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A round-up of the fourth day’s play in the Bangladesh Cricket League 2013-14

Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2014Naeem and Robiul fined

North Zone batsman Naeem Islam and South Zone seamer Robiul Islam have been found guilty of using abusive language at each other and have been fined 50% of their match fees. The decision was taken at a hearing after the day’s play by the match referee ASM Roquibul Hassan.
East Zone’s Shafiul Islam, who has just begun to bowl after ankle surgery, will be replaced by Abu Zahid Chowdhury Rahi for round two of the tournament

Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam helped themselves to aggressive centuries but North Zone had to settle for a draw against South Zone, with heavy fog curtailing play to only thirty overs at the BKSP-3 ground.From their overnight second innings scored of 155 for 3, they ended the game on 341 for 7 in 70 overs. Mushfiqur struck his fifth first-class century, which included five sixes and eleven fours. He was dismissed soon after reaching the landmark.Naeem made 106 off 127 balls – his 11th ton – with 17 fours before retiring out. Nasir Hossain, the next man in, blasted 50 off 35 balls and soon after weather intervened.Left-arm spinner Taibur Rahman and seamer Robiul Islam took two wickets each as they battled hard on a docile pitch. Farhad Reza of North Zone was adjudged Man of the Match for his 153 and two wickets in the first innings.The game between Central Zone and East Zone at the BKSP-2 ground was called off at 3:30 pm due to fog and bad light. The ground is a five-minute walk from the BKSP-3 ground, on the western part of the campus, and was worse off to due to the poor weather.Shamsur Rahman was given the Man-of-the-Match award for a career-best 267, also the third highest score in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket history.

Ashley Giles, England’s limited-overs coach, who must have anticipated England’s first international win of the tour, must instead rally England’s spirits after their defeat in Brisbane and prevent another whitewash

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2014Darren Lehmann conceded that Australia had been “outplayed for much of the game” and that Eoin Morgan produced the outstanding innings but, thanks to James Faulkner’s heist, it was still Australia’s coach who was able to savour an unexpected victory as England went 2-0 down in a five-match series.Ashley Giles, England’s limited-overs coach, who must have anticipated that England would be able to celebrate their first international win of the tour, was instead faced with the challenge of rallying spirits and preventing the sort of decline that took hold in their 5-0 Ashes defeat.”We were outplayed the whole game, bar I suppose the middle overs with the ball,” Lehmann told Sky Sports. “We needed 100 from 16 and we should have breezed home from there but a couple of blokes played silly shots. We got away with it really.”Morgan was the best batsman on the night but we bowled really poorly in the last 10 overs, as probably did England.”Giles accepted that England’s dressing room would be deflated after threatening to end their losing run and then falling to Faulkner’s unbeaten 69 and a last-wicket stand of 57 in 33 balls with Clint McKay. They must win the next ODI, in Sydney on Sunday, to stay alive in the series.”One thing I won’t be doing is scream and shout at them,” he said. “They are all feeling pretty low. We need to lift them back up. We need to get some energy back because the next game is already barely 24 hours away.”But we need to learn our lessons as well. We need to get our skills right and we didn’t quite get it right at the back end. But we were just a hair’s width away from getting it right. Through this journey we need to learn along the way. We have got a World Cup here next year and as long as we are learning and improving as we go then I’m going to be happy.”We said after batting that when our guys were going it was almost easier – it ran on to the bat and it was quite even. But still, from the position we were in, we would like to have gone to Sydney one-all.”Giles defended England’s selection, which retained Joe Root at No. 3 and, to some eyes, remains batsman heavy. Root produced a tidy spell of offspin, but the departure of Boyd Rankin with more hamstring trouble did not aid England’s cause.”In terms of consistency we felt it was important to go with the same side,” he said. “We will look again for Sydney. We had them 240-odd for 9 so I thought we got selection pretty right today. Morgan’s innings was superb. When you are in that position nine-and-a-half times out of ten you are going to win the game.”Stuart Broad comes back for the next one-dayer in Sydney and that is a positive for the side. We have played some really good cricket but we have not necessarily got our best or most-experienced attack out. Guys are learning and sometimes it’s a steep learning curve.”Faulkner’s appearance as low as No. 9, below Nathan Coulter-Nile, was a surprise, but Lehmann laughed away the suggestion that it was his latest masterstroke, stressing that the order was solely down to the captain, Michael Clarke.”It was the skipper’s decision,” he said. “Nathan needed to have a hit. He hasn’t played too much international cricket and he can hit a long ball. James will be back up the order next time I think.”

