he had Naeem Islam, the centurion in the previous game, stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim for eight.
Nasir took four wickets in a row which came as a big consolation after he was denied of enough batting opportunities in the tournament by the top-order batsmen. His victims included A team captain Mahmudullah, who made 34 off 48 balls, the second highest score for his side.

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Mushy shines in rain

Bangladesh wicketkeeper and prospective captain Mushfiqur Rahim raises his bat after reaching his fifty during a whirlwind innings in the BCB Cup match against the BCB Academy at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Photo: Anisur RahmanSports Reporter

Mushfiqur Rahim's late blitz was the only bright spot yesterday with heavy rain spoiling the BCB Cup game between the Tigers and the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
The sharp spell of rain early in the morning kept the players waiting till noon to start the game, which was reduced to a 34-over affair while the clouds cleared up for a couple of hours, but as Mushfiqur was putting the final touches on the national team's score of 215-8 with his unbeaten 64 off just 30 balls, it began pouring down and at around 3:00pm, the umpires called off the match due to a wet outfield.
The Tigers were put into bat after the new skipper Abdur Razzak lost his first toss. On a pitch slightly freshened up by the rain, the Academy seamers found conditions to their liking. Kamrul Islam Rabbi, having corrected his run-up during the off-season, bowled with a lot of pace and was soon rewarded when he removed the out-of-form Imrul Kayes in the fourth over.
Shahriar Nafees and Alok Kapali, promoted to No 3, added 61 for the second wicket before left-arm spinner Sanjamul Islam dismissed him for 38. Nafees showed much intent as he struck seven boundaries in his 52-ball innings. Kapali too looked in touch as he batted with confidence; one of his four boundaries was the famed Kapali flick.
But both fell in the space of an over while Shuvogoto Hom Chowdhury continued his ordinary time in the tournament as Mahmudul Hasan, the Academy skipper, eked out three wickets in the middle overs. Nasir, who hammered a six and two boundaries, fell for a 16-ball 24 to the accurate off-spinner.
Mushfiqur looked every bit the form player as he accelerated the Bangladesh innings from the 25th over. During his 62-run sixth wicket stand with Mohammad Ashraful, the wicketkeeper-batsman dominated with his second consecutive half-century. After Ashraful fell for 27, Mushfiqur took on the Academy attack with some brilliant shots. His one-handed slap over point for six was the highlight of an innings that had six boundaries and four sixes, most of which came in the last Batting Powerplay, which brought 39 runs from three overs.
Mushfiqur was particularly harsh on Alauddin Babu, who was hammered for two fours and a six in the last over of the innings. But by the time Alauddin had started the last over, the rain had started to pelt down on the players and when Mushfiqur had finished hitting his sixth boundary, the players had to rush off the field.
Later, the 23-year-old said that his newfound confidence comes from a tough outing in Zimbabwe.
"The confidence comes from the Zimbabwe series, where I made runs on a difficult wicket in the practice game. It started from there and I think I'm still working as hard as before," said Mushfiqur, who was willing to wait before the captaincy was decided.
"Whether the captaincy will affect my cricket can only be said after I become the captain, but if I'm honest to myself, I'm always happy. I have no headache regarding the issue, someone will be the captain. The team is doing well and I'm performing, so I'm happy about it," he added.
The abandoned game also meant that the selectors and the team management didn't get to see Razzak's captaincy.
But the left-arm spinner will have another crack at leading the team when he will skipper the national team once again in today's game against Bangladesh A.
BRIEF SCORES
BANGLADESH: 215-8 in 34 overs (Mushfiqur 64 not out, Nafees 38; Mahmudul 3-27).
Result: Match abandoned.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=203019 

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Sacking outright is not right

