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Shakib Al Hasan has made a public apology and appealed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to reconsider a six-month suspension that was handed to him earlier this month

Mohammad Isam20-Jul-2014Shakib Al Hasan has made a public apology and appealed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to reconsider a six-month suspension that was handed to him earlier this month. The allrounder met with BCB’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury in Mirpur on Sunday and submitted a plea to the board.Shakib was suspended on July 7 because of his “serious misbehaviour” with Bangladesh’s new coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and for his altercation with a spectator during the recent first ODI against India in Mirpur.”I am expressing my sincerest apologies if my behaviour has embarrassed the BCB, the Bangladesh cricket team and our fans,” Shakib read from a prepared statement. “I accept that as a professional and contracted cricketer, I haven’t behaved in a disciplined and restrained manner in several cases. In the future, I am determined to behave with more restraint.”I respect the board’s decision, but there is nothing more painful than staying away from cricket. It is my life and I have worn Bangladesh’s colours and BCB’s logo since the Under-15 days. It is my pride. The Bangladesh team is above everything. I give my all when I play for them, and I would do so in the future. I have grown up with Bangladesh cricket, and I have an emotional connection with it. From that position, I am requesting the BCB to reconsider my suspension.”Nizamuddin confirmed he had received the appeal and said he would forward it to the BCB directors. The directors can either meet to further consider Shakib’s plea, or the BCB president Nazmul Hassan can take a decision and have it ratified by the board in the next meeting.”Shakib has submitted a prayer to reconsider the July 7 sanction made by the board of directors. Since this is a board decision, they will decide on it,” he said.Shakib has been involved in several disputes in the recent past. He had left for the Caribbean to play in the CPL without a valid NOC, and reportedly threatened to quit playing Tests and Twenty20 internationals when asked by Hathurusingha to return and join a training camp. He was ordered to return to Bangladesh by the board, and later denied threatening to quit and said that his departure for the CPL was a result of a misunderstanding over the NOC.

Cricket’s cluttered calendar has begun to affect domestic players as much as internationals Cobras’ physiotherapist Shane Jabaar has said, with the South African franchise the latest to be hit with fitness problems

Firdose Moonda11-Sep-2014Cricket’s cluttered calendar has begun to affect domestic players as much as internationals Cobras’ physiotherapist Shane Jabaar has said, with the South African franchise the latest to be hit with fitness problems.While one of Cobras’ premier fast bowlers, Beuran Hendricks, has a stress fracture of the back that is set to rule him out till December, Vernon Philander and Rory Kleinveldt also suffered injuries in the lead-up to the Champions League T20, which forced them to call on the recently-retired Charl Langeveldt to beef up their bowling stocks.Philander was due to be rested for the ODIs against Zimbabwe but could not be considered for the triangular series which followed after aggravating a hamstring concern during the one-off Test. He has been through a recovery programme and Jabaar described his progress as being “on track”, despite him suffering whiplash from a car accident earlier this week. He is part of Cobras’ Champions League T20 squad and expected to play in the tournament.Kleinveldt is also among the travelling party after spending most of the winter out of action with a knee problem. He was not considered for either of South Africa’s tours to Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe because of his injury but has been declared “95% fit” by Cobras and Jabaar regards him as the most match ready of the injured crop.”He is further ahead than Vernon with his recovery,” Jabbar told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve been holding him back a little this week, in terms of his bowling, but we will up his preparations soon,” Jabaar said. In a statement, Cobras said Kleinveldt can be considered a “certain starter in India”.Also all but guaranteed a place in the starting XI is Langeveldt, who called time on his career at the end of the last season but is needed for his death-bowling skills in the absence of Dale Steyn. The national team management requested that Steyn sit out the Champions League T20 because of South Africa’s schedule over the next few months with includes ODIs in New Zealand and Australia, a home series against West Indies and the World Cup.Given the current workloads, picking which tours players miss out on is what Jabaar, who has been involved in cricket for most of his career and worked with the South African team, thinks will need to be applied more prudently in future. “There is a constant increase in cricket, especially from about five years ago and it means that there is not much downtime for players,” he said. “Where it gets tricky is when play for different teams they are managed in different ways so we have tried to get a system in place in South Africa were we can centralise things and know where each players is at, fitness-wise and injury-wise and hopefully that will help us going forward.”

Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi is not worried about his spin attack despite the absence of lead spinner Saeed Ajmal for the series against Australia, which starts with a one-off T20 on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2014Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has said he is not worried about his spin attack despite the absence of lead spinner Saeed Ajmal for the series against Australia. Afridi, who was named the T20 captain recently, talked up left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who is expected to take the banned Ajmal’s place in the one-off Twenty20 on Sunday.”We all know the importance of Saeed Ajmal very well, but I’m very confident on the guy Raza Hasan,” Afridi said. “As a captain if I look at my bowling line-up, I know we’ll miss Ajmal but we have a very good bunch of guys. So I’m very confident about the bowling line-up. I’m very positive about Raza Hasan, he is a very talented guy and we have some other guys as well who will play in the one-dayers as well. I’m fine with our bowling, I have no issues.”The 22-year-old Hasan has played seven T20 internationals, turning in an impressive performance in the 2012 World Twenty20, but has not played at the international level for two years after he injured his disc in his spine. He will assist Afridi and the experienced Mohammad Hafeez in the spin department, in the lone T20 and the three ODIs. While Ajmal’s 141 wickets make him the leading wicket-taker among spinners in the last four years, Afridi and Hafeez are not too far behind, ranked fourth and fifth respectively.”For the last four-five years our spinners have done really well – the combination of Saeed Ajmal, myself and Hafeez,” Afridi said. “We’ve got some very good fast bowlers as well, some youngsters, some good allrounders. As spinners we have done well in Australia and South Africa as well. So we are very balanced and I’m very confident. Both teams are balanced and I think it will be a good game.”Afridi and Hasan were also among the players who were fined by the PCB last month for being below their optimum level of fitness. Afridi said that the players have already improved their fitness levels and went on to praise the PCB for setting such high standards.”Fitness was not lacking by 15%, that was an improvement in fitness by 15%,” he said. “The other 8% that is missing will also be fulfilled soon hopefully and the PCB has set a great example for everyone – senior or junior – that fitness level should be high. I’m feeling very good and confident, and will hopefully not give anyone any more opportunities to raise fingers at me.”

