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Tamim Iqbal is expected to return to cricket within two or three weeks, after he underwent arthroscopic evaluation and surgery on his left knee in Melbourne on Monday

Mohammad Isam29-Dec-2014Tamim Iqbal is expected to return to cricket within two or three weeks, after he underwent arthroscopic evaluation and surgery on his left knee in Melbourne on Monday.According to Dr David Young, the orthopaedic surgeon performed the procedure, the batsman will be able to make a comeback to nets following rehabilitation which will begin immediately.Bangladesh’s chief selector Faruque Ahmed said that Tamim will be considered for Bangladesh’s 15-member World Cup squad, which is expected to be announced next week. Bangladesh will have a short camp at home from January 12, and Tamim is likely to return before the team leaves for Brisbane on January 24.”He [Tamim Iqbal] will be considered one hundred per cent,” Faruque told ESPNcricinfo. “The report has given us optimism as he will have ample time to rehabilitate from the surgery and begin nets in due time.”Tamim had complained of pain while playing for Legends of Rupganj in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League two weeks ago, following which the BCB sent him to see Dr Young.According to a BCB press release, their senior physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury informed that “the BCB medical team will decide on the management plan for the player in consultation with Dr Young after evaluating the complete report on the surgery”.

South Africa made 98 for 3 in 52 overs after debutant Niroshan Dickwella’s enterprising half-century had taken Sri Lanka to 421

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran25-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
2:44

Fernando: Dickwella handled mental challenges well

Flattest track in the world, eh? Ask the South Africa batsmen. They started to bat at the SSC midway through the second session of the second day, and during the 52 overs till stumps the run-rate never crossed two. Sri Lanka’s trio of spinners teased and probed, Suranga Lakmal extracted some reverse swing, and the bad balls were virtually non-existent.Rangana Herath needed five balls to get his first wicket. Offspinner Dilruwan Perera needed only three. If South Africa’s batsmen did not already know they were in for a thorough interrogation of their technique against spin, the first hour of their innings made it absolutely clear.Like Sri Lanka on Thursday, South Africa lost lost two wickets early. Sri Lanka had responded by caning the spinners to the tune of 4.86 an over during a 99-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Kaushal Silva. There was no similar response from South Africa after their lost their openers early – Alviro Petersen to a soft caught-and-bowler and Dean Elgar bat-pad. Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla showed immense concentration and patience as they ground out 58 runs in nearly 30 overs.There wasn’t massive turn yet from the track, but Sri Lanka could turn to a variety of spinners who posed different challenges. Left-arm spinner Herath got the new ball and tested out the rough against the left-hand batsmen. Perera bowled conventional offspin with a pleasingly conventional action and should have had Amla caught-behind in the 26th over, only for the debutant keeper Niroshan Dickwella to miss a tough chance. Ajantha Mendis, playing only his third Test in more than three years, didn’t have the same accuracy as the other two but his variations were enough to keep the batsmen guessing. Sri Lanka could even call on the part-time legspin of Kithuruwan Vithanage – he got some turn and several leading edges.It was finally Lakmal who ended the du Plessis-Amla stand, though, when Dickwella took a superb one-handed catch diving to his left to send back du Plessis for 36.South Africa still have their two best batsmen in the middle, but after 52 overs of bloody-minded resistance, they are still only 98 for 3. At the same stage, Sri Lanka were 205 for 3. What that punishing pace of scoring from Sri Lanka has done is allow them plenty of time to grill South Africa.Sri Lanka maintained a similarly cavalier rate of scoring in the morning. Dickwella, who was in England earlier this week with the A side and not even in the Test squad, struck an enterprising debut half-century that drove Sri Lanka past 400. He is a schoolboy star like the man with whom he put on a century stand – Mahela Jayawardene – to ensure the first day’s advantage was not squandered.Jayawardene began the day unbeaten on 140 at his favourite ground, and Dickwella was in his first Test innings facing the pace of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, but it was the youngster who dominated the opening hour.There were plenty of signs of his confidence on the big stage. In the 97th over, he played a deliberate upper cut over slips off Morne Morkel on seeing that third man was square. The next delivery was tucked to the fine-leg boundary. As Dickwella ambled down the track keeping his eye on the ball, he bumped into Morkel, who responded with a shove. Dickwella doesn’t even reach shoulder high for the towering Morkel, but his concentration didn’t waver even after that encounter.He skipped down the track to launch Vernon Philander over mid-on, and a delivery after Imran Tahir got the ball to rip from the rough, Dickwella countered with the reverse-sweep.At the other end, Jayawardene was continuing with his silken batting – the blade barely passed the vertical as he coaxed a full ball from Steyn to the long-on boundary. Fifty-six runs came in the first hour, and South African spirits were beginning to sag.As has been the case so often, South Africa got a lift with an outstanding bit of fielding. Petersen fired in a direct hit from fine leg to catch Jayawardene short on 165. A stylish innings ended with Jayawardene on his knees and desperately scrambling to complete the second.That wicket seemed to affect Dickwella; he went loose outside off, repeatedly chasing wide deliveries. He survived till lunch, though, but after the break South Africa mopped up the tail quickly to end Sri Lanka’s innings at 421. Tahir ended a 315-ball wait for a Test wicket by getting Perera to clip a ball to wide mid-on, Dickwella was run-out by Quinton de Kock while attempting a leg-bye and Philander soon had reward for his consistent bowling.That only set the stage for a harrowing examination against spin. Three more days of that stand between South Africa and the No. 1 ranking.

