jade dernbach the Surrey pace bowler, is the only uncapped player in England's 27-man Performance Programme made up of the cricketers most likely to appear during the international season. There is also a place for Durham's Graham onions who ismaking good progress having recovered from the stress fracture of his back which forced him to miss the entire 2010 season.
Michael Yardy, who left the World Cup early due to depression, is among the squad as are wicketkeepers Craig Kieswetter and Steve Davies who will put pressure on Matt Prior for the one-day spot. The main purpose of the squad is to allow Andy Flower, the England team director, to manage the workload of key players during the summer.
Dernbach was called up to the World Cup after Yardy's departure but didn't get the chance to debut as England crashed to a 10-wicket defeat in the quarter-finals. However, he has been identified as another pace-bowling option as England look to bolster their stocks to manage a hectic international schedule.
"The England Performance Squad is designed to allow the selectors to monitor the development of international players and better prepare them for the demands of the international game," Geoff Miller, the national selector said. "We can name 30 players in the squad but as we did last season have decided to keep three places vacant at this stage and will reserve the right to add additional players to the squad if merited by individual performances during the course of the season.
"Jade Dernbach is a player whose progress we have been monitoring closely for some time and he has continued to impress the selectors over the winter with his performances for England Lions and the England Performance Programme. " Apart from Kieswetter, who was forced to miss the Twenty20 internationals in Australia due to injury, and Onions all the players in the programme have featured in a main England squad during the winter. The next batch of central contracts will be confirmed in May ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka.
Performance Programme Andrew Strauss,* James Anderson* Ian Bell*, Ravi Bopara+ Tim Bresnan+, Stuart Broad* Paul Collingwood *, Alastair Cook *, Steven Davies, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn* Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan+Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen* Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior *, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann* James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett+, Jonathon Trott* Chris Woakes, Luke Wright+, Michael Yardy+.
* denotes 11 players on 12-month ECB central contracts
+ denotes seven players on ECB increment contracts
বৃহস্পতিবার, ৩১ মার্চ, ২০১১
New Zealand-Bangladesh Tests postponed to 2012
New Zealand have, in consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, postponed their two-Test tour of Bangladesh scheduled for May-June this year to 2012, citing extremely hot and humid weather.
The Test series had initially been planned for late 2010 and was meant to be part of a tour also comprising three ODIs. But, in preparation for the World Cup, the teams agreed to play five ODIs (which New Zealand lost 0-4) and push the Tests to May-June this year. Now, those Tests have again been rescheduled.
"We welcome the decision and believe it is a sensible outcome," Justin Vaughan, the CEO of New Zealand Cricket, said after the BCB had accept the request for postponement. "Bangladesh is extremely hot and humid in May and June with cricket rarely played during that time of year.
"The option to postpone until 2012, where the cricket calendar is less cluttered, also gives our top players the option to freshen up after a long and intensive period of cricket."
The Test series had initially been planned for late 2010 and was meant to be part of a tour also comprising three ODIs. But, in preparation for the World Cup, the teams agreed to play five ODIs (which New Zealand lost 0-4) and push the Tests to May-June this year. Now, those Tests have again been rescheduled.
"We welcome the decision and believe it is a sensible outcome," Justin Vaughan, the CEO of New Zealand Cricket, said after the BCB had accept the request for postponement. "Bangladesh is extremely hot and humid in May and June with cricket rarely played during that time of year.
"The option to postpone until 2012, where the cricket calendar is less cluttered, also gives our top players the option to freshen up after a long and intensive period of cricket."
End of the Express
A shadow of the tearaway who once terrified batsmen, as well as cricket administrators worldwide, Shoaib Akhtar's career ended meekly, denied the headline farewell he cherished.
The 35-year-old, out of form and out of shape, was deemed surplus to requirements after being clobbered for 70 in nine overs against New Zealand at the World Cup.
That mauling prompted him to announce he'd retire after the tournament, but one last shot at India in the semifinals beckoned if only skipper Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis could be tempted to take the gamble.
They resisted and their caution was rewarded when Wahab Riaz, Shoaib's junior by 10 years, took a career-best five wickets to keep Pakistan in the game.
"We wanted Shoaib Akhtar to play but he was struggling," Afridi explained after Wednesday's 29-run defeat to their arch-rivals.
"We could not play someone who is at 50 percent or 60 percent of peak fitness. Riaz played in his place and you have seen his performance."
Shoaib had already admitted that time had caught up with him, opting to jump before he was pushed in an emotional retirement speech earlier in the tournament in Sri Lanka.
"Mentally I wanted to go on forever but I have decided to make way for the youngsters," he said.
"I have no regrets. I made lots of friends but some people have misunderstood me. It was an honour to have played with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. I never imagined I would play for Pakistan. It was my greatest moment."
Shoaib, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007.
He ended his career three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and took 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.
Shoaib, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tearaway days as one of Test cricket's most feared if unpredictable talents, once cracked the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.
His career will always be remembered for a series of fitness problems and discipline violations that put the brakes on achieving his true potential.
True to his volatile nature, he was fined $2,000 for breaching discipline after the defeat to New Zealand following an on-field spat.
The 35-year-old, out of form and out of shape, was deemed surplus to requirements after being clobbered for 70 in nine overs against New Zealand at the World Cup.
That mauling prompted him to announce he'd retire after the tournament, but one last shot at India in the semifinals beckoned if only skipper Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis could be tempted to take the gamble.
They resisted and their caution was rewarded when Wahab Riaz, Shoaib's junior by 10 years, took a career-best five wickets to keep Pakistan in the game.
"We wanted Shoaib Akhtar to play but he was struggling," Afridi explained after Wednesday's 29-run defeat to their arch-rivals.
"We could not play someone who is at 50 percent or 60 percent of peak fitness. Riaz played in his place and you have seen his performance."
Shoaib had already admitted that time had caught up with him, opting to jump before he was pushed in an emotional retirement speech earlier in the tournament in Sri Lanka.
"Mentally I wanted to go on forever but I have decided to make way for the youngsters," he said.
"I have no regrets. I made lots of friends but some people have misunderstood me. It was an honour to have played with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. I never imagined I would play for Pakistan. It was my greatest moment."
Shoaib, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007.
He ended his career three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and took 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.
Shoaib, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tearaway days as one of Test cricket's most feared if unpredictable talents, once cracked the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.
His career will always be remembered for a series of fitness problems and discipline violations that put the brakes on achieving his true potential.
True to his volatile nature, he was fined $2,000 for breaching discipline after the defeat to New Zealand following an on-field spat.
'Don't judge Dhoni on final'
Kapil Dev, the only man to captain an Indian World Cup winning side, said Thursday that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reputation as skipper should not depend on the result of Saturday's final against Sri Lanka.
Dhoni, having steered India past Pakistan in the semi-finals, is expected to complete the job with victory in Mumbai on Saturday to give the home side a second title to add to Kapil's 1983 breakthrough.
"I will never doubt Dhoni's credentials as a captain irrespective of the result of World Cup final," said Kapil.
"Lots of people believe that it's the ultimate result which will count but I believe otherwise.
"Look at Ricky Ponting. He has won two World Cups and after one bad World up he is out. That's not the way to judge a captain. So I would like that Dhoni not be judged by a win or loss. Instead, let's all wish him the very best."
Dhoni, having steered India past Pakistan in the semi-finals, is expected to complete the job with victory in Mumbai on Saturday to give the home side a second title to add to Kapil's 1983 breakthrough.
"I will never doubt Dhoni's credentials as a captain irrespective of the result of World Cup final," said Kapil.
"Lots of people believe that it's the ultimate result which will count but I believe otherwise.
"Look at Ricky Ponting. He has won two World Cups and after one bad World up he is out. That's not the way to judge a captain. So I would like that Dhoni not be judged by a win or loss. Instead, let's all wish him the very best."
SRILANKA READY FOR FINAL
Sri Lanka's coach Trevor Bayliss says his team can defeat favourites India in Saturday's World Cup final despite injury worries to star bowler Muttiah Muralidaran.
The world record holder, suffering from hamstring and knee injuries, skipped practice on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium, raising doubts of his availability for the title clash.
But Bayliss said the off-spinner, who turns 39 next month, was determined to take the field in his last international match.
"Chances are good that Murali will play," the coach said. "He completed 10 overs in the semifinal, and such is the character of the man that he will play even with discomfort."
Sri Lanka are also sweating over all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who picked up a side strain during the semifinal win over New Zealand in Colombo on Tuesday.
Veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas, 37, and off-spinner Suraj Randiv are being flown in as cover for the injured duo, but Bayliss confirmed Sri Lanka had not applied to the International Cricket Council for replacements.
"We have asked for them just to be on the safe side, but Muralidaran and Mathews will be given as long as possible to prove their fitness," the coach said.
Bayliss was confident Sri Lanka had a good chance to win their second World Cup title after 1996.
"We have played good cricket through the tournament and have done well against India in the past," he said.
"The pressure will be on India since they are playing at home, but we are familiar with the conditions in Mumbai."
While India will be playing at the refurbished 33,000-capacity Wankhede Stadium for the first time, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 112 runs in a league match at the ground on March 18.
Sri Lanka, runners-up to Australia in 2007, marched into their second successive final after losing just one match out of eight in the tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara's men, playing at home in Colombo, thrashed England by 10 wickets in the quarterfinal before delivering a five-wicket blow to New Zealand in the semifinal.
Sri Lanka have prevailed in recent one-dayers against India, winning six of the 10 matches played last year in Dhaka, Harare, Bulawayo and Dambulla.
But India have won five of seven matches against the Islanders on home soil over the last five years.
The world record holder, suffering from hamstring and knee injuries, skipped practice on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium, raising doubts of his availability for the title clash.
But Bayliss said the off-spinner, who turns 39 next month, was determined to take the field in his last international match.
"Chances are good that Murali will play," the coach said. "He completed 10 overs in the semifinal, and such is the character of the man that he will play even with discomfort."
Sri Lanka are also sweating over all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who picked up a side strain during the semifinal win over New Zealand in Colombo on Tuesday.
Veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas, 37, and off-spinner Suraj Randiv are being flown in as cover for the injured duo, but Bayliss confirmed Sri Lanka had not applied to the International Cricket Council for replacements.
"We have asked for them just to be on the safe side, but Muralidaran and Mathews will be given as long as possible to prove their fitness," the coach said.
Bayliss was confident Sri Lanka had a good chance to win their second World Cup title after 1996.
"We have played good cricket through the tournament and have done well against India in the past," he said.
"The pressure will be on India since they are playing at home, but we are familiar with the conditions in Mumbai."
While India will be playing at the refurbished 33,000-capacity Wankhede Stadium for the first time, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 112 runs in a league match at the ground on March 18.
Sri Lanka, runners-up to Australia in 2007, marched into their second successive final after losing just one match out of eight in the tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara's men, playing at home in Colombo, thrashed England by 10 wickets in the quarterfinal before delivering a five-wicket blow to New Zealand in the semifinal.
Sri Lanka have prevailed in recent one-dayers against India, winning six of the 10 matches played last year in Dhaka, Harare, Bulawayo and Dambulla.
But India have won five of seven matches against the Islanders on home soil over the last five years.
Mumbai ready for Tendulkar fairytale
A billion hearts will beat for Sachin Tendulkar as India bid for their second World Cup title in the all-Asian final against buoyant Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Tendulkar returns to his home turf at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai determined to add the only silverware missing from the collection of the most celebrated cricketer of the modern era.
The Indian star, who turns 38 next month, holds almost all coveted batting records, but not even his individual brilliance could win the ultimate prize in a team sport like cricket.
In five previous appearances in cricket's showpiece event, Tendulkar helped India reach the semifinal at home in 1996 and finish runners-up to Australia in 2003 in South Africa.
When India won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, Tendulkar was 10 years old, but five of his current teammates -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel -- were not even born.
Playing in his sixth and possibly last World Cup, a record he shares with Pakistan great Javed Miandad, Tendulkar has led from the front to lift India into the final.