It was not Shakib (Al Hasan), rather Bangladesh cricket is the loser. The comment was made by none other than Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Enayet Hossain Siraj, who is also the chairman of cricket operations committee, while giving his reaction yesterday over the sacking of the national team captain and his deputy Tamim Iqbal.
"You can hire a coach or other supporting staff, but you can't hire a captain, so you have to be careful in this regard. Once we had axed some senior players at a time and still we have been compensating for that. For every wrongdoing you have to pay heavily," said Siraj, who was absent from the board meeting in which the decisions were taken and only returned home on Friday after a business trip.
"The board has every right to take any decision and we have to accept it, but only time can say how good the decision was," added Siraj while talking with to The Daily Star Sport over telephone.
It was the first time that a board high-up publicly expressed his reservations about the merit of the board's decision.
Questions have already been raised about the manner of the decision, branded as 'whimsical' in many quarters, and many have pointed the finger of blame at the inefficiency of the cricket operations committee for their failure in handling some issues properly, but Siraj had his own views regarding the issue.
"Even a person condemned to death gets the opportunity to defend himself. My question is, was Shakib given this opportunity? I don't think so. There is a code of conduct for the contracted players and you have to first see whether they breach it or not before taking any disciplinary action. And without any hearing you can't reach a final decision," said Siraj.
He also underlined the difference between 'discipline problem' and 'attitude problem'.
"A lot of questions have been raised but I think Stuart Law cleared the air. It's better not to say anything more regarding this disciplinary or attitude problem issues," he added.
Though many believe that taking such a crucial decision without consultation with the cricket operations chairman or his committee is an insult to him, Siraj said that he has no ill feelings as he believed that it was nothing personal.
"There is nothing personal, so why should I feel insulted by the decision which was taken in the highest forum of any organization? The duty of the cricket operations committee is to keep the cricket in the right direction and if you think it has failed to do so you can take any decision," said Siraj.
Siraj also dismissed the notion that he deliberately skipped the last board meeting. "You know we have our own business commitments, so it's sometimes difficult for us to attend a meeting when the schedule is changed. You see the next meeting was scheduled for September 19 but now it will take place on September 20, so how would it be possible for me to attend the meeting if there is a prior appointment on that day?" explained Siraj.
The influential board director however ensured that he will attend the next board meeting and give his opinion regarding the issue.

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Razzak joins race for captaincy

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak reacts during Bangladesh team’s training session at the GP-BCB Academy ground on Saturday. —Sourav Loskar

Staff Correspondent
Experienced left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has emerged as a surprise contender for the captaincy job of the Bangladesh national cricket team, the Bangladesh Cricket Board officials confirmed on Saturday.
Until now the race for captaincy was limited to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Mahmudullah, with top-order batsman Shahriar Nafees distinctly third, but chief selector Akram Khan on Saturday confirmed they also want to give a look at Razzak.
As part of their plan Razzak was made captain of the national team for today’s BCB Cup match against GP-BCB Academy, replacing Mushfique, the frontrunner to replace Sakib al Hasan, sacked ignominiously in the wake of Bangladesh’s catastrophic Zimbabwe tour. 
‘He is an experienced player and we want to see how well he can deliver as a captain,’ Akram told New Age.
‘We appointed him vice-captain of the Bangladesh team for this tournament with this in mind that is the reason we asked him to lead the side in tomorrow’s [Sunday] match,’ said Akram.
The chief selector, however, added that they do not have any special instruction from the Board to look at certain players and all that they are doing is because they want to look at other options.
The BCB is likely to appoint the new captain in their next board meeting on Monday.
The selection of Razzak for captaincy in the BCB Cup, albeit for only one game, however, is a clear indication that his name will be seriously discussed alongside other contenders when the BCB officials will resume their adjourned meeting,
Razzak, who is second to Mohammad Ashraful in terms of experience in Bangladesh squad after making his debut in the 2004 Asia Cup, said he is also surprised to have been asked to lead the Tigers in Sunday’s game, though he is thrilled at the prospect.
‘Though it came as a surprise but I am relishing the prospect of leading the team,’ Razzak told New Age.
‘I will try to give my hundred percent both as a player and a skipper and hope to pass on my experience to the rest of my team-mates,’ said the veteran of 124 one-day internationals.
When asked whether he is eyeing to lead the national team, the former BKSP boy said he is ready to fulfil any role that the cricket authorities ask him.
‘It’s too early to say anything regarding leading the national side,’ said Razzak.
‘The only thing that I can say is that I am ready to take any responsibility that the team management asks me to shoulder,’ said Razzak.
‘I am not a person who will shy away from taking up challenges,’ he added.
Officials said should Razzak get the Tigers job Bangladesh may head to an era of separate captains for one-day and Test cricket as his selection for the longer-version game is not all that guaranteed. 

