The final stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, the domestic Twenty20 competition, have been shifted from Ranchi to Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2013The final stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, the domestic Twenty20 competition, have been shifted from Ranchi to Indore. The first phase of the tournament ended on Friday, and the ten teams which qualified will now head to Indore for the next round which starts on March 26.The BCCI said the change in venue was because of “the non-availability of tickets to Ranchi for most of the teams that have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament”.The top two teams from each of the five zones qualified for the second stage of the tournament, which has the sides playing another league after being divided in two groups of five each. The final is scheduled for March 31, at Indore.Group A: Delhi, Kerala, Odisha, Gujarat, Vidarbha
Group B: Punjab, Karnataka, Bengal, Baroda, Uttar Pradesh

Zimbabwe have not been in the position to win a series in nine years. Where they stand now would allow them to better all the above records

Firdose Moonda in Harare24-Apr-2013Zimbabwe have not been in the position to win a series in nine years. The last time they led 1-0 was against Bangladesh in February 2004 and they went on to clinch the series with a draw in the second Test.They previously won back-to-back Tests 12 years ago, when they beat Bangladesh in both matches of the April 2001 series. And that was only the second time Zimbabwe have managed consecutive Test victories. The other was in 1998 when they defeated India in Harare in October and Pakistan in Peshawar the next month. They have only ever won 10 Tests in their 21-year history but have claimed six series wins. Four of them, including the one-off triumph in August 2011, were against Bangladesh and one each against against India and Pakistan.Where they stand now would allow them to better all the above records. “Everyone realises there is something great for us here,” Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s captain said. “There will be a few nerves because this is really big for us. Even 10 years ago, with the players we had then, they struggled to win series. We’re in a bigger pool at the moment and if we can get this away, we can send a big message to the world.”The point Zimbabwe would make would not simply be one of numbers. It would be that of a triumph against adversity, achieved against the backdrop of irregular international competition and financial problems that threatened to detail preparations ahead of this tour.”It will give us dignity in the cricket world,” Stephen Mangongo, the interim coach, said.
It will also go some way to enhancing Zimbabwe’s sporting reputation, as a team and for the individuals involved. “We want to be counted up there as a serious cricketing nation. We’ve got a vision and our players want to belong at the highest level and to be respected,” Mangongo said.After the first Test, Taylor’s stocks soared. He achieved his highest Test score and became only the third Zimbabwean to notch up a century in each innings of a Test match. Kyle Jarvis, Shingi Masakadza and Graeme Cremer also earned praise. Now it’s up to the rest to leave a mark on the series, especially with the bat.Without Taylor, the first Test would have been a close contest and Bangladesh have isolated him as the man to dismiss early. Attention is focused on the captain but he has worked to deflect it and put responsibility on the rest of the line-up. “We’ve got quality players who are due for some runs,” Taylor said. “I’m confident there will be 10 other players contributing as well.”With expectations on everyone high, it could be easier for Zimbabwe to sit on their 1-0 lead and wait for Bangladesh to dictate the course of game. But the conditions, which are expected to be seamer-friendly on the pitch and overhead, may not allow that.Taylor admitted both sides would want to bowl first but that Zimbabwe are ready if they are put in to bat. “The first hour is not going to go the batsmen’s way but that’s Test cricket. You’ve got to back your technique. We know if we can get through the first hour, it tends to get flatter,” Taylor said.Whether they are put in or not, Zimbabwe have indicated they will be on the offensive at the earliest opportunity. They do not play another Test for at least three months and they want to make as good an impression as they can against a struggling Bangladesh.”We don’t want to be too conservative. We want to make it tough for Bangladesh. If we aim to win each session, we will dominate. It is tough for any team to come back from a 300-run defeat but we know there’s no room for complacency. There’s added pressure to win this match but we understand that.”Apart from their own hopes, Zimbabwe carry the dreams of a nation and they are determined not to let their fans down. “It’s been overwhelming. There’s huge expectation all around,” Taylor said. “I’ve had countless Facebook and Twitter messages. Hopefully we can give our more to smile about. They’ve always rallied behind you and we owe it to them to do well.”