His 464 runs in the tournament are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's 467, and he goes into the title clash one ton away from recording an unprecedented 100 international centuries.
Tendulkar's lucky 85 in Wednesday's semifinal against Pakistan, when he was dropped four times and survived close leg-before and stumping decisions, suggests he was destined to play the final.
"It will be a fantasic occasion," Tendulkar said of the match in his home city. "We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done.”
Even the International Cricket Council will be delighted how the tournament has panned out.
"Can you imagine a fairytale ending with Tendulkar getting a hundred in the final and India wins at Wankhede which is his home ground?," ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat had said last week.
The task ahead will not be easy against a supremely confident Sri Lanka, who have marched into their second successive final after losing just one match out of eight in the tournament.
Tendulkar returns to his home turf at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai determined to add the only silverware missing from the collection of the most celebrated cricketer of the modern era.
The Indian star, who turns 38 next month, holds almost all coveted batting records, but not even his individual brilliance could win the ultimate prize in a team sport like cricket.
In five previous appearances in cricket's showpiece event, Tendulkar helped India reach the semifinal at home in 1996 and finish runners-up to Australia in 2003 in South Africa.
When India won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, Tendulkar was 10 years old, but five of his current teammates -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel -- were not even born.
Playing in his sixth and possibly last World Cup, a record he shares with Pakistan great Javed Miandad, Tendulkar has led from the front to lift India into the final.
His 464 runs in the tournament are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's 467, and he goes into the title clash one ton away from recording an unprecedented 100 international centuries.
Tendulkar's lucky 85 in Wednesday's semifinal against Pakistan, when he was dropped four times and survived close leg-before and stumping decisions, suggests he was destined to play the final.
"It will be a fantasic occasion," Tendulkar said of the match in his home city. "We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done.”
Even the International Cricket Council will be delighted how the tournament has panned out.
"Can you imagine a fairytale ending with Tendulkar getting a hundred in the final and India wins at Wankhede which is his home ground?," ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat had said last week.
The task ahead will not be easy against a supremely confident Sri Lanka, who have marched into their second successive final after losing just one match out of eight in the tournament.
Will it be Sachin or Murali?
Legends Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralidaran face-off in a mouth-watering duel for the last time when India and Sri Lanka clash in the World Cup final on Saturday.
The contest between the world's leading batsman and highest wicket-taker in their final appearance in cricket's showpiece event will add spice to the big game at the Wankhede Stadium.
Muralidaran, who turns 39 next month, will leave international cricket after the World Cup with more Test (800) and one-day (534 so far) wickets than any bowler in history.
Tendulkar's batting skills have not diminished even as he celebrates his 38th birthday next month, but he is unlikely to make a record seventh World Cup appearance in 2015.
A World Cup title has eluded the Indian star despite being the sport's most successful batsman with a record 32,785 runs and 99 centuries in Test and one-day cricket.
Muralidaran tasted World Cup glory in his maiden appearance in 1996 when Arjuna Ranatunga's men stunned Australia in the final in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
The ageing superstars have led from the front in this tournament to carry their teams into the final.
Tendulkar's 464 runs in eight matches are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's record tally of 467, while the wily Muralidaran has claimed 15 wickets despite battling injuries.
Muralidaran has soldiered on bravely over the past six weeks despite being afflicted by hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.
An appreciative Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said winning the World Cup for Muralidaran has motivated his team.
"Murali is a legend to bowl virtually on one leg and still get wickets," the captain said.
"He is the icon of Sri Lanka, on and off the field, a fantastic human being and a great team man."
The off-spinner is the only player from either side to enjoy a World Cup triumph.
Tendulkar was 10 years old when India won the tournament under Kapil Dev in 1983, while five of his current teammates -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel -- were not even born.
India's South African coach Gary Kirsten, who played against Tendulkar in the 1990, regards the batting star as his hero and the "backbone" of the team.
"It has been an absolute honour and previlege to share the same dressing room as Sachin," said Kirsten, who will step down as coach after the final to spend more time with his family.
"There is nothing to teach Sachin. In fact, I have learnt a lot myself just watching him prepare for a game. He is my hero."
Win or lose, fans will relish the sight of the two old warriors battling under the hot sun. They do not make cricketers like them any more.
The contest between the world's leading batsman and highest wicket-taker in their final appearance in cricket's showpiece event will add spice to the big game at the Wankhede Stadium.
Muralidaran, who turns 39 next month, will leave international cricket after the World Cup with more Test (800) and one-day (534 so far) wickets than any bowler in history.
Tendulkar's batting skills have not diminished even as he celebrates his 38th birthday next month, but he is unlikely to make a record seventh World Cup appearance in 2015.
A World Cup title has eluded the Indian star despite being the sport's most successful batsman with a record 32,785 runs and 99 centuries in Test and one-day cricket.
Muralidaran tasted World Cup glory in his maiden appearance in 1996 when Arjuna Ranatunga's men stunned Australia in the final in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
The ageing superstars have led from the front in this tournament to carry their teams into the final.
Tendulkar's 464 runs in eight matches are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's record tally of 467, while the wily Muralidaran has claimed 15 wickets despite battling injuries.
Muralidaran has soldiered on bravely over the past six weeks despite being afflicted by hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.
An appreciative Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said winning the World Cup for Muralidaran has motivated his team.
"Murali is a legend to bowl virtually on one leg and still get wickets," the captain said.
"He is the icon of Sri Lanka, on and off the field, a fantastic human being and a great team man."
The off-spinner is the only player from either side to enjoy a World Cup triumph.
Tendulkar was 10 years old when India won the tournament under Kapil Dev in 1983, while five of his current teammates -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel -- were not even born.
India's South African coach Gary Kirsten, who played against Tendulkar in the 1990, regards the batting star as his hero and the "backbone" of the team.
"It has been an absolute honour and previlege to share the same dressing room as Sachin," said Kirsten, who will step down as coach after the final to spend more time with his family.
"There is nothing to teach Sachin. In fact, I have learnt a lot myself just watching him prepare for a game. He is my hero."
Win or lose, fans will relish the sight of the two old warriors battling under the hot sun. They do not make cricketers like them any more.
Dhoni staying cool
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni warned his team to ignore the hype and national hysteria that will dominate the frenetic build-up to Saturday's World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
India, riding a wave of patriotic emotion, swept past arch-rivals Pakistan by 29 runs in Wednesday's highly-charged semifinal and will aim for a second world title in Mumbai to add to their 1983 triumph.
"There'll be plenty of things happening around us, like in this game, but what's important is not to get distracted. We all know what our jobs our as professional cricketers so we'll stick to that," insisted Dhoni.
"Sri Lanka are a very good side and they have done really well so far in the tournament.
"The format's really helped us. We had quite a few close games where the youngsters were really tested at the crease. I think slowly they're getting into the groove."
India made 260 for nine against Pakistan after Dhoni won the toss, a total that owed much to man-of-the-match Sachin Tendulkar's fortuitous 85 with the superstar batsman dropped four times.
But the India bowling attack, seen by some as the team's weak link, then proved its worth with all five members taking two wickets apiece.
Recalled left-arm quick Ashish Nehra led the way with two for 33 as Pakistan were dismissed for 231.
"I felt after the end of the first innings 260 was a good score, I wouldn't say it was a safe score because it was important not to give away too many runs with the new ball," added the captain.
Turning to Tendulkar, who will have a chance to score his hundredth international century on his home ground in the final, Dhoni said: "I think he batted really well and when he's there he makes it really easy for the others to score because he guides them really well.
"If you bat with Sachin for 15 games you have the kind of experience you'd have after 50 games."
But what really filled Dhoni with confidence was the India squad's spirit.
"The team unity, the way we are backing each other and not criticising any player. If somebody is having a bad time on the field we are making sure he is wanted and everybody is helping each other," he explained.
"I'm proud of the side that I've got. You can see a definite difference between the fielding we did back in a few series and now.
"They're giving more than 100 percent for the World Cup. You can't always control the result but you can always control the amount of effort you put in so that's what's in our hands and that's what we're doing."
One concern for Dhoni is his own batting form.
He managed just 25 against Pakistan and so far this World Cup has scored a modest 150 runs at an average of 30.
"I've not scored too many runs, but at the same time more often than not when you walk into bat you're under considerable pressure with four or five batsmen down," said India's number six.
"Hopefully the final will be better," said Dhoni.
India, riding a wave of patriotic emotion, swept past arch-rivals Pakistan by 29 runs in Wednesday's highly-charged semifinal and will aim for a second world title in Mumbai to add to their 1983 triumph.
"There'll be plenty of things happening around us, like in this game, but what's important is not to get distracted. We all know what our jobs our as professional cricketers so we'll stick to that," insisted Dhoni.
"Sri Lanka are a very good side and they have done really well so far in the tournament.
"The format's really helped us. We had quite a few close games where the youngsters were really tested at the crease. I think slowly they're getting into the groove."
India made 260 for nine against Pakistan after Dhoni won the toss, a total that owed much to man-of-the-match Sachin Tendulkar's fortuitous 85 with the superstar batsman dropped four times.
But the India bowling attack, seen by some as the team's weak link, then proved its worth with all five members taking two wickets apiece.
Recalled left-arm quick Ashish Nehra led the way with two for 33 as Pakistan were dismissed for 231.
"I felt after the end of the first innings 260 was a good score, I wouldn't say it was a safe score because it was important not to give away too many runs with the new ball," added the captain.
Turning to Tendulkar, who will have a chance to score his hundredth international century on his home ground in the final, Dhoni said: "I think he batted really well and when he's there he makes it really easy for the others to score because he guides them really well.
"If you bat with Sachin for 15 games you have the kind of experience you'd have after 50 games."
But what really filled Dhoni with confidence was the India squad's spirit.
"The team unity, the way we are backing each other and not criticising any player. If somebody is having a bad time on the field we are making sure he is wanted and everybody is helping each other," he explained.
"I'm proud of the side that I've got. You can see a definite difference between the fielding we did back in a few series and now.
"They're giving more than 100 percent for the World Cup. You can't always control the result but you can always control the amount of effort you put in so that's what's in our hands and that's what we're doing."
One concern for Dhoni is his own batting form.
He managed just 25 against Pakistan and so far this World Cup has scored a modest 150 runs at an average of 30.
"I've not scored too many runs, but at the same time more often than not when you walk into bat you're under considerable pressure with four or five batsmen down," said India's number six.
"Hopefully the final will be better," said Dhoni.
Fans accuse Misbah
Disappointed Pakistani cricket fans on Wednesday blamed a sluggish Misbahul Haq for defeat in the World Cup semifinal thriller with arch-rival India.
India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in an action-packed match to set up a World Cup final showdown with Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Saturday, leaving fans across cricket-loving Pakistan dejected.
"We lost because of Misbah, as he did not score well when it was most required," angry fan Awais Shakir told AFP on Islamabad's main Jinnah Avenue as thousands of disappointed viewers were leaving screenings of the match.
"He just wasted time on the pitch."
Fans in other Pakistani cities which ground to a halt for the game also criticised Misbah, who scored a lacklustre 56 from 76 balls. His slow play pushed the Pakistan towards defeat before the 50th over.
For schoolteacher Hazrat Ali, it was disappointing -- but not the end of the game.
"Defeat and win is part of the game. Our team will win next time," he said.
In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, engineer Mohammad Ali said: "It was a great contest all along and the day belonged to India. However Misbah and Younis Khan were very lazy."
The government had declared a half-day holiday in offices and schools to enable the cricket-mad population to enjoy the game.
Special prayers were offered in mosques and at homes, and people recited verses from the Koran, praying to Allah to guide the Pakistani team to victory.
By the evening all major roads in several Pakistani cities were gridlocked with cars, motorcycles and jubilant revellers, but the festive atmosphere turned tense as the Pakistani batting line began to fall before India.
Power cuts sparked protests by hundreds of angry spectators who blocked a main highway in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.