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Tigers face Cubs today

Leading BCB Cup points table with two wins in two matches, the national side led by wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim will face GP-BCB Academy for the second time at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today.

Defeating A-team by 36 runs in their last clash, four top order batsmen scored half centuries. The national side is expected to be pumped up and bag an easy win against a much younger side.

Mushfiqur, the top contender for the captain’s armband of the national side will not be in a mood to keep things easy on the field for his boys while at the same time few of the Tigers who are trying to earn place in the national squad will also be on their toes.

However, opening batsman Tamim Iqbal might miss today’s match for his trouble with a neck and shoulder sprain, allowing Imrul Kayes to partner with Shahriar Nafees as the openers.Meanwhile, with nothing to lose, the young Academy side that holds the last position with a tie against the ‘A’ team will play the match to bag some experience and if fate favours. The 50 over match is scheduled to begin at 9.30am on the centre wicket at SBNCS

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Ashraful ready to write another comeback story?

Mohammed Ashraful is lovingly called Ashraful Matin by his friends and family.

The right handed batsman and right arm occasional bowler still holds the record of being the cricketer to score a Test century.

Though being a regular member of the national side since his debut against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2001, but the 27-year old’s experience as a Tiger can easily be compared to a roller-coaster ride.

Ashraful is the only player in the current national side who has seen the reign of five international coaches in his ten-year old career which, without a doubt makes him the most experienced man in the squad and adds to his credentials. As far as experience is concerned he could have been leading the team now but his fate had decided otherwise.

The promising youth who was destined to be the special one for Bangladesh was faced with the expectations of millions and it proved a little heavy for him and after a prolonged poor run Ashraful was dropped from England's first visit in October 2003.

However, that wasn’t the end. Ash made a strong comeback scoring unbeaten 158 runs against India at Chittagong in 2004.

His statement of being Bangladesh cricket’s future became even stronger after his match winning innings of 100 off 101 deliveries against Australia in the NatWest Series at Cardiff.

And all the criticism gave way to praises but sadly didn’t last for long again. Soon the ‘Ashar-Ful’, named by the national Bangla Dailies, meaning the ‘ray of hope’ had another nightmare run against Sri Lanka failing to impress which continued against Australia in 2006 and was eventually ‘dropped’.

The man, who after 162 innings averages 22.78 runs, was dropped before the final qualifying match of the Champions Trophy against Zimbabwe and had to spend that way during the home series against Zimbabwe.

This was the second instance when Ashraful got the bitter taste of being excluded from the side. But the Gladiator soon fought back and forced the team management to call him in again after he scored a magnificent 263 for Dhaka Division in the domestic four-day competition.

The leap from a performer to the captaincy didn’t take long for the then 22-year old Ashraful. His performances made him clinch the post of the captain in 2007. But, the two years he passed as the national captain are often considered as the toughest in his career. His performance graph went down along with the leadership as he failed to ‘make things happen’.

Failing to get results for the nation, in his two years as a skipper not only made Bangladesh Cricket Board relieve him form his post but put the right handed batsman’s career under threat as well. The little maestro has ever since trying to find his footing in the national squad.

In the ongoing BCB Cup, Ashraful once again displayed his talent scoring a blazing 83 against his main stream colleagues which gives the cricket fans raise the question again, ‘Is he back?’

It is known that he had complains against how the team worked and tagged them as reasons for his underperformance.