Not along after India Under-19s’ Kuldeep Yadav announced himself to the rest of the world with a hat-trick, the first of this World Cup, another left-arm spinner took some of the limelight

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Dubai18-Feb-2014Not along after India Under-19s’ Kuldeep Yadav announced himself to the rest of the world with a hat-trick, the first of this World Cup, another left-arm spinner took some of the limelight. The leader of Scotland Under-19s’ fightback, after being bundled out for 88, was 18-year-old Chayank Gosain, whose incisive new-ball spell came against the country of his birth.Unlike Yadav, a wrist-spinner, Gosain bowls left-arm orthodox. Though the tournament is in its early stages, the relatively new pitch was a spinners’ paradise, with 11 of the 15 wickets falling to the slower bowlers. Defending a hopeless total, and watched by his family in the stands, Gosain sent shivers down India’s top order, his spell of 3 for 31 leaving India at 22 for 5 at one stage.Gosain struck in the first over, as Akhil Herwadkar’s expansive cut found the edge to thewicketkeeper. Staying round the wicket to the left-hand batsmen, he had Vijay Zol edging to slip before inducing a false shot from Ankush Bains with flight. The tame chip to midwicket gave Gosain his third wicket in four overs.Though Scotland failed to close out the game, they had reasons to remain positive. The disappointment wasn’t evident in Gosain as he reflected on his team’s fight, sitting side by side with Yadav in the media room. When asked if the decision to open the bowling was an impulsive one, after Yadav’s exploits, Gosain said it was a responsibility he had been entrusted with for a while.”In club cricket, I had started off opening the bowling, because I don’t really turn the ball much, just skids on,” Gosain said. “My coach thought it would be a good idea to open when we were playing the qualifiers in Holland. We just decided to keep going with it because it worked okay.”Chayank Gosain with his parents•ESPNcricinfo LtdAnother thing Gosain has in common with Yadav is that they both began as medium-pacers who were asked to change to spin by their coaches. Gosain was seven then, still in his hometown of New Delhi, where he was a student of Summerfields School.Gosain’s father Madan, who works as a restaurant manager in Edinburgh, relocated his family to Scotland in 2005. The nine-year-old Gosain was intent on continuing his cricket education and within a month he had joined Carlton Club. Gosain’s mother, Surbhi, recalls how he would stop at nothing to secure admission.”He was already learning cricket in Delhi. As soon as we came here we were looking for a cricket club for him,” Surbhi says with a chuckle. “So we weren’t actually looking for a school, we were looking for a cricket club. We thought he would give up, and say ‘no’. He just went on and on.”Adjusting to life in Scotland was not hard for Gosain, who felt it was easier to adapt to new surroundings when you’re as young as he was. He started playing for Scotland U-17s in 2012 and graduated to the U-19 team in 2013-14. He finished the European U-19 Championships (the qualifying tournament for the World Cup) as the second-highest wicket-taker for Scotland with nine wickets.Gosain grew up idolising Daniel Vettori, but his role model now is the Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath. Gosain has put his studies on hold, though he plans to study engineering at university soon. His parents insist they’re not “pushy”, and are happy to let Gosain chart his career path. For now, he’s in his gap year and he’s hoping to play some cricket in India. As Monday’s match was televised, he may not be an unfamiliar face in his home country anymore.

Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq has expressed his concern over the performance of his batsmen, after a series of rash shots from them had left his team in a precarious position against Afghanistan

