All posts by h716a5.icu

A round-up of the National Cricket League matches that ended on February 26, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2015Khulna Division have overtaken Dhaka Division in the NCL points table after they gained more points in their drawn game in Fatullah.Khulna are now on 83 points while Dhaka, the defending champions and league leaders since the start of this tournament, are two points behind.Batting first, Dhaka were bowled out for 366 following Shuvagata Hom’s 135 and fifties from Abdul Mazid and Mosharraf Hossain. Left-arm pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman took four wickets while Ziaur Rahman picked up two.Khulna replied in a grand manner, declaring on 600 for 9 on the fourth day. Tushar Imran made 158, Mohammad Mithun 126 and Ziaur 110. Tushar and Mithun added 222 for the fourth wicket while Mehedy Hasan and Ziaur added 151 for the seventh. Mahedi Hasan and Mehedy Hasan struck fifties too, as Dhaka struggled to bowl on a typically docile Fatullah wicket. So dire was their situation that captain Mohammad Sharif bowled leg-spin for a few overs and even picked up Mithun’s wicket.There was enough time for Mazid to hit a hundred in Dhaka’s second innings which ended on 216 for 2 in 45 overs.Rangpur Division remain in third place after their innings and one-run win over Rajshahi Division at the BKSP-3 stadium.Batting first, Rajshahi were bowled out for 263 with Sanjit Saha and Tanveer Haider taking three wickets each. Touhid Tareq and Muktar Ali struck fifties and added 133 runs for the sixth wicket.Litton Das and Naeem Islam then hit hundreds, 173 and 138 not out respectively, as Rangpur piled on the runs. They declared on 527 for 6 in the third afternoon, leaving Rajshahi to get 264 to make Rangpur bat again.They were, however, once again bowled out for 263 with Mizanur Rahman and Muktar hitting fifties. Left-arm seamer Sajedul Islam took four wickets while Tanveer picked up three more.Dhaka Metropolis beat Sylhet Division by 135 runs in Mirpur. Dhaka Metropolis also had identical scores in their two innings – 264 each – but that was enough for a resounding win.Sylhet made 171 and 222 in their replies. Shamsur Rahman’s 103 stood out in Dhaka Metro’s second innings, in which Nabil Samad took a six-wicket haul. Sylhet needed 358 to win, but were stalled by three wickets from Sharifullah and two each from Mohammad Shahid, Elias Sunny and Marshall Ayub.Barisal Division’s drawn game against Chittagong Division was more about Mosaddek Hossain making 282.Batting first, Barisal were 95 for 3, and later slipped to 191 for 5 before Mosaddek added 138 for the sixth wicket with Sohag Gazi, 127 for the seventh with Salman Hossain, and 134 for the ninth with Kamrul Islam Rabbi.Mosaddek’s runs came off 309 balls with 37 fours and five boundaries, batting at a 91.26 strike-rate for over seven hours. It affected Barisal’s innings run-rate, too, as they batted at 4.51 for 132.1 overs, to declare on 597 for 9.Chittagong replied with 339 in their first innings, but Barisal asked them to follow on, and they made 324 for 3. Nafees Iqbal got a hundred in the first innings while Tasamul Haque and Irfan Sukkur made 120 and 104 respectively in the second innings.