A round up of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold League matches that ended on October 27, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2014Imran Butt’s 189 was the cornerstone of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s five-wicket win over Lahore Lions in Lahore. Butt’s century and fifties from Mohammad Rizwan and Adnan Akmal helped SNGPL take a crucual 138-run first-innings lead despite Bilawal’s 6 for 86.Lions were dismissed for 241 despite Umar Siddiq’s century in the second innings and set SNGPL a target of 104 for their second win of the tournament. Ali Waqas’ unbeaten 43 and Akmal’s unbeaten 29 helped the side brush off a poor start to seal the win.The SNGPL bowlers did well too. Imran Khalid’s 4 for 51 was key in restricting Lions to 232 in the first innings, while Asad Ali chipped in with 4 for 77 in the second innings.Centuries from Iftikhar Ahmed and Adnan Raees and a second-innings haul of 7 for 43 from fast bowler Mohammad Ali set up Water and Power Development Authority’s mammoth 159-run win over Multan Tigers, their third successive victory in the tournament.After being skittled out for 185 in the first innings, WAPDA ended up conceding a lead of 106. However, Iftikhar and Raees led the resurgence, smashing 132 and 122 respectively to help WAPDA declare their second innings at a formidable 354 for 6. Chasing 249, Tigers folded for only 89 as Mohammad Ali, along with Waqas Maqsood, ran through the line-up. Mohammad Ali, who had taken three wickets in the first innings, ended with his second ten-wicket haul in first-class games, while Maqsood added two wickets to his first-innings tally of 5 for 86.United Bank eased to a ten-wicket win over Peshawar Panthers after demolishing the hosts for 98 in the first innings. Hasan Mahmood led with four wickets after United Bank chose to bowl and Panthers lasted 35.3 overs, with the top score of 35 coming from No. 9 Azizullah.United Bank responded with 340 as Hamza Paracha made 111 and Ali Asad contributed 94, the pair adding 202 for the second wicket. Afaq Ahmed picked up 6 for 66, but could not prevent United Bank from taking a 242-run lead.Prince Abbas and Hasan Mahmood then combined to take seven wickets as Panthers managed 251 in their second innings. Jamaluddin scored 116 and Akbar Badhshah made 57 but their efforts were just enough to prevent an innings defeat. United Bank knocked off the target of 10 to register their second win.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited fought to a draw against Karachi Dolphins at the National Stadium. Set an improbable target of 563, ZTBL hung on to reach 337 for 6. Yasir Hameed led with 114 at the top of the order, while Zohaib Khan (50) and Shoaib Malik (85) also put in valuable contributions.ZTBL had crumbled to 118 in the first innings after Dolphins posted 222. Dolphins were helped by fifties from Fazal Subhan and Mohammad Hasan, even as Shoaib Malik claimed 5 for 70. Adeel Malik responded with 5 for 27 to give Dolphins a 104-run lead.Subhan piled on the runs in the second innings, making his highest first-class score of 207 to lead Dolphins to 458 for 8 declared. There were also fifties from Saad Ali and Mohammad Hasan, again. The Dolphins bowlers persevered for 106 overs, but ZTBL salvaged the draw.The match between Rawalpindi Rams and Port Qasim Authority was drawn after there was no play on day one. PQA declared their first innings on 240 for 9, Asim Kamal remaining unbeaten on 101 and Rizwan Akbar claiming 5 for 87.Usman Saeed, Naved Malik and Yasim Murtaza made fifties as Rams replied with 308. Mohammad Sami and Sohail Khan picked up seven wickets between them.Khalid Latif made a breezy, unbeaten 123 and Shahzaib Hasan and Mohammad Salman collected half-centuries as PQA motored to 299 for 4 in their second innings before the game was called off.Islamabad Leopards came within 26 runs of victory against National Bank of Pakistan before running out of time. Set a target of 148, Leopards reached 122 for 6 in 33.1 overs when the game was drawn.National Bank’s 167 in the first innings was the highest total in the game after no play was possible on day one. Umar Waheed’s 49 was the only decent contribution in that score.Hammad Azam ripped through Leopards with 8 for 26, his best first-class figures. Leopards were dismissed for 148 despite No. 7 Zohaib Ahmed’s 81.Shehzad Azam (5 for 62) and Zohaib Ahmed (3 for 42) then bowled out National Bank for 128 but Leopards could not push on for the win.

A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 matches on December 3, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2014Knights had to secure a bonus-point victory in their final league game of the Ram Slam Challenge for a home semi-final, but rain intervened and the match was abandoned. They had to share points with the team they will face in that knockout match, Lions, at Wanderers on Sunday.A rampant 64 off 24 balls from Rilee Rossouw took the total to 186 and had given Knights strong hopes of victory. Knights’ rapid scoring though meant there were wickets on offer. The Cobras seamers took six between them, with Kagiso Rabada’s 2 for 21 being the pick. Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Chris Morris, though, returned economy rates over 11. Rossouw had given shape to the innings and late blitz from Dillon du Preez – 21 off 6 balls – was the perfect finish.The Lions chase was cut short at 2.2 overs with lightning flashing around the ground. Soon after the deluge came and wiped out all further chances of play.Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn were the playmakers in Cape Cobras resounding win over Warriors in Paarl.Cobras topped the table with eight wins from 10 games, the latest coming through a miserly bowling performance led by Steyn’s 1 for 19 in his four overs that kept the opposition to 131. An unbeaten 56 off 51 balls from Amla overhauled the target with nine wickets and 11 balls to spare.Ryan Bailey’s 62 off 41 was the only source of resistance from the Warriors line-up after Steyn and the Cobras seamers struck thrice in seven overs. Yaseen Vallie played second-fiddle in a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket. But a poor season – they had only three wins from 10 matches – ended with a poor defeat.