Preview of the second match of the Champions Trophy, between West Indies and Pakistan

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-Jun-2013

Match facts

Friday, June 7, The Oval
Start time 9.30am GMTICC Champions Trophy 2004: West Indies seal a famous victory at The Oval•Getty Images

Big Picture

West Indies have fond memories of playing in the Champions Trophy, famously winning the tournament in 2004 at The Oval, the venue where they will be beginning their campaign on Friday. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Ramnaresh Sarwan played that game almost nine years ago and are part of a side that can go all the way in this competition. West Indies seemed to gel well under the leadership of Darren Sammy, who led them to the World Twenty20 title, but poor returns in the ODI format meant Bravo was appointed his replacement as captain in 50-over cricket. This Champions Trophy will be his first major assignment, starting against opponents who have consistently been strong contenders in ICC tournaments.Even though Pakistan are missing players who’ve been key members of their side in the past, and just barely managed to beat Ireland ahead of the Champions Trophy warm-ups, they’ve grown accustomed to the conditions and have a strong bowling attack to defend competitive scores. Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan have been dropped; Umar Gul is out due to injury; Mohammad Hafeez has been solid at the top of the order; there’s the experience of Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq in the middle, and Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan have been impressive as seamers.A defeat is a significant setback in a short competition such as this, so expect both sides to be high on intensity, also in part because of the support they are likely to receive at the ground. West Indies, in their pomp, were best supported at The Oval when they played in England, and Pakistan are never short of followers wherever they go.

Form Guide

(most recent first)
Pakistan: WTWLW (last five completed games)
West Indies: WWWLL

Watch out for…

Ramnaresh Sarwan was once the most important member of West Indies’ top and middle orders, but didn’t play ODIs for almost a year-and-a-half until his return against Australia in February this year. Though that series was a disappointment, he struck a century in the three-match series against Zimbabwe, followed by a stint with Leicestershire, which would have helped him get used to the conditions.Wahab Riaz could be a handful in favourable conditions in England. He bowls with pace, can swing it and can be effective in the shorter format with his ability to bowl the yorker on target. He is more than handy with the bat, having played a key role in Pakistan’s close victory over Ireland followed by a three-for in the warm-up win over South Africa.

Team news

West Indies could have some tough choices to make. They have plenty of depth in their batting, and it’ll be interesting to see if they pick Sammy in the playing XI. They opened with Sarwan in the ODI series against Zimbabwe in February, but Johnson Charles is fresh from two straight half-centuries in the warm-ups. Would they prefer going in with an extra specialist batsman?West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach/Tino Best.Pakistan played just one warm-up game (their first was washed out) and gave Umar Amin a go in the middle order, but it remains to be seen if he’s picked tomorrow.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Saeed Ajmal, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Asad Ali/Ehsan Adil.

Pitch and conditions

On a sunny day, The Oval track could cater to a high-scoring game, and take a bit of turn. The conditions may not support much swing. There hasn’t been an ODI played at The Oval in almost 10 months; scores of 238 and 252 were chased down comfortably by West Indies and England there last year.

Stats

• In ICC ODI tournaments, Pakistan have beaten West Indies on four occasions and lost eight times. They won the last two encounters between the teams in ICC tournaments – in the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa and the World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka.
• Chris Gayle has scored 840 runs against Pakistan in ODIs, at 31.11. Sarwan has a good record against Pakistan in the format, scoring 514 runs in 14 games at 46.72.

Quotes

“The plan should be that Imran Farhat plays as an anchor and last for 40 overs or so and the boys around him play freely but sensibly. Pakistani batting always comes under pressure if the openers fall early.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day at Trent Bridge