Centuries from Sam Heazlett and Jake Doran and their 218-run stand for the fourth-wicket helped Australia Under-19s post a strong 7 for 455 and establish a 283-run first-innings lead over England Under-19s on the second day of the Youth Test in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Jake Doran scored 169 off 252 deliveries•Getty ImagesCenturies from Sam Heazlett and Jake Doran and the 218-run, fourth-wicket partnership between the two helped Australia Under-19s post a strong 7 for 455 and establish a 283-run first-innings lead over England Under-19s on the second day of the Youth Test in Perth.The pair had come together at the crease on the first evening after Australia were 3 for 85. They went on to consolidate the team’s position and brought up individual landmarks along the way. Heazlett, who had already scored 68 of his side’s 103 runs on the first day, hit 22 fours and a six in his 218-ball 160. Once he was dismissed in the 79th over, Doran went on to add another 138 runs with wicketkeeper Tom Healy, son of former wicketkeeper Ian Healy. The partnership was broken by offspinner Brad Taylor who dismissed both batsmen in successive overs before Australia declared at 7 for 455. Doran scored 169 off 252 deliveries with 19 fours and a six.England’s openers then added 38 runs in a unbroken stand before close of play.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor is set to play his final game for Zimbabwe when he takes the field against India in their last Group B game of the 2015 World Cup

Arya Yuyutsu11-Mar-20152:17

‘Very sad to leave Zimbabwe cricket’ – Taylor

Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor is set to play his final game for Zimbabwe when he takes the field against India in their last Group B game of the 2015 World Cup. Taylor has signed a three-year Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire, subject to ECB approval, which makes him ineligible to play for Zimbabwe while that contract is in effect. On the eve of the India match, Taylor tweeted he had “decided to retire from ZC”.*

Sadly after 11 years I have decided to retire from ZC.My heart will always be close to my team mates and country.Thank you for your support!

— Brendan Taylor (@BrendanTaylor86) March 12, 2015

Taylor’s availability for Nottinghamshire will be confirmed following the World Cup. He could also go on to qualify for England.Calling the decision the biggest one he has had to make, Taylor said he was sad to leave Zimbabwe cricket but had made the choice with his family in mind.”It’s been one of the biggest decisions I’ve had to make; in fact the biggest decision,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo two days before the match against India in Auckland. “I’ve always been very passionate about playing for Zimbabwe, I still am. I sat down with my wife and we decided to make this decision together. It hasn’t been easy. I feel very sad about it but at the same time very excited to be a part of one of the better county sides in England. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and I’m looking forward to cementing a good relationship with them over the next three years.”But I’m very, very sad to leave Zimbabwe cricket. I’ve had some fond memories and I have some great friends here but life goes on and you have to try and make the best decisions for your family and moving forward.”Taylor, 29, has been the lynchpin of Zimbabwe’s batting, and has played 23 Tests and 26 T20Is. The match against India will be his 167th ODI. He has 5120 ODI runs and 1493 Test runs, both at an average of 34. He was appointed captain after the 2011 World Cup, as Zimbabwe worked towards a return from a self-imposed exile from Test cricket. He led them to a successful Test comeback later that year, in which he also scored his maiden century, and to a win over Pakistan a month later.Under Taylor, Zimbabwe seemed a renewed force, despite a sparse fixture list and struggles away from home. As one of the senior-most players in the squad, Taylor played an important part in unifying the players in their off-field battles over unpaid salaries and the formation of a players’ association.He was relieved of the limited-overs’ captaincy duties in July last year when Zimbabwe Cricket restructured and split the leadership. Taylor remained in charge of the Test team but Elton Chigumbura took over the job in other formats. Taylor gave the new captain his full support.He also expressed hope that the leadership of Dav Whatmore, who was appointed Zimbabwe coach a few months ahead of the World Cup, would lift the team’s performances in the future.”Zimbabwe is going to move forward with Dav Watmore, there’s no doubt about that. He’s been brilliant so far,” Taylor said. “We haven’t got the results we’d have liked to but he’s a very experienced coach and he knows how to get the best out of individuals. So I’ve no doubt that someone will come in and do a good job there.”We’ve got a bit of depth there and some experienced players. The guys need to just step it up a little bit more, take more responsibility, but there’s no doubt that the talent’s there and some great times are around the corner for Zimbabwe cricket I feel.”Whatmore said Nottinghamshire were “very, very lucky” to have Taylor in their ranks and was confident Zimbabwe could stay strong after Taylor’s exit.”It is true we will be missing Brendon taylor who is be going to Nottingham and they are very very lucky to have him. But, despite that, we feel that we have got a number of players who make this team really strong because of what they offer in terms of their all-round ability,” Whatmore said.Taylor is the second Zimbabwe player to go Kolpak after the Test comeback. Kyle Jarvis signed for Lancashire in August 2013. Sources close to the Zimbabwe side said players have taken the news “surprisingly well” after learning that Taylor that would be moving on.1.45GMT, March 13: This article was updated following Brendan Taylor’s tweet.

