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Bangladesh coach, however, feels criticism of batsmen not scoring enough runs in the tournament is “unfair”

Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2020Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo has said he is impressed by the performances of the fast bowlers in the BCB President’s Cup, a tournament which he has classified as just a part of players’ easing into competitive cricket, and not something from which big assumptions can be drawn.”I am very excited about what I have seen [in the fast bowlers],” Domingo said in a press conference on Thursday. “You look at the way Taskin [Ahmed] bowls. Every international team in white-ball cricket has a fast bowler that they call on, when they need a wicket. England calls Jofra Archer, South Africa calls [Kagiso] Rabada, Australia calls Mitchell Starc and India calls [Jasprit] Bumrah. It is great to see that we have some options now that when the game is tight we can call on someone to bowl quickly. Someone like Taskin Ahmed and Khaled [Ahmed] to bounce one or two guys out.”It is very pleasing for me. If we take one thing out of this one-day tournament, [it] is the performance of the fast bowlers. The media and public should be excited by that as we don’t want to be a one-dimensional side, especially when we go away from home. If they are making the life of the batsmen hard, I am excited. That’s okay. To win games, you have to take 10 or 20 wickets.”Domingo said quicks like Taskin, Rubel Hossain and Khaled have made most of the pandemic-induced break to work on themselves.”I can’t compliment the players enough for the work they have done in the last six or seven weeks. Look at the shape of Taskin and how Rubel is going, and Khaled who came back from a big injury; the guys have really worked hard on their fitness levels. We are trying to improve their skills and make sure that they can perform at international level.”The biggest thing Taskin has done is change his work ethic. He is working so much harder. He is in a very good physical condition. He can bowl more than one or two spells. His comeback spells are also quick, so that’s very pleasing for us. We are pushing hard to make sure guys are bowling at good pace at 5pm and at 10am,” he said.Domingo was also full of praise for Shoriful Islam, the young left-arm quick who starred in Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier this year.”He has got some work to do and has to be taught to get the ball to swing back into the left-hander. He has some good pace and bounce and a good attitude. He is impressive. He is always smiling and wanting to learn, which are good attributes for a young fast bowler. He took a great catch yesterday [against Najmul XI in the BCB President’s Cup]. He is a confident young man, and it is always good to have left-arm seamers available.”However, Domingo said that criticism of batsmen not scoring enough runs in the tournament was not fair, calling the expectations “unrealistic” and adding that the performances in the tournament aren’t that important.”You have to remember that the guys haven’t played cricket for seven months, which is a long time without competitive cricket,” Domingo said. “There’s no doubt that the guys will get better. They will play together as a unit.”I think it is a bit unfair to say they are consistently failing. It was just six or seven months ago that we scored 320-plus against Zimbabwe in [all three games in] the one-day series. Liton got 180 [176, in the third ODI], Tamim got two hundreds, so I think it is a bit unfair. Most important thing is the guys are getting some game time.”The performances [in the BCB President’s Cup] are not important, as far as I am concerned. I think the obsession with trying to win this tournament and media wanting guys to win and perform all the time, is unrealistic considering the guys haven’t played for six or seven months,” he said.The BCB President’s Cup final, to be played between Mahmudullah XI and Najmul Hossain XI, which was due to be played on October 23, is shifted to October 25 due to inclement weather in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh team management awaits a scan report which will tell them the extent of Mahmudullah’s calf injury