Anil Kumble, the former India legspinner, has said he was picked to lead the Test team owing to a lack of other options

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2014Anil Kumble, the former India legspinner, has said he was picked to lead the Test team owing to a lack of other options. He had replaced Rahul Dravid at the helm in November 2007, when MS Dhoni was the ODI and T20 captain.”I became captain after playing 17 years for India, so probably I became captain by default,” Kumble told . “Rahul Dravid had just relinquished the captaincy and, at that time, it was perhaps too early for MS Dhoni to step in as Test captain. Sachin [Tendulkar] also did not want it so they looked around and said, ‘Okay Anil is the only guy and let’s give it to him.'”Kumble had played 118 Tests before he was given the captaincy. He led India for 14 Tests, winning three, losing five and drawing the remaining six. He began his tenure with a 1-0 series win over Pakistan and also led India to a memorable victory over Australia in Perth in 2008.”I was in the 17th year of my career and I knew that I would not play for long. It was a transition and I’d have to handle a team of former captains and the one-day captain,” he said.Kumble’s contribution was far more significant as as bowler. His 619 Test wickets is a record for India, but he said bowling was a difficult task.”As a bowler you are not a hero, you are always backing a hero, but you need 20 wickets to win a Test match. In India you pick teams based on pitches, so it’s the bowlers who get changed. If it is a turning pitch a fast bowler can’t play, and if it is a green pitch, a spinner can’t play.So you expect the batsmen to get accustomed or adapt to any kind of pitch whereas you don’t expect bowlers to adapt to conditions.”Among the highlights of his career was during the Antigua Test in 2002 when he played on through a broken jaw. He was hit by Mervyn Dillon, spat out blood but batted on for another 20 minutes. Then he got through 14 overs and claimed the wicket of Brian Lara.”Quite a few emotions were running through my head,” said Kumble regarding the incident, “Because I was just coming back from a shoulder injury and I was just coming into the team. I played the first Test match and then I was dropped for the second. I was given opportunity in the fourth test match. I had not played two Test matches so this was like a make or break for me.”

It is to Gloucestershire’s credit that they pushed Hampshire so close. On a fourth day which started with a team still batting in their first innings, their approach at least allowed for specks of excitement

