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Zimbabwe will want better efforts from their seniors to keep the series alive

The preview by Mohammad Isam02-Mar-2020

Big picture

Riding high on confidence, Bangladesh will look to wrap up the ODI series against Zimbabwe in Sylhet. Liton Das and Mohammad Saifuddin provided the spark in the series opener , where the focus was largely on captain Mashrafe Mortaza. But the Mortaza retirement circus didn’t derail Bangladesh because they batted with a plan.Tamim Iqbal and Das provided a decent start before Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mohammad Mithun carried on to pile on a big score. Saifuddin burst through with the bat in the end, and later with the new ball, before Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan and Mortaza kept the visitors in check.Zimbabwe, however, never looked like a team prepared to beat the home side. They were dealt two blows before the game when Craig Ervine was out with flu and Sean Williams didn’t arrive from Harare early enough. It could have been a motivating factor for new captain Chamu Chibhabha. Instead, the bowling lacked penetration and everything went downhill from there.Only Wesley Madhevere, the 19-year old debutant, batted with some purpose while the rest of the line-up simply caved not only to the pressure of runs, but also in their lack of belief that they could chase the score. Williams, Ervine, Sikandar Raza and Brendan Taylor must provide a better showing in the second ODI, but Chibhabha should also ensure that he has a bowling unit that can threaten the home side.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLLLL
Zimbabwe LLLLL

In the spotlight

Liton Das batted smoothly in the first ODI with admittedly limited strokeplay. He reached his second century in international cricket and although against a much weaker attack, Das will certainly be seeking consistency in the rest of the series.Sean Williams’ return will be a boost to the Zimbabwe middle-order•AFP

Zimbabwe must be desperate for Sean Williams to return to their line-up. Williams is the new Test captain, who missed out on the one-off Test in Dhaka due to the birth of their child. Williams not only brings experience, but also a form of stability on slow pitches that he has mastered over many years of playing in Bangladesh.

Team news

Das suffered cramps during his century while Mohammad Saifuddin is being closely monitored after returning from a back injury, but both are going to play in the second game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mohammad Saifuddin, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanTinashe Kamunhukamwe and Regis Chakabva are likely to make way for Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, which will bolster Zimbabwe’s middle order greatly. Williams’ ten overs will also be handy in Sylhet.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha (capt), 2 Craig Ervine, 3 Wesley Madhevere, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Ainsley Ndlovu, 10 Chris Mpofu, 11 Carl Mumba

Pitch and conditions

Bangladesh’s 300-plus score is typical fare on the straw-coloured Sylhet pitch, but there was also swing on offer. The weather is to remain fair, with bright skies around the tea gardens.

Stats and trivia

With his second wicket in the first ODI, Mashrafe Mortaza became the fifth captain to take 100 ODI wickets, after Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Imran Khan and Jason Holder.Zimbabwe batting coach Stuart Matsikenyeri was named one of the substitute fielders as Craig Ervine had the flu and Sean Williams flew in late from Harare.

Quotes

“Hopefully I can bring a bit of energy and calmness. Craig Ervine is getting there too, so he will be ready to play. I also think good decisions over a long period of time is crucial. Guys like Brendan and Raza play a massive role in our team. Having them firing is going to be extremely important for us.”

Tendulkar, who has 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in ODIs, claimed the landmark of 100 international tons wasn’t preoccupying his build-up to the game

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2011Sachin Tendulkar is one century away from reaching 100 international tons and has an opportunity to achieve that on a historic occasion at Lord’s, where India and England will play the 2000th Test later this month. Tendulkar, who has 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in ODIs, however, said the landmark wasn’t preoccupying his build-up to the game.”I am not thinking of records,” Tendulkar told the . “I am just thinking of enjoying this tour. The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, ‘What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor?'”If I enhance the enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. To me, that is more important. If I am playing well, things can happen. I don’t need to go around chasing them. It is a process. You construct a solid foundation and build on it.”Tendulkar opted out of India’s tour of the West Indies, where they won the ODI series 3-2 and the Tests 1-0. It was India’s first international assignment after their World Cup win, of which Tendulkar was an integral part. “I was extremely delighted. It was something I had always dreamt about,” Tendulkar said of India’s triumph in his sixth World Cup. “You start playing cricket, and one day you walk away as part of a world champion team.”I took up playing serious cricket because in 1983, we won the World Cup, and that was a big turning point in terms of considering cricket a full-time profession. That moment was a decisive one. I felt, ‘I want to play for India one day’. It was a huge boost. From then I started working hard.”When asked of his plans for the future, Tendulkar said it was important he left behind a good legacy whenever he chose to leave the game. “For me, it’s not about breaking records or creating new ones. It’s about adding value to my team. Records will be set by me, they might be broken by someone else.”They’re not going to stay permanently. But the impression that I leave on people will last forever, I feel. The impression that I leave behind – to me that is important. If I can motivate the next young cricketers, that will be a big contribution.”