Mohammad Isam in Southampton24-Jun-2019Soon after leading his team to victory against Afghanistan with an all-round performance, Shakib Al Hasan said that Bangladesh will give their “best shot” against India, their next opponents, despite facing a stiff equation to qualify for the semi-finals. He said that beating India would be a tough proposition, but one that the side is looking forward to given their run in the tournament so far.Bangladesh are currently in fifth place after their 62-run win against Afghanistan in Southampton, while India, who still have two matches before their Bangladesh clash on July 2, are placed third with nine points from five games.”We have a very important match coming up against India who are a top side,” Shakib said. “They are looking at the title. It won’t be easy but we will give our best shot. Experience will help, but it is not the end of the world. We have to play our best cricket to be able to beat India. They have world-class players who can win matches on their own. We have to be at our best, and I think we are a capable [enough team].”WATCH on Hotstar – Shakib’s five-wicket haul (India only)Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach, and former India bowler, Sunil Joshi, said that since he had seen the Indian team “very closely”, he knew “where to bowl to them”.”We have quality spinners, the same as India,” Joshi said. “How do you deal with them? Facing them and bowling to them it is the same. You think of it one ball at a time.”Every team has their strengths and weaknesses. I have seen India very closely when we have played them. We know where to bowl to them.”We have shown in the white ball formats here and before this how we are a good side. We won in Ireland, we have beaten West Indies home and away and come close to beating India three times in the past three years.”Shakib also said that it is also not realistic to think England, who are currently on fourth place, just above Bangladesh, will slip up in a big way.”England need to win one out of three, we have to win two out of our two remaining matches,” Shakib said. “It is difficult, mathematically, but anything can happen in cricket. We have to look at the other results as well, but we have to play two important matches, and get results. It is all we can do.”Shakib, who became the first player to score more than 400 runs and take ten wickets in a World Cup campaign, said that the rest of the team is also contributing although he has carved a different level for himself.”Mushfiq [Rahim] , [Mahmudullah] Riyad and Tamim [Iqbal] have made important contributions, especially playing on this wicket. [Mohammad] Saifuddin and Mustafizur [Rahman] have already taken nine or ten wickets each in this tournament but within their limitations, they have done plenty. Matches are won with these contributions, [no matter] how small those are,” he said.Meanwhile, the Bangladesh team management awaits a scan report which will tell them the extent of Mahmudullah’s calf injury. The 33-year old allrounder couldn’t take the field in the second innings of the match, although he scored 27 and batted through a crucial 56-run fifth-wicket stand with Mushfiqur.But Mahmudullah was clearly struggling from the sixth ball onwards he faced, needing the physio’s attention after pulling up while taking a single in the 34th over. He limped for the rest of the innings, but it looked like he was risking further injury to his calf. He is already unable to bowl after suffering a shoulder injury in New Zealand in February.

Australia’s home international schedule for 2018-19 includes maiden Tests at the Perth Stadium and Canberra’s Manuka Oval, and an international debut for Gold Coast

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2018India will most likely not play a day-night Test during their 2018-19 tour of Australia. Cricket Australia still hopes the first Test in Adelaide, which is scheduled to start on December 6, will be a pink-ball, day-night game, but ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is not in favour of the idea and has made its position clear to the Australian board.CA announced the schedule of Australia’s home summer on Monday without confirming a start time for the Adelaide Test. Since November 2015, Adelaide has hosted one day-night Test every year.”It is our preference that we play India in a day-night Test match in Adelaide, but we are still working through this detail and hope to have an answer on this in the coming weeks,” chief executive James Sutherland said.Women’s international cricket will bookend the summer, with Australia playing three T20Is against New Zealand in September-October – which leads into the women’s World T20 in the West Indies in November – and then a three-match ODI series against the same opponents in February-March. In between, the Australia men’s team will host a South African limited-overs tour in October-November, and full international tours by India and Sri Lanka that stretch from mid-November to early February.Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Alistair Nicholson welcomed the increased scheduling of women’s cricket.”On the back of last years’ ground-breaking gender equitable MOU which the players fought for, it is right that our female team continues to get the exposure they deserve,” he said.”We have some of the best players in the world and I think the fans will appreciate the opportunity to see them on one of the biggest TV days of the year being AFL Grand Final night. Going forward the players are interested in exploring more long-form cricket opportunities, particularly after such a successful Ashes Test last year.”South Africa will play three ODIs from November 4 to 11, and a one-off T20 on November 17, which is the first ever international game at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast.India will begin their Australia tour with a three-match T20 series from November 21 to 25, and then play four Tests in Adelaide (December 6-10), Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7). The newly built Perth Stadium will make its debut as a Test venue when it hosts the second Test.The Tests against India will be followed by three ODIs from January 12 to 18.Brisbane will host first Test against Sri Lanka, a confirmed day-night game, from January 24 to 28, and the Manuka Oval in Canberra – also a first-time Test venue – the second Test from February 1 to 5.CA has yet to confirm the dates of the domestic season, but it is likely to include an expanded Big Bash League season of 43 games. The 16-day gap between the fourth Test against India and the first Test against Sri Lanka – filled by only three ODIs – could give Australia’s international players a window to take part in as many BBL games as possible, while the tournament’s closing stages could be held after the end of the Test season.