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl10-Jul-2014
ScorecardSean Ervine helped Hampshire overcome some nervy moments•Getty ImagesIt is to Gloucestershire’s credit that they pushed Hampshire so close. On a fourth day which started with a team still batting in their first innings, their approach at least allowed for specks of excitement.In the end, it was time that defeated them. In control for much of the game, they gave themselves every chance of converting their good work and could leave more than satisfied with the cricket they have played. In a week of back-slapping declarations, they very nearly contributed one of their own.For director of cricket John Bracewell, it was a fairly easy decision to make. “In the end, if we got it right, 80 overs [to bowl at Hampshire] was the number,” he said. “It was just a matter of how far we could get ahead.”It was a fine effort from Gloucestershire, who have an injury list that includes their talismanic captain Michael Klinger. Truth be told, they have arguably not been able to field a side that you could, without doubt, label their “best XI”. According to Bracewell, displays like today merely show the character of his squad.”We’ve been on the other end of these sorts of games where we’re the ones having to bat ourselves out of trouble in the second innings. It’s such a good feeling to have batted ourselves into a point of superiority in the first innings. There in lay the difference – it gives us a lot of confidence. We had a lot of character in store in drawing some big games over the last month or so. “Gloucestershire wasted no time in putting bat to ball, adding 58 runs in 14 overs, before declaring with a first innings lead of 207. Will Gidman was removed by James Tomlinson early on, before Adam Rouse and Benny Howell found the rope often enough to take the visitors score past 500.Going into lunch, things looked promising for them. David Payne had Michael Carberry caught behind before Will Gidman took the valuable wicket of Will Smith, who has been a rock at No. 3, with a ball that cramped him for room and then seemed to get big on him.Jimmy Adams followed soon after lunch when he was deemed to have given a catch to bat-pad off the bowling of Tom Smith. He was less than impressed, lingering and then walking off and taking his frustration out on his gloves when he stepped over the boundary.After tea James Vince, having looked assured and compact in defense, edged Smith through to Rouse. It was the wicket that alerted us to the presence of a crowd; the collective gasps having locals thinking the unthinkable – a first defeat of the season, by an innings, no less.The gasps were just as audible when, with 11.4 overs of play left, Howell bowled Adam Wheater through the gate for the sixth wicket. By then, Sean Ervine had steadied things at the other end with a strutting half-century. Calm and composed, with the air of a bouncer who knows you are just not getting in, his reverse-sweep for four to take him to 52 was a good a sign as any that Hampshire had little to worry about.Adams echoed those sentiments at stumps. This match was their game in hand of Worcestershire and a win would have seen them jump above them and back into first. They remain second but with Surrey hot on their heels after their impressive win at Colwyn Bay. He also admitted that, were it not for the rain that washed out almost an entire day’s play, Gloucestershire could have won.”We have had to battle hard,” said Adams. “Gloucestershire have outplayed us for three or so days and we’ve probably been helped by the weather. We were in a good position on day one but we threw that away really.”It was only two games ago that we beat Essex pretty comprehensively here. It would also be nice to win the toss at some point and made use of the best conditions but that’s probably a bit of an excuse, really. Every game from here on in is going to be tough.”With five games left, Adams has earmarked “two or three wins” to ensure Hampshire are in the promotion places comfortably by the end of the season. Next week’s encounter at Colchester will see them without Kyle Abbott who will report for international duty for South Africa in Sri Lanka. He is set to return at the end of August, but is likely to miss the final two games, against Kent and Glamorgan, should he represent his Ram Slam franchise Dolphins in the Champions League.In his place, Hampshire have announced the signing of Australian bowler Nathan Rimmington. Initially on a match-by-match limited overs contract, he may be enlisted for four-day duty with doubts over the fitness over a couple of bowlers, including David Balcombe who was suffering from a sore knee on the final day of this match.

Marcus Trescothick’s punishing century led Somerset to victory against Durham as he continued to put the woes of 2013 behind him