Now the wind has changed its direction. The Board which was tensed of not being able to control the young cricketers has won the war. But the question remains, will this allow Ashraful to expand his wings again?Source: Daily Sun

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Tigers romp despite Naeem ton

Bangladesh team’s top scorer Mohammad Ashraful (83) attempts a sweep shot while Bangladesh ‘A’ team’s Naeem Islam (101 not out) jumps into the air to celebrate his century during their BCB Cup match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday. — Net

Staff Correspondent
An unbeaten century by all-rounder Naeem Islam was not enough for the Bangladesh A team to upset the national side as the Tigers notched up a comfortable 36-run win in the BCB Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.
All eyes were on the two national captaincy hopefuls, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, in their first meeting and they both did well enough respectively with bat and ball to catch the attention of the BCB directors.
But Mushfique’s 61-ball 63 and Mahmudullah’s 4-75 were largely overshadowed by their two hungry team-mates Mohammad Ashraful and Naeem who have their own issues in the tournament.
Hit-and-miss Asharful made the most of his chance after he was included in the side for Imrul Kayes, making a flawless fifty that formed the part of the Tigers’ highly impressive 311-9 in their stipulated 50 overs.
Rain halted the A team’s run chase in the 13th over with the side stuck at 51-2, but after resumption they were given a revised target of 271 runs and Naeem almost turned the table with his 101 not out.
But a lack of support to the all-rounder from the other end left the A team stranded at 239-8, though Naeem got what mattered most for him – the man-of-the-match award and an attention of coach Stuart Law.
For Law this is a tournament to have a look at the players who were not part of the squad that toured Zimbabwe and he must be pleased to see Naeem playing with his full potential.
With an increasing influence of Mahmudullah in the side and the emergence of Nasir Hossain made the competition for the slot of spinning all-rounder intense more than ever and Naeem knew the only way he can make a room for himself is by performing well in the competition.
He did it in an exquisite manner, hitting Sohrawardi Shuvo for a six, one boundary and two runs in the first four balls of the penultimate over to complete his century, although any chance his side had to cruise home was already over.
‘I am not very worried about getting back into the national side,’ Naeem told reporters after the game. The only thing I know is that I have to perform in each and every game that I play. The rest is not in my control.’
‘Since I am not in the national team, it allowed me to bat up the order and it was a help,’ said Naeem, who batted at number four and came to the crease at a time when his side were reeling at 2-20 thanks to a double strike by Rubel Hossain.
Before Naeem, it was Ashraful who left the spectators spellbound with his 83 off 72 balls, powered by 12 fours and a six from a free hit off a Farhad Hossain delivery.
Tamim Iqbal (65 off 67 balls)  and Shahriar Nafees (50 from 76 balls) also hit half-centuries to put on 118 runs in their opening stand, giving Ashraful the perfect foundation to play his natural game and the former skipper did not waste of his chance this time.
Three consecutive boundaries off Shahadat Hossain showed his intent and Ashraful grew in confidence to race to his fifty off 47 balls before left-arm spinner Elias Sunny ended his onslaught.
‘I should have completed the century anyway. The wicket was very good for batting and it only got better and better,’ Ashraful told reporters.
‘I was given the liberty by the coach to play my shots, which was not the case for me in the past, and eased my pressure. I was confident that I will do well,’ he said.
Courtesy: New Age

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Bangladesh A won by 56 runs

Bangladesh A captain Mahmudullah Riyad sets up to hit through the covers during his 54 against the BCB Academy side in their BCB Cup match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