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Feb-20140:00

‘Very important win for us’ – Misbah

Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq has expressed his concern over the performance of his batsmen, after a series of rash shots from them had left his team tottering on 117 for 6 against Afghanistan. Speaking after Pakistan’s 72-run win, Misbah said their mistakes could have cost Pakistan the match, had Umar Akmal not rescued them with a century.”I think at one point the match had almost gone out of our hands,” he said. “If Umar Akmal hadn’t played that innings, we would have had a lot of problems. As a batting unit, I think if we continue to repeat the same mistakes, it will be a big problem for us. We have a very important match against India coming up now, so we have to avoid making these kinds of mistakes. We have to take responsibility, especially as a batting unit.”Asked if he was thinking of shuffling Pakistan’s batting order to try and prevent these mistakes, Misbah said he would back his batsmen to pick up their performances.’If Umar Akmal had not played that innings, we would have had a lot of problems’ – Misbah-ul-Haq•AFP”These things happen,” he said. “If you see the last series, our top three made us win the whole series against Sri Lanka. No. 4, 5 and 6 didn’t even get to bat much in that series. So I think, they are good players and in good form. Yes, two matches have gone and they have struggled, but I hope that in the next matches, which are important ones for us, someone of them will step up and make important runs for us.”Since his debut in 2009, Akmal has been the leading run-scorer in wins at the No. 6 position in ODIs. Asked about his record at that spot, Misbah said he was pleased with Akmal’s success as a finisher.”I think he has been doing well for Pakistan,” Misbah said. “You could say he could have done slightly better than this, but from the last year and a half, I think he’s really doing well at that number, finishing games for Pakistan and scoring runs at crucial stages. I’ve been really happy, especially with the way he played today. I think that’s what we want him to do, to finish games for Pakistan.”Misbah praised Afghanistan’s bowling and fielding, when asked if the Associate team had presented Pakistan a tougher challenge than he had expected.”Afghanistan is always like that,” he said. “They have a decent bowling attack and a very good fielding side, and I think they proved it today. They bowled very good lines and they were very disciplined. Their fielding was supporting them. I think they are an improving side and they can really put you under pressure on a given day.”

Meg Lanning, Australia’s captain, admitted the atmosphere on the pitch would be “feisty” for their World T20 final against England

Alan Gardner in Mirpur05-Apr-2014Australian teams have a long history of talking their way to a psychological advantage over opponents and Meg Lanning, the captain of the women’s team, admitted the atmosphere on the pitch would be “feisty” for their World T20 final against England.Australia and England have played 14 times over three formats in the last eight months and the players will be well aware of each other’s pressure points. Talk is cheap – as James Faulkner discovered during the group stage of the men’s tournament – but Charlotte Edwards, England’s captain, accepted that both teams would be in the market for it.Lanning smiles as sweetly as any 22-year-old, though she can also give a cold-eyed stare the equal of Steve Waugh, one of the progenitors of mental disintegration. It would, of course, be naive to imagine women as the play-fairer sex. Sadly, there was no indication from Lanning as to who is the team’s Merv Hughes.”On the pitch it’s feisty, to be honest, we both just want to beat each other, that’s as it should be,” she said. “We talk off the field but once we get on the field it’s all business as usual. There’s always comments, a bit of banter and I think that’s how the game should be played. Everyone knows where the line is and it’s just a bit of fun and trying to get an edge however you can.”Back-to-back Ashes series means their rivalry should have been thoroughly marinated. As many as 14 players from either side could contest a repeat of the 2012 final, which Australia won by four runs to retain their title; the two teams also met at the 2013 World Cup, when England were beaten by the even narrower margin of two runs.Like two chess grandmasters, they will be studying each other closely throughout the build-up and during the game, looking for the slightest flinch, a weakness to exploit. An Australia captain comfortable with sledging might also look to muse reflectively on two apparent failures by the opposition in pressure situations but Lanning demurred from the opportunity.”England have got a lot of experience in their side, they’re well led,” she said. “Both those matches were very close and could have gone either way, so both sides are confident, we’ve both had good paths in. It comes down to being composed under pressure so hopefully we can do that better.”We know each other inside out, so we’re able to do our planning and so will England. It’s a really big stage, probably the biggest we’ve played on so it’s about being able to perform on the day and execution, hopefully we can do that better than them.”Lanning, in her first tournament as captain, began her tenure by leading Australia to victory in both limited-overs series against England at the start of the year. England’s T20 win in Hobart ensured they would retain the Ashes on points, having claimed also victory in the sole Test, but Australia finished on a high by winning the final two fixtures and are now closing in on a third consecutive World T20 success.”We’ll take a little bit out of that, we’ve certainly got some momentum and I think we had a great team performance in those couple of games but we’re in very different conditions here now,” Lanning said. “We’ve got slightly different team as well. So we can take a little bit out of it but it just comes down to tomorrow and being able to perform the best.”Although Australia’s batting order has an air of impermanence to it – in their semi-final against West Indies they promoted spinner Jess Jonassen to open for the first time in her career – the presence of Lanning at No. 3 is the rock around which the rest is built. She struck her first T20 hundred during the group stage and leads the standings in sixes hit, one ahead of team-mate Elyse Villani. How their powerful batting fairs against Anya Shrubsole, England’s spearhead and the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, could be pivotal and Lanning said Australia would not be cooling their aggression.”We’ve got a few options to go with up the top and that’s a great position to be in,” Lanning said. “Elyse Villani has really struck form and she can be a dangerous batter so that’s a good position to be in going into the final. We’ve got a few combinations we can go with so it’s about assessing the conditions and trying to find what’s going to place us in the best position to win.”