Daniel Brettig at Trent Bridge13-Jul-2013With deed and then word, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has ruled a line under the debate that surrounded Stuart Broad’s decision not to walk in the second innings of the Trent Bridge Ashes Test. Clarke himself declined to depart after none other than Broad procured a thin edge to Matt Prior behind the stumps as the tourists slid badly in their chase of 311 to win.Afterwards he said that while the Australians had been frustrated by failing to secure Broad’s wicket, there was little case for directing their anger towards the England No. 8. Clarke even referred to the concept of “getting away with” standing your ground and forcing an umpire to deliberate, something he has done several times himself in the past with varied results.”We would’ve liked him out for a lot less that’s for sure, but that’s the way the game goes,” Clarke said of Broad. “I’m not going to go back there. There’s no need, it’s the game of cricket. There’s ups and downs, good times, bad times. Sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don’t. That’s what I’ve seen through my career and that’s the way it goes.”Clarke also offered unabashed support to Broad on Sky TV. “I’ve always been a believer that umpires are there to take decisions,” he said. “If everybody walked, we wouldn’t need umpires. It is an individual decision but I don’t think any less of Stuart for what he did.”Regarding his own dismissal, Clarke said he had been unsure of whether he hit the ball or not, having also brushed bat with pad. His consultation with the non-striker Steven Smith better reflected the 21st century conventions of dismissals in the DRS era than much of the commentary surrounding the question of walking that has sprung up since Broad also stood his ground.”Obviously not – I referred it,” Clarke said. “Well, I knew I had hit my pad. I asked my partner up the other end and he certainly wasn’t convinced I hit it either so I referred it. Actually when we both looked at the big screen we couldn’t see anything, so we were pretty pumped that we made the right decision. Then I was given out and had another look when I came in the change room and there was a little spot there on Hot Spot. That’s the way it goes. That’s how the review system operates.”I’ve said to our team that if you feel you’re not out then back your judgement. And if the review doesn’t go your way we move on. I’m not going to go into the DRS at the moment. We’re using it. Both teams are using it. It’s the same for both teams. We have no excuses at the moment. I’m certainly not going to use DRS as one.”Clarke also offered an extraordinary endorsement of the 19-year-old debutant Ashton Agar. Clearly impressed after watching Agar’s treatment of Graeme Swann during his startling, world record 98 at No. 11 in the first innings, Clarke declared Agar to be among the best players of spin to enter the Australia dressing room in years.Clarke explained that he had batted Agar at No. 11 in the first innings to help ease a nervous debutant into the match. But it seems inconceivable now that Agar will ever do so again for any team. His poise was on display a second time as he hung on stubbornly in the company of Brad Haddin to reach stumps on day four, Australia still needing 137 runs on the final day.”He’s as good a player against spin as we’ve had in the Australian team for a long time, so I think he’ll certainly look forward to facing Swanny tomorrow,” Clarke said. “He is definitely not a No. 11 in any team in the world. I batted him there in the first innings only so that he could find his feet in Test match cricket and get into the game. He showed he was ready.”I thought it was the right thing to let him get into the game slowly, but he obviously proved me wrong there, he batted beautifully.”Apart from Agar, Phillip Hughes in the first innings and a composed opening stand by Shane Watson and Chris Rogers on the fourth afternoon, Australia’s batsmen have largely failed to cope with the pressure imposed by England in Nottingham, even if Alastair Cook’s side have not sustained it for anywhere near as long as Australia managed. Clarke said the falling of wickets in clusters could be attributed to conditions that England’s batsman Ian Bell spoke of in subcontinental terms.”I think that’s the conditions in the UK to be honest,” Clarke said. “Especially when you’ve got a wicket that is quite dry so you’ve got reverse swing and a lot of spin. I think it’s these sort of conditions where if you get in it’s about cashing in, going on to big scores, because it is a hard place to start.”We’ve spoken about it as a batting unit. It’s not from lack of work, the boys have been working extremely hand for the start of their innings and we’re as well prepared as we can be. I think we’ve put up a really good fight so far and I’m excited about tomorrow.”

A blistering 52 off 28 balls from captain David Hussey helped Nottinghamshire end their Friends Life t20 hoodoo against Lancashire at Old Trafford

01-Jul-2013
ScorecardDavid Hussey’s 28-ball 52 ensured Nottinghamshire chased down the hosts’ target•Getty Images