Mahmudullah Riyad and Elias Sunny gave strong all-round performances in Bangladesh A's 56-run win over the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy in the BCB Cup yesterday.
Put in to bat, the A team stuttered to 207-9 in 50 overs before shutting out the Academy challenge in 43.3 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Riyad took the last two wickets to wrap up the Academy innings for just 151 runs, but it was the captain's steady half-century that made a huge difference and also won him the man-of-the-match award.
Coming in to bat with his side hanging on 48 for three, Riyad provided damage control, adding a 42-run fourth wicket partnership with Naeem Islam (17) before building another valuable 47-run stand with Shamsur Rahman (18), this time for the fifth wicket.
Riyad made 54 off 69 balls with the help of six boundaries, but the Mymensingh-born all-rounder was caught behind off Alauddin Babu in the 40th over. He fell at a good time for the Academy side as their spinners stuck to a good line to restrict their seniors to 57 runs in the last ten overs.
Sunny however slammed a beautiful square-driven six and a boundary in an important 25 off 29 balls that took the A team's score past the 200-mark.
Alauddin took three wickets with his medium-pace while Sohag Gazi took two wickets and Sanjamul Islam picked up one.
Academy lost Abdul Majid early but recovered through a 40-run second wicket stand between Tasamul Haque and the talented Mominul Haque but the pair fell in the space of three overs to hand Bangladesh A the momentum. Skipper Mahmudul Hasan batted manfully for almost two hours but never found a batting partner to really threaten the 208-run target.
Sunny, Rasel and Shahadat all took two wickets each as they applied the squeeze on the younger side. Forhad Reza and Naeem Islam took one each while Riyad's last two wickets sealed the deal.
BRIEF SCORES
BANGLADESH A: 207-9 in 50 overs (Riyad 54, Sunny 25 not out; Alauddin 3-51, Gazi 2-29).
GP-BCB NCA: 151 all out in 43.3 overs (Mahmudul 30, Tasamul 25; Riyad 2-21, Sunny 2-28, Rasel 2-25, Shahadat 2-35).
Result: Bangladesh A won by 56 runs.

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Tigers trounce cubs

Tigers paceman Rubel Hossain clean bowls Al-Amin's stumps as GP-BCB National Cricket Academy are shot out for just 75 runs in the BCB Cup opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur

A 50-over game lasting only three hours isn't the best advertisement for a season opener, but that is what happened as the national side trounced the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy by six wickets in the opening game of the BCB Cup yesterday.

There were hardly any demons in the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium wicket as the youngest lot in the competition rolled over for just 75 runs in 20.4 overs. Bangladesh took only 19 overs, but lost four wickets in their pursuit of the measly target.
Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam had a field day, changing lengths at will and troubling the Academy top-order with their pace and bounce. Shafiul began the rot by cutting through Anamul Haque's defences in the third over before Rubel joined in, trapping No 3 Mominul Haque for a duck and the other opener Myshukur Rahman for 18.
Mushfiqur Rahim, leading the national team, took a splendid diving catch to remove Sabbir Rahman before the spinners took out the next four wickets. Sohrawardi Shuvo, fighting to retain his spot in the national team for the West Indies series, took three wickets before Rubel ended the Academy innings in little over an hour.
Rubel ended up with a four-wicket haul from 7.4 overs, taking full advantage of the Academy batsmen's peculiar frailty against the short ball, even on a wicket that had the usual freshness of the early season.
Tamim took the opposition on but the left-hander's flashes were slightly out of sync as he missed more than he connected. Even then, five boundaries and a six in a 37-ball 36 was shaping up to a half-century but a terribly executed pull shot had him bowled by Alauddin Babu.
The all-rounder also took the wicket of Imrul Kayes who gave Tanvir a catch at slip. Later, the Tigers lost two more -- Shahriar Nafees and Shuvogoto Hom -- with the left-hander falling to a beauty from Sohag Gazi.
The off-spinner beat his divisional captain with a fine off-break. Alok Kapali however slammed a six and three fours in his run-a-ball 22 to take the Tigers to what turned out to be a facile win.
BRIEF SCORES
GP-BCB NCA: 75 all out in 20.4 overs (Tanvir 24 not out; Rubel 4-22, Shuvo 3-10, Shafiul 2-26).
BANGLADESH: 79-4 in 19 overs (Tamim 36, Kapali 22 not out; Alauddin 2-15).
Result: Bangladesh won by six wickets.
Courtesy: The Daily Star 