Kings XI Punjab captain George Bailey believes Sanjay Bangar has made a lot of difference to the team as their coach, particularly with his knowledge of domestic players

Vishal Dikshit12-May-2014Sitting pretty on the top of the points table, Kings XI Punjab look set to make it to the qualifiers after a dominant run in the tournament and with five matches in hand. While their overseas batsmen and domestic bowlers have been instrumental in their seven wins, their captain George Bailey believes the coach Sanjay Bangar had made a lot of difference with his knowledge of domestic players.”Sanjay and Sri’s [R Sridhar, fielding coach] knowledge of Indian players has been exceptional,” Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. “They have focused a lot on the younger players who have performed, particularly the guys who haven’t played much [earlier]. A lot of Indians wouldn’t have known about them but they have obviously seen something and their knowledge has been really important, one in selecting them and two, bringing the best out of them.”Apart from grooming the uncapped seamer Sandeep Sharma, Kings XI surprised Royal Challengers Bangalore on their home ground with offspinner Shivam Sharma, who struck twice and conceded only 26 runs in four overs.The season’s records for the leading run-scorer, the top three individual scores, the highest strike-rate (among batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls) and most sixes all belong to Glenn Maxwell, who has scored four fifties, the smallest score among them being 89. David Miller is not far away with a strike-rate of 162.29 and 297 runs from nine innings. Sandeep has chipped in with 13 wickets, removing batsmen like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli twice each, while Akshar Patel, another uncapped bowler, has conceded only 6.26 per over.”We’ve got a well-balanced team,” Bailey said. “We have three batsmen in terrific form and we have shown consistent bowling and fielding performances and we’ve got a good bunch of guys in the coaching team.”When asked if he expected to be on top of the table throughout, Bailey said: “As a team nobody has any expectations of where you want to be. We just want to be consistent in the way we’ve played. T20 is obviously a game that involves a bit of luck and if you start playing well then the confidence and momentum are really important. We’ve won a few games and we’ve lost two too. Sometimes that’s just going to happen, you have got to be convinced with the way you play.”Kings XI won their first five matches, all in the UAE. Their first defeat was in India, against Mumbai Indians, when Harbhajan Singh dismissed Maxwell and Bailey. The captain said there was hardly any difference between the two host countries when it came to pitches.”There’s not a huge difference in the pitches in the UAE, where they were a little slower. I think we’re starting to see the wickets here turn a little bit more, so spin is probably having slightly more influence compared to the UAE. Grounds and conditions change quite a bit but there was not a huge difference.”

Batsman Mark Vermeulen, whose career has been troubled by off-field incidents, has been picked in Zimbabwe’s A squad for the tour to Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2014Batsman Mark Vermeulen, whose career has been troubled by off-field incidents, has been picked in Zimbabwe’s A squad for the tour to Bangladesh. Zimbabwe A are scheduled to play two four-day and three one-day games during the trip, but the final schedule will be announced at a later date.Vermeulen, who has played eight Tests and 43 ODIs in the past, was the second-highest run-getter in the first-class season, scoring 580 runs at an average of 64.44 with one century and four fifties. Regis Chakabva, who scored the most first-class runs has also been named in the squad along with pacer Donald Tiripano and offspinner John Nyumbu, the leading wicket-takers in the 2013-14 first-class season. Chakabva, along with Shingi Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo and Malcolm Waller, were a part of the squad in Zimbabwe’s previous Test, against Pakistan in September 2013.Vermeulen, however, is one of the five players who will return after the four-dayers. A group of five players, including Sikandar Raza, who are being groomed as 50-over specialists will join the team in Bangladesh.The squad will prepare for the tour with a camp in Harare, which will include a two-day game and two one-dayers. The team will depart for Bangladesh on June 28.Zimbabwe A squad for four-dayers: Regis Chakabva, Brian Chari, Michael Chinouya, Luke Jongwe, Roy Kaia, Timycen Maruma, Shingi Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Brighton Mugochi, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Raymond Mutumbami, John Nyumbu, Donald Tiripano, Mark Vermeulen, Malcolm WallerAdditions for one-dayers Sikandar Raza (for Mark Vermeulen), Joylord Gumbie (for Roy Kaia), Tafadzwa Kamungozi (for John Nyumbu), Neville Madziva (for Michael Chinouya), Forster Mutizwa (for Malcolm Waller)