Medium-pacer Mohammad Saifuddin’s five-wicket burst helped Bangladesh Under-19s clinch the seven-match youth ODI series against South Africa Under-19s at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2015
ScorecardMedium-pacer Mohammad Saifuddin’s five-wicket burst helped Bangladesh Under-19s clinch the seven-match youth ODI series against South Africa Under-19s at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. The eight-run win in the fifth match of the series gave Bangladesh an unassailable 4-1 lead, with two matches remaining.Saifuddin was brought into the game in the 40th over with the visitors needing 66 runs off 66 balls with seven wickets in hand. Saifuddin took two wickets in his first two overs before creating mayhem in his fourth – the 48th over. He took three wickets in four balls, removing South Africa captain Sibonelo Makhanya, Dayyan Galiem and Lesego Senokwane.A score of 193 for 3 suddenly turned to 231 for 8, leaving South Africa with only two overs to score the remaining 27 runs. Nihaduzzaman then gave away 13 runs, which included three wides in the 49th over. Saifuddin bowled two no-balls in the final over but the last three deliveries were dots, and the visitors eventually fell short by eight runs.Wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy (63), Wiaan Mulder (50) and Galiem (60) struck fifties in the visitors’ chase. Moonsamy and Mulder added 108 runs for the second wicket while Tony de Zorzi and Galiem adding 66 runs for the fourth wicket. Apart from Saifuddin’s five wickets, Mehedi Hasan, Saleh Ahmed and Nazmul Hossain Shanto took one each.After opting to bat, Saif Hassan gave the home side an early boost with his 30-ball 33, which contained seven boundaries. After Hassan was trapped leg-before by Makhanya in the ninth over, Pinak Ghosh and captain Shanto added 45 more runs for the second wicket.Pinak then added another 90 runs for the third wicket with Mehedi, with both batsmen scoring fifties. Pinak top-scored with 76 off 116 balls with four fours and two sixes while Mehedi made 63 off 73 balls with six fours. Shafiul Hayat struck three fours and a six in his 24-ball 27, helping Bangladesh to 257 for 9 in 50 overs.The visitors were kept in the hunt by pace bowler Ziyaad Abrahams’ superb bowling performance, as he finished with 6 for 58 in nine overs. He became the third South African to take a six-wicket haul in Youth ODIs after Wayne Parnell (2008, against Bangladesh) and Kagiso Rabada (2014, against Australia).

Almost a decade after taking over governance of women’s cricket in India, the BCCI has proposed to introduce annual retainers for members of the national women’s team

Amol Karhadkar24-May-2015Almost a decade after taking over governance of women’s cricket in India, the BCCI has proposed the introduction of annual retainers for members of the national women’s team. While the women’s cricket fraternity has welcomed the move, former India captains hope this marks the beginning of reforms required for the welfare of women cricketers.The BCCI finance committee earlier this week had discussed the prospects for the first time, and on Sunday, the women’s committee put forward a concrete proposal. “On the lines of men’s cricket, a contract system for international women cricketers was proposed,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur stated in a media release.India is the only country among the top-eight ranked women’s teams that does not have annual contracts for its women cricketers. The lack of attention to women cricketers, especially towards their financial needs, was primarily due to a lack of interest in the women’s game by previous regimes.Other proposals related to women’s cricket