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BCB Cup to test captains

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will test the waters during the BCB Cup which begins today, as they wait on naming the new national captain.
Chief selector Akram Khan informed that the board have decided on Mushfiqur Rahim as the captain of the national side (Abdur Razzak his deputy) during the season opener while Mahmudullah Riyad will lead Bangladesh A with Junaed Siddiqui the vice-captain.
But the former national captain also made it known that it won't be just Mushfiqur and Riyad who will captain the two teams.
"We will see how they perform, but we will try out other options during this tournament," Akram said yesterday.
This confirmation would stop speculation, at least for a few days, and the focus will return to cricket as the BCB Cup will get underway with the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy taking on the national side at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Mahmudul Hasan, the only confirmed captain in the tournament, said that his young side will look to win every match. "We will try to take it game by game. The team will bank on individual performances to get the best out of the team," said the all-rounder, who had to learn the new ODI rules as it would be employed during the tournament.
Two new balls from each end, the Batting Powerplay to be taken before the 40th over and the discontinuation of the ball change by the 35th over were all explained to the three captains, coaches and umpires.
The one-day tournament is touted to be a season opener from now on, though BCB's lack of consistency in holding competitions is well known.
source: Internet

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West Indies tour of Bangladesh (Fixture)

 

West Indies will arrive on October 4 for a month-long tour. They will play two practice matches, three ODIs, a Twenty20 international and two Tests against the Tigers.
The first leg of the tour will be played in Dhaka where the tourists will take part in two practice matches and then the Twenty20 on October 11 before the ODI series begins two days later at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The third ODI will be held in Chittagong, which will also host the first Test of the two-match series. The tour will conclude with the second Test back in Dhaka.
The scheduled two warm-up games raised a few eyebrows but cricket operations manager Sabbir Khan explained the ICC ruling in the matter of the practice matches.
"Normally, the rule is for the visiting team to get a three-day game if their first game on tour is a Test match and if it's the start of an ODI series, it will be one or two one-day games as the warm-up," he said yesterday.
"West Indies wanted to play two one-dayers for this series and they have the right to ask," added Sabbir, begging the question that why the Tigers couldn't do so during the Zimbabwe series.
"Obviously we played a Test to start the tour, and we asked them to extend the initially scheduled two-day game into a three-dayer back in February," he informed.
Interestingly, the Twenty20 international will only be the second in Bangladesh after the Tigers played their inaugural game against Zimbabwe on November 28, 2006.
It will also be the Tigers' first Twenty20 game in more than a year after their early exit from the 2010 World Twenty20s.
Courtesy: The Daily Star

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Who will be Tigers’ next captain?

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim is seen completing a practice drill at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday. — 

Bangladesh cricket is set to turn the page of a crisis-ridden month in Zimbabwe with the appointment of a new captain following the dismissal of Sakib al Hassan from the post in the aftermath of the national team’s dismal showing in Africa. The ill-fated tour of Zimbabwe, which ended in defeats in both the one-off Test and the ODI series, was marred further by a raft of off-field controversies, prompting the Bangladesh Cricket Board to opt for an overhaul of the team’s leadership with Sakib and his deputy Tamim Iqbal relieved of their duties. As the dusts begin to settle on the team’s miserable exploits of late, the focus has now shifted on rebuilding the team morale ahead of the upcoming home series against the West Indies next month with wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, all-rounder Mahmudullah and batsman Shahriar Nafees emerging as the leading candidates for the post. Although coach Stuart Law claimed the other day that the team have at least six players capable of taking up the job, it is clear now that one of the trio will be entrusted with the responsibility. The country’s cricketing corridors are now reverberating with analyses from all corners as the fans, media, former players and officials weigh up the eligibility of the probable candidates for the post. New Age spoke to three cricketing personalities – former captain Roquibul Hassan, Khaled Mahmud and commentator Athar Ali Khan – and based on their opinions, compiled the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three hopefuls for the captaincy. 

Mushfiqur Rahim

Strengths
The biggest strength of Mushfiqur Rahim is his position in the team. He is one of the few players who are certain to be included in both Test and one-day sides, which made him the prime candidate for the captain’s job. His experience is also key to the team. After Mohammad Ashraful and Abdur Razzak, he is the most senior player in the current squad and is a no stranger to the captaincy job. The diminutive wicketkeeper led Bangladesh in the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 and helped them reach the quarter-finals, which has remained the best success for Bangladesh at the junior level. Most of the Bangladeshi players, including dethroned skipper Sakib and his deputy Tamim, played under his captaincy and they should face no problem to adjust with him.  He also acted as vice-captain of the side for a year. Known as a hard worker, his vocal presence behind the stumps is also a plus point for the team. 