Motorists listened to the commentary on their car radios and shouted out the latest score to passers-by at a busy intersection in Islamabad.
Excitement reached fever pitch as shopkeepers flogged green T-shirts, caps and souvenirs, and networking sites Facebook and Twitter buzzed with comments on the wickets' falls and player's performance -- and prayers for the squad.
Young people were seen wearing the green T-shirts of the Pakistani squad, their faces painted in the nation's green and white, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, while large national flags flew from buildings, houses and cars.
In the eastern city of Lahore, which borders with India, more than 20,000 Pakistanis thronged the Gaddafi stadium to witness the match on large screens. Entry was free and people formed long queues to get in.
In Karachi residents blocked many roads and set up huge screens to watch the live broadcast from the Indian town of Mohali.
India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in an action-packed match to set up a World Cup final showdown with Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Saturday, leaving fans across cricket-loving Pakistan dejected.
"We lost because of Misbah, as he did not score well when it was most required," angry fan Awais Shakir told AFP on Islamabad's main Jinnah Avenue as thousands of disappointed viewers were leaving screenings of the match.
"He just wasted time on the pitch."
Fans in other Pakistani cities which ground to a halt for the game also criticised Misbah, who scored a lacklustre 56 from 76 balls. His slow play pushed the Pakistan towards defeat before the 50th over.
For schoolteacher Hazrat Ali, it was disappointing -- but not the end of the game.
"Defeat and win is part of the game. Our team will win next time," he said.
In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, engineer Mohammad Ali said: "It was a great contest all along and the day belonged to India. However Misbah and Younis Khan were very lazy."
The government had declared a half-day holiday in offices and schools to enable the cricket-mad population to enjoy the game.
Special prayers were offered in mosques and at homes, and people recited verses from the Koran, praying to Allah to guide the Pakistani team to victory.
By the evening all major roads in several Pakistani cities were gridlocked with cars, motorcycles and jubilant revellers, but the festive atmosphere turned tense as the Pakistani batting line began to fall before India.
Power cuts sparked protests by hundreds of angry spectators who blocked a main highway in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.
Motorists listened to the commentary on their car radios and shouted out the latest score to passers-by at a busy intersection in Islamabad.
Excitement reached fever pitch as shopkeepers flogged green T-shirts, caps and souvenirs, and networking sites Facebook and Twitter buzzed with comments on the wickets' falls and player's performance -- and prayers for the squad.
Young people were seen wearing the green T-shirts of the Pakistani squad, their faces painted in the nation's green and white, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, while large national flags flew from buildings, houses and cars.
In the eastern city of Lahore, which borders with India, more than 20,000 Pakistanis thronged the Gaddafi stadium to witness the match on large screens. Entry was free and people formed long queues to get in.
In Karachi residents blocked many roads and set up huge screens to watch the live broadcast from the Indian town of Mohali.
Future bright, says Afridi
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said the performance of his side's younger players had been among the positives of a World Cup campaign that ended with a 29-run semifinal loss to India.
And he said he hoped Wednesday's match, watched by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, would be the catalyst for more games on Indian soil.
Pakistan have been unable to play matches at home since an armed attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009.
Now Afridi wants to see the restoration of normal cricket ties with India as part of his country's sporting rehabilitation.
"We want to play in India, we have shown them our hospitality in the past, I hope they do so too," the all-rounder said.
Pakistan saw 25-year-old left-arm quick Wahab Riaz take a career-best five for 46 as India were held to 260 for nine in the semifinal.
But the Pakistan innings struggled to get going in the face of accurate Indian bowling.
Only 20-year-old Umar Akmal threatened to keep up with the run-rate whilst Misbahul Haq faced 76 balls for his 56 before the 36-year-old was last man out.
"I'm proud of my team, the boys have really done a great job in this competition. We played as a unit and no-one was expecting us to play cricket like this so I'm very happy as a captain," said Afridi.
"I think the youngsters really performed well. Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal played well and I hope they will do well in the future. I think we have played better than in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups," said Afridi.
Pakistan cricket has been under a cloud since last year's 'spot-fixing' scandal in England which led to bans for new-ball duo Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif as well as former Test captain Salman Butt.
"It has been a difficult 10 months for us," Afridi said. "I am thankful to my board officials and team management for backing me.
"We had a rickety team coming into the World Cup and considering that it has been a good performance."
As for Riaz, he added: "We didn't bowl well with the new ball, but because of his bowling we came back, otherwise I thought they would have scored about 300. It was a great bowling performance from him."
Riaz was selected after Pakistan felt they could not risk Shoaib Akhtar, meaning there was no fairytale farewell for the 'Rawalpindi Express', who had said he would retire from international cricket after the World Cup.
"We wanted Shoaib Akhtar to play but he was struggling," Afridi explained. "We could not play someone who is at 50 percent or 60 percent of peak fitness. Riaz played in his place and you have seen his performance.
India's total of 260 for nine was built on Sachin Tendulkar's 85 but Pakistan did not help their cause by dropping the man-of-the-match four times.
However, Afridi eventually held the chance that ensured his pre-match prediction that Wednesday would not be the day when Tendulkar scored his 100th international hundred came true.
"I want to congratulate the India team and the whole nation. I think they deserved to win," Afridi said.
"I think we made some big mistakes in the fielding, we dropped some catches, like for Sachin. Like I told you, Sachin didn't score a hundred."
India now face Sri Lanka, beaten by Pakistan in the group phase, in Saturday's final in Mumbai and Afridi could not pick a winner.
"Both teams are playing very good cricket, both teams are well balanced."
And he said he hoped Wednesday's match, watched by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, would be the catalyst for more games on Indian soil.
Pakistan have been unable to play matches at home since an armed attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009.
Now Afridi wants to see the restoration of normal cricket ties with India as part of his country's sporting rehabilitation.
"We want to play in India, we have shown them our hospitality in the past, I hope they do so too," the all-rounder said.
Pakistan saw 25-year-old left-arm quick Wahab Riaz take a career-best five for 46 as India were held to 260 for nine in the semifinal.
But the Pakistan innings struggled to get going in the face of accurate Indian bowling.
Only 20-year-old Umar Akmal threatened to keep up with the run-rate whilst Misbahul Haq faced 76 balls for his 56 before the 36-year-old was last man out.
"I'm proud of my team, the boys have really done a great job in this competition. We played as a unit and no-one was expecting us to play cricket like this so I'm very happy as a captain," said Afridi.
"I think the youngsters really performed well. Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal played well and I hope they will do well in the future. I think we have played better than in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups," said Afridi.
Pakistan cricket has been under a cloud since last year's 'spot-fixing' scandal in England which led to bans for new-ball duo Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif as well as former Test captain Salman Butt.
"It has been a difficult 10 months for us," Afridi said. "I am thankful to my board officials and team management for backing me.
"We had a rickety team coming into the World Cup and considering that it has been a good performance."
As for Riaz, he added: "We didn't bowl well with the new ball, but because of his bowling we came back, otherwise I thought they would have scored about 300. It was a great bowling performance from him."
Riaz was selected after Pakistan felt they could not risk Shoaib Akhtar, meaning there was no fairytale farewell for the 'Rawalpindi Express', who had said he would retire from international cricket after the World Cup.
"We wanted Shoaib Akhtar to play but he was struggling," Afridi explained. "We could not play someone who is at 50 percent or 60 percent of peak fitness. Riaz played in his place and you have seen his performance.
India's total of 260 for nine was built on Sachin Tendulkar's 85 but Pakistan did not help their cause by dropping the man-of-the-match four times.
However, Afridi eventually held the chance that ensured his pre-match prediction that Wednesday would not be the day when Tendulkar scored his 100th international hundred came true.
"I want to congratulate the India team and the whole nation. I think they deserved to win," Afridi said.
"I think we made some big mistakes in the fielding, we dropped some catches, like for Sachin. Like I told you, Sachin didn't score a hundred."
India now face Sri Lanka, beaten by Pakistan in the group phase, in Saturday's final in Mumbai and Afridi could not pick a winner.
"Both teams are playing very good cricket, both teams are well balanced."
Clarke vows to repair puzzling unpopularity
Freshly anointed Test captain Michael Clarke admits he faces a challenge to win over the hearts and minds of a divided Australian public but has vowed to remain ''true to myself'' as he prepares to lead the one-day side to Bangladesh.
Clarke, 29, was yesterday confirmed as the new Test and 50-over captain a day after the resignation of Ricky Ponting. Shane Watson was promoted to vice-captain.
The new leadership duo's first task is overseeing an Australia team, which will include Ponting, for a one-day series against Bangladesh beginning on April 9.
Clarke acknowledged he had a big challenge on his hands to convince many outside the inner sanctum of Cricket Australia of his merits.
The Australia captaincy is, quite rightly, not a popularity contest but the new title bearer showed a willingness to address the subject yesterday.
''No doubt it's about how I conduct myself on and off the field,'' Clarke said.
''I need to continue to be true to myself. People are entitled to their own opinion. But it's important that I'm doing everything in the best interests of the team.''
Clarke remains at a loss to explain the leanness in public affinity towards him, the most infamous example of which was the booing of him by large sections of the crowd at the Gabba when he walked on to the ground during a one-day match against England in January.
However, as the winds of change begin to blow through Australian cricket, he appears determined to do his utmost to turn around the knockers in the course of leading the team out of its lowly ranking of fifth in the Test standings.
''I don't know the exact reasons why it's there but it is and I've had it probably my whole career,'' Clarke said of the criticism he had faced.
''I certainly don't sit here and believe I can get the whole of this country to like me.
''People are always going to have their own views but to me it's about respect.
''It's about earning that respect, leading the team in the right way, playing cricket in the right manner and hopefully I can earn the respect of the doubters that are out there''I think the public has seen a lot of who I am.
''I certainly believe they'll get to see a lot more now that I've been given this opportunity.
''I don't think I've changed too much to be honest.
''Maybe my address has changed and I have a few more tattoos than as a kid, but I think the person inside is still exactly the same''
Clarke, at least, has the full backing of Ponting, who will now revert to being a batsman in the Australia line-up whose place is dependent, presumably, on form.
Ponting indicated on Tuesday he was more than happy to continue offering advice while respecting Clarke's leadership. The incoming skipper said Ponting's input would be more than welcome.
''I hope it does happen,'' Clarke said. ''I would love that to happen. He's got amazing experience, he's been an amazing cricket player. I'll continue to learn from him.
''I think Bangladesh will be a great test for that to see how it all unfolds. I know he'll allow me do my job to the best of my ability.
''I'm confident that if he can continue to play as well as he has done for such a long time, I'm certain it can work.''
Watson assumes the vice-captaincy of the Test, one-day and Twenty20 sides, the latter as deputy to Cameron White, as well as the unspoken title as a potential captain-in-waiting.
Clarke, 29, was yesterday confirmed as the new Test and 50-over captain a day after the resignation of Ricky Ponting. Shane Watson was promoted to vice-captain.
The new leadership duo's first task is overseeing an Australia team, which will include Ponting, for a one-day series against Bangladesh beginning on April 9.
Clarke acknowledged he had a big challenge on his hands to convince many outside the inner sanctum of Cricket Australia of his merits.
The Australia captaincy is, quite rightly, not a popularity contest but the new title bearer showed a willingness to address the subject yesterday.
''No doubt it's about how I conduct myself on and off the field,'' Clarke said.
''I need to continue to be true to myself. People are entitled to their own opinion. But it's important that I'm doing everything in the best interests of the team.''
Clarke remains at a loss to explain the leanness in public affinity towards him, the most infamous example of which was the booing of him by large sections of the crowd at the Gabba when he walked on to the ground during a one-day match against England in January.
However, as the winds of change begin to blow through Australian cricket, he appears determined to do his utmost to turn around the knockers in the course of leading the team out of its lowly ranking of fifth in the Test standings.
''I don't know the exact reasons why it's there but it is and I've had it probably my whole career,'' Clarke said of the criticism he had faced.