Ryan Harris said he will decide if he is ready to play the Adelaide Test after attending team-mate Phillip Hughes’ funeral

Daniel Brettig02-Dec-2014Ryan Harris bowled sixty balls at Queensland training on Tuesday. Not a single one was a bouncer.While this was primarily so he could hone issues of rhythm and technique, Harris’ reluctance to send down a short ball spoke much for the changes wrought to cricket by the death of Phillip Hughes. So did the fact that two days out from what would have been day one of the Gabba Test, Harris was at Allan Border Field in his state colours.Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and company must wrestle with one of the many awfully mixed emotions arising from Hughes’ death. They have been reminded of the destructive power of the bouncer, reeled at this fact, and yet must eventually find a way to harness it again. It will take time.”It’s inevitable it’s going to happen – I’ve been bowling bouncers for a long time and I’ve hit guys before,” Harris said in Brisbane. “It’s part of the game but it just gives you that extra bit of doubt now about a very small percentage of what happened. I’m sure we’ll get back eventually to the way we were playing last summer, but it’s going to be tough because we base our game on aggression.”That question will take longer to answer than a more immediate one, around who will consider themselves fit to play in the first Test in Adelaide from December 9. Harris has experienced this dilemma before, when his mother Gai died of lung cancer in 2006. Even so, he remains unsure of when he will be ready.”I’m still thinking about it, I’ll see how I go tomorrow,” Harris said of Hughes’ funeral in Macksville. “Every individual is different. Personally I’ve lost my mother before and the best thing for me was I was probably pushed to play for my father and my brother and it probably helped. But even still, it’s going to be tough for some boys. It’s going to be tough for me.”I’m going to have to work it out when we get to Adelaide and see how I feel. I feel good having been out today, which was good. Keeping busy this morning has allowed me not to sit around and think about tomorrow, to be honest. Each individual is different. The boys who were there and witnessed what happened … I can’t speak for them because I couldn’t imagine what they’re going through.”There will be a lot of love, a lot of pain and a lot of shared memory of Hughes at his funeral in on Wednesday. Harris and his Australian team-mates are all making the trip, mainly via an overnight stay in Sydney on Tuesday. Many of their eyes will be on their captain Michael Clarke, who will continue to carry a significant burden of friendship and leadership by speaking during the service.”We want him playing. He’s our captain and our leader and through this whole thing he’s shown why he is,” Harris said. “He’s hurting and he’s had a lot to deal with, he’s been just unbelievable. We’ve had some good chats as a group the last few days and he’s just been fantastic. So we want him there, but we’ll see how it goes.”We’d have liked a bit longer but that’s just reality. There’s a Test series on and there’s games to be played. That’s what we have to do. Those who can prepare will and those who can’t will need more time. It’s a 50/50 but the bottom line is we’ve got a date to work to now. The idea was we had a chat yesterday and we just wanted a date to work towards. Some guys can and some guys may not be able to.”Let’s just get past tomorrow first. It’s going to be pretty bloody hard. The thing about this is that no-one knows. No-one’s been in the situation of losing a teammate and a very good mate and trying to play a cricket game less than a week later. No-one’s been in that situation. We’ll get through tomorrow, see how we all feel and get to Adelaide and regroup.”