Weaknesses
He tends to get psychologically down when his personal form dips and at that stage he may find it difficult to motivate the side. His assertiveness is not also beyond any question. As an introvert boy, it may be difficult for him to lead a side full of friends.  His background as former BKSP player can also stir up a revolt, with a growing difference between the players from the academy and the outsiders.
He has been a part of the leadership group for many days, but his contribution is yet to get any recognition. The Bangladesh Cricket Board removed him from the post of vice-captain after the team management questioned his personal behaviour during the 2010 England tour.

 Mahmuduallah

 

Strengths
A well educated, thinking cricketer, Mahmuduallah is revered in the team for his strong personality and gentlemanliness. As a player, he has improved a lot over the last few years which has been evident in his body language   He commands respect from other players which is the hallmark of a good captain.  Though his resolve as a captain is yet to be tested at the highest level, the all-rounder has at least shown good potential when he led Abahani Limited to Dhaka Premier League championship last season and was one of their best performers. His tendency to stay away from controversy and his respectful attitude towards people around him would also make him a good pick for the role.  

Weaknesses
The biggest problem for Mahmudullah is that he is not an automatic choice in the Test side. While his place in the one-day side is more or less assured, the team have on occasions had to compromise its balance to accommodate him in the Test side and this may work against his candidacy.  Another thing is his relative lack of experience as a leader which leaves a great deal of uncertainty surrounding his decision-making abilities at crunch time.  The responsibility of a captain includes extracting the best out of a player but doubts persist about his credentials in this regard.  He also tends to get into a shell when his own performances take a dip, which is a noticeable flaw in his temperament. 

 

Shahriar Nafees

Strengths  
Among the three candidates, Shahriar Nafees has the slimmest chance of claiming the captaincy. It his experience in international cricket that has brought him into contention, make him the most viable selection for the job should the Bangladesh Cricket Board opt for anyone other than Mushfique and Mahmudullah. Shahriar, a former vice-captain of the national team, who holds the distinction of leading Bangladesh in their first Twenty20 International, was once considered as the automatic successor of Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh’s most successful captain to date. The chance however slipped from his grasp after a string of woeful performances in World Cup 2007 with the left-hander subsequently going through a series of ups and downs.   After s brief stint with the renegade Indian Cricket League, he recently re-established himself in the side which is a testament to his character. Once a proven performer, Shahriar also seems to have learnt a lot from the incidents in his life which have contrived to make him stronger as a person.

Weaknesses
Like Mamudullah, Shahriar is also not an automatic choice in the side.  His fitness is also not beyond the realms of doubt while many are sceptical about his commitment to the national team’s cause as a number of statements he made during his ICL stint still burn fresh in the memory of many
cricket personalities. Also working against Shahriar is the fact that he is one of the two cricketers accused of disobeying coach Stuart Law and is now facing a disciplinary action.

Courtesy: New Age

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Shakib was alright-Mushfiqur

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim talks to reporters after the Tigers' practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. After Shakib Al Hasan's removal from the captaincy, the man from Bogra could be next in line to take over the reins.

 

 

After the hurriedly taken decision of sacking Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal from the posts of captain and vice-captain, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been facing a dilemma in choosing their successors with the next home series against West Indies knocking at the door.

It's now all but clear that the board has taken the decision whimsically, not only without examining in detail the reasons behind the Zimbabwe tour debacle, but also without having given any thought about what would happen next.

Except wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim none can be considered for the hot seat as the places of senior players like Mohammad Ashraful, Shahriar Nafees and Abdur Razzak are not even assured in the playing eleven.

So, the man from Bogra is the most likely candidate for the captaincy. Interestingly the little man lost the vice-captaincy reportedly for the same reason for which Shakib and Tamim have been removed -- an attitude problem.