''I certainly don't sit here and believe I can get the whole of this country to like me.
''People are always going to have their own views but to me it's about respect.
''It's about earning that respect, leading the team in the right way, playing cricket in the right manner and hopefully I can earn the respect of the doubters that are out there''I think the public has seen a lot of who I am.
''I certainly believe they'll get to see a lot more now that I've been given this opportunity.
''I don't think I've changed too much to be honest.
''Maybe my address has changed and I have a few more tattoos than as a kid, but I think the person inside is still exactly the same''
Clarke, at least, has the full backing of Ponting, who will now revert to being a batsman in the Australia line-up whose place is dependent, presumably, on form.
Ponting indicated on Tuesday he was more than happy to continue offering advice while respecting Clarke's leadership. The incoming skipper said Ponting's input would be more than welcome.
''I hope it does happen,'' Clarke said. ''I would love that to happen. He's got amazing experience, he's been an amazing cricket player. I'll continue to learn from him.
''I think Bangladesh will be a great test for that to see how it all unfolds. I know he'll allow me do my job to the best of my ability.
''I'm confident that if he can continue to play as well as he has done for such a long time, I'm certain it can work.''
Watson assumes the vice-captaincy of the Test, one-day and Twenty20 sides, the latter as deputy to Cameron White, as well as the unspoken title as a potential captain-in-waiting.
Rajshahi made to follow-on
Dhaka dominated with the ball against Rajshahi in the third day of the National League yesterday.
In reply to Dhaka's huge 500, Rajshahi folded cheaply in their first innings, being dismissed for only 174 runs after resuming the day at 92-3. Anisur Rahman was the top scorer with 59 off 108 in which he hammered nine boundaries. Left-arm duo, Elias Sunny and Mosharraf Hossain shone. The former took three for 34 while Mosharraf Hossain, following his brilliant century with the bat, claimed two for 32.
Dhaka enforced the follow-on, and sent in to bat again, Rajshahi improved, scoring 155 for the loss of two wickets. They still trail by 171 runs with a day left to play. Opener Myshukur Rahman looks set for back-to-back centuries after finishing the day on 89 from 142 balls. Fifty of Myshukur's runs came in boundaries in the form of 11 fours and one six. Farhad Hossain played a steady innings of 47, but fell to Elias just four overs before the end of the days play. Farhad Reza was the other unbeaten batsman on three.
It was another seven wicket haul by Sylhet's young sensation Shaker Ahmed, which managed to give them a 39-run first innings lead against Chittagong at the BKSP.
This was the second consecutive time Shaker picked up seven wickets. n the last match against Barisal, he bagged 7-87. Shaker's magic left-arm bowling earned him seven all important wickets for just 78 runs. Only Faisal Hossain managed 53 runs, but he too fell to Shaker.
Sylhet could not capitalize and they finished the day losing six wickets for only 80 runs. Tasamul on 28 and Golam Mabud on seven were at the crease. Abdullah Al Mamun struck twice to send both Imtiaz Hossain and Golam Rahman for zero.
Meanwhile in Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Stadium, Barisal took a slim three run lead in their first innings against Khulna after they declared on 200-9. Resuming the day on 93-5, Nasiruddin Faruque hit five boundaries in his calm innings of 70 from 183 which helped Barisal to reach the 200 mark.
Khulna in their second innings were 92 for three with 72 of those runs coming from the bat of Robiul Islam who hit nine boundaries in his knock. Monir Hossain, Shohag Gazi and Shafaq Al Zabir claimed one wicket each.
BRIEF SCORES
DHAKA: First inns 500 all out (Sharif 147*, Mosharraf 104; Sanjamul 3-184, Shubhashish 2-31).
RAJSHAHI: First inns 174 all out (Anisur 59, Sanjamul 24; Sunny 3-34, Mosharraf 2-32) and second inns 155-2 (Myshukur 89 n.o., Farhad 47; Mahbubul 1-16)
SYLHET: First inns 273 all out and second inns 80-6 (Tasamul 28 n.o.,Rajin 11; Mamun 2-10, Kamrul 1-15)
CHITTAGONG: First inns 234 all out (Mominul 72, Karim 62; Shaker 7-78, Nabil 2-49)
KHULNA: First inns 197 all out and second inns 92-3(Rabiul 72, Tapash 16)
BARISAL: First inns 200-9 dec. (Nasiruddin 70, Fazle 47; Nizamuddin 4-49, Bishwanath 3-48)
In reply to Dhaka's huge 500, Rajshahi folded cheaply in their first innings, being dismissed for only 174 runs after resuming the day at 92-3. Anisur Rahman was the top scorer with 59 off 108 in which he hammered nine boundaries. Left-arm duo, Elias Sunny and Mosharraf Hossain shone. The former took three for 34 while Mosharraf Hossain, following his brilliant century with the bat, claimed two for 32.
Dhaka enforced the follow-on, and sent in to bat again, Rajshahi improved, scoring 155 for the loss of two wickets. They still trail by 171 runs with a day left to play. Opener Myshukur Rahman looks set for back-to-back centuries after finishing the day on 89 from 142 balls. Fifty of Myshukur's runs came in boundaries in the form of 11 fours and one six. Farhad Hossain played a steady innings of 47, but fell to Elias just four overs before the end of the days play. Farhad Reza was the other unbeaten batsman on three.
It was another seven wicket haul by Sylhet's young sensation Shaker Ahmed, which managed to give them a 39-run first innings lead against Chittagong at the BKSP.
This was the second consecutive time Shaker picked up seven wickets. n the last match against Barisal, he bagged 7-87. Shaker's magic left-arm bowling earned him seven all important wickets for just 78 runs. Only Faisal Hossain managed 53 runs, but he too fell to Shaker.
Sylhet could not capitalize and they finished the day losing six wickets for only 80 runs. Tasamul on 28 and Golam Mabud on seven were at the crease. Abdullah Al Mamun struck twice to send both Imtiaz Hossain and Golam Rahman for zero.
Meanwhile in Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Stadium, Barisal took a slim three run lead in their first innings against Khulna after they declared on 200-9. Resuming the day on 93-5, Nasiruddin Faruque hit five boundaries in his calm innings of 70 from 183 which helped Barisal to reach the 200 mark.
Khulna in their second innings were 92 for three with 72 of those runs coming from the bat of Robiul Islam who hit nine boundaries in his knock. Monir Hossain, Shohag Gazi and Shafaq Al Zabir claimed one wicket each.
BRIEF SCORES
DHAKA: First inns 500 all out (Sharif 147*, Mosharraf 104; Sanjamul 3-184, Shubhashish 2-31).
RAJSHAHI: First inns 174 all out (Anisur 59, Sanjamul 24; Sunny 3-34, Mosharraf 2-32) and second inns 155-2 (Myshukur 89 n.o., Farhad 47; Mahbubul 1-16)
SYLHET: First inns 273 all out and second inns 80-6 (Tasamul 28 n.o.,Rajin 11; Mamun 2-10, Kamrul 1-15)
CHITTAGONG: First inns 234 all out (Mominul 72, Karim 62; Shaker 7-78, Nabil 2-49)
KHULNA: First inns 197 all out and second inns 92-3(Rabiul 72, Tapash 16)
BARISAL: First inns 200-9 dec. (Nasiruddin 70, Fazle 47; Nizamuddin 4-49, Bishwanath 3-48)
* Sport * England cricket team Paul Collingwood faces knee surgery to save England career
* Sport
* England cricket team
Paul Collingwood faces knee surgery to save England career
• Veteran all-rounder to have operation after World Cup
• Collingwood to miss first half of Indian Premier League
After a disappointing winter the spring is unlikely to be much better for Paul Collingwood now that he faces knee surgery in order to prolong his England career.
The 34-year-old, who has already retired from Test cricket after scoring only 83 runs in his six Ashes innings, will miss at least the first half of the Indian Premier League that begins six days after the World Cup final. The Durham all-rounder is contracted to play for Rajasthan Royals.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Collingwood has a chronic knee complaint which requires key-hole surgery. He had a scan on both knees during the early stages of the World Cup but has been visibly struggling during practice sessions.
He was dropped after the defeat by Ireland but returned against Bangladesh when England lost by two wickets. He was not selected for the last group game against West Indies, which England had to win to stay in the tournament. They face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals in Colombo on Saturday.
Collingwood says he wants to continue playing one-day internationals and to continue as Twenty20 captain but after 68 Tests, 197 ODIs and 35 Twenty20 Internationals he is in his twilight years and surgery could be his last hope.
* England cricket team
Paul Collingwood faces knee surgery to save England career
• Veteran all-rounder to have operation after World Cup
• Collingwood to miss first half of Indian Premier League
After a disappointing winter the spring is unlikely to be much better for Paul Collingwood now that he faces knee surgery in order to prolong his England career.
The 34-year-old, who has already retired from Test cricket after scoring only 83 runs in his six Ashes innings, will miss at least the first half of the Indian Premier League that begins six days after the World Cup final. The Durham all-rounder is contracted to play for Rajasthan Royals.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Collingwood has a chronic knee complaint which requires key-hole surgery. He had a scan on both knees during the early stages of the World Cup but has been visibly struggling during practice sessions.
He was dropped after the defeat by Ireland but returned against Bangladesh when England lost by two wickets. He was not selected for the last group game against West Indies, which England had to win to stay in the tournament. They face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals in Colombo on Saturday.
Collingwood says he wants to continue playing one-day internationals and to continue as Twenty20 captain but after 68 Tests, 197 ODIs and 35 Twenty20 Internationals he is in his twilight years and surgery could be his last hope.
Cricket diplomacy working fine
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday to watch the cricket World Cup semifinal between their rival countries.
The two men were seated in the VIP box for the national anthems before heading on to the pitch at the Mohali stadium in northwest India to shake hands with players from both sides.
The last time a top Pakistani leader visited India was in 2001, when the then president, military ruler Pervez Musharraf, came to India for a landmark summit that ended in acrimony.
Singh invited Gilani to watch the match with him last week in a move dubbed "cricket diplomacy."
It is an attempt to warm up relations at a time when the countries are tentatively getting their peace process back on track.
India broke off official contacts with Islamabad in 2008 after the Mumbai attacks, which India blamed on Pakistani militants who wrought carnage in the city over three days, killing 166 people.
The two men were seated in the VIP box for the national anthems before heading on to the pitch at the Mohali stadium in northwest India to shake hands with players from both sides.
The last time a top Pakistani leader visited India was in 2001, when the then president, military ruler Pervez Musharraf, came to India for a landmark summit that ended in acrimony.
Singh invited Gilani to watch the match with him last week in a move dubbed "cricket diplomacy."
It is an attempt to warm up relations at a time when the countries are tentatively getting their peace process back on track.
India broke off official contacts with Islamabad in 2008 after the Mumbai attacks, which India blamed on Pakistani militants who wrought carnage in the city over three days, killing 166 people.
'Breakthrough came too late'
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori felt that the Tilakaratne Dilshan-Kumar Sangakkara partnership went too far out of hand for his side in their 5-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the first semifinal of the World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
“Our whole game plan was to try and get them to slow down and put pressure. The Dilshan-Sangakkara partnership went on for too long, they scored too many runs at that time. We broke that but it was too late,” said Vettori in his last press conference as New Zealand skipper.
Vettori was however proud of the way the Black Caps fought back in the latter half of the game when they took out four late wickets to stir up the nest.
“I think we gave our all in that last quarter. We tried to keep as many people in the circle but when you're chasing under six an over, it becomes difficult for the bowling side.
“You have to keep taking wickets. We couldn't break that sixth wicket partnership. If we could, we would have got into Murali, Herath and Malinga. We thought we could have got into that tail but Mathews came out and took the game from us,” he said.
The left-arm spinner who took one wicket in the game said that he was disappointed at having lost the loss, but felt that the loss of quick wickets in the last ten overs while batting was where the game changed.
“It is obviously bitterly disappointing. The group fought so hard to stay in the tournament, but in the last game we've come up short. I think losing a number of wickets in the last 10 overs was the turning point.