Sohag Gazi is set to test his reworked bowing action in Chennai on January 24

Mohammad Isam08-Jan-2015After a change to his delivery stride, Sohag Gazi is confident of his reworked bowling action and believes it might help him spin the ball more as well. He is set to travel to Chennai for an official test on January 24 as he hopes to lift his suspension from bowling in international cricket.”I have worked on my landing foot’s positioning,” Gazi said. “It was a similar problem to that of [Sachithra] Senanayake but as soon as I corrected my footing, the rest was fixed automatically. I am more side-on these days, less chest-on. I can find more turn with this new action.””To be honest, I have forgotten my previous bowling action, despite not making a big change overall. I am satisfied with what I have done, plus I have performed with this new action in the domestic competition. I have taken more than 15 wickets.”Gazi was reported for a suspect action in Bangladesh’s second ODI against West Indies in August last year and was suspended from bowling in October after he was tested in Cardiff.Gazi has been working towards a remedy with Bangladesh spin coach Ruwan Kalpage, under whose supervision he had bowled in the nets during the Zimbabwe series.Gazi then applied what he had learned with the help of Salahuddin, a computer analyst with BCB and had been training to stay in contention for the World Cup, but he was unable to find a place in the preliminary squad nor the final 15 that was picked by the Faruque Ahmed-led selection committee.”I have worked very hard on my action. I have bowled for more than three hours every day for a month since I started working. I was helped immensely by Salahuddin during this time, and he traveled with me for my Dhaka Premier League matches to do video of my bowling. I was working harder because it is every cricketer’s dream to play in the World Cup. But I couldn’t make it, but I feel that whatever has happened happened for a reason.”Gazi was initially supposed to work with Mohammad Salahuddin, Bangladesh’s former fielding coach who had successfully helped Abdur Razzak with his illegal bowling action in 2008. But the plan, despite having the backing of Akram Khan, BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman, didn’t pan out.Instead Gazi returned to domestic cricket in Novemeber, took 17 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, in seven Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League matches for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

There is much that is momentous about any 50-over meeting between Australia and India, especially so close to the start of another World Cup

The Preview by Daniel Brettig17-Jan-2015Match factsJanuary 18, Melbourne
Start time 1420 local (0320 GMT)Mitchell Starc’s early overs will be a major threat to India, as they were to England•Getty ImagesBig PictureThe last two World Cup winners. The top two ranked ODI teams. Two of cricket’s three financial giants. There is much that is momentous about any 50-over meeting between Australia and India, especially so close to the start of another World Cup.But there is also plenty that is uncertain. India are being led by a captain who has just retired from Test matches and is hanging on for another tilt at the limited-overs crown he lifted in 2011. Australia’s captain has been ruled out of this tournament entirely, and is no certainty to take any part in the Cup itself, leaving leadership in the hands of George Bailey.Then there is the shadow of the recent Border-Gavaskar series, in which Steven Smith and Virat Kohli each showed themselves to be their country’s pre-eminent Test batsmen by a distance, but their team-mates provided reasons for pause. Australia’s batting did not always look certain despite a succession of exceedingly friendly pitches, while Mitchell Johnson’s pace ebbed away a touch from the peak he hit last season. India’s bowlers proved too inconsistent to maintain pressure on Australia’s vast grounds, raising the question about whether a decidedly similar ODI combination can manage to do so in this series.Bailey and MS Dhoni opposed each other in the last one-day series between these sides, an encounter of thrilling conclusions and astronomical run scoring. Australia led the series early before fading, and lost the final match when Johnson had been sent home to prepare him for the Ashes. Johnson will be missing again on Sunday, but this time the goal for both sides will be clear – bed down their combinations, build confidence, and perhaps dent a little of their opponents’ ahead of the Cup proper. They may well meet again at the MCG come March 29.Form guideAustralia WWWWL (completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWWIn the spotlightFor at least his first two overs of any ODI, Mitchell Starc has claims to being the world’s most dangerous paceman. The fast, late swing he can generate with the new ball proved all too much for England at the SCG on Friday, more or less deciding the contest in the face of its first three deliveries. Starc has a confidence and role clarity about him in ODIs that he is yet to find consistently in Tests, but that development issue will be of little concern to Australia on Sunday, or for the next 10 weeks.Off the back of a poor Test series, Rohit Sharma can be expected to relocate the cape he seems to wear whenever India’s ODI team convenes. His feats against Sri Lanka were just the most recent of a string of notables, with the only query for this series being his ability to maintain them on pitches offering a little more bounce. He showed signs of regaining touch and confidence in the final Test at the SCG, and the return to India’s blue limited-overs strip should energise him further.Team newsDavid Warner is under something of a cloud after complaining of hamstring soreness but may well play because neither of the other batting options in the squad, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Marsh, are fit to replace him. Gurinder Sandhu and Kane Richardson may be considered in place of Xavier Doherty.Australia 1 Aaron Finch, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Steven Smith, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Xavier Doherty.India are waiting until match day to confirm who will open with Shikhar Dhawan – both Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane have their hands up. Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, both recovering from injury, will not play. The selection of five specialist bowlers is considered essential by Dhoni.India (possible) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Akshar Patel, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsWhile the MCG’s Test pitch was slow and unchanging, there is some chance of the ODI surface offering a little more in the way of pace and bounce as it has occasionally done so in the past. A fine, temperate Melbourne day is forecast.Stats and trivia India’s only triangular ODI series victory in Australia was in 2008, at the tail end of the “Monkeygate” summer Five of the 10 highest ever innings totals in matches between Australia and India were achieved during their most recent series, in October and November 2013Quotes”The last series [against them] was one of the most remarkable series I’ve been involved in, and probably in history, with the amount of runs scored in 50 overs. I’m sure there’s going to be another big score tomorrow for whoever bats first.”

