Cricket
Yasir Ali ruled out of WI Tests with a back injury
Right-handed Bangladesh batter Yasir Ali Rabbi has been ruled out of the two-match Test series against the West Indies starting on June 16 in Antigua.
The batter suffered a blow in his back during the three-day practice match against the Cricket West Indies President XI, confirmed the physio of the Bangladesh team.
“Recovery from such injuries takes about two to three weeks time. Therefore, he will not be available for the Test series,” Bayjedul Islam, the Bangladesh team physio, told the media.
Yasir was expected to take extra responsibility in the absence of Mushfiqur Rahim on the West Indies tour. Mushfiqur is out of this tour due to personal reasons.
The batter has played five Tests, six ODIs and a T20I for Bangladesh so far. He has two fifties under his belt.
Apart from the two-match Test series, Bangladesh will take on the hosts in a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series on this tour as well.
Also Read: WI vs BAN: Tour match ends in a draw after Mustafizur bags three
The first Test of the series will begin on June 16 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and the second Test will be played at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia from June 24.
While the first two T20Is will be played at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica on July 2 and 3 respectively, the third T20I and all three ODIs will be played at Providence Stadium, Guyana on July 10, 13 and 16 respectively.
ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Participating Teams, Venues, Super 12 Fixtures, Top Favourites
Australia will host the eighth edition of the Twenty20 World Cup from mid-October to mid-November. A total of 16 teams will compete in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Four teams from the first round will advance to the Super 12 round. The top two teams from each group of the Super 12 will qualify for the semifinals. Let's take a look at the venues, groups, and top contenders for the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup.
2022 Twenty20 World Cup: Participating Teams
Twelve teams who played in the Super 12 round in the 2021 World Cup automatically qualified for the 2022 edition. The rest of the four teams will be decided through the ICC’s Global Qualifier competition. The top eight teams in the ICC T20 rankings as of November 15, 2021, will get a direct entry into the Super 12 phase. The first round will be split into two groups for the remaining eight teams. Each group will see two teams qualify for the Super 12 phase.
Qualified Teams for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022
Qualification Process
Berths
Teams
Host
1
Australia
(Top 11 teams of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, excluding host Australia)
11
New Zealand
Pakistan
England
India
South Africa
West Indies
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
Namibia
Scotland
Global Qualifier A
2
Ireland
United Arab Emirates
Global Qualifier B
2
TBD
Source: https://www.t20worldcup.com/qualifiers/overview
In the first round, Namibia, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the Global Qualifier B Runner-up will play in Group A. On the other hand, Ireland, Scotland, the West Indies, and the winner of the Global Qualifier B will compete in Group B. The matches of the first round will be held from October 16 to October 21.
Read IND vs SA 2022: India Eye to Win Third T20I to Stay Alive in the Series
Twenty20 World Cup 2022: Venues
Australia were supposed to host the 2020 World Cup, which was later postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus epidemic. However, because of travel restrictions and a series of lockdowns in multiple Australian cities due to the COVID-9 outbreak, Cricket Australia was reluctant to organize the seventh edition of the tournament in their country. Later, India stepped in to organize the competition, but they had to relocate the mega event to the UAE as India were also hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The ICC eventually handed over the 2022 T20 World Cup hosting rights to Australia all alone.
Australia already have the best facilities to organize a mega cricket event. Therefore, they don't need to build new stadiums for the upcoming competition. Seven well-known cricket grounds in seven different cities will host the matches of the World Cup. The cities which will host the tournament are Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
The venues for the 2022 twenty20 World Cup
City
Stadium
Capacity
Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
53,500
Brisbane
The Gabba
42,000
Geelong
Kardinia Park
20,000
Hobart
Bellerive Oval
20,000
Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
100,000
Perth
Perth Stadium
60,000
Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
42,500
Source: https://www.t20worldcup.com/venues
Twenty20 World Cup 2022: Super 12 Round Groups and Fixtures
The ICC has already confirmed the two groups for the Super 12 phase. Afghanistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, the winner of Group A and runner-up of Group B will play in Group 1 in this round. Oppositely, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the winner of Group B and runner-up of Group A, will compete against each other in Group 2 in this phase.