“I was pleased with the fact that they fought with the ball and in the field to give us a second chance but in the end probably we were 20-30 runs short.
“I can only speak for this team and not for teams from yesteryears. Our top-order gave us a great platform, exactly how we wanted it. I think the Sri Lanka bowling attack was great. Each time we built a partnership, we lost a wicket. I think that's where we lost the game,” said Vettori.
“Our whole game plan was to try and get them to slow down and put pressure. The Dilshan-Sangakkara partnership went on for too long, they scored too many runs at that time. We broke that but it was too late,” said Vettori in his last press conference as New Zealand skipper.
Vettori was however proud of the way the Black Caps fought back in the latter half of the game when they took out four late wickets to stir up the nest.
“I think we gave our all in that last quarter. We tried to keep as many people in the circle but when you're chasing under six an over, it becomes difficult for the bowling side.
“You have to keep taking wickets. We couldn't break that sixth wicket partnership. If we could, we would have got into Murali, Herath and Malinga. We thought we could have got into that tail but Mathews came out and took the game from us,” he said.
The left-arm spinner who took one wicket in the game said that he was disappointed at having lost the loss, but felt that the loss of quick wickets in the last ten overs while batting was where the game changed.
“It is obviously bitterly disappointing. The group fought so hard to stay in the tournament, but in the last game we've come up short. I think losing a number of wickets in the last 10 overs was the turning point.
“I was pleased with the fact that they fought with the ball and in the field to give us a second chance but in the end probably we were 20-30 runs short.
“I can only speak for this team and not for teams from yesteryears. Our top-order gave us a great platform, exactly how we wanted it. I think the Sri Lanka bowling attack was great. Each time we built a partnership, we lost a wicket. I think that's where we lost the game,” said Vettori.
Media laud Kiwi effort
New Zealand media bemoaned the Black Caps' World Cup 'jinx' Tuesday after yet another semifinal exit, but praised the unheralded team for exceeding expectations in reaching the final four.
"It was deja vu all over again," national news agency NZPA said after Sri Lanka sent New Zealand packing at the semifinal stage for the sixth time in 10 World Cups. The team has never reached a tournament decider.
The New Zealand Herald said the Black Caps "almost broke the jinx" only to fall short against a powerful Sri Lankan outfit, going down by five wickets but giving their opponents some nervous moments on the way.
"They deserve suitable plaudits for a gallant effort," it said.
Fairfax Media described New Zealand's loss as "agonising" but conceded it had an air of inevitability after the batting line-up managed a meagre total of 217 runs, giving the bowlers little to defend.
"They talked a brave game and genuinely believed they could beat the odds again -- as they did four days earlier by upsetting South Africa in Dhaka," it said.
"But after posting such a small total from their 50 overs, the New Zealanders would have known they hadn't done enough."
NZPA singled out the "brilliant" quarterfinal win over South Africa, when the Black Caps' aggression and tight fielding rattled the Proteas, as a tournament highlight.
The NZ Herald praised coach John Wright for turning around one of the worst slumps in form in the New Zealand team's history since his appointment last December, saying some of his grit had rubbed off on his charges.
"Wright's appointment as coach can only go so far by way of explanation for the team's resurgence of late... but this demonstration of heart was foremost generated by the players," it said.
While crediting the Black Caps' fighting spirit and tenacity, NZPA was not overenthusiastic about a side with a sometimes patchy bowling attack that remains prone to batting collapses.
"The harsh reality is they won two matches, against Pakistan and South Africa, and lost three, to Sri Lanka twice and Australia, against recognised teams -- not the sort of strike rate that can be labelled successful," it said.
"It was deja vu all over again," national news agency NZPA said after Sri Lanka sent New Zealand packing at the semifinal stage for the sixth time in 10 World Cups. The team has never reached a tournament decider.
The New Zealand Herald said the Black Caps "almost broke the jinx" only to fall short against a powerful Sri Lankan outfit, going down by five wickets but giving their opponents some nervous moments on the way.
"They deserve suitable plaudits for a gallant effort," it said.
Fairfax Media described New Zealand's loss as "agonising" but conceded it had an air of inevitability after the batting line-up managed a meagre total of 217 runs, giving the bowlers little to defend.
"They talked a brave game and genuinely believed they could beat the odds again -- as they did four days earlier by upsetting South Africa in Dhaka," it said.
"But after posting such a small total from their 50 overs, the New Zealanders would have known they hadn't done enough."
NZPA singled out the "brilliant" quarterfinal win over South Africa, when the Black Caps' aggression and tight fielding rattled the Proteas, as a tournament highlight.
The NZ Herald praised coach John Wright for turning around one of the worst slumps in form in the New Zealand team's history since his appointment last December, saying some of his grit had rubbed off on his charges.
"Wright's appointment as coach can only go so far by way of explanation for the team's resurgence of late... but this demonstration of heart was foremost generated by the players," it said.
While crediting the Black Caps' fighting spirit and tenacity, NZPA was not overenthusiastic about a side with a sometimes patchy bowling attack that remains prone to batting collapses.
"The harsh reality is they won two matches, against Pakistan and South Africa, and lost three, to Sri Lanka twice and Australia, against recognised teams -- not the sort of strike rate that can be labelled successful," it said.
Clarke named captain Aus announce squad for Bangladesh tour
The divisive Michael Clarke began his reign as Australia's new Test and one-day captain on Wednesday by denying that former skipper Ricky Ponting's presence in the side will cause problems.
Long seen as heir-apparent, the stylish batsman, who turns 30 on Saturday, was appointed to one of the most coveted roles in Australian sport after Ponting bowed to pressure and quit on the heels of their World Cup exit.
Clarke jumps into the role immediately, leaving this week for a tour of Bangladesh as fans remain split on whether he is the right man for the job.
Ponting, who led Australia in more than 300 Test and one-day matches, will also be on the plane, taking orders from his former deputy for the first time after being named in the squad to play three one-dayers.
"First of all can I say what an honour it is to be named captain and also a huge surprise to see Ricky stand down," Clarke said, denying Ponting's desire to keep playing would overshadow him.
"I know Ricky will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. Bangladesh will be a great test for that to see how it all unfolds."
Shane Watson was named as Clarke's vice-captain with Cameron White remaining the Twenty20 skipper.
The squad, though, is without David Hussey who has opted to stay at home with the birth of his first child imminent.
Xavier Doherty, meanwhile, returns from injury.
With Shaun Tait retiring from one-day cricket, fast bowler James Pattinson has been drafted into the squad and Hilditch is excited about his potential.
Clarke's Test reign will start in August when he skippers a tour of Sri Lanka.
Although he was widely expected to get the job, Clarke is not popular with Australian fans and polls published Wednesday showed the public's coolness towards him.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, only 26 percent of 21,000 respondents in an online poll favoured him as the new captain.
In the Sydney Daily Telegraph, a survey of 8,500 readers placed him a distant third behind Shane Watson and Michael Hussey.
A part-time underwear model, he regular appears in the social pages and he upset many when he controversially returned to Sydney during Australia's tour of New Zealand in March 2010 for "personal reasons".
It followed his model fiancee Lara Bingle deciding to sue her former lover Brendan Fevola for disseminating naked pictures of her, which ended up in a women's magazine.
Clarke later called off his wedding plans.
Ponting, though, insisted Clarke was the right choice, and vowed to give him all the support he needed.
"He has done nothing wrong when has stood in for me over the past few years and his record in T20 cricket speaks for itself," he said in a column for The Australian newspaper.
"I will be there in the background for him if he needs me, but from today the Test and one-day teams will be his and I will be one of many players who follow him onto cricket grounds all over the world."
Asked how he will feel taking orders from a man who used to be his deputy, Ponting replied: "I've taken orders most of my life, I'm pretty used to it."
Clarke made his professional debut for New South Wales as an 18-year-old in the 1999-2000 Australian domestic season.
He made the jump to the national one-day team in January 2003 against England at Adelaide and was chosen to make his Test debut against India at Bangalore in October 2004.
He thumped 151, helping Australia to victory, invoking comparisons to past Australian greats Doug Walters and Mark Waugh.
Since then, he has gone on to play 69 Tests, scoring 4,742 runs, including 14 centuries, with an average of 46.49. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Clarke has captured 21 wickets.
In the one-day game, he has collected 188 caps and 5,928 runs at an average of 43.58, with 52 wickets to his name.
Squad
Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, John Hastings. Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Cameron White.
Long seen as heir-apparent, the stylish batsman, who turns 30 on Saturday, was appointed to one of the most coveted roles in Australian sport after Ponting bowed to pressure and quit on the heels of their World Cup exit.
Clarke jumps into the role immediately, leaving this week for a tour of Bangladesh as fans remain split on whether he is the right man for the job.
Ponting, who led Australia in more than 300 Test and one-day matches, will also be on the plane, taking orders from his former deputy for the first time after being named in the squad to play three one-dayers.
"First of all can I say what an honour it is to be named captain and also a huge surprise to see Ricky stand down," Clarke said, denying Ponting's desire to keep playing would overshadow him.
"I know Ricky will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. Bangladesh will be a great test for that to see how it all unfolds."
Shane Watson was named as Clarke's vice-captain with Cameron White remaining the Twenty20 skipper.
The squad, though, is without David Hussey who has opted to stay at home with the birth of his first child imminent.
Xavier Doherty, meanwhile, returns from injury.
With Shaun Tait retiring from one-day cricket, fast bowler James Pattinson has been drafted into the squad and Hilditch is excited about his potential.
Clarke's Test reign will start in August when he skippers a tour of Sri Lanka.
Although he was widely expected to get the job, Clarke is not popular with Australian fans and polls published Wednesday showed the public's coolness towards him.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, only 26 percent of 21,000 respondents in an online poll favoured him as the new captain.
In the Sydney Daily Telegraph, a survey of 8,500 readers placed him a distant third behind Shane Watson and Michael Hussey.
A part-time underwear model, he regular appears in the social pages and he upset many when he controversially returned to Sydney during Australia's tour of New Zealand in March 2010 for "personal reasons".
It followed his model fiancee Lara Bingle deciding to sue her former lover Brendan Fevola for disseminating naked pictures of her, which ended up in a women's magazine.
Clarke later called off his wedding plans.
Ponting, though, insisted Clarke was the right choice, and vowed to give him all the support he needed.
"He has done nothing wrong when has stood in for me over the past few years and his record in T20 cricket speaks for itself," he said in a column for The Australian newspaper.
"I will be there in the background for him if he needs me, but from today the Test and one-day teams will be his and I will be one of many players who follow him onto cricket grounds all over the world."
Asked how he will feel taking orders from a man who used to be his deputy, Ponting replied: "I've taken orders most of my life, I'm pretty used to it."
Clarke made his professional debut for New South Wales as an 18-year-old in the 1999-2000 Australian domestic season.
He made the jump to the national one-day team in January 2003 against England at Adelaide and was chosen to make his Test debut against India at Bangalore in October 2004.
He thumped 151, helping Australia to victory, invoking comparisons to past Australian greats Doug Walters and Mark Waugh.
Since then, he has gone on to play 69 Tests, scoring 4,742 runs, including 14 centuries, with an average of 46.49. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Clarke has captured 21 wickets.
In the one-day game, he has collected 188 caps and 5,928 runs at an average of 43.58, with 52 wickets to his name.
Squad
Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, John Hastings. Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Cameron White.
Sachin eyes glory in Mumbai
India's Sachin Tendulkar led a charmed life to hit a crucial 85 in Wednesday's semifinal win against Pakistan before targetting his first World Cup title in front of his home fans in Mumbai.
Tendulkar was dropped four times in his man of the match innings to anchor India to 260-9 against their arch-rivals before his team's bowlers applied the pressure and the brakes to secure a 29-run win in the hotly-anticipated clash.
"The final in Mumbai will be a fantastic occasion. We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done," said Tendulkar of Saturday's title match against Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar again missed out on making 100 international centuries but has the satisfaction of having played in all five of India's World Cup wins over Pakistan.
