Pakistan cricket is in trouble: Waqar

DHAKA: As Bangladesh clinched a historic series win over Pakistan on Sunday, head coach Waqar Younis had to give in to the criticism from all quarters.

He admitted that the team was in ‘trouble’.

“I accept what the critics’ say, Pakistan cricket is facing problems,” Waqar said in an interview to the local media.

“Pakistan need to change the way it plays cricket. Our cricketing style is very defensive and it will take us time to get free from this mindset,” he added.

The defensive playing style is not the only worry for Pakistan though. The national team is currently facing a 'fitness crisis' of sorts which has meant the coach has not been able to pick the best side.

Pacemen Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, leg-spinner Yasir Shah and middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood were ruled out due to injuries for the series against Bangladesh.

Right before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Pakistan’s camp had been affected by fitness issues, resulting in the nonavailability of seasoned players such as Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Mohammad Hafeez.

“Our team’s biggest problem is fitness and we will not compromise in ensuring that each and every player is match fit,” he said.

Waqar rejected the idea of looking back at the ‘tried and tested’ lot following the historic series defeat against Bangladesh. “There is no need to look back,” he said, adding: “We have to move forward with younger players.”

Pakistan is scheduled to play the third and the final One-Day International against Bangladesh on Wednesday, April 22, at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka.

The one-day series will be followed by a Twenty20 International and two Tests.

"from the dawn"

Misbah defends Pakistan’s poor show against Bangladesh

KARACHI: Former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has defended the poor performance of Pakistan cricketers in the opening two One-day Internationals against Bangladesh.

“This is a young team and needs more time to improve under a new captain Azhar Ali,” said Misbah on Monday.

Pakistan lost the first ODI by 79 runs and suffered seven-wicket loss in the second one-dayer as Bangladesh registered their first series win over their rivals in two decades.

Misbah, who retired from ODI cricket after leading Pakistan to the quarter-finals in the World Cup, believed the team needed some time to settle down.

He said Azhar just took the reins of captaincy and it was not easy to turn the things around overnight.

Misbah said the team was undergoing rebuilding process and it would take some months to develop.

Commenting on Saeed Ajmal, he said the off-spinner was staging a comeback after eight months when he was suspended by the International Cricket Council for illegal action.

Ajmal has been included in the side after remodeling his action and getting cleared by the ICC.

“It’s not easy for Saeed Ajmal to be the same again within a short time,” Misbah remarked.

He complimented Bangladesh for their first series win over Pakistan.

“Bangladesh is a tough team in their own conditions and they have improved a lot,” he pointed out.

from the dawn

DAN CAKE ODI CRICKET SERIES History or a turnaround?

It's amazing what good rhythm can do for the Tigers. It tends to give them a new identity, a new realisation. Take the World Cup for instance. They went into it having lost 12 out of their first 13 ODIs in 2014 and their prospects of making it through to the quarterfinals seemed more than just dim.

However, an exemplary performance against Scotland changed all that. What followed next was a heroic turnaround against England and a close contest against hosts New Zealand. 2013 was no different either; with a series win against the West Indies at home leading the Tigers to a rare ODI win against Sri Lanka in their own den.

On Friday, Bangladesh beat Pakistan for the first time in 16 years and talks regarding a series win have already begun dominating different forums. It doesn't matter that this was the same side that the Tigers failed to beat despite having come agonisingly close on so many occasions. It doesn't matter that this is the side that once included players whom some of the Tigers referred to as their inspiration.

All that seems to be a thing of the past now, as the Tigers look to hunt their first series win against Pakistan at Mirpur today. While the Tigers did have a good day on the field, there are still certain grey areas which they will be looking to improve upon. One of those would be the way they played in between overs number 10 and 20 on Friday; they scored just 23 runs and lost two wickets.

One of the main reasons behind that was the lack of singles taken by Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad. That scenario however changed as soon as Mushfiqur Rahim entered the crease. Pacer Abul Hasan, who leaked 42 runs in five overs, is likely to be replaced by skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza today.

The visitors may be down, but they are far from being dusted. Pakistan have a habit of striking in the most unexpected scenarios and if the Tigers think that they are an easy match away from a historic series win, that would be a mistake.