In 2019, Pant has scored just one half-century across 21 appearances for India in white-ball games

Sruthi Ravindranath09-Nov-20190:56

Kumar Sangakkara analyses Rishabh Pant’s keeping technique

Rishabh Pant has been the topic of a lot of debate in recent times and Rohit Sharma, for one, feels the young wicketkeeper-batsman must be “allowed to do what he wants to do on the field” and be left alone.After criticism about his shot selection, Pant the wicketkeeper came under scrutiny after he fluffed a chance to stump Liton Das in the second T20I when he collected the ball marginally in front of the stumps, which resulted in the delivery being called a no-ball.”There’s a lot of talk happening about Rishabh Pant, every day, every minute,” Rohit said on the eve of the third T20I in Nagpur. “I just feel that he needs to be allowed to do what he wants to do on the field. And I would request everyone to just keep your eyes away from Rishabh Pant for a while.He is a young guy, probably 21-22 now, trying to make his mark in international cricket, every move he makes on the field, people start talking about it.”While that might be Rohit’s position on Pant, other senior members of the Indian team set-up haven’t shied away from speaking about the youngster in the recent past. Ravi Shastri had called for a “rap on the knuckles” for Pant for his reckless batting, Vikram Rathour had spoken about the importance of being fearless without being careless, and captain Virat Kohli had called on him to read situations better.”I think it’s not fair, I think we should just allow him to play his cricket, which he also actually wants. And yes, focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just the bad things,” Rohit said. “He has kept well, he is learning every game, and yes, he is just doing whatever the team management wants him (to do). He is a very fearless cricketer, and we want him to have that freedom. And if you guys just keep your eyes a little bit away from him, it will allow him to perform even better.”Since the start of the year, Pant has scored just one half-century across limited-overs internationals, making 195 runs in 12 matches at an average of 21.66 in T20Is and 188 runs in nine games at 23.50 in ODIs. He played all three formats in the West Indies in August, but though he was retained in the T20Is against South Africa, he was replaced by Wriddhiman Saha for the Tests.While former players including Yuvraj Singh have backed Pant, India’s selectors have also made it clear that they want to persist with him across formats.On being asked what would be his piece of advice to youngsters like Pant – and Shreyas Iyer – Rohit said: “Both of them (are) very talented, have great abilities in whatever they do, and yes, definitely the future of Indian cricket, for sure. And they have proved it whenever they have played for their franchise, domestic cricket. They are just trying to make their mark in international cricket.Rishabh Pant exchanges notes with Rohit Sharma in the nets•Getty Images

“All I would tell them is (to) just understand their game, which is very, very important in whatever format you play, and feeling confident about yourself is very important. I think they are working hard towards their game, and I don’t see any reason why they can’t get the results on the ground. They have everything that is required to be successful at the international level. They work really hard on their games and yes, at the same time they are learning also. They are very new to this set-up. They are learning every game and with experience in a year or two, you will see them batting differently.”All we want them to do is to just go out there and enjoy, and be fearless. That would be the message from my side. Because as a young player when you are coming into the side, that is what you look forward to, having that freedom from the management. That is what we are here to assure them, that ‘you have all the backing that you need, you have all the freedom that you need, so just go out there and express yourself’. That is when players like these give you the best performance.”Over to the bowling unit, and while India have been attempting to give more and more players a chance in the lead up to the T20 World Cup next year, not all of them have grabbed their chances yet. Khaleel Ahmed, for one.”This is the time for youngsters to learn. We always say that playing domestic cricket is important and learn more. Till you don’t play international cricket you won’t know where you stand as a bowler,” Rohit said. “I think this is a good challenge for our bowling group because you’re playing against an international team. They will always challenge you, batsmen will play shots and challenge you. You won’t know where is your bowling until you’re put under pressure. I think for these bowlers it’s a good time to know where they stand.”