Now he hopes to be at the forefront of Saturday's campaign where India will look to capture a second World Cup title, 28 years after their first and only triumph.
"It's always memorable to play against Pakistan and to be on the winning side five times against them is a memory I will always cherish.
"But it was a brilliant effort in the field and by the bowlers. When we batted we had to make sure we got a fighting total. I thought 310 or 315 would have been a good par score.
"Then the ball started stopping and spinning and something closer to 270 was par."
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the toss and batted, said it was important to treat the slowing PCA Stadium pitch -- and the Pakistan attack for whom left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz grabbed five wickets -- with respect.
"We got off to a fantastic start through Virender Sehwag and Sachin (48 runs in 5.5 overs) but as the game progressed the wicket got slower, and in the middle overs it was difficult to score," said Dhoni.
"It was important to just play the bowling with respect. 260 was a good score for this pitch. It was turning. We read the wicket wrong and that's why we went with three seamers, but in the end the seamers bowled really well too.
"We don't have bowlers who can bowl 140mph plus, overall we rely on deception - change of length, line and pace."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi admitted his team had missed their chances to dismiss Tendulkar who was dropped on 27, 45, 70 and 81 in a butter-fingered fielding performance.
"I'd like to congratulate the Indian team and the Indian nation for this great victory, and wish them all the best for the final," he said.
"We missed some opportunities and they played better than us. We didn't make partnerships and we played some irresponsible shots.
"I want to say sorry to my nation - we tried our level best."
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 2-43, said the semi-final would have made a great title match.
"This was like a final. Whenever India and Pakistan play the pressure is always double. It was a big match for us and for them," he said.
"We bowled and fielded well and I think we deserved to win. We played good overall cricket. I am looking forward to going to Mumbai and playing in the final."
Tendulkar was dropped four times in his man of the match innings to anchor India to 260-9 against their arch-rivals before his team's bowlers applied the pressure and the brakes to secure a 29-run win in the hotly-anticipated clash.
"The final in Mumbai will be a fantastic occasion. We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done," said Tendulkar of Saturday's title match against Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar again missed out on making 100 international centuries but has the satisfaction of having played in all five of India's World Cup wins over Pakistan.
Now he hopes to be at the forefront of Saturday's campaign where India will look to capture a second World Cup title, 28 years after their first and only triumph.
"It's always memorable to play against Pakistan and to be on the winning side five times against them is a memory I will always cherish.
"But it was a brilliant effort in the field and by the bowlers. When we batted we had to make sure we got a fighting total. I thought 310 or 315 would have been a good par score.
"Then the ball started stopping and spinning and something closer to 270 was par."
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the toss and batted, said it was important to treat the slowing PCA Stadium pitch -- and the Pakistan attack for whom left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz grabbed five wickets -- with respect.
"We got off to a fantastic start through Virender Sehwag and Sachin (48 runs in 5.5 overs) but as the game progressed the wicket got slower, and in the middle overs it was difficult to score," said Dhoni.
"It was important to just play the bowling with respect. 260 was a good score for this pitch. It was turning. We read the wicket wrong and that's why we went with three seamers, but in the end the seamers bowled really well too.
"We don't have bowlers who can bowl 140mph plus, overall we rely on deception - change of length, line and pace."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi admitted his team had missed their chances to dismiss Tendulkar who was dropped on 27, 45, 70 and 81 in a butter-fingered fielding performance.
"I'd like to congratulate the Indian team and the Indian nation for this great victory, and wish them all the best for the final," he said.
"We missed some opportunities and they played better than us. We didn't make partnerships and we played some irresponsible shots.
"I want to say sorry to my nation - we tried our level best."
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 2-43, said the semi-final would have made a great title match.
"This was like a final. Whenever India and Pakistan play the pressure is always double. It was a big match for us and for them," he said.
"We bowled and fielded well and I think we deserved to win. We played good overall cricket. I am looking forward to going to Mumbai and playing in the final."
বুধবার, ৩০ মার্চ, ২০১১
Ricky Ponting steps down as captain
Ricky ponting has stepped down as Australia's captain in Tests and ODIs following their quarter-final exit from the World Cup but will be available for selection as a batsman in both formats. Ponting made the announcement at the SCG on Tuesday, and backed Michael Clarke to take over the leadership of the team.
Ponting said the World Cup exit had prompted his decision and that "no one has tapped me on the shoulder asking me to go."
"I have resigned as captain of both the Test and one-day Australian teams. I will continue to play and am available for selection in both the one day and Test teams," Ponting said. "I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams. We have to be doing everything we can to win back the Ashes in 2013-14 and the World Cup in 2015. It is highly unlikely that I will be still playing so it is the right decision for Australian cricket that the next captain now be appointed. This will give him the opportunity to create his own direction and legacy.
"Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the future. I will give my complete support to our new captain and continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my team-mates and emergingAny suggestions that Ponting might have been told it was time to quit as captain were categorically denied by the man himself, and his words rang true next to the obvious - and perhaps not always constructive - deference of the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch, coach Tim Nielsen and CA chief executive James Sutherland.
"I'll absolutely go on record here as saying I've had no tap on the shoulder from anybody; this is a decision that's been made wholly and solely by me and people close to me, my family first and foremost," Ponting said.
"If the decision was too late I think I would've had the selectors and my bosses in Cricket Australia telling me a while ago they felt my time might've been up.
"I can go on record again and say I have never received that sort of message from the selectors or from Cricket Australia."
Ponting expressed his desire to travel to Bangladesh for three limited-overs matches next month. The team for the tour will not be named until Wednesday, but Ponting's announcement should allow Clarke to assume the captaincy on the tour, before difficult assignments against Sri Lanka and South Africa later in the year.
On his arrival home from an unsuccessful World Cup defence, Ponting had said he was prepared to give up the captaincy and also move down the batting order if it was in the interests of the Australian team. With the benefit of a day's reflection, he decided that now was the best time to go. At 36, Ponting believed he can still enjoy the type of renaissance that has sustained Sachin Tendulkar in recent times. Ponting held the Australian Test and one-day captaincy since he took over from Steve Waugh. He led Australia in 77 Tests of which 48 were wins, the most for any captain. He also captained Australia in a record 228 ODIs and won 164, including two World Cups in 2003 and 2007. Ponting's fortunes as captain, however, waned along with those of the team as a series of retirements weakened its resources. His Test captaincy flamed out in the 3-1 home Ashes defeat in 2010-11 and his one-day reign ended with elimination from the World Cup.
Ponting said the World Cup exit had prompted his decision and that "no one has tapped me on the shoulder asking me to go."
"I have resigned as captain of both the Test and one-day Australian teams. I will continue to play and am available for selection in both the one day and Test teams," Ponting said. "I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams. We have to be doing everything we can to win back the Ashes in 2013-14 and the World Cup in 2015. It is highly unlikely that I will be still playing so it is the right decision for Australian cricket that the next captain now be appointed. This will give him the opportunity to create his own direction and legacy.
"Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the future. I will give my complete support to our new captain and continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my team-mates and emergingAny suggestions that Ponting might have been told it was time to quit as captain were categorically denied by the man himself, and his words rang true next to the obvious - and perhaps not always constructive - deference of the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch, coach Tim Nielsen and CA chief executive James Sutherland.
"I'll absolutely go on record here as saying I've had no tap on the shoulder from anybody; this is a decision that's been made wholly and solely by me and people close to me, my family first and foremost," Ponting said.
"If the decision was too late I think I would've had the selectors and my bosses in Cricket Australia telling me a while ago they felt my time might've been up.
"I can go on record again and say I have never received that sort of message from the selectors or from Cricket Australia."
Ponting expressed his desire to travel to Bangladesh for three limited-overs matches next month. The team for the tour will not be named until Wednesday, but Ponting's announcement should allow Clarke to assume the captaincy on the tour, before difficult assignments against Sri Lanka and South Africa later in the year.
On his arrival home from an unsuccessful World Cup defence, Ponting had said he was prepared to give up the captaincy and also move down the batting order if it was in the interests of the Australian team. With the benefit of a day's reflection, he decided that now was the best time to go. At 36, Ponting believed he can still enjoy the type of renaissance that has sustained Sachin Tendulkar in recent times. Ponting held the Australian Test and one-day captaincy since he took over from Steve Waugh. He led Australia in 77 Tests of which 48 were wins, the most for any captain. He also captained Australia in a record 228 ODIs and won 164, including two World Cups in 2003 and 2007. Ponting's fortunes as captain, however, waned along with those of the team as a series of retirements weakened its resources. His Test captaincy flamed out in the 3-1 home Ashes defeat in 2010-11 and his one-day reign ended with elimination from the World Cup.
Sri Lanka survive jitters to reach World Cup final
Sri Lanka overcame a serious bout of the jitters to book their place in Saturday's World Cup final in Mumbai, as New Zealand bowed out in the last four for the sixth time in ten campaigns, though with their pride fully intact after another fabulous never-say-die performance in Colombo.
In a strange amalgam of the one-sided thrashing that Sri Lanka handed out to England in their quarter-final on Saturday, and New Zealand's last-eight fightback against South Africa in Dhaka, the favourites duly progressed, and by a seemingly comfortable five-wicket margin. However, the closing stages were fraught in the extreme as a raucous home crowd was forced to postpone a party that had been in full swing for more than three-quarters of the contest.
Defending a mediocre total of 217 after a spirited batting effort had unravelled in a clatter of late wickets, New Zealand's lust for a scrap kicked in with a vengeance just when it seemed the match was finally out of their reach. At 160 for 1 in the 33rd over,But as Vettori takes his leave of the New Zealand captaincy, he can reflect on yet another campaign in which his team rose to the challenge of the big event in precisely the manner that too many of their supposed betters - namely England and South Africa - consistently fail to do. Sangakkara and his men, meanwhile, march on to their second final in consecutive World Cups, where Muralitharan - his broken body notwithstanding - will attempt to complete his career on the highest high imaginable.
In a strange amalgam of the one-sided thrashing that Sri Lanka handed out to England in their quarter-final on Saturday, and New Zealand's last-eight fightback against South Africa in Dhaka, the favourites duly progressed, and by a seemingly comfortable five-wicket margin. However, the closing stages were fraught in the extreme as a raucous home crowd was forced to postpone a party that had been in full swing for more than three-quarters of the contest.
Defending a mediocre total of 217 after a spirited batting effort had unravelled in a clatter of late wickets, New Zealand's lust for a scrap kicked in with a vengeance just when it seemed the match was finally out of their reach. At 160 for 1 in the 33rd over,But as Vettori takes his leave of the New Zealand captaincy, he can reflect on yet another campaign in which his team rose to the challenge of the big event in precisely the manner that too many of their supposed betters - namely England and South Africa - consistently fail to do. Sangakkara and his men, meanwhile, march on to their second final in consecutive World Cups, where Muralitharan - his broken body notwithstanding - will attempt to complete his career on the highest high imaginable.
Pont decides not to extend contract with Bangladesh
Ian pont has decided not to extend his contract as the Bangladesh bowling coach once it expires on March 31. Pont had signed on in September 2010 to coach the team for a specific period of time and while he had been in talks with the BCB about an extension, Pont confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he will be returning home on April 1 to coach at the Mavericks Cricket Institute academy, which he founded.
"I came came on a short-term contract," Pont said in his statement. "But for me to make a long-term commitment and relinquish my UK coaching business, I needed a more viable arrangement. We couldn't come to any agreement on that subject."
Under Pont's tutelage, Bangladesh's bowling improved as they won seven out of eight ODIs at the end of 2010. The team had a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup after beating England, but the batting crumbled in crucial games against West Indies and South Africa.
The bowlers had a better tournament, with Shafiul Islam in particular impressing in the games against Associate sides Ireland and Netherlands. "We have been successful in parts but in the past six months we simply haven't been able to do many of the basics right to be consistent," Pont said. "That said we have still won 10 of our last 14 ODIs. I think most countries and most coaches around the world would be happy with that record."