Tim Wigmore at Taunton22-May-2014
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is putting the horrors of 2013 behind him•Getty ImagesThe roar that greeted Marcus Trescothick’s century reflected the affection that he is held at Taunton and beyond. If the gap between his 18th and 19th first-class centuries at the ground had been too long – 618 days to be exact – Trescothick could scarcely have chosen a better moment to end it.His innings did more than guide Somerset to 248, and with enough haste to make up for four hours lost on the final day to showers; and it did more than just take Somerset to second in the table, a position they hold as the division’s only unbeaten side. It created a resounding sense that Trescothick’s struggles last season, averaging 28 in the championship, were not the indications of decline that had been feared. Somerset have won two championship games this season; a Trescothick century has underpinned both.They have been of very different characters. His century at Hove held Somerset together in testing batting conditions; here he hurtled to 133 at better than a run a ball. Consecutive sixes off Chris Rushworth, over long-on and midwicket, would have cleared many larger grounds than Taunton. But for sheer audacity, no shot matched a paddle over fine leg for six.The opposition captain, Paul Collingwood, could only admire the onslaught. “It’s a pleasure to watch watching him in that kind of form because it just proves that he’s still one of the world’s best batsman around,” he said. “I’m not just saying English batsmen, I’m saying when he’s in that mood he’s literally got all the shots. It’s incredible to watch. In many ways it’s such a shame that he hasn’t played more for England.””We’ll talk about that innings for the next ten years,” Collingwood added, highlighting Trescothick’s contempt for Ryan Pringle’s offspin on a wicket that was offering assistance. “Hitting shots out of the rough over extra cover for six and playing around with the field the way he was. It’s just unbelievable.”Collingwood believes Trescothick is even more explosive on the county circuit than playing for England. “I’ve always thought that when you play in the England set-up, the intensity and the pressure that’s on you, you probably don’t play to your 100% capabilities and he seems to have this kind of freedom,” he said. “When you’ve got a guy with the kind of skill with that mentality, it looks as if he’s a better player now when he’s in that form then when he was with England. But I think you could argue that the pressure of playing for England is the thing that holds you back a bit.”Trescothick’s intent was palpable from his opening two balls of the day, both harrumphed through the offside for four. It was quite the learning curve for offspinner Pringle, who was then launched for six over extra cover amid the carnage. With a serious thunderstorm due – and it arrived at 11.38, with Somerset still needing 80 more, and play could not resume for four hours – Trescothick evidently relished the urgency of the situation.”If it’s in the zone you’ve got to give it everything you can do,” he said. “You tend to lose sight of the fear.” Compared to his more adhesive effort at Hove (when his strike-rate was 49), this innings was “a lot more enjoyable because you could express yourself a bit more and I probably played a bit freer.”And it would have been all the more satisfying for coming after the struggles of last season. “Last season was unique for us because it was just a downward spiral,” Trescothick said. “There’s no doubt about it, everyone questions themselves. You probably question yourself even more at 38.” At one point Somerset’s skipper scored two runs in five innings across formats.”You train, you work and you do everything and you think why aren’t I getting the results?” But Trescothick resisted the urge to change the method that has served him so well. “I’m still working the same way that I have done from last season to this. Maybe it’s just a bit of confidence, when you get that score that you need.”It has become a cliché to say that he is no technician, but Trescothick’s nous, self-belief and knowledge of his own game trumpets any lack of footwork. “The winter was the key time for my rebuilding,” he said. A championship average of 51 in 2014, is providing considerable – and rather heart-warming – vindication.With the pitch having slowed over the course of the game, Durham’s only chance of success rested on Pringle’s best impersonation of Saeed Ajmal: quite the task for a 22-year-old making his first-class debut. He did not wilt, claiming Nick Compton lbw and belatedly snaring Trescothick at long-off, but far more established bowlers would have had no riposte to Trescothick’s assault.Durham’s fate rather seemed sealed from before the day’s first delivery, with Mark Wood – likened to Simon Jones by Trescothick – and Jamie Harrison both unable to bowl, although Wood still took to the outfield. Add Graham Onions, Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick and you would have a formidable attack from Durham’s bowling absentees.”I would have loved to have seen the competition, especially with the rough outside offstump, of Borthwick and Trescothick,” Collingwood lamented. Graham Onions and Ben Stokes, who could both return at Trent Bridge on Sunday, are needed: “It is a bit desperate at the moment,” Collingwood admitted. “I always said that we over-achieved last year.”