And under these circumstances Mushfiqur's words took special significance when he talked to the media yesterday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Mushfiqur echoed the sentiments of his coach, Stuart Law, while talking about discipline in the team and Shakib's captaincy, apparently raising questions about the merit of the board's decision.

Mushfiqur showered praises on captain Shakib. "He [Shakib] is our key player and it's always an advantage for a performer to lead the team. He was excellent as a captain and performed with the bat, ball and also he was superb in his fielding. He always motivated us as a captain," said Mushfiqur.

The young man, whose batting was one of the few positives in an otherwise disastrous Zimbabwe tour, threw a challenge when asked about the issue of indiscipline in the team by saying, "You can understand how disciplined we are as a team if you travel with the other teams in the world. As our coach said we are the most disciplined side both on and off the field."

From his position it was not possible for him to comment on the board's decision and that's why he said: "It was a board decision [to remove Shakib and Tamim] and we have to respect it. But as we repeatedly said we have been playing good cricket for the last two years, but we could not perform well in Zimbabwe."

Mushfiqur was however clear about the reasons behind the poor showing in Zimbabwe despite the fact that the board made Shakib and Tamim the scapegoat for the failure.

"Our batting and fielding was poor and that was the reason behind the failure in Zimbabwe and I don't think there was anything else other than that behind the debacle. There were some individual performances but as a team we could not perform well in the last tour, so our main target would be to perform well as a team against the West Indies," said Mushfiqur.

He also said that he was little bothered about the whisperings that were going on about him becoming the new captain; instead he was focusing on the coming tour against the West Indies, who will arrive in Dhaka on October 4 to play one T20, two Tests and three one-day internationals.

"I am also hearing it from media but my main target is to perform well in the coming series and as a team we are also looking forward to the next assignment. I will try my best if it [captaincy] comes my way," said a confident Mushfiqur.

Courtesy:  The Daily Star

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Tamim wants to leave it behind

 

Asked what the highlight of his nine-month term as vice-captain was, Tamim Iqbal gave almost the perfect answer.

"I thought the title was very nice," he said with a big smile.
After the board's decision on Monday and the subsequent reactions of the erstwhile skipper Shakib Al Hasan and new coach Stuart Law, yesterday was Tamim's turn. He could have voiced his opinion, vented his frustration or perhaps protest at the Bangladesh Cricket Board's decision to sack him and Shakib Al Hasan of their job as vice-captain and captain.
Instead, Tamim was pragmatic with a hint of lament at the handling of the matter.
"I feel normal, to be very honest. I didn't ask for the vice-captaincy and neither did I hand it back. It was totally the board's decision. I am not worried and bothered about the reason [behind the board's decision]," he said after training at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Aware that voicing opinion, venting frustration and protesting a hastily taken decision would amount to nothing in Bangladesh cricket, the left-handed opener was keen to move on.
"I am the happiest man in the world as long as I'm performing and playing for Bangladesh. If I play well and the board thinks I'm the right man, it will come back again. At this moment, maybe I'm not the right man so I'm fine with it.
"If they discussed it with me at least once, it would've been better. Even then, I have no complaints," said Tamim, who could earn the praise for being an active deputy since he was handed the job.
"There isn't much work for a vice-captain on the field but off it, I have done my duty and done well," he said, clearly of his ability to gee up the team when things weren't quite rosy for the Tigers, especially after the West Indies game in the World Cup. In his only tour as a vice-captain, Tamim gathered his team for most dinners in Harare and Bulawayo and is the most social member of the team.
Despite all the bonhomie, the sacking would put a tag on Tamim that could be hard to take off. He has offered full support to whoever the new man at the helm is but the truth remains that the board's impetuous judgment has ostensibly left him in limbo as he wasn't asked to give his version of events.
The opinion among many is that the board has only completed one part of the job and would use the sacking as a cover-up for their own mistakes. But Tamim didn't want to be drawn to any further controversies. "There are lots of other issues but at this moment, we should leave all these. We better start thinking of the upcoming series and we are all concerned about Bangladesh winning games and playing well," he said.
Courtesy: The Daily Star

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