A blistering 52 off 28 balls from captain David Hussey helped Nottinghamshire end their Friends Life t20 hoodoo against Lancashire at Old Trafford. The Outlaws had lost the six previous meetings between the two sides at this venue but they chased down 156 with 14 balls to spare to win by four wickets thanks in the main to their Australian captain.The 35-year-old is only one of three men to have scored over 5000 Twenty20 runs and he shared a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 78 in just 7.3 overs with opener Alex Hales, who made 49 off 37, to take the visitors within sight of victory.Nottinghamshire even survived an historic performance from New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, who claimed Lancashire’s first ever five-wicket haul in this format. McClenaghan struck with his first ball on his home debut and later had Hussey and Hales caught with successive legitimate deliveries at the start of the 15th over to give them a glimmer of hope.But it was too little too late as Nottinghamshire made it two from two in the early stages of their North Division campaign.Lancashire recovered from the early losses of Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince as they slipped to 22 for 2 in the fourth over after losing the toss. Moore was run out following a mix-up after just six balls and Prince caught in the deep off Ajmal Shahzad in the fourth over.Steven Croft and Simon Katich, who added 52 and 48 respectively, then shared 93 in 11.2 overs for the third wicket to get their side back on track and up to 115 for two after 15 overs. But they lost four wickets in the last five overs to halt any momentum gained.Nottinghamshire fielded superbly with five catches in the deep, the best of which came from diving New Zealander Ian Butler at long-off to get rid of Tom Smith at the end of the 18th over off the excellent Harry Gurney, who finished with 1 for 18.Lancashire had their noses in front with the visitors at 50 for 3 in the seventh over of their chase but Hussey, in particular, and Hales took the game away from them. Having got Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels early, McClenaghan snared Hussey, Hales and Chris Read. The visitors weathered the storm, though.

Simon Taufel, the former ICC Elite Panel umpire, has warned that there is a “double edge” to using technology in decision making but officials should be more “pragmatic” in utilising all available tools.

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jul-2013Simon Taufel, the former ICC Elite Panel umpire, has warned that there is a “double edge” to using technology in decision making but officials should be more “pragmatic” in utilising all available tools.Taufel, who retired from umpiring after the World T20 in October 2012, delivered the 13th MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture at Lord’s and warned that the highly intrusive nature of technology can put “pressure” on the umpire if not utilised cautiously. Yet, at the same time, Taufel said the match officials, who he called the “third team”, needed to be more prudent about the use of technology.In addition to being the first umpire to deliver this prestigious lecture, Taufel was the third Australian. The inaugural lecture in 2001 was delivered by Richie Benaud before Adam Gilchrist spoke in 2009. Taufel also is the third non-player to deliver the speech with the previous two being Desmond Tutu in 2009 and the late journalist Christopher Martin-Jenkins in 2006.Taufel, who has been rated one of the best umpires of all time, now serves as the ICC umpire training and performance manager. Being the first umpire to deliver the Cowdrey lecture might have carried a unique honour but Taufel was equally aware of the timing: in the middle of an Ashes series during which the decision-making of the umpires and the use of the DRS has garnered as much attention as the Australians’ batting.But like a true fencer, Taufel had come equipped with all protective gear even though he called himself a “target”. He said the public scrutiny faced by umpires where their every movement and facial expression is judged has its dangers.”In today’s cricket, the decision of the umpire is scrutinised by all these cameras,” Taufel said. “Slow motion, ultra motion, Hot Spot front on, Hot Spot leg side, Hot Spot off side, ball tracking and prediction, Snicko, stump audio, the mat and then by up to three commentary experts. After all that public scrutiny and technology, there is often divided opinion about what the correct decision was.”Although Taufel was not against the broadcasters spending money on high-end technology, he was wary of the fast-gathering army of armchair critics, which is quick to adjudge the match official. “The investment by television companies in extra cameras, high-speed frame rates, computer software programs and military infra-red technology, plus high definition has certainly given the spectators a lot more information,” he said. “There is no doubt we now have a lot more ‘armchair’ experts.”Today, everyone umpires the game by watching television. The invasive nature of this broadcasting has a double edge to it – it does put more pressure on players and umpires. Not too much now happens on a cricket field that is not captured by a camera, a microphone or piece of technology. This has the ability to bring out the best in the game and also the worst.”According to Taufel, the role of the umpire today is much more than just making decisions. “We have to police (and I personally dislike this term and approach) other vital areas of the modern game,” he said. “Player behaviour, ball tampering, over rates, logos and clothing, impact of ground, weather and light, having to reduce playing times.” In that respect the introduction of technology had its benefits and even allowed the player and the viewer to understand the challenge faced by match officials during a live match.”One benefit of the current technology system has been the reduction in dissent charges and improvement in behaviour accordingly on the field. In the majority of cases in the modern game, if an umpire has made an error, there is an ability to correct it. In an Ashes Test, if there is an error off the first ball of the game, it can be corrected at the time rather than have it on the umpire’s conscience for the rest of the day and have the players constantly remind him of it. If I make an error, it stays with me all day, all game and I have to keep focused and performing in the middle. There is no dressing room to immediately take refuge while another umpire comes out to the middle, no time off the field to regather thoughts and regroup.”Regardless of the many backers technology has, it has many times, as during this Ashes, proved to be inconclusive. That has stoked the scepticism of the biggest detractor of the DRS, the BCCI, which has refused to adopt a mandatory DRS in a bilateral series, even threatening to not participate if such a decision was imposed.But Taufel said everyone involved needs take a call that would only serve cricket well and increase respect among its fans. “I believe the highest form of the game needs to have the highest standards of respect, spirit of cricket, behaviour and integrity – those at the highest level are setting the tone and standards for others to follow, be they players, umpires or administrators. We owe the future of our game that much.”The technology genie has been let out of the bottle and it’s not going to go back in. I would simply advocate that we look at ways to be as pragmatic as possible so we can get more correct decisions and deliver more justice. I do have an important message on this topic though as it is often asked, ‘what is your view on the DRS?’ I’m not sure that this is the right question.”Perhaps we should be asking ‘are we using technology in the best way to serve the players, supporters, umpires and values of our game?’ No matter what system of technology we implement in our game, it will not be perfect or 100%. The all-human solution is not 100%, neither is the DRS and neither will be an ‘all appeals’ review system. There are trade-offs and compromises with every system adopted. It all depends how the majority believe our game should be played underpinned with the values we want to promote and preserve.”