MS Dhoni believes he has seen enough on the tours of South Africa and New Zealand to be convinced his side are heading in the right direction

Sidharth Monga at Trent Bridge08-Jul-20143:42

Agarkar: Ashwin ideal if India play five bowlers

Think tank: MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher come up with their plans•Getty ImagesMS Dhoni believes he has seen enough on the tours of South Africa and New Zealand to be convinced his side are heading in the right direction.India have not won an overseas Test since Jamaica 2011, but they did come close to winning one each on their previous two trips. In a way this series will be a bigger test for them just through the sheer duration of it – five Tests – but he also has a struggling opposition and pitches that are not likely to be to the hosts’ liking.Dhoni sounded accordingly optimistic. “There have been a lot of changes in the Indian side in the last one-and-half or close to two years,” he said. “If you talk about the last two Test series that we played abroad – in South Africa and New Zealand – the performance of our team was really good.”Though we lost both the series, we were definitely in a position to win the series or a Test. So I felt there’s plenty to learn for the cricketers. If I compare between the first Test we played in South Africa and the last Test we played in New Zealand, there has been considerable improvement. You know, it’s a right way of moving ahead.”Dhoni chose to stay focussed on “process” more than “results”. “It is important for us to take the team forward and give them the right guidance, so that they get the right kind of exposure to do well outside India,” he said. “Of course it will be a challenge for them, but as they play a lot more matches abroad, the equation will get much better also. It’s a constant process.”One of India’s main problems away from home has been the unreliable quicks, and they have not had great results in the tour games. However, Dhoni was not overly worried about the pressure they will be under and had words of encouragement for Ishant Sharma who struggled during the warm-up fixtures.”The good thing is that we have got some time to adjust to the conditions here,” he said. “They have done the fitness part in the 10-12 days. Now we are going through a phase where we are easing the workload on the fast bowlers. They have been bowling in the right areas, and making the batsmen play which is very crucial in this part. Overall they are looking good.”Hopefully we don’t have too many injuries like it had happened in the last series [2011]. I remember we had close to nine or 10 injuries to our top players. And as far as Ishant [Sharma] is concerned, he is bowling well. It’s very important to get into a good rhythm. So far he has been bowling well and he is also someone who can get a bit more bounce than some of our other bowlers.”The nature of pitches in England has changed significantly from the time India last toured here. They might not be what England would love, but Dhoni said they had not changed to an extent that they would help the visitors.”If you come over here, then the first thing the home team would like to do is to ensure that the pitch will not turn at least in the first three or four days,” he said. “I don’t see any good reason – at most venues – for us to think about two spinners. I think they will look for a hard wicket to start with so that it does not turn and takes the spinners slightly out of play. We are playing five Tests and may be in one venue you may get a pitch where we can play two spinners. So, I don’t think we are too confused about the playing XI now.”

Varun Chopra and Jonathan Trott made half-centuries as Warwickshire began steadily in reply to Sussex’s first-innings 414