Pont was all praise for the Bangladesh fan
"I came came on a short-term contract," Pont said in his statement. "But for me to make a long-term commitment and relinquish my UK coaching business, I needed a more viable arrangement. We couldn't come to any agreement on that subject."
Under Pont's tutelage, Bangladesh's bowling improved as they won seven out of eight ODIs at the end of 2010. The team had a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup after beating England, but the batting crumbled in crucial games against West Indies and South Africa.
The bowlers had a better tournament, with Shafiul Islam in particular impressing in the games against Associate sides Ireland and Netherlands. "We have been successful in parts but in the past six months we simply haven't been able to do many of the basics right to be consistent," Pont said. "That said we have still won 10 of our last 14 ODIs. I think most countries and most coaches around the world would be happy with that record."
Pont was all praise for the Bangladesh fan
India Scrap their way into world cup final 2011
India won the match 29 runs,they are excilient cricket.pakistan not play very well.pakistan Bowling well,not fielders supported.he took 4 drop catches.poor& eresponsible batting.Another side india Batting very well,Awasame fieding & Extraodinari bowling.Dhony cool captaincy on the field,good Changes Bowler.Afridi bad
captaincy on the field,Not good changes bowler,Eresponsible batting on the field.Only
two players performed in the match,mishba-ul-haq 59 runs,wahab riaz took 46/5.All indian Bats men performed in the match,sachin,sewag,raina,dhony.zaheer,munaf,nehra very good bowl very well,good line & lenth.Harbajan & yubraj Also Bowl Excilient.The final started 2nd April,Against Srilanka,they are a good team performence,Dilsan,tharanga,sangakara,jayawaedane batting very well whole tournament,malinga,matthews,muralitharan,mendis,hearth excilient bowl whole tournament.they are do the challange against india?india very good chances won the world cup 2011.Only one hundred needs, tendulkar tooks a 100th international Century.the world cup after tendulkar may be Retried .Best of luck India & Srilanka.ndia's dream of a World Cup triumph at home is one step closer after their bowlers suffocated Pakistan's batsmen to set up a 29-run victory in the semi-final in Mohali. Saturday's decider will now be a battle of the hosts, and while Sri Lanka might have been surprised by the strength of India's bowling effort, they would also have taken note of a slightly lacklustre batting performance.
In the end, India's 260 for 9 was enough as their bowlers did a fine job, but had Pakistan helped themselves, the target could have been so much more gettable. Sachin Tendulkar was dropped four times in his 85, MS Dhoni was put down once and while Wahab Riaz was extremely impressive in collecting five wickets, Umar Gul had one of his most forgettable days, wilting under the pressure of a World Cup semi-final.
By contrast, India's display in the field was much more professional, and that was the difference in a match that lived up to the extreme pre-match hype. The decision to leave R Ashwin out to make room for Ashish Nehra was an odd choice on a pitch offering plenty of spin, but Nehra and his bowling colleagues built the pressure and gave Pakistan's batsmen little to attack after they made a promising start and reached 70 for 1.
The Indians didn't give away an extra until the 37th over of the innings, and the way they put together strings of dot balls and tight overs was key to their success. Munaf Patel picked up two victims and YuvrajSingh made up for his golden duck with a pair of wickets, but the most important breakthrough came when Harbhajan Singh bowled Umar Akmal for 29.
Akmal had struck a pair of sixes off Yuvraj, driving him over the sight screen and pulling him over midwicket, and anything was possible while he was at the crease. But Dhoni called on Harbhajan to replace Yuvraj, and with the first ball of his spell he came around the wicket and pushed one across Akmal, taking the off stump when the batsman played for the spin.
Shahid Afridi also fell to Harbhajan when he skied a catch off a full toss, and the obdurate Misbah-ul-Haq was left to steer the chase. He found it difficult to lift his tempo and was the last man out, caught on the boundary for 56 in the final over, but he ate up 76 deliveries and had he shown some more intent earlier, Pakistan might have had a chance.
It was a disappointing end for Pakistan after their top order gave them hope. Mohammad Hafeez made an encouraging 43 before a string of eight dot balls from Munaf brought a brain-fade as Hafeez tried a premeditated paddle sweep from outside off stump and edged behind to Dhoni.
Soon after, the loss of Asad Shafiq brought the Mohali crowd to life, when he tried to cut a Yuvraj delivery that was much too full and straight, and the middle stump was knocked back. Shafiq had made 30 and had displayed a cool temperament until that point, but the required run-rate started to balloon, and Pakistan never recovered.
But while India have booked a place in the final, they must hope they haven't used all their good fortune too soon. Tendulkar might be the finest batsman of his generation, but today he was the luckiest, dropped on 27, 45, 70 and 81. It seemed as though he was going to bring up his 100th international century with one of his least convincing innings.
Misbah at midwicket was the first to put him down, before Younis Khan spilled a regulation chance at cover, both off the bowling of Afridi. The third opportunity came when Kamran Akmal didn't move his hands quickly enough to a thick edge, again off Afridi, and while that was a tough opportunity, a pull to Umar at mid-on from the offspin of Hafeez should have been taken. Before he had any of those lives, Tendulkar had survived two very tight calls on 23: an lbw decision that was given out by Ian Gould but on review proved to be spinning down leg, and a near-stumping the next delivery when he just got his back foot down in time after losing his balance reaching outside off. When Tendulkar was finally taken at cover by Afridi off the bowling of Ajmal, Pakistan's relief was evident.
Soon after, a scratchy Dhoni, who was also dropped by Kamran, made the mistake of challenging Simon Taufel on an lbw decision. Dhoni had 25 when he missed a Riaz delivery that pitched just in line and was hitting the stumps. It was the second outstanding call by Taufel, who had given Virender Sehwag lbw in a similar fashion earlier, even though the left-armer's angle meant pitching outside leg was a possibility.
Riaz was the man who Afridi had to thank for keeping Pakistan in the contest after India made a strong start and reached 114 for 1 off their first 18 overs. After Gautam Gambhir was stumped wandering down the pitch against Hafeez, Riaz grabbed two wickets in two balls - Virat Kohli caught at backward point and Yuvraj bowled by a low full toss for a golden duck.
Nobody looked as fluent as the crease as Sehwag, who took 21 off Gul (0 for 69) from the third over of the innings. What looked like a 300-plus total in those early overs became 260 when Suresh Raina helped them recover from their middle-order failures.
It was enough, but India's batsmen will need to improve if they want to lift the trophy on Saturday. For now, they can dream of their first World Cup in 28 years.
captaincy on the field,Not good changes bowler,Eresponsible batting on the field.Only
two players performed in the match,mishba-ul-haq 59 runs,wahab riaz took 46/5.All indian Bats men performed in the match,sachin,sewag,raina,dhony.zaheer,munaf,nehra very good bowl very well,good line & lenth.Harbajan & yubraj Also Bowl Excilient.The final started 2nd April,Against Srilanka,they are a good team performence,Dilsan,tharanga,sangakara,jayawaedane batting very well whole tournament,malinga,matthews,muralitharan,mendis,hearth excilient bowl whole tournament.they are do the challange against india?india very good chances won the world cup 2011.Only one hundred needs, tendulkar tooks a 100th international Century.the world cup after tendulkar may be Retried .Best of luck India & Srilanka.ndia's dream of a World Cup triumph at home is one step closer after their bowlers suffocated Pakistan's batsmen to set up a 29-run victory in the semi-final in Mohali. Saturday's decider will now be a battle of the hosts, and while Sri Lanka might have been surprised by the strength of India's bowling effort, they would also have taken note of a slightly lacklustre batting performance.
In the end, India's 260 for 9 was enough as their bowlers did a fine job, but had Pakistan helped themselves, the target could have been so much more gettable. Sachin Tendulkar was dropped four times in his 85, MS Dhoni was put down once and while Wahab Riaz was extremely impressive in collecting five wickets, Umar Gul had one of his most forgettable days, wilting under the pressure of a World Cup semi-final.
By contrast, India's display in the field was much more professional, and that was the difference in a match that lived up to the extreme pre-match hype. The decision to leave R Ashwin out to make room for Ashish Nehra was an odd choice on a pitch offering plenty of spin, but Nehra and his bowling colleagues built the pressure and gave Pakistan's batsmen little to attack after they made a promising start and reached 70 for 1.
The Indians didn't give away an extra until the 37th over of the innings, and the way they put together strings of dot balls and tight overs was key to their success. Munaf Patel picked up two victims and YuvrajSingh made up for his golden duck with a pair of wickets, but the most important breakthrough came when Harbhajan Singh bowled Umar Akmal for 29.
Akmal had struck a pair of sixes off Yuvraj, driving him over the sight screen and pulling him over midwicket, and anything was possible while he was at the crease. But Dhoni called on Harbhajan to replace Yuvraj, and with the first ball of his spell he came around the wicket and pushed one across Akmal, taking the off stump when the batsman played for the spin.
Shahid Afridi also fell to Harbhajan when he skied a catch off a full toss, and the obdurate Misbah-ul-Haq was left to steer the chase. He found it difficult to lift his tempo and was the last man out, caught on the boundary for 56 in the final over, but he ate up 76 deliveries and had he shown some more intent earlier, Pakistan might have had a chance.
It was a disappointing end for Pakistan after their top order gave them hope. Mohammad Hafeez made an encouraging 43 before a string of eight dot balls from Munaf brought a brain-fade as Hafeez tried a premeditated paddle sweep from outside off stump and edged behind to Dhoni.
Soon after, the loss of Asad Shafiq brought the Mohali crowd to life, when he tried to cut a Yuvraj delivery that was much too full and straight, and the middle stump was knocked back. Shafiq had made 30 and had displayed a cool temperament until that point, but the required run-rate started to balloon, and Pakistan never recovered.
But while India have booked a place in the final, they must hope they haven't used all their good fortune too soon. Tendulkar might be the finest batsman of his generation, but today he was the luckiest, dropped on 27, 45, 70 and 81. It seemed as though he was going to bring up his 100th international century with one of his least convincing innings.
Misbah at midwicket was the first to put him down, before Younis Khan spilled a regulation chance at cover, both off the bowling of Afridi. The third opportunity came when Kamran Akmal didn't move his hands quickly enough to a thick edge, again off Afridi, and while that was a tough opportunity, a pull to Umar at mid-on from the offspin of Hafeez should have been taken. Before he had any of those lives, Tendulkar had survived two very tight calls on 23: an lbw decision that was given out by Ian Gould but on review proved to be spinning down leg, and a near-stumping the next delivery when he just got his back foot down in time after losing his balance reaching outside off. When Tendulkar was finally taken at cover by Afridi off the bowling of Ajmal, Pakistan's relief was evident.
Soon after, a scratchy Dhoni, who was also dropped by Kamran, made the mistake of challenging Simon Taufel on an lbw decision. Dhoni had 25 when he missed a Riaz delivery that pitched just in line and was hitting the stumps. It was the second outstanding call by Taufel, who had given Virender Sehwag lbw in a similar fashion earlier, even though the left-armer's angle meant pitching outside leg was a possibility.
Riaz was the man who Afridi had to thank for keeping Pakistan in the contest after India made a strong start and reached 114 for 1 off their first 18 overs. After Gautam Gambhir was stumped wandering down the pitch against Hafeez, Riaz grabbed two wickets in two balls - Virat Kohli caught at backward point and Yuvraj bowled by a low full toss for a golden duck.
Nobody looked as fluent as the crease as Sehwag, who took 21 off Gul (0 for 69) from the third over of the innings. What looked like a 300-plus total in those early overs became 260 when Suresh Raina helped them recover from their middle-order failures.
It was enough, but India's batsmen will need to improve if they want to lift the trophy on Saturday. For now, they can dream of their first World Cup in 28 years.