Virat Kohli has said he won’t engage with Steven Smith’s suggestion that Australia are “one or two sessions” away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy

Melinda Farrell in Bengaluru03-Mar-20170:50

I know about Australia’s mind games – Kohli

Steven Smith turned the heat on India on the eve of the second Test in Bengaluru, declaring Australia are just “one or two sessions” away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy, while Virat Kohli dismissed Smith’s words as “mind games.”After starting the series as underdogs and given little chance of drawing, let alone winning a match, Australia would take an unassailable lead in the four-Test series if they win at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a ground where Australia has an encouraging record of two wins, two draws and just one loss.”I think they will feel under a little bit of pressure,” Smith said. “Obviously, going into this series, all I heard was 4-0 to them. So they’re one down and need to come back. We’re one win away from [retaining] the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Things can happen pretty quickly here.”So we might be one or two sessions away from getting that back. I’m sure they’ll feel under a bit of pressure.”But Kohli was quick to brush off the suggestion that India would be feeling under pressure when he learned of Smith’s comments.”Me? As a team? Does it look like [we’re under pressure]?” Kohli said, smilingly. “I’m pretty relaxed. I’m happy. I’m smiling. It’s fine, those are his views and [he can say] whatever he wants to say. I think it’s time we focus on our skills more than what Australia is saying or preparing like. I know these minds games in these press conferences are something they’re very good at.”We’re still going to play the cricket that we’ve played for the last two years and see where the series ends after the fourth game.”Kohli also refused to be drawn on the importance of stopping Smith, whose gritty knock at Pune defied the conditions and was his third century from his past seven Test innings, instead pointing to the fact that India gave Smith several lives during his second innings.”The whole team has to play well against Australia to win a Test match, that’s something we’ve identified,” said Kohli. “We’re not focusing on one player at all.”If we don’t hold onto our chances it doesn’t matter, at the end of the day, how many runs we score. We’re not focusing on one player only. The whole ten wickets have to be taken twice to win a Test match. The comments and headlines don’t matter. They never have, and we won’t base our cricket on it.”

The New South Wales top order put together a quartet of solid innings without anyone going on to a hundred in the ground-breaking Sheffield Shield match at Lincoln, near Christchurch

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2016
Scorecard2:41

Highlights – New South Wales v Western Australia, 1st day, Lincoln

The New South Wales top order put together a quartet of solid innings without anyone going on to a hundred in the ground-breaking Sheffield Shield match at Lincoln, near Christchurch.It was the first time in the history of the Shield that a match had been played beyond Australia’s borders, and on an evenly-grassed pitch at Bert Sutcliffe Oval the Western Australia captain Adam Voges elected to send the NSW in to bat.Ed Cowan (57) and Daniel Hughes (65) responded with a partnership that was at first considered then increasingly fluent, blunting the new ball and then adding some attractive strokes to the equation. They had added 116 and looked good for more when Cowan perished to the offbreaks of Ashton Turner.Hughes was to fall soon after, edging David Moody, who bowls seam up like his uncle Tom, through to Sam Whiteman, who was fit again after missing the Big Bash League through injury. Kurtis Patterson (75) and the captain Nic Maddinson (65) then played contrasting innings, the former’s more deliberate style offering a sound counterpoint to the latter’s aggression.They prospered for 104 runs in 24 overs, until Moody chimed in again to defeat Maddinson. The remainder of the day swung towards WA’s bowlers, as Ben Rohrer and Trent Copeland fell cheaply either side of Patterson’s exit. The Test gloveman Peter Nevill was left to hold the fort with Sean Abbott against the second new ball, with hope of building on the second morning.

Ali Khan slammed a six on the last ball of the one-over eliminator to clinch a victory for Khan Research Labs against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2013
One-over eliminator
ScorecardAbdul Razzaq’s 46 placed the chase nicely for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited•PCB

Ali Khan slammed a six on the last ball of the one-over eliminator to clinch a victory for Khan Research Labs against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in Karachi. After the match ended in a tie, ZTBL scored 15 in their quota of six balls. Khan Research Labs scored only five off the first three balls, but Ali Khan followed that with a four and two, and finished the match with a six when five were needed off the last ball.While chasing 132, Babar Azam and Alamgir Khan scored 12 runs off the last six balls to level the score. Needing 47 off the last five overs, Azam and Zafar Gohar slammed a six each in the next two overs to bring the equation down to 23 off 18. Zain Abbas brought Khan Research Labs back into the game, giving only three runs in the 18th over and dismissing Gohar on the last ball. When 13 were required from six, Azam hit a four on the second ball and once Alamgir took strike, he struck a four and scampered two runs off the last ball to end the match in a tie. Earlier, ZTBL were setup nicely into the chase by Abdul Razzaq’s 46 off 42 after the openers could not score more than 20 runs together. However, Razzaq was dismissed in the 13th over by Nauman Ali, who finished with 2 for 20, and Azam steered the innings from there.When Khan Research Labs were put in to bat, Mohammad Yasin and Zain Abbas provided them with a strong opening stand of 49. While Yasin was trapped lbw by Azam for 22, Abbas was run-out for 36. Azam struck again on the last ball of his last over with the wicket of Saeed Anwar jnr for 19 which left them at 94 for 3. Shoaib Ahmed’s unbeaten 31 took them to 131 as they scored 37 from the last six overs.