This young side has a bunch of players who can change the game around anytime. Captain Azhar Ali led from the front on Friday with a half-century. Young Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 67 off 58 in the game, seems a nifty player and could do better with a bit more experience.

However, for a comeback they will need their fielders to support their bowlers. They were torn apart by Tamim and Mushfiqur in the first match, but things could have been different had the visitors grasped the opportunities presented to them early on.

Can Pakistan's new-look side make a contest out of this series? Or will Bangladesh create history tonight? Either way, an exciting day of cricket is in store.

from dailystar

DAN CAKE ODI CRICKET SERIES No Pahela Baishakh for Tigers

The Tigers, except for Shakib Al Hasan and Rubel Hossain, attended their first official practice session for the Pakistan series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

It was a long day for the players. They first hit the gym for a number of hours in the morning and then attended various skill sessions in the evening.

As all three ODIs are day-night affairs at Mirpur, the Tigers had a batting session under lights at the centre wicket where Tamim Iqbal and his most likely opening partner Rony Talukdar went first to have some knock.

Shakib, who will be captaining the Tigers in the first ODI in place of the suspended Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, skipped practice as he wasn't feeling well and decided to take a day-off. Rubel, on the other hand, had a few issues to settle in court.

In a bid to battle Pakistan's strong left-arm seam attack, the Bangladesh batsmen faced left-arm pacers in the nets for a long time yesterday. They will be training today on Pahela Baishakh as well.

DAN CAKE ODI CRICKET SERIES BAN v PAK: Squad for first and second ODIs

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announces the squad for the first two ODIs (on 17 and 19 April at SBNCS, Dhaka) of the three-match series against Pakistan:  

1	Tamim Iqbal
2	Rony Talakdar
3	Soumya Sarker
4	Mominul Hoque
5	Shakib Al Hasan   - Vice-Captain
6	Mushfiqur Rahim
7	Mahmud Ullah
8	Nasir Hossain
9	Shabbir Rahaman
10	Masrafe Bin Mortaza    - Captain
11	Taskin Ahmed
12	Abul Hasan Raju
13	Rubel Hossain
14	Arafat Sunny

BCB XI for one-day practice match v Pakistan (15 April 2015 at KSOAS, Fatullah)

1	Imrul kayes
2	Rony Talakdar
3	Liton Kumar Das
4	Mominul Hoque
5	Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury
6	Shohag Gazi
7	Al-Amin Hossain
8	Nasir Hossain       - Captain
9	Shabbir Rahaman
10	Zubaer Hossain
11	Taijul Islam
12	Abul Hasan Raju
13	Muktar Ali
14	Mohammad Shahid

Cricket spat shouldn’t hold India-Bangladesh ties to ransom

A huge spat between two cricket officials is threatening to adversely impact India-Bangladesh bilateral relations at a time when these are at their best. Bangladesh Planning Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal has resigned as the International Cricket Council (ICC) president to protest against the country’s “humiliation” when he was denied the opportunity to present the World Cup 2015 to winners Australia at Melbourne.

Presenting the trophy to the winners is something ICC presidents have done since 1999 – until ICC chairman N. Srinivasan usurped the privilege in a hastily convened ICC executive on the day before the March 29 World Cup final. He got the ICC to seek a formal apology from Kamal for his outburst against “poor umpiring” during the India-Bangladesh quarterfinal. When Kamal refused, Srinivasan got the ICC executive to bar him from presenting the trophy and bestowed it upon himself to do the honours. Kamal has since returned to Bangladesh, resigned as ICC president, called Srinivasan a “mentally deranged man” and someone “impossible to work with” and even called the ICC the “Indian Cricket Council.”

It appears that Srinivasan, who had coldly dared Kamal to do anything he wants, is planning to hit back. His supporters are trying to force an emerg

ency meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), where they intend to get it to cancel the tour of Bangladesh in June 2015, during which Team India is expected to play two Tests and three ODIs.

Srinivasan supporters will argue that Kamal’s tirades can no longer be treated as a “personal issue” – Kamal says he is upset with Srinivasan and has nothing against the Indian board – as Srinivasan is the Indian board’s representative in the ICC.