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Horsham22-Jul-2014
ScorecardVarun Chopra made his first half-century in 14 innings (file photo)•PA PhotosWith pitches such a talking point over the last two weeks, it is only right to commend the one here at Horsham. Offering bounce for the seamers and turn for the spinners, while also rewarding patience from the batsmen, the surface puts those of some full-time county grounds to shame.After a flurry of wickets on the first evening, credit, too, to Ben Brown and James Tredwell this morning for applying themselves to the tune of 71 runs for the eighth Sussex wicket. Had they folded early, with Keith Barker testing both with movement through the air, then Warwickshire would have ended day two in a far stronger position. As it is, Sussex were able to add 97 runs in the morning session to take them past 400 before the 110th over, giving them a fourth batting point.After lunch, Boyd Rankin cleaned up the last two wickets, trapping Brown lbw and dismantling Lewis Hatchett’s stumps. Some joy for him after being smarted earlier on for three consecutive fours by Tredwell. It summed up the balance nicely.And yet, Horsham came close to not being able to put on this match because of a lack of a lead sponsor. However, an anonymous backer came in – it is not known whether he is even a Sussex member – to ensure this week went ahead.”Come on the mystery benefactor,” was the cry from Chris Nash to Steve Magoffin, the ball after the Australian seamer had sent Ian Westwood on his way for the first Warwickshire wicket. The talk in the Sussex dressing room leading up to the game was that Magoffin dipped into his own pocket to ensure this Horsham fixture went ahead; after all, it was he who benefited most from last year’s fixture, with match figures of 12 for 31 as Somerset were skittled out twice in less than two days.However, his first wicket here – a ball that Westwood could only prod through to Chris Jordan at first slip – was one of few deliveries from him that went to hand after finding the batsman’s edge. In the first over, those in the cordon were hopping around as the ball fizzed off Varun Chopra’s bat and a foot short of their ankles.It was one part of a far-from-convincing start from the Warwickshire captain, who manage to tough it out to score his first Championship half-century in 14 innings. In the fourth over, he was subject to a vociferous lbw appeal, led by Jordan. This time, the edge of his bat saved him. Later on, it would take him past 50 as he nudged aerially – and not too deliberately – through a vacant third slip for four.He was almost sold down the river on 23, when Jonathan Trott pushed to Luke Wells at backward point and set off for a single concocted by his own desperation. Chopra had given up the run only for Wells to throw wide of the stumps.Trott himself took time to settle into his natural groove, starting with streaky edges past third slip. In truth, he was lucky to have been allowed the chance to bat into the evening session. On 21, he edged former team-mate Steffan Piolet through to the keeper. However, as Sussex’s appeal turned into jubilation, Trott, along with Alex Wharf’s finger, were unmoved. Naturally, the following delivery went for four.From then on, Trott was less tetchy, allowing the ball to come on to the bat nicely, most notably when using his feet to hit Tredwell through the covers. His shot to reach his fifty – an exquisite on-drive off Magoffin – was arguably the best of the day.However, Sussex did well to reel in the visitors thanks to a fine partnership with the ball between Hatchett and Tredwell. While the offspinner tied down an end, varying his length and loop, Hatchett attacked the channel outside off stump and was eventually rewarded with the wicket of Chopra, who was beginning to drive imperiously.Tredwell also should have had two wickets to show for his work, but had Trott dropped by Brown and Sam Hain by Ed Joyce at leg slip, on 58 and 3 respectively. As it is, the game is nicely poised, with positive results for either side still a real possibility.

With Pakistan without Saeed Ajmal and Sri Lanka trying a new spin combination, both teams have bowling worries ahead of the first ODI in Hambantota