It often happens that a batsman chooses to play on after being hit, but that is not a good thing

Varun Shetty at Eden Gardens23-Nov-2019Cricket’s newly-introduced protocols for concussion testing and substitutions were in the spotlight on the second day of the Kolkata Test, with two batsmen – Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim – continuing to bat after being struck on their heads by bouncers.Two other Bangladesh batsmen had already been diagnosed with concussions in the first innings and substituted. In the second innings, Mithun was tested and showed no signs of concussion before coming back out and being dismissed soon after. Bangladesh confirmed that Rahim also showed no early signs of concussion. He batted through to stumps and is currently unbeaten on 59.Had either batsman been diagnosed with concussion, Bangladesh had only one player – Mustafizur Rahman, a bowler – available on the bench to act as substitute.Concussion protocols were introduced into the ICC playing conditions on August 1 this year, after years of deliberation following Phil Hughes’ death in 2014 and a deeper understanding about brain injuries in the broader world of sports. About two weeks after the playing conditions were amended, Australia’s Steven Smith became the first player to be substituted in a Test match with a diagnosed concussion.While it’s common for batsmen to continue to bat after passing initial concussion Tests, in most cases at international level, they have been found later to have batted with a concussion. This was true of Smith during the Ashes, as well as Hashim Amla during the World Cup this year.In New Zealand, Henry Nicholls was hit on the head but continued batting after two concussion tests – one when he was hit on Friday evening and another just before play on Saturday. The story was a little different last week though when Hamish Rutherford batted on for New Zealand A after being struck, made a fifty, then missed the rest of the match after failing follow-up tests.Henry Nicholls is hit by a delivery from Jofra Archer•AFP / Getty Images

In the absence of strong mandatory procedures, a lot of power still rests with the players, who would naturally prefer to go on batting. The topic was briefly front and centre as the physio spent a long time chatting with Mithun before he saw the over through and went in unbeaten at tea. Other injuries such as the one Mahmudullah suffered – a hamstring strain – are often readily apparent. The player feels pain immediately and the case for treatment is clear. Concussions and brain injuries though are hard to gauge as the onset of symptoms may be delayed for up to 48 hours.Cricket’s protocols depend on the appointed medical representative of a team – usually the physio – to run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee in case a player fails the tests. But, as mentioned in the examples earlier, players can sometimes show no signs of trauma until the next day, which means they play on at less than 100% and at great risk of being struck again with the bowlers under no obligation to not bowl bouncers again. To avoid this circumstance, a sport like rugby, for instance, decrees that a player hit on the head has to compulsorily go off and is not allowed back on till he is proven to have no signs of concussion.Another crucial element of the blows sustained by the Bangladesh batsmen is that this was the first time many of them were playing an international match under lights with the pink ball. Fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain said there were no issues with the visibility as such, but India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said otherwise.”I thought light and pink ball had a role to play,” Pujara said after the second day’s play. “Because as a batsman it’s not easy to pick the ball, especially short balls, the kind of pace our fast bowlers have. I think it (the batsmen being hit) is because of the pink ball and playing under lights, because their batters, as far as I know, they haven’t even played any first-class games with the pink ball. It’s not easy.”Of the four Bangladesh batsmen that were hit during the Test, Mithun and Rahim were the only ones to be hit after sunset, under completely artificial lighting. Mahmudulllah, meanwhile, has been “walking around” in the dressing room and could come back out to bat on Sunday.

Post by Fraser-McGurk invited comments from team-mates that seemingly mocked non-native English speakers

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2020Cricket Australia will consider sanctions on a number of players from the Under-19 squad after a post on Instagram by batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk invited comments that seemingly mocked non-native English speakers.The image Fraser-McGurk posted of himself batting and captioned “Quarter Finals here we come” shortly after Australia’s victory over England prompted a series of replies from team-mates, which have subsequently been removed and commenting has been disabled.”Sir great player, big fan and will play for India one day,” wrote Oliver Davies.”Sir, give me WhatsApp number, I want to be friend,” commented Liam Scott.Lachlan Hearne, Tanveer Sangha and Sam Fanning also posted similar comments.