But Srinivasan has large number of opponents in the BCCI who will stoutly oppose such plans, arguing that it is a personal issue and the BCCI cannot afford to create a diplomatic row. If they can’t stop Srinivasan from having his way, they will wish the cancellation of the Bangladesh tour will boil over into a major crisis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will be forced to intervene. If the BCCI cancels the tour, Kamal will surely get Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who too has lashed out at the “poor umpiring” and the “uncivilised behaviour” towards Kamal, to intervene.

India is beholden to Hasina for her crackdown against Islamist rebels and those from India’s northeast who were long sheltered in Bangladesh before she assumed power in January 2009. With her government allowing heavy equipment for power projects and grain consignments to go through Chittagong port to the northeastern state of Tripura, New Delhi feels it is payback time. Modi, who is keen to push for improved relations with all neighbours, plans to visit Bangladesh this summer after the Indian parliament clears the long-pending Land Boundary Agreement. He plans to land in Dhaka with the LBA done and at a time when he can possibly promise a Teesta water-sharing agreement soon enough. Indian diplomats in Dhaka have made it clear Modi should not come empty-handed.

So, the last thing that Modi and his foreign policy team can accept is the BCCI calling off the tour, especially when Pakistan is also sending its cricket team on a tour of Bangladesh this summer. It may be a much better idea for Modi’s foreign policy managers to step in before the crisis explodes in the open. And, Indian interests cannot be held hostage by someone like Srinivasan, who has been barred from contesting BCCI elections by the Supreme Court but has managed to get the board to nominate him as India’s representative at the ICC and then become its all-powerful chairman.

Kamal’s outburst on umpiring may be an immature act. It may well be that Kamal is trying to shore up public support for his beleaguered Awami League back home by playing on nationalist sentiments at a time when it is desperately trying to counter the BNP-led transport blockade and strikes. But, Rohit Sharma was out by all means and Rubel Hossain’s ball was surely not above the waist! It’s anybody’s guess as to what would have happened if he had walked back at 90 and not when he had made that wonderful century – or if the in-form Mahmudullah Riyad had not been given out to the controversial Shikhar Dhawan catch in the deep. But at the end of the day, cricket is just a sport, and should we say much-tainted sport, with all its match-fixing and IPL scams. And there is no good reason to hold India’s relations with a friendly neighbour hostage for a controversial cricket administrator who has not exactly covered the nation with glory over the years.

bdnews24.com

Kolkata's ‘Telegraph’ appreciates Mustafa Kamal for challenging Srinivasan

Eastern India's leading English newspaper 'Telegraph' has lauded ICC president and Bangladesh minister AHM Mustafa Kamal for taking on ICC Chairman N Srinivasan.

"Even if it is Bangladesh, somebody has shown the guts to try and take on Srinivasan. He could not seek a second term as BCCI president in India, yet continues to chair the ICC," reads a 'Telegraph' report.

It said: "Many find it extremely odd, and one is putting it mildly, that someone who cannot be the president of his national board remains the top gun in the ICC."

AHM Mustafa Kamal

The 'Telegraph' report said that Kamal will personally brief Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about how he was denied the opportunity to present the World Cup to the winners by Srinivasan.

It said he will be accompanied by Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan, when he briefs the PM.

"The issue has gone beyond that of an individual, thanks to the authoritarian attitude of ICC Chairman Narayanswamy Srinivasan, and is now all about humiliation of Bangladesh," the 'Telegraph' report said.

Since 1999, ICC presidents, rather than the chairpersons, have presented the World Cup to the winners at the presentation ceremony.

N Srinivasan

But Srinivasan outwitted Kamal in a meeting on the day before the World Cup finals and used Kamal's outbursts against umpiring during the India-Bangladesh quarter-finals as an excuse to deny the Bangladesh minister the honours.

That has caused much furore even in India as Srinivasan is not very popular in the country outside his home state Tamil Nadu.

Those who oppose Srinivasan in Indian cricket politics —and the number is not small and includes West Bengal cricket heavyweight Jagmohan Dalmiya—may now look to attack the ICC chairman on grounds that his senseless action is jeopardising India-Bangladesh relations.

Dalmiya, a former ICC top gun, is friendly with cricket administrators in Bangladesh.

From bdnew24.com