Phillip Hughes, who was dropped following a series of poor scores in the Ashes, has said that he is unfazed by his axing

Brydon Coverdale15-Aug-2013Phillip Hughes knows a thing or two about being dropped and, as a result, he feels better about his current exile than his previous omissions. Hughes was left out after two Ashes Tests in 2009 when he struggled against the short ball, and again after the home series against New Zealand in 2011, when he became the bunny of bowler Chris Martin and slip fielder Martin Guptill. This time, though, Hughes has been shuffled out at a time when he is confident in his own game.Making way for the Old Trafford Test was a harsh blow for Hughes, who at the time was Australia’s leading run scorer in the first-class matches on this Ashes tour. Even now, after two more Tests, he sits behind only Test centurions Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers on that list. His fighting 81 not out in the first innings at Trent Bridge was followed by 0, 1 and 1. But Hughes believes that despite the low scores, he is in a much better place than he was after his 2011 axing.”It’s never easy to be dropped but I feel that one was tougher than this one, and I’m being really honest about that,” Hughes said. “I feel this one, it was only three bats before I got dropped. I probably scored one of my better Test innings so it’s something I’m not overly concerned about. I feel my game is in a really good place.”Also I got runs in Sussex [in a tour game] as well and I suppose the games that have been on tour in Worcester, Somerset and Sussex, I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. But I did miss out and had a real poor game at Lord’s. I suppose they’re trying to find the best combination and I wasn’t in that for the last two games and I respect that. But hopefully I can get back in the side sooner rather than later. I feel like my confidence isn’t shot at all.”There is always pressure. I have always felt pressure at this level. When you lose there is more pressure. In my short career in the past couple of years we haven’t won enough Test matches. You feel you are only in the team for a couple of games. That comes with losing. You need form nearly every innings these days to hold your spot and until we start winning that’s going to continue.”Hughes will have a chance to remind the selectors of his tour form during Australia’s two-day match against the England Lions in Northampton starting on Friday. Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin have already traveled to London ahead of The Oval Test but the rest of the squad is in Northampton and there are a number of men who will be searching for batting form, including the Test No.3 Usman Khawaja and the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.”When you do play games there’s an opportunity,” Hughes said. “Whoever plays will have an opportunity and that’s a good thing. I haven’t had an opportunity since I got dropped – or got left out the side – so I’ve really been looking forward to going out and playing some cricket and hopefully push my claims forward with a big score. It is always disappointing to get dropped, but it’s about moving on and I’m not one to dwell on what’s happened.”Hughes said he had been given feedback by the coach Darren Lehmann and the on-duty selector Rod Marsh after being dropped, and knew that one of his areas for improvement was to ensure he gets a start. That Hughes fell so early in his three innings following the 81 at Lord’s hurt his chances of retaining his place in the side when David Warner returned from South Africa.”You have to take your chances. That is something I didn’t do at Lord’s. What hurt was scoring three very low scores after that 80,” he said. “I missed out twice. I feel that in my career I’ve got a lot of low scores but when I get in, I go on with it. I have to start and get my scores up to 20s and 30s and get more starts. My record would say if I do that I go on with it. I have to get better at getting through the first 20 or 30 balls.”

Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar will face off in the opening match of the Champions League

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran20-Sep-2013

Match facts

September 21, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Shane Watson ended his England tour on a high, which is bad news for the opposition•BCCI

Big Picture

The IPL champions, Mumbai Indians, take on the side that finished third in the tournament this year, despite all the adversity and negative publicity surrounding them because of the spot-fixing scandal. The attention will be on two legends on either side who will be playing their limited overs farewell tournament – Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Speaking ahead of the game, Dravid, the Royals captain, insisted that it was a contest between two teams and not two individuals. There’s a match to be played, a tournament to be won and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is a good place to start for the Royals who were unbeaten at their home venue throughout IPL 2013.Royals have the core of their side intact. Shane Watson, who had a mixed tour of England, is coming off his match-winning 143 in the final ODI against England at the Rose Bowl. James Faulkner, the allrounder, finished the IPL season with 28 wickets at 15.25, and the Australian pair will be key to Royals’ fortunes. They have the experienced Brad Hodge in the middle order, and Paddy Upton, the coach, said the team also had promising youngsters. “We are fortunate that the upcoming players like Sanju Samson and Dishant Yagnik and also Pravin Tambe, who was not so prominent, have done so well,” Upton said. “It would important for us to keep the team in better shape because we have limited players now after the ban on few of our squad players.”Mumbai will have to learn quickly to cope without Lasith Malinga, who’s skipped the tournament for family reasons. Mitchell Johnson and Harbhajan Singh will have to carry the attack in his absence. They will rely on their batsmen to fire and there’s no shortage of power hitters in the line-up. Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik were in good form in the IPL, and will look to continue in the same vein.

Players to watch

There’s no clarity yet on whether Harmeet Singh, the left-arm spinner caught in the spot-fixing scandal, is available to play. Royals are short on specialist spinners and Ashok Menaria, the allrounder, could take on the role. Menaria, who also bowls left-arm spin, has form on his side, with ten wickets in three one-dayers against New Zealand A recently, and a fifty as well. Dravid hinted that Menaria may fit into the line-up.One of the best outcomes for Mumbai in the IPL was the emergence of Rohit Sharma as an able replacement for Ricky Ponting, who was dropped from the line-up. Rohit took over the captaincy and led Mumbai to their elusive IPL title. The captaincy had a positive influence on his batting as he finished as their leading run-scorer. Can Rohit maintain that consistency in the Champions League?

Pakistan are among the most successful T20 sides while Bangladesh are 12th in terms of wins, but on current form the home team is the favourite going into the only Twenty20 international in Mirpur

The Preview by Mohammad Isam23-Apr-2015

Match facts

Friday, April 24, 2015
Start time 1830 local (1230 GMT)1:59

Isam: Bangladesh go in with more confidence

Big picture

Pakistan are among the most successful T20 sides while Bangladesh are 12th in terms of wins, but on current form the home team is the favourite going into the only Twenty20 international in Mirpur. Bangladesh have just swept the ODI series 3-0, and each of those victories were more one-sided than the previous one.Bangladesh, however, have not played a T20 for more than a year. Their only match in this format after the World T20 at home was washed out in the West Indies in August last year. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has not staged a domestic T20 tournament since December 2013 either, so the players will need to adapt their ODI confidence and skills to the shorter format.Pakistan have won the most T20 internationals. Shahid Afridi’s side has T20 match-winners like Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir and Ahmed Shehzad. These players appear in domestic T20 tournaments around the world. Shehzad, Afridi and Tanvir are only part of the T20 side, while Gul and Ajmal have struggled so far in Bangladesh.Pakistan may have won 50 out of 85 T20s, while Bangladesh only have 11 wins in 41 games, but the number the visitors will want to improve is their zero victories on this tour so far.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLLW

In the spotlight

Shahid Afridi has often been Bangladesh’s scourge, but will he be viewed differently now that the home side has finally had success against Pakistan? Afridi did not have a successful World Cup and is taking over the leadership of a team that has just suffered an unprecedented defeat. Will he be able to lift himself for one game, in the only format he plays internationally?Soumya Sarkar bludgeoned the Pakistan bowlers in the third ODI for an unbeaten 127 off 110 balls, a perfect preparation for his T20 debut. He has a 100-plus strike-rate in domestic T20s, and is expected to open with Tamim Iqbal on Friday.

Team news

Bangladesh could include Litton Das or Rony Talukdar in place of Mahmudullah, who made just 26 runs in the ODIs and averages 14.65 in T20s. They could also take a chance on Mustafizur Rahman, the rookie left-arm pace bowler.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mahmudullah/Litton Das/Rony Talukdar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanSohail Tanvir, a T20 specialist, is likely to replace Junaid Khan. Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has showed inclination towards picking newcomers ahead of established names in this series so far, so Mukhtar Ahmed could play instead of Mohammad Hafeez.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Mohammad Rizwan, 5 Mukhtar Ahmed, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Saad Nasim, 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Umar Gul

Pitch and conditions

An evening start doesn’t mean conditions will be any different in Mirpur. The curator Gamini di Silva is likely to prepare another batting-friendly pitch with minimal turn.

Stats and trivia

• The top three wicket-takers in T20 internationals – Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi – are all in Pakistan’s current squad.
• Shakib Al Hasan has a chance to overtake Abdur Razzak to become Bangladesh’s highest T20 wicket-taker. They are currently level on 44 wickets.
• Mustafizur Rahman is yet to play a domestic T20 match.

Quotes

“We haven’t played a T20 for a long time. But our recent performance has made us positive. It is hard to adjust to this format and we have just one day to do so. We have to set individual plans and targets within this time.”
“We have a very good combination in T20. I am very positive and confident that we will do well.”

Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, has backed the chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd’s logic of jettisoning Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the Australia series

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-20153:08

Michael Holding supports Clive Lloyd’s move of omitting Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, has backed the chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd’s logic of jettisoning Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the Australia series. Holding said that Chanderpaul, who has managed 183 runs in his last 11 innings at 16.64, was no longer good enough to be picked for West Indies.”I don’t believe that cricketers should just get a series for getting a series sake. I don’t think Shivnarine Chanderpaul has proven in recent times that he is still a good enough player to be playing for West Indies,” Holding told ESPNcricinfo. “He has done yeoman service for over two decades. West Indies should be happy to have had him playing for them for that long. All good things have to come to an end.”I saw him play against South Africa recently and he certainly did not look like the Shivnarine Chanderpaul that I was accustomed to seeing. He was a little bit slow with his reactions to the fast bowlers and we know what Australia are going to be bringing.”Holding also echoed Lloyd’s sentiment of making way for youth though it would take time to fill the Chanderpaul-sized void.”Chanderpaul has to make way for someone younger. The person that comes in obviously is not going to fill Chanderpaul’s shoes immediately. He has done so much good work for West Indies. But it is time for someone younger than him who can grow into those shoes.”While Chanderpaul’s former team-mate, Brian Lara, criticised the ‘despicable’ treatment meted out to Chanderpaul and called for a farewell series akin to the one arranged by the BCCI for Sachin Tendulkar, Holding said that he had “no problems” with the way the WICB had dealt with the issue. Chanderpaul is just 86 short of equalling Lara’s record of being the highest West Indian run-scorer in Tests.”From what I have heard I don’t think anybody can complain. From what I heard they called him, had a meeting with him. They told him exactly what they would like to do and I have no problems with that,” Holding said.”I don’t think Chanderpaul is ever going to be one to say, ‘listen, my time has come and I have to move on’. So they have done the right thing.”When asked about the legacy left behind by Chanderpaul, Holding said: “Chanderpaul’s legacy will be someone who went and played for West Indies and gave his all for a very long time. To show everyone that if you can go out and work hard, if you have deficiencies in technique and you work hard enough, you can produce the goods.”