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy22-Aug-2014Match factsAugust 23, 2014
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)Younis Khan last played an ODI in March 2013•AFPBig PicturePakistan’s rustiness was a major talking point ahead of the Test series, and it could be an issue before the first ODI as well. Pakistan’s last 50-over match was the Asia Cup final in March. They lost that game, the second time they had lost to Sri Lanka in a tournament where they had beaten everyone else. They were both matches Pakistan could have won, but Sri Lanka showed a clear edge when it came to handling the pressure moments.It is an issue Pakistan will want to address before the World Cup, and the return of Younis Khan seems a step in that direction. What this will do, though, is disturb a middle-order combination that doesn’t seem to require too much tinkering. Pakistan have a decent set of batsmen in the ODI format, with a group of younger players – Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam, who scored a terrific century in the Asia Cup final – settling in nicely among the more experienced names.Younis’ inclusion, in fact, could push either Sharjeel Khan or Sohaib Maqsood, or both, out of the eleven, and this is a sign of a team trying to arrive at its best possible batting combination. It isn’t the worst problem for Pakistan to face. A bigger worry is batting depth. Shahid Afridi batted at No. 7 during the Asia Cup, and while he pulled out a couple of blinders, it still seems a risky ploy. Pakistan themselves seem to think so, judging by the fact that they played an extra batsman – Maqsood – at seven during their warm-up match in Moratuwa.Pakistan’s bowling is also a concern, without Saeed Ajmal, and potentially without Junaid Khan, the extent of whose recovery from concussion suffered during the second Test is as yet unknown. During the warm-up game against the Board President’s XI, the pace trio of Anwar Ali, Mohammad Talha and Wahab Riaz went for 186 runs in 26 overs.The batsmen who took Pakistan apart included Ashan Priyanjan and Thisara Perera, who both made half-centuries at over a run a ball. They might be vying for one place in Sri Lanka’s eleven at Hambantota, while Lahiru Thirimanne, who captained the Board President’s XI and scored a duck, is likely to play, considering he is Sri Lanka’s vice-captain.Sri Lanka see a lot of long-term potential in Thirimanne, and he illustrated this with centuries in both matches against Pakistan during the Asia Cup. But his form since then, in all formats, has been worrying, and it is also an issue for them that he tends to bat much better in the top three than he does at No. 5 – which is where he has slotted in for most of his recent matches. Perhaps he could open in this series, in the absence of the injured Kusal Perera, but he will need to score runs, one way or another, to justify the faith Sri Lanka have shown in him.Thirimanne is only part of Sri Lanka’s larger concern over their batting in the long-term, with Dinesh Chandimal also in the process of trying to re-establish his international career. Till the World Cup, though, they still have the services of the old firm of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene.Sri Lanka will need to sort out their bowling combination, however, particularly in the spin department. Sachithra Senanayake, whom they have depended on for economy over recent months, has been banned for an illegal bowling action, and the selectors still haven’t made up their minds on Ajantha Mendis, who is out of the squad now but could well be back before their next series. Rangana Herath tormented Pakistan in the Tests and is part of the ODI squad, but Sri Lanka will probably use him sparingly, to manage his workload. Whether Seekuge Prasanna and Suraj Randiv will allow that remains to be seen.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWLWW
Pakistan LWWWLIn the spotlightTillakaratne Dilshan has been in sparkling ODI form since his return to the team after missing the Asia Cup with an injury. His sequence of scores in England and against South Africa at home read 33, 88, 2, 71, 28, 40, 86, 30. Pakistan will want to get him early, or their patched-up bowling attack could be in for a lot of punishment.Younis Khan is back in Pakistan’s ODI side after more than a year out. He was dropped for the Champions Trophy last year after a poor run, during which he averaged just 16.75 in 12 innings. He will need to make sure his numbers in this series are a whole lot better if he is to realise his hope of playing one last World Cup.Team newsUpul Tharanga will rejoin Dilshan at the top of the order, with Kusal Perera out injured. Sri Lanka have a choice to make between batsman Priyanjan and seam-bowling allrounder Thisara at No. 7, while the spin attack will wear a new look with Senanayake suspended for an illegal bowling action and Mendis dropped. Lasith Malinga had an issue with his back and will undergo a fitness test before the match, but it looks like he will be fit to play.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Seekuge Prasanna, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Suraj Randiv, 11 Lasith MalingaIn the absence of Ajmal, who is flying to Brisbane for tests on his bowling action, Pakistan could include left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar. Younis’ return to the ODI team could be at No. 3, with Mohammad Hafeez moving up the order to open in place of Sharjeel. Junaid has been practising with the rest of the team following the concussion he suffered in the second Test, but in case he hasn’t fully recovered, Mohammad Irfan could take his place.Pakistan (probable) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Umar Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Mohammad Talha, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Junaid Khan/Mohammad IrfanPitch and conditionsThree of the last six ODIs at the Mahinda Rajapakse International Stadium have had no result, and a fourth, between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, was reduced to 23 overs a side. The forecast for Saturday isn’t too promising either, with the Met department predicting rough seas and wind speeds of up to 70kph in coastal areas including Hambantota.Stats and trivia Randiv, if picked, will play his first ODI since August 2011. In that match against Australia, Randiv was Sri Lanka’s top scorer and top wicket-taker. Thirimanne averages 47.66 in nine matches against Pakistan. His next-best average against other teams apart from Bangladesh is 32.11 against Australia. The team winning the toss will have a difficult decision to make: teams batting first have won five matches in Hambantota, as have teams batting second.Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been neck-and-neck in their recent head-to-head in Sri Lanka. Both teams have won four matches each out of the last nine the two teams have played, with one no-result.Quotes”The one-dayers will be different and Pakistan will come hard at us. They are a good side and we have to be at the top of our game.”
“This is a good chance to assess ourselves since the World Cup is not too far away. Every one-dayer we play will tell us where we stand.”