More international fixtures for the India Women’s cricket team

The addition of two more tournaments to give more exposure and opportunities to women cricketers at the domestic level. A proposal to start an under-16 state level tournament within the zones, and an under-23 tournament

The present formats of the women’s under-19 tournament and the senior women’s tournament will remain unchanged

It is understood that the finance and women’s committees have also proposed a substantial hike in the allowances of women’s cricketers. With India languishing in the eighth position in the international rankings, the women’s committee has also recommended more international fixtures.The proposal will now be ratified by the working committee. Once it is ratified in the working committee’s next meeting, the nitty-gritties, including the number of cricketers in the contract pool and amount to be offered, will be taken up. The proposal is likely to be implemented from the BCCI’s next financial cycle, starting in October.Shubhangi Kulkarni, the former India captain who was in charge of the Women’s Cricket Association of India until its merger with the BCCI in 2006, welcomed the move. “It was due for a long time. Now that it has happened, I am delighted for all the girls. It will certainly motivate more young girls to take up the sport,” Kulkarni told ESPNcricinfo.Diana Edujli, another former India captain, hoped that the move will lead to the BCCI addressing other impending financial issues. “Finally, it [annual contracts] has happened. The new dispensation appears to be a little more favourable for women’s cricket. The women’s cricketers need more support. Hopefully they will also look into the other impending issues, including the one-time benefit for former internationals and broadening of the pension scheme to all international women cricketers.”Edulji has been fighting for women’s cricketers to be included in the BCCI’s one-time financial benefit scheme, which is allotted resources from the excess profit made by the Indian Premier League. The benefit scheme has reached almost 200 first-class and international cricketers. She has also been trying to get the BCCI to expand the monthly gratis to all international women cricketers, as opposed to the current rule of those who have played at least five Tests.”A lot of these areas need to be looked into. Hopefully the BCCI involves some more women cricketers and comes up with a viable solution to all these issues,” Edujli said.

Such has been the dramatic upsurge in England’s ODI batting that it would be oversimplifying things to put the change down to a couple of buzz words

Alan Gardner13-Jun-2015Such has been the dramatic upsurge in England’s ODI batting that it would be oversimplifying things to put the change down to a couple of buzz words. Still, two phrases stood out as Paul Farbrace spoke about run-filled performances against New Zealand at The Oval and Edgbaston: “playing with intent” and “strong cricket shots”.They may in time come to sounds as anodyne as “right areas” and “building a platform” but, at least for now, even England’s jargon has a freshness about it.England have made their highest-ever scores batting first and second in consecutive matches and it seems simplicity is the key. After a disastrous World Cup and the dismissal of Peter Moores, however unfairly, under a data cloud, it is understandable that Farbrace would emphasise a difference in approach but it was notable that his focus was on the low-tech; gone are references to numbers, analysis and par scores.”The thing we’ve talked about is intent, that’s all we’ve talked about,” Farbrace said. “We haven’t sat down and talked about plans, or how we’re going to play, how many runs we want to be at certain overs – all we talk about is good strong shots and playing with good intent. And if we play well enough, we’ll win the game, if we haven’t we’ll lose the game. The intent is the absolute key thing, who we’re playing won’t matter.”This is a stripped-back, acoustic England and they sound better than ever. After the narrow defeat at The Oval, which left the series at 1-1 with three to play, England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, made reference to the number of young players in the side, for whom committing to a naturally aggressive game was “not such a big deal”. The likes of Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Sam Billings, all T20 natives, don’t need to be told how to get funky.Bayliss has been impressed – Farbrace

Paul Farbrace has said that he is in regular contact with England’s incoming coach, Trevor Bayliss, who is excited about the way the side is playing. Bayliss is due to arrive in England in the final week of June to take charge of the side ahead of the Ashes but he has been keeping in up to date with the team’s progress remotely from Australia.
One of the reasons for Bayliss being appointed ahead of the early favourite, Jason Gillespie, was his record of success in the limited-overs formats. Farbrace, who will resume a working partnership with Bayliss that began during their time with Sri Lanka, said that his involvement had already started with the New Zealand ODIs.
“He’s got all the credit, definitely. It’s all his plans so he’s been brilliant,” Farbrace joked. “No, he had an input into selection and I speak to him regularly. His view was, having watched the first game, there’s a lot of exciting potential and he’s looking forward to getting here to work with them. He’s a guy that will keep things very simple as well and I think it will work nicely when he turns up.”