Following their landmark win against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Afghanistan have qualified for the ICC one-day rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2014Following their landmark win against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Afghanistan have qualified for the ICC one-day rankings. They come into the rankings with 32 rating points, which puts them in 12th place behind Ireland and the Test nations. Should they register another win in the Asia Cup, they will leapfrog Ireland on the table.The win against Bangladesh was Afghanistan’s first against a Test-playing nation, and it came less than five months after they had secured their place in World Cup 2015 by finishing second in the World Cricket League Championship – the ICC’s top one-day tournament for non-Full Members.To gain promotion to the main rankings table, an Associate either needs to win two ODIs against Full Members, or register one win against a Full Member and have a winning percentage of over 60% against other Associates in the qualifying period (since August 2010). Afghanistan have met the second criterion.A team also needs to have played a minimum of eight matches, in the format, in the qualifying period to get a ranking. Afghanistan have played 12 ODIs since August 2010.

England captain Alastair Cook has spoken for the first time since Kevin Pietersen was sacked and admitted his “frustration” and not yet being able to give a full explanation of the reasons behind the decision

Andrew McGlashan01-Apr-2014England captain Alastair Cook has spoken for the first time since Kevin Pietersen was sacked and admitted his “frustration” and not yet being able to give a full explanation of the reasons behind the decision.He said that the factors behind Pietersen being dumped would “become clearer soon” although whether that means the ECB will come forth before the October cut-off that both parties are believed to have previously agreed remains to be seen.Cook was speaking at the Essex media day where it was expected that he would not discuss England matters, but he did respond when asked about Pietersen as well as Ashley Giles’ position as favourite to be the new head coach.When asked about why Pietersen was not considered part of England’s future he said: “I can’t answer that question totally at this moment in time which is incredibly frustrating for me,” he told .”People will say I’m sitting on the fence, but there are a number of reasons that will become clearer soon but you have to respect the decision and the position I’m in at this precise moment in time. I know everyone will keep asking that question until we give the answers but at the moment we just can’t and I’d love to talk about something slightly different if possible.”Pressed further before being allowed to move on to another subject he added. “If anyone thinks the decision was taken lightly, without a lot of consideration – a lot of things went into the decision. It was a tough decision, the decisions will be made clearer in due course and you just have to respect that. It is frustrating, but that is the position I’m in at the moment. It is what it is.”Cook was more forthcoming in his praise of Giles and his credentials to take on the head coach role, despite England’s first-round exit at the World T20 which finished in the shambolic defeat against Netherlands.The short list for the role, with candidates due to be interviewed in the next fortnight, is believed to include Nottinghamshire’s Mick Newell and the former England coach Peter Moores while the has reported that Trevor Bayliss is another candidate.While ‘big name’ coaches such as Gary Kirsten and Stephen Fleming have not been attracted to the position, Cook said that England were “lucky to have the candidates we have.””Gilo has had a tough winter, we have all had a tough winter, he’s a very, very good coach, he’s a fantastic coach. He’s a good man as well,” Cook said. “There are a lot of decisions to be made over the next few weeks, and important decisions as well. There are a number of candidates, we are lucky we can choose from a good number of candidates.”Cook does not have an official say in the final decision, but will be consulted and will speak strongly of Giles after their period working together with the one-day side. “It is an important relationship, you do have an input into it,” he said. “You saw what a strong relationship Andy Strauss and Andy Flower had. Ashley is one of the favourites because he knows the system well and I’ve enjoyed working with him.”Cook conceded that the dismantling of England’s Test side in Australia had been a surprise: there are potentially seven places up for grabs in the first Test team of the summer against Sri Lanka. The make-up of the 50- and 20-over sides will not escape scrutiny, either.”That Test side which got us to No. 1, won three Ashes in a row, won’t play again – it has broken quicker than any of us imagined. When the side breaks up there are places up for grabs. Any player who scores a lot of runs or take a lot of wickets will be up for selection.”It’s an exciting time for English cricket. It’s a time where we have to look forward. It’s been an incredibly tough winter, we can’t hide from that. There are a huge number of reasons to be optimistic.”For anyone watching England collapse in Chittagong, or Sydney, optimistic probably was not the first word that sprung to mind.