মঙ্গলবার, ২৯ মার্চ, ২০১১
Playing the pressure game
Beyond the hype this contest can perhaps be best viewed through the prism of the two captains. Shahid Afridi is the passionate, exhibitionist leader who doesn't mind showing his emotions on the field. He will shout, cajole, plead, laugh, roar and feel every pulsating moment of the contest. It's exactly what this Pakistan team needs after all those controversies, someone who can remind them of the school-boyish joy that this game can provide.
MS Dhoni is the uber-cool captain and, while he can be vocal while dealing with the press, he is almost invisible on the field. Silent nods of appreciation, a quiet word in the ear, calm instructions, a shrug of the shoulder is all you will get from him. And again, it's what this star-heavy team needs. Someone who can be calm and remind them of the basics of the game.MS Dhoni and Shahid Afridi are men of instinct, who refuse to bide by convention. Both stand out for their daring attitudes but are defensive leaders. On Wednesday it is they, and not their Prime Ministers, who will be the most important men in Mohali. Their decisions will influence a match that has gained hysterical proportions.
So on the eve of the semi-final, described by some propaganda-driven television channels as a mahayudh (great war), Dhoni and Afridi were cautious, concealing their nerves behind smiles and flashes of humour.
Afridi was on time for his interaction with the media. Dhoni had arrived late, not an uncommon occurrence in the World Cup, and something the Indian management has never been able to explain. So even as Dhoni was wrapping up, Afridi was already in the room exchanging pleasantries with the Pakistan media.
Afridi is a restless man, always on the lookout for something - mostly mischief. Even before Dhoni had stood up, Afridi was next to him, smiling but looking his opposite number in the eye. He shook hands and then put his arm over Dhoni's shoulder. The cameramen went berserk. A moment later Afridi sat down, hunched forward, in control and ready to take on the world. For the next 15 minutes Afridi answered the media's questions with the wit of a stand-up comedian. His responses were impromptu, abrupt, in short bursts and left everyone chuckling.
Asked if Pakistan's fast bowlers would employ the same strategy of bowling short as did the Australians in the quarterfinals, Afridi shot back: "And maar khaye unon ne (they got beaten)." Why were Pakistan not training today? "Why, you don't like it?" Afridi responded. Someone asked whether Pakistan, a team with a young average age, could handle the pressure of a big game in front of a partisan crowd. Afridi completely misunderstood the question initially, and it was asked again. His response was off target. "Age is less? You are saying that because of me? Average age bolo na, yaar (say you meant the average age). Average actually increasing is not such a big thing. It can increase any time. This is a match to increase averages." Then Afridi put on his serious hat, admitting a positive result would have tremendous significance for Pakistan cricket, which had plunged into crisis after three players were indicted in a spot-fixing scandal during the England tour last year. "It is very important," Afridi said. "This World Cup matters a lot for us because we are trying to bring cricket back home."
Afridi said the most important thing his players needed to do was enjoy the game. He even thought Pakistan held an advantage. "The main thing is if you know how to handle the pressure, you don't need to panic in it.
"We are enjoying our cricket because we are not the most favourite team in this competition. India is the most favourite team. We have played above our expectations. So we are very confident."
While Afridi was at ease, Dhoni behaved as though he was walking a tightrope. The match had attracted extra attention, and will be attended by the premiers of India and Pakistan, other political heavy weights and celebrities. Was it difficult to stay immune to the hype? "It should not be affecting us really because we all know it is a big tournament and we have prepared a lot for it," Dhoni said. "We are playing the semi-finals. The most important thing is how you prepared yourself irrespective of what is happening around you. And that is what we have been doing in the past few days."
Wasn't there a danger of losing focus in such a climate? "It depends on what you actually mean by hype - the hype created by the media, the sponsors. We are not getting involved and that is what is important. You need to be aware of what we are expected to do and we are expected to play good cricket on the field. All these things have been part of the Indian cricket for a long time. Of course the biggest distinguished guests will be there to see the game but they are here to enjoy cricket, which means we will have to play well and we will prepare well and see how it goes."
Dhoni said his team was focussed and had become used to the attention. And it was not the first time the players were part of such an experience. "When you talk about hype, pressure etc., one thing is sure: whether you are thinking about it, or not thinking about it, I don't think it really helps you perform. So what is not helping you perform needs to be kept away."
The foreign media was more interested in whether cricket was playing the bridge in bringing two neighbours back to the mediation table after bilateral talks between India and Pakistan were fractured following the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. Dhoni said he would prefer being a player to being a diplomat.
Neither Dhoni nor Afridi would readily admit that the pressure would be immense. Afridi acted as though he did not have a care in the world. Dhoni said the focus would remain on the match. When both walk into the din created by 28,000 fans, their nerves will face a tremendous test.
MS Dhoni is the uber-cool captain and, while he can be vocal while dealing with the press, he is almost invisible on the field. Silent nods of appreciation, a quiet word in the ear, calm instructions, a shrug of the shoulder is all you will get from him. And again, it's what this star-heavy team needs. Someone who can be calm and remind them of the basics of the game.MS Dhoni and Shahid Afridi are men of instinct, who refuse to bide by convention. Both stand out for their daring attitudes but are defensive leaders. On Wednesday it is they, and not their Prime Ministers, who will be the most important men in Mohali. Their decisions will influence a match that has gained hysterical proportions.
So on the eve of the semi-final, described by some propaganda-driven television channels as a mahayudh (great war), Dhoni and Afridi were cautious, concealing their nerves behind smiles and flashes of humour.
Afridi was on time for his interaction with the media. Dhoni had arrived late, not an uncommon occurrence in the World Cup, and something the Indian management has never been able to explain. So even as Dhoni was wrapping up, Afridi was already in the room exchanging pleasantries with the Pakistan media.
Afridi is a restless man, always on the lookout for something - mostly mischief. Even before Dhoni had stood up, Afridi was next to him, smiling but looking his opposite number in the eye. He shook hands and then put his arm over Dhoni's shoulder. The cameramen went berserk. A moment later Afridi sat down, hunched forward, in control and ready to take on the world. For the next 15 minutes Afridi answered the media's questions with the wit of a stand-up comedian. His responses were impromptu, abrupt, in short bursts and left everyone chuckling.
Asked if Pakistan's fast bowlers would employ the same strategy of bowling short as did the Australians in the quarterfinals, Afridi shot back: "And maar khaye unon ne (they got beaten)." Why were Pakistan not training today? "Why, you don't like it?" Afridi responded. Someone asked whether Pakistan, a team with a young average age, could handle the pressure of a big game in front of a partisan crowd. Afridi completely misunderstood the question initially, and it was asked again. His response was off target. "Age is less? You are saying that because of me? Average age bolo na, yaar (say you meant the average age). Average actually increasing is not such a big thing. It can increase any time. This is a match to increase averages." Then Afridi put on his serious hat, admitting a positive result would have tremendous significance for Pakistan cricket, which had plunged into crisis after three players were indicted in a spot-fixing scandal during the England tour last year. "It is very important," Afridi said. "This World Cup matters a lot for us because we are trying to bring cricket back home."
Afridi said the most important thing his players needed to do was enjoy the game. He even thought Pakistan held an advantage. "The main thing is if you know how to handle the pressure, you don't need to panic in it.
"We are enjoying our cricket because we are not the most favourite team in this competition. India is the most favourite team. We have played above our expectations. So we are very confident."
While Afridi was at ease, Dhoni behaved as though he was walking a tightrope. The match had attracted extra attention, and will be attended by the premiers of India and Pakistan, other political heavy weights and celebrities. Was it difficult to stay immune to the hype? "It should not be affecting us really because we all know it is a big tournament and we have prepared a lot for it," Dhoni said. "We are playing the semi-finals. The most important thing is how you prepared yourself irrespective of what is happening around you. And that is what we have been doing in the past few days."
Wasn't there a danger of losing focus in such a climate? "It depends on what you actually mean by hype - the hype created by the media, the sponsors. We are not getting involved and that is what is important. You need to be aware of what we are expected to do and we are expected to play good cricket on the field. All these things have been part of the Indian cricket for a long time. Of course the biggest distinguished guests will be there to see the game but they are here to enjoy cricket, which means we will have to play well and we will prepare well and see how it goes."
Dhoni said his team was focussed and had become used to the attention. And it was not the first time the players were part of such an experience. "When you talk about hype, pressure etc., one thing is sure: whether you are thinking about it, or not thinking about it, I don't think it really helps you perform. So what is not helping you perform needs to be kept away."
The foreign media was more interested in whether cricket was playing the bridge in bringing two neighbours back to the mediation table after bilateral talks between India and Pakistan were fractured following the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. Dhoni said he would prefer being a player to being a diplomat.
Neither Dhoni nor Afridi would readily admit that the pressure would be immense. Afridi acted as though he did not have a care in the world. Dhoni said the focus would remain on the match. When both walk into the din created by 28,000 fans, their nerves will face a tremendous test.
The failure of Bangladesh Team Need's Deep Investigations
In theworld cup 2011 the shamefull appearance was not expected from the supporters.They perfromed not only bad but also poor play as a whole.
The selector's took a grate eresponsible step's like,not keeping player as Mashrafee,Alok Kapali and more were usefull to the team.They didn't took any step or Decision to help morally or phicaly.Each and every game was just played
The selector's took a grate eresponsible step's like,not keeping player as Mashrafee,Alok Kapali and more were usefull to the team.They didn't took any step or Decision to help morally or phicaly.Each and every game was just played
সোমবার, ২৮ মার্চ, ২০১১
Mashrafee & Alok Kapali is back
Bangladesh next seris Austaralia against 14 men player announced.sakib al hasan captain.long long time for kapali back to bangladesh team.they are needs bangladesh team. he is a good midle order Bats men &use ful leg break bowler.and excilent fielder.Very very good news mashrafee is back to team .he is the number one Bowler in bangladesh team.Are there do the performance against australia.
রবিবার, ২৭ মার্চ, ২০১১
Bangladesh Needs A good Coach
In Bangladeshi cricket team there are many good bats are remaining.But there are Lack age in bowling field.Though Batsmen are not performing consistently,bowlers are not so well.That's why Bangladesh team needs a good coach.New bowlers and batsmen can be
introduced .Bowling coach like Waqar younis & Batting coach Saurav Ganguly is very much fruit fall for us.we need also wicket keeping coach like moin khan.they helps us.i hope so there are helps us.
introduced .Bowling coach like Waqar younis & Batting coach Saurav Ganguly is very much fruit fall for us.we need also wicket keeping coach like moin khan.they helps us.i hope so there are helps us.
I thing Bangladesh tigers
I thing Bangladesh tigers has given their good performance in world cup 2011.
In cricket any thing can happen. But as a young team Bangladeshi cricketers are capable to difit any strong team. Though they have no vast experience in ODI Last but not the list I wish the very crust luck for them.
Bangladesh team needs more practice and game play activities in home ground and abroad.
In the name of cricket Bangladesh team need hard work and strategic game play.
For the last result of the game they should introduce new players in the team.
In cricket any thing can happen. But as a young team Bangladeshi cricketers are capable to difit any strong team. Though they have no vast experience in ODI Last but not the list I wish the very crust luck for them.
Bangladesh team needs more practice and game play activities in home ground and abroad.
In the name of cricket Bangladesh team need hard work and strategic game play.
For the last result of the game they should introduce new players in the team.
Bangladesh sports info update
I thing Bangladesh tigers has given their good performance in world cup 2011.
In cricket any thing can happen. But as a young team Bangladeshi cricketers are capable to difit any strong team. Though they have no vast experience in ODI Last but not the list I wish the very crust luck for them.
Bangladesh cricket team needs to perform consistent batting and bowling.For that reason they have to play in the country cricket and abroad games.
In cricket any thing can happen. But as a young team Bangladeshi cricketers are capable to difit any strong team. Though they have no vast experience in ODI Last but not the list I wish the very crust luck for them.
Bangladesh cricket team needs to perform consistent batting and bowling.For that reason they have to play in the country cricket and abroad games.
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