Farbrace seems to be a coach who knows how people, rather than computers, tick – offer a few words of advice and encouragement and leave the players to get on with things (though of course the analysts remain to provide support in the background). Contributing to the harmony is the fact that England’s current opponents are equally free-spirited.”It’s almost the perfect series for us, playing against a team that play the way they do because we’re learning all the time, we’ve got quite a young and experienced side,” Farbrace said. “The opposition plays in such a way that we have no choice but to try and play that way.”They’re a fantastic side – they’ve got high-quality players with bat and ball in their team, they set great standards with the way they play the game and it makes it a little bit easier for us to try and match them, go past them because they’re setting standards that we want to achieve.”We want to be one of the best teams in the world – we’re not at the moment but we want to be and that has to be your aim when you play international sport.”A record 210-run win was always going to be hard to follow but even though England conceded their highest ODI score as New Zealand levelled the series on Friday, it was impossible to dampen Farbrace’s enthusiasm – just as a wet finish at The Oval could not spoil the enjoyment of a 24,000 crowd. There will be time to reflect on how England’s bowlers could better have restricted the opposition but, at least for now, the mantra is one of “intent” and “strong cricket shots”.”I’m as pleased as I was after the game at Edgbaston,” Farbrace said. “Obviously I want to win, you can talk about development and improving but at the end of the day you want to win, that’s what you play the game for. But I’m really, really pleased with how the guys went about it, because the intent and the way they kept going and the way people down the order kept going, kept playing strong cricket shots”We saw that again with Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. You err off the stumps and they hit you both sides of the field. And that’s something our players have started to do, they’ve started to take that on. Until you let yourself go and have a real go at it, you never know what you can achieve. It’s not gung-ho, we’re not just slogging across the line, they’re strong cricket shots being played and all the way down the order.”With the prospect of another bountiful pitch at the Ageas Bowl, England should be emboldened enough to contemplate passing 300 for the third ODI in succession – something they have never done before. In recent years, Hampshire’s ground has seen innings of 189 not out from Martin Guptill, 150 from Hashim Amla and 143 from Shane Watson, as well as Aaron Finch’s 63-ball 156 in a T20. If England bat first, then Robin Smith’s 22-year old England ODI record of 167 could well come under threat.That would surely leave Farbrace purring, if he wasn’t already. “As I shook hands with Brendon at the end he said ‘It’s going to be a great series’ and I said I hope so. I really hope it’s going to be a great series because it will mean that we’ve kept playing the way that we’ve tried to play in these two games. We’re not getting too deep in our thinking and planning, we are just playing with great intent in everything we do, bat, ball and in the field – let’s see what we’re capable of.”

Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the Asia Cup T20 after failing to fully recover from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the limited-overs series inn Australia last month

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2016Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the Asia Cup T20 after failing to fully recover from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the limited-overs series in Australia last month. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named as his replacement.Shami sustained the injury at a training session in Australia, and missed two warm-up games before flying back home. While he was originally said to be out for “four to six” weeks, the medical staff have decided to give him more time to recover from the Grade II injury to his left hamstring.Despite the lack of match practice, the selectors had indicated their willingness in waiting for Shami to recover, with Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, saying that he hoped to test his match fitness during the Asia Cup. “We have good time for making a call on Shami. He has been one of our best bowlers. He has recovered, he has started bowling. That’s what I can say at the moment,” Patil had said while picking the squad for the Asia Cup and the World T20.Before the departure for Australia, India captain MS Dhoni had also insisted Shami was part of his plans for the World T20, which for India begins against New Zealand in Nagpur on March 15.Shami’s last international outing was during the World Cup, when he played through injury and pain, after which he underwent surgery and then rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He was then named among the 30 probables for a preparatory camp ahead of the South Africa series in October, but could not regain full fitness for the international matches.Once fit, Shami played four matches for Bengal – two in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December and two in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January.