Saxton Oval will make it’s debut as an ODI venue on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd, if the rain stays away

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran03-Jan-2014Match factsSaturday, January 4, 2014
11:00 (22:00 GMT previous day)The crowd in Queenstown had to endure a long wait for play. Will it be the same at Saxton Oval?•Getty ImagesBig PictureOne-day bilateral series aren’t something that stick in the mind of cricket fans, but Corey Anderson put this series on the front pages with a record-breaking century that it will be remembered by. Cricket fans in Nelson also won’t forget this series, as they gear up for the first one-day international in the city, with all 5300 tickets sold out. The match will also give the World Cup organisers to gauge Saxton Oval’s readiness for the global event, in which Nelson will host three matches.The main worry ahead of the game though is whether the rains will stay away. Persistent showers meant the teams couldn’t practise at the ground on Friday, with West Indies instead training at a boxing gym which had a two-lane, indoor cricket net attached. “We’re just praying for a fine day,” Nelson cricket chief David Leonard told . “I’m not unhappy to see it rain today actually, because it’s fairly rare in Nelson that we might get two days of rain in a row.”The series is level at one-all with two games to play, but New Zealand should think of themselves as favourites, given the slew of major players missing from the West Indies side. Injuries meant Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard never made the trip, Marlon Samuels joined that list soon after the Tests, Darren Bravo flew home due to personal reasons, and on New Years’ Day Darren Sammy strained his hamstring to miss the rest of the tour.Add to that, the damage caused by Anderson and Jesse Ryder’s savage centuries in Queenstown, and the chilly weather which is a far cry from a Caribbean summer. West Indies have an enormous challenge ahead.Form guideNew Zealand WLLWL(last five completed matches)
West Indies LWLWL
In the spotlightCorey Anderson will be associated with the number 36 for a long time, after his brutal hitting made him a name to watch among cricket fans around the world. The challenge now for Anderson is to make his name as a reliable allrounder, and not as a one-hit wonder.Ravi Rampaul had a nightmare New Years’ Day, thumped for 64 runs in three overs – the worst economy rate in an ODI for any bowler who has bowled more than one over. In a team sorely lacking experience, and badly needing a lift, Rampaul will need to step up his game.Team newsTim Southee rejoined the squad earlier this week after recovering from a toe injury. The rain on Friday meant he couldn’t bowl to test whether he is fully fit to play on Saturday, though Southee was confident he was good to go. “Toe is coming along alright,” he said. “Bowled a few in Queenstown and there was no pain, which is a good sign. Where they made the cut, it is still a bit raw, so a bit of blood after bowling, so let it heal and stop splitting. Would have been nice to have a bowl today.”New Zealand will also have to take a call on whether to include Kane Williamson in the XI, or to leave him out for the second game in a row.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Brendon McCullum (capt), 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi, (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee/Adam Milne, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Kyle MillsThe injuries keep coming for West Indies, with Sammy the latest to be ruled out. One option for West Indies is to bring in Kirk Edwards for Chadwick Walton to bolster their top order. In any case, they will be left with a rather lengthy tail.West Indies (probable) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Lendl Simmons, 5 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Narsingh Deonarine, 8 Ravi Rampaul, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Jason Holder 11 Nikita MillerStats and trivia Saxton Oval will become the 13th New Zealand venue to host an ODI Adam Milne has big numbers in his six ODIs so far: the batting strike-rate is 400 (just one innings), but the bowling strike-rate is a woeful 176 and bowling average is 172 as he has taken only one wicket Mitchell McClenaghan has 42 wickets in 16 ODIs. The record for quickest to 50 wickets is held by Ajantha Mendis (19 matches), and the fastest New Zealand bowler is Shane Bond (27) Quotes”It was a great knock from Anderson but we’ve been analyzing footage and studying the size of the ground. It’s going to be a different ball game. We will not be making the same mistakes twice.”

“I think they’ll (West Indies) learn from it (Queenstown defeat) – there’s no point in hanging on to it and dwelling on it, so they’ll move on. It’s another game tomorrow, a fresh start at a different ground, with different conditions.”