“Getting used to the conditions is very important. The wickets will be quite similar to what we may get in the World Cup, but at the same time we have to stay in the present. We are playing against two very good teams.”

Bangladesh are expected to win over a side that, as Afghanistan coach Andy Moles pointed out, was not even in the ICC when Bangladesh played in their first World Cup in 1999

Abhishek Purohit in Canberra17-Feb-2015″What does it mean that you have never beaten Afghanistan?” It was the first question Mashrafe Mortaza was asked in his pre-match press conference. Mashrafe clarified that the “never” included all of one ODI, in the Asia Cup last March. He also said that Bangladesh had had their “revenge” just two weeks later by demolishing Afghanistan at the World T20.It is a strange situation for Bangladesh ahead of their World Cup opener against Afghanistan. They are the Full Members. They have been playing Test cricket since 2000 and ODI cricket since 1986. They are expected to win over a side that, as Afghanistan coach Andy Moles pointed out, was not even in the ICC when Bangladesh played in their first World Cup in 1999. But the only time Bangladesh have gone up against Afghanistan in the ODI format, they have lost. At home.Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi’s responses illustrated the duality of situation Bangladesh are in. He was asked if he really thought Afghanistan were a better team than Bangladesh, or if he had just been playing mind games when he had said before that his team could beat them again. “Pressure is not on Afghanistan. Pressure is totally on Bangladesh,” Nabi replied almost immediately.Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan were missing from the Bangladesh side that lost to Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in Fatullah, it was pointed out. They are around this time. “Yeah, Tamim and Shakib are the most senior players for Bangladesh team,” Nabi said. “[But] if you look at the conditions in Bangladesh, it is totally different.”Afghanistan have several strapping fast bowlers, and believe that the bouncier conditions in Australia will suit them more. Nabi also said that a few Afghanistan players’ exposure to the Bangladesh Premier League had given them knowledge about their opponents. Ironically, it was a BPL condition that a franchise had to have a player each from an Associate nation.The Afghans themselves are “excited” to be at their first World Cup, Moles said, but not nervous. They defeated UAE in a warm-up match and batted out the entire 50 overs against India, something Bangladesh could not do in both their practice matches. They are a side that will test all their opponents if they can get their act together, Moles said.What they needed to watch out for was too much aggression, the coach felt. “What happens is the Afghans, when we don’t play our best cricket, we get a bit excited,” Moles said. “We want to hit fours and sixes.”That is the challenge usually for the lesser teams, to properly construct an innings over 50 overs in a one-dayer. Nabi has said before that Afghanistan need to sustain their intensity over the duration of a match. It is something that used to be said of Bangladesh in the past as well.Afghanistan are the flavour of the cricket world at the moment for their remarkable rise amid war, and how much their performances mean for people faced with hardships back home. Amidst all that, it is worthwhile to remember that the passion for the game in Bangladesh is widespread and overwhelming to witness, and probably second to none. Despite their usually disappointing performances, they have a big media contingent following the team on tours.Several Bangladeshi fans are also expected to travel from Sydney to watch their side play Afghanistan in Canberra. Mashrafe was conscious of the tremendous following Bangladesh enjoy, both at home and away. There may be dual pressure on his side, but he will not want them to drive back disappointed.