Sean Carroll, the board’s integrity chief, said in a statement provided to ESPNcricinfo that “some of the language could be interpreted as ridiculing non-native English language speakers”.”We are extremely disappointed that some of the Australia under-19 squad members have used inappropriate language in posts on social media, which we reported to the ICC as soon as it came to our attention,” Carroll said.”I have spoken to the players this morning and have expressed in no uncertain terms that such language has no place in society and falls well short of the standards we expect as Australian cricketers. The players have apologised for the language and taken down the posts.”Cricket Australia will consider sanctions upon their return from South Africa, which will include but not be limited to education and cultural sensitivity training. Most of the players do not have their parents present with them in South Africa and some of them are minors. Accordingly, we believe it is appropriate to consider their sanction upon their return home.”Fraser-McGurk, one of the players involved, has already flown home to receive treatment after being scratched by a monkey at a nature reserve during a team outing in Kimberley.

All the analysis, stats, news and reaction from the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Sruthi Ravindranath28-Sep-2019

Allrounder was restored as Joe Root’s deputy after text message to Tom Harrison

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2019Ben Stokes’ reinstatement as England vice-captain ahead of this summer’s Ashes came after he pleaded directly to Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, according to details in his new autobiography.Stokes, who was stripped of the role in the wake of the incident outside a Bristol nightclub two years ago, missed England’s tour of Australia in 2017-18 as he awaited police charges following his arrest.However, going into this summer’s Ashes, and with his stock in the side restored following a series of eye-catching performances, both in the field and in training, Stokes decided he had “nothing to lose” in sending a text message to the ECB chief asking to be made Joe Root’s deputy once again.”Of the punishments I’d received in the aftermath of the Bristol incident, losing the Test vice-captaincy was what hurt the most,” Stokes wrote in his book, On Fire.”So I decided I would take the plunge. I sent a text message to Tom Harrison to inform him that I wanted to be Joe Root’s deputy once more. It certainly left him in no doubt how much I wanted things to revert to how they were previously.”Forty-eight hours later, I had Ashley Giles, the England managing director, in contact to offer me the position once more.”My reaction to being told that I had been reinstated was no more than ‘Cool’. But it meant the world to me. Believe me.”Harrison’s willingness to trust Stokes in a position of responsibility again perhaps stems from his comments soon after the Bristol incident, when he declared his desire to see England’s star player “rehabilitated in the field”.It followed, too, a glowing report from the then-England coach Trevor Bayliss on the tour of Sri Lanka last year, when Stokes had to be persuaded to ease up on his own training in the humid conditions.ALSO READ: ‘Bloody Warner’ inspired Stokes to Headingley miracleThe restored responsibility clearly had the desired effect for Stokes, whose century in the third Test at Headingley was hailed as one of the greatest Test innings of all time after England chased a stiff target of 359 to pull off a remarkable one-wicket win.In spite of his desire for greater responsibility within the team, Stokes is adamant that he wants to be Root’s right-hand man, rather than a captaincy rival – as he showed in the wake of England’s series-squaring win at The Oval when he threw his weight squarely behind Root’s leadership while accepting his Man of the Series award.”It [the England captaincy] is not an aspiration for me, currently,” Stokes said in a subsequent interview with the Times “It’s not something that I could ever say no to and it would be a great honour to be asked to do it, but right now it’s not an aspiration.”Joe Root is England captain and there is no one else better in the country to do the job. You could never say no to it, though. I hope it doesn’t happen and I hope Joe doesn’t lose it. I’ve got a very close relationship with Joe on and off the field and I could see the strain he was under.”The man who made way for Stokes as vice-captain was Jos Buttler, who also performs the same role to Eoin Morgan in the white-ball squad. However, he did not seem to be put out by the demotion when quizzed on the subject earlier this year.”When I did it last summer … they said to me in time they’d like Ben to do the role again when he can, so I was very aware that was the situation and natural thing to happen,” he said. “I’m delighted for Ben to be reinstated as vice-captain and it doesn’t really change a lot for me: I’m always willing to offer advice and I’m there if Joe wants to talk to me, as are a lot of other players in the team as well who aren’t vice-captain. It doesn’t change a lot.”