India’s spinners pulled New Zealand back from a strong start to set up a chase of 127, which was achieved in 19 overs with three wickets remaining for a consolation win

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2015
Scorecard3:03

‘We rarely come good under pressure’ – Mithali Raj

India’s spinners pulled New Zealand back from a strong start to set up a chase of 127, which was achieved in 19 overs with three wickets remaining for a consolation win. The visitors took the three-match series 2-1.New Zealand’s top order came hard at the hosts after being asked to bat. Suzie Bates hit 34 off 27 deliveries while Rachel Priest and Sophie Devine hit a few quick boundaries. New Zealand had raced to 59 for 1 in the sixth over when left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad dismissed Devine.Bates and Amy Satterthwaite fell to legspinner Poonam Yadav in successive overs. The regular fall of wickets meant New Zealand stalled, managing only 5 for 42 in the last half of the innings. Gayakwad picked up three wickets while Ekta Bisht and Yadav had two apiece.Vellaswamy Vanitha (28) and Latika Kumari built the base for the chase with a second-wicket stand of 45 in six overs. Leigh Kasperek and Kate Broadmore hit back to reduce India to 73 for 4 in ten overs but Veda Krishnamurthy launched a boundary blitz, hitting six fours to make 34 off 19.Anuja Patil (22) guided India after Krishnamurthy fell to Devine before the pair of Sushma Verma and Bisht took the hosts home.

India have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them

The preview by Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2016Match factsSunday, March 6, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)2:48

Ajit Agarkar: Can’t look beyond India in the final

Big pictureIndia have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them.Neither side thinks this will be an uneven contest. Though India beat Bangladesh soundly in the tournament opener, they are aware of what their opponents are capable at home, especially after a series loss in June 2015. Bangladesh are aware of their own strength, and there is an unmistakable confidence in their approach in T20Is these days. A win in the final would therefore be a watershed moment in this format for them.India have been flawless in the tournament so far. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made the best of every opportunity in crunch moments, while Yuvraj Singh is slowly coming into his own.Rohit steered India after a sluggish start against Bangladesh; Kohli weathered the Mohammad Amir storm against Pakistan, while Yuvraj was in his elements against Sri Lanka. All this has meant MS Dhoni has faced all of nine balls in the tournament, while Suresh Raina hasn’t had a major impact with the bat.The story with the ball isn’t too different. Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra have done the damage at the top, while Hardik Pandya has played the role of a third seamer to his captain’s liking. The spinners – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – have done what they usually do, even though some of the surfaces they have played on haven’t aided turn.That Bangladesh find themselves in this position has been largely due to the effect their bowlers have had. Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain have stepped up, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza have given fine supporting acts in their last three wins. The battle could get more interesting if the hosts decide to play Abu Hider, the BPL bowling hero, and off-spinning allrounder Nasir Hossain in place of Arafat Sunny and Mohammad Mithun.Bangladesh’s top three – Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman – have all shown good form in T20s this year, while Mahmudullah has been successful in his role as a finisher. There will be some worry over Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib’s form, but they have been known to come good when pushed against the wall.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh WWWLLIndia WWWWWWatch out forEvery move of Shakib Al Hasan is being followed with bated breath in Bangladesh since he walked off with a limp at training following a burise on his right hip on Friday. Concerns have been raised over his batting form, and he couldn’t have had a better setting than in a grand finale to rediscover his touch that has made him an enigma at home.Ashish Nehra has taken at least one wicket in the Powerplay in the last seven T20Is. His late swing and control with the new ball has given India’s bowling a new dimension. He will once again be a vital cog in MS Dhoni’s scheme of things.Team newsHider has been given a lot of attention at training over the last two days. All indications then that he could be the surprise element in the Bangladesh bowling attack. Nasir is also being discussed as a potential replacement for Mithun, who lost his place in the top-order to Tamim. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nasir Hossain/Mohammad Mithun, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Arafat Sunny/Abu Hider, 11 Taskin AhmedWithout any injury concerns, India are set to go back to their best XI after testing their bench against the UAE. So Ravindra Jadeja, Ashish Nehra and R Ashwin will slot back in for Pawan Negi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harbhajan Singh. India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditionsThere was a smattering of cut grass covering the pitch on the eve of the final, though there is a good chance of it being shaved off. Weather is fine with no forecast of rain but the daytime heat means there could be heavy dew late in the evening.Stats and trivia This is Bangladesh’s first appearance in any T20I tournament that involves three or more teams. India meanwhile is playing their third final in such events. Sabbir Rahman and Rohit Sharma have made 144 and 137 runs respectively and have the chance to topple Babar Hayat who is the leading scorer in the Asia Cup with 194 runs.Quotes”The flavor of this match is going to be different but if we play the way we have been playing in the last three matches, hope fully we will keep our momentum going and get something good in the end.”
“Last year Sri Lanka were the world champions here [in the Asia Cup and World T20]. Bangladesh has played very good cricket too. Not long ago Pakistan was in the top two. Now it is India. You can never discount teams in the subcontinent.”