While conceding that it was impossible to expect the game’s financial giants to schedule additional series against Associates, Afghanistan’s coach Andy Moles suggested that his team be used as a warm-up option for encounters against Pakistan in particular

Daniel Brettig12-Mar-2015Afghanistan are taking a pragmatic approach to the inequities of bilateral arrangements among cricket’s Full Member nations by selling themselves as the best possible means of preparing for assignments against Pakistan in the UAE or other nations on the nearby subcontinent.On the eve of their first ever ODI encounter with card-carrying “big three” nation and early World Cup evictees England, Afghanistan’s coach Andy Moles conceded it was impossible to expect the game’s financial giants to schedule additional series against Associates during the next cycle. Instead, he said his team was being offered up as a warm-up option for encounters against Pakistan in particular, given they both share a base in Dubai.Some nations have already taken up this concept on various tours and not only against Afghanistan. Australia had scheduled a match against Afghanistan in 2012 prior to a series against Pakistan, while also doing similar against Ireland that year and then with an Australia A tour taking in a visit to Ireland ahead of the Ashes. However, other countries, notably England, have been reluctant to do likewise.”What we’re trying to do is offer teams coming to play Pakistan in the UAE a package where anybody coming in there, why not play us as warm-up games,” Moles said. “It’s great for them to get used to playing against Pakistan, but also for us it’s gold, giving us the opportunity to play against these sides before their tour starts against Pakistan.”So we’re trying to package ourselves so anybody going through to Sri Lanka perhaps might drop into the UAE to see us on the way there to give them experience of playing in our conditions, which would be similar to where they’re going, but also it means we get the opportunity to play against their players.”In all reality people aren’t going to say we’ll go play against Afghanistan – there’s not a lot in it for them, let’s be honest. But if we can package something together that the Full Member nations get something out of it as well as us for playing against them, that’s got to be good.”England are scheduled to visit the UAE to face Pakistan in October this year, and Moles said Afghanistan were open to playing whatever form of warm-up fixtures the ECB preferred to get ready for the Test match encounters. England’s team performance apparatus have other more urgent matters on their plate right now, but Moles is hopeful the offer will be warmly received.”We’ve got to be realistic and try to put something together where we can say to England you’re playing Pakistan in October, come to us a week before,” Moles said. “You want a 50-over game, you want a three-day game, you want a four-day game, you want a Twenty20 game, we’ll do whatever you want.”But give us the opportunity to play against the better players, same for all the other countries coming through the region, and if we can approach it in that way we’ve actually got a package that can not only benefit us, but give the opposition coming through a huge benefit than just playing net practice or a match amongst themselves.”There’ll be competition, because we’ll be trying 100% you can be sure of that, but it will get them used to the weather and the conditions. Hopefully that will be a winning situation and that’s the way we’re going to try to tackle that issue.”While debate about the format of the World Cup itself has bubbled consistently across the tournament thus far, the question of how cricket’s second tier nations can develop in intervening years has also been a sore point. Ireland’s captain William Porterfield has often mentioned the fact his team have only played nine matches against Full Members since the 2011 tournament, and the fact that Afghanistan have never played England in an ODI underlines the point.