Bangladesh will prepare for the upcoming World Twenty20, which they are hosting, with three T20 matches against their A team

Mohammad Isam03-Dec-2013Bangladesh’s preparation for the upcoming World Twenty20 begins next Tuesday as the senior side gear up to face the A team in three Twenty20 matches. A two-man selection panel has picked a youthful second-string side against a Bangladesh team which includes Shakib Al Hasan, the allrounder having recovered from dengue fever, which he contracted on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand in October.The team will however be without the experience of Tamim Iqbal, as the left-hand opener is still recovering from an abdominal injury that resulted in him missing out on the third ODI of the New Zealand series, as well as the one-off T20 match. They will be led by Mushfiqur Rahim, who has been given an extension till the 2015 World Cup as captain.Nasir Hossain will lead a strong A team which includes Imrul Kayes, the second-highest scorer in the Dhaka Premier League, as well as Marshall Ayub who played two Tests in October. The side is packed with three allrounders in Farhad Reza, Muktar Ali and Alauddin Babu – who, admittedly, recently conceded 39 runs off an over in a DPL match.All three matches will be held at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, with the first two – on December 10 and 12 – being played in the evening. The final game, on December 14, will be played in the afternoon.The series is the brainchild of Bangladesh coach Shane Jurgensen who, like the members of the team management, is looking to fix the team’s problematic T20 setup. Bangladesh are currently No. 10 in the ICC Twenty20 rankings, 15 rating points behind Ireland. They have won only two of their last ten international matches in this format.In the World Twenty20, which they are hosting, Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Nepal in the first round of the competition, from which only one team will qualify to the following stage.Squads
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah , Abdur Razzak, Sohag Gazi, Mashrafe Mortaza, Ziaur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain.Bangladesh A: Nasir Hossain (capt), Jahurul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Marshal Ayub, Sabbir Rahman, Nazmul Hossain, Farhad Reza, Arafat Sunny, Elias Sunny, Muktar Ali, Alauddin Babu.

Faisal Iqbal has said that he is ready to prove his worth in the upcoming Tests against Zimbabwe, should he get the chance

Umar Farooq29-Aug-2013Another tour, another opportunity and more hope for middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal to find his identity within the Pakistan team. Since his debut in 2001, Faisal operated mostly as a “replacement player”, in the shadow of Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq, and was never able to cement his place in the team.He has played 26 Test matches over the past 12 years. He last played for Pakistan in 2010 but was part of the Test squad for last one year without being part of the playing XI. He was retained in the squad for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe but uncertainty looms over his chances to play. Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq ahead of Iqbal in the pecking order to occupy the middle-order spots, while Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor will mostly be preferred to open the innings. Should he get the chance, the Zimbabwe Tests, he knows, could be crucial for his career.”I always have been treated as a replacement in past. I was actually groomed to take over from Inzamam or Yousuf once they were done with their careers, but unfortunately I have been deprived,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. “For most of my career, since my [international] debut, I have kept waiting for a proper slot so that I could play as a permanent player, and I am obviously disappointed. But I am always optimistic and ready to grab the chance.”It would be great to get games in succession to prove myself. I obviously won’t be looking at Zimbabwe as an easy opponent as, for a batsman, it’s all about one good ball. They are after all an international side and every run is important against them. I have plenty of experience and even scored an ODI hundred in Zimbabwe, so things won’t be alien for me.”Iqbal, who is a nephew of former captain Javed Miandad, had a prolific career at junior level, from his time with the Under-15s. But his time with the seniors has, for the most part, been overshadowed by allegations of nepotism, something Faisal describes as a “daunting factor” and one of the major blows for his career.”I might have been victimised in past and things have not been fair for me,” he said. “I am a professional player and have never taken my cricket for granted. I have scored runs on the ground with my own hands, haven’t I?”He has often impressed on comeback: after his first recall in 2002, he scored 83 against Australia; then came 139 against India – the highlight of his career – which helped Pakistan to a 341-run victory in Karachi in 2006. In that fateful series against Sri Lanka in early 2009, he scored a half-century in his first innings back. His problem, though, has been consistency. A lack thereof has resulted in him being repeatedly dropped.Faisal will be hoping to get his chance on September 3, when Pakistan face off against Zimbabwe in Harare for the first of two Tests. This time, he’ll hope to make that good start and go on to build on it.