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the BCCI’s constitution was incapable of achieving the values of transparency, objectivity and accountability, and these could be attained only by changing it

PTI03-May-2016The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the BCCI’s constitution was incapable of achieving the values of transparency, objectivity and accountability, and these could only be attained by changing it.”The inherent constitution of the BCCI is such that it is highly incapable of achieving the values of transparency, objectivity and accountability [such] that without changing its structure it can’t be done so,” a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla said, while hearing a matter related to the implementation of reforms suggested by the three-member panel led by Justice RM Lodha.The court’s remarks were made after the views presented by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who was appointed amicus curiae to assist the court on how the recommendations of the Lodha committee, which favoured large-scale structural reforms to the BCCI, could be implemented.Subramanium said that if the constitution of the BCCI does not allow the values to be achieved then it could be said to be illegal as the cricket board is discharging a public function.”You discharge a public function but you want to enjoy private status,” Subramanium said. “If you have a public persona then you have to shed the private persona. This cannot be done. It [the BCCI] selects the national team for the country, it cannot be a private society. It is a public entity.”Justifying the reforms suggested by the Lodha panel, Subramanium said the board would not have had the need for these recommendations if it had adhered to the constitutional values. Subramanium added that the BCCI is the beneficiary of the recommendations as implementing them will help ensure credibility of the institution.”[The] Recommendations are in the right directions and the steps are in the right direction to ensure that constitutional values are adhered to ensure institutional integrity,” he saidThe court also asked Subramanium’s views on the ‘one state, one vote’ recommendation that has drawn opposition from the BCCI’s affiliated state associations. The court asked the amicus curiae what he made of the suggested reform that allows states which were earlier deprived of voting rights to exercise them, while removing the individual voting rights of members in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat, which have more than one association. Subramanium said the only ground which connected the two aspects was parity and every state should have been given an equal opportunity.Subramanium also suggested that franchise members should be included in the IPL governing council to bring in more transparency. The bench then asked for the BCCI’s response on legalising betting after Subramanium supported the recommendation.Senior advocate KK Venugopal, who represented the BCCI, said a law has to be passed to legalise betting and such a measure was not feasible as every state has its own laws relating to betting and gambling.