Charlton Athletic have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their crucial League One fixture on Tuesday evening, as Diallang Jaiyesimi has been ruled out.

What’s the latest?

According to a statement posted on the club website, Jaiyesimi is expected to miss the fixture against Lincoln City due to a hamstring injury, meaning this will be the third consecutive fixture in which the winger has been sidelined.

However, the club went on to confirm that Ben Watson, after being rested for the 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley last weekend, looks set to be involved in Tuesday’s clash.

Huge blow

Following the stalemate at The Crown Ground, Charlton now simply must win against Lincoln if they are to stand any chance of securing a top-six finish in the league come the end of the season.

As such, the continued absence of Jaiyesimi is likely to come as a huge blow for Nigel Adkins, as the Addicks appear to have been missing the 22-year-old’s cutting edge in the final third in both their loss against Peterborough United and their draw with Crewe Alexandra, as well as the aforementioned draw at Accrington.

Indeed, prior to the loss against the Posh, the former Dulwich Hamlet ace had scored one goal and provided two assists over his previous five league appearances, averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.04 over these fixtures.

However, Adkins will once again have to make do without the winger on Tuesday, and will undoubtedly be hoping that his side can secure a result in order to keep Charlton in with a shout of the play-offs on the final day of the season – a fixture in which the 56-year-old will likely be praying for Jaiyesimi to be back for.

In other news: Adkins must unleash “unplayable” £5.4k-p/w Charlton ace tonight, can be a game-changer – opinion

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Everton are attempting to sign Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea and have learned that they will have to pay £35m for the forward, according to The Guardian.

What’s the story?

Everton’s problems in the final third this season have been well documented.

It is true that Richarlison has been a revelation following his summer move from Watford, but the likes of Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have struggled.

The Toffees are said to be keen to sign a new striker on deadline day and according to The Guardian, are attempting to bring Batshuayi to the club.

The Belgium international is back with Chelsea having spent the first half of this season on loan in Spain with Valencia.

It would be fair to say that the 25-year-old struggled at the Mestalla, managing just one league goal during a disappointing loan spell.

Batshuayi’s Chelsea record is 19 goals in 53 appearances, which is not exactly terrific, but he did score goals on loan at Borussia Dortmund last term.

Should Everton move for the striker?

Batshuayi is certainly capable of being a success at Everton, but £35m is a lot of money for a player who has not been in good form this season.

A move for the Belgian on transfer deadline day does make sense for Everton, but the Toffees must attempt to negotiate a lower price.

According to The Guardian, West Ham United had wanted to take Batshuayi on loan, but Chelsea are keen on a permanent sale, with Everton seemingly the only serious contenders at this stage of the transfer window.

The Londoners are in a strong negotiating position though, considering that Batshuayi still has more than two years left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

If the asking price stays the same then Everton should dodge a move, but anything around the £27m mark should be seriously considered by the Toffees.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee has laughed off claims that Harry Kane has said he wants to leave Tottenham this summer.

Kane’s future at Spurs has been a major talking point for some time, with recent reports from The Athletic this month saying that the England captain will hand in a transfer request should Spurs fail to qualify for the Champions League.

The striker is still waiting to win his first piece of silverware for the north London outfit, following Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final last weekend.

Kane has been in scintillating form this term, and is the joint-top goalscorer and top assister in the Premier League this season having been directly involved in 34 goals in 30 appearances.

But whilst Lee believes that he could play for any side in the world, he’s rubbished reports that Kane said he will push for a move away from Spurs.

He told Football FanCast:

“Until Harry Kane comes out and says ‘I want to leave’, I don’t believe that his friends of friends have said ‘yeah I know Harry Kane has told me this’.

“Why would he tell anyone that? Unless you’re close – I think his brother is his agent. Why would he say that? I don’t know if he would.

“I’m sure he wants to play at the top level, but does he want to stay at Tottenham and be a club legend as Alan did at Newcastle?

“Does he want to go abroad at Real Madrid or Barcelona or does he want to go to another Premier League club, but then he’s got to play against his beloved Spurs.

“It’s down to Harry Kane what he decides he wants to do. I think he’s the best centre-forward in the world by quite a distance at the moment.”