As per the groupings, Australia, New Zealand, and England are the hot favourites to advance to the semifinals from Group 1. On the other hand, India, Pakistan, and South Africa are heavy favourites to qualify for the semifinals from Group 2. The Super 12 Round will begin on October 22 with a match between Australia and New Zealand and will end on November 6.
Read BAN vs WI 2022: Five Reasons Why Bangladesh Can Win the Test Series Against West Indies
Full fixtures of Super 12 Round (Group 1)
Date
Match
Venue
22 October
New Zealand vs Australia
SCG
22 October
England vs Afghanistan
Perth Stadium
23 October
Group A Winner vs Group B Runner Up
Bellerive Oval
25 October
Australia vs Group A Winner
Perth Stadium
26 October
England vs Group B Runner Up
MCG
26 October
New Zealand vs Afghanistan
MCG
28 October
Afghanistan vs Group B Runner-Up
MCG
28 October
Australia vs England
MCG
29 October
New Zealand vs Group A Winner
SCG
31 October
Australia vs Group B Runner-Up
The Gabba
1 November
Afghanistan vs Group A Winner
The Gabba
1 November
England vs New Zealand
The Gabba
4 November
New Zealand vs Group B Runner-Up
Adelaide Oval
4 November
Australia vs Afghanistan
Adelaide Oval
5 November
England vs Group A Winner
SCG
Source: https://www.t20worldcup.com/fixtures
Read Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: SWOT Analysis of Two Teams
Full fixtures of Super 12 Round (Group 2)
Date
Match
Venue
23 October
India vs Pakistan
MCG
24 October
Bangladesh vs Group A Runner-Up
Bellerive Oval
24 October
South Africa vs Group B Winner
Bellerive Oval
27 October
Bangladesh vs South Africa
SCG
27 October
India vs Group A Runner-Up
SCG
27 October
Pakistan vs Group B Winner
Perth Stadium
30 October
Bangladesh vs Group B Winner
The Gabba
30 October
Pakistan vs Group A Runner-Up
Perth Stadium
30 October
India vs South Africa
Perth Stadium
2 November
Group B Winner vs Group A Runner-Up
Adelaide Oval
2 November
Bangladesh vs India
Adelaide Oval
3 November
Pakistan vs South Africa
SCG
6 November
South Africa vs Group A Runner-Up
Adelaide Oval
6 November
Bangladesh vs Pakistan
Adelaide Oval
6 November
India vs Group B Winner
MCG
Source: https://www.t20worldcup.com/fixtures
Read: Australia’s tour to give Sri Lanka Cricket a financial boost
Favourites to Win the ICC T20 World Cup 2022
The hosts and reigning champions, Australia, are overwhelmingly favourites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The Australians have a very strong squad and they can utilize the home advantage to secure their second World Cup title. The runner-up of the 2021 edition, New Zealand will be looking to win their first-ever Twenty20 World Cup in the upcoming edition.
India, Pakistan, South Africa, and England are also among the favourites, apart from Australia and New Zealand. Besides, teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, West Indies, and Sri Lanka will aim to perform well during the tournament, and qualifying for the semifinals will be a great achievement for them. Let’s take a look at the present scenario of each heavy favourite prior to the main event.
Australia
Australia are the fifth-ranked team as per the ICC’s latest T20 rankings. However, the Baggy Greens' recent twenty20 record has been outstanding. Since the 2021 World Cup, Australia have played 16 T20I matches. They have only lost three matches and won 13 of them, including their maiden World Cup trophy and three bilateral series victories. So, the Aussie side is having a nice preparation to retain the trophy next November. Australia’s main obstacle in the Super 12 Round will be to overcome either New Zealand or England to finish in the top two in Group 1.
Three Key Players for Australia: Steve Smith, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell
World Cup 2021 Performance: Champions.
Read Joe Root Reaches 10,000 Runs Milestone as England win First Test Against New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand became runner-up in the 2021 edition of the Twenty20 World Cup. It was their first appearance in the final. After losing the 2021 World Cup final against Australia, the Blackcaps have only played three T20 matches against India and lost all of them. New Zealand are currently ranked sixth in the ICC rankings. They need to play some bilateral series prior to the main event to test their strengths and weaknesses. However, the Kiwi team has some seriously talented T20 players who have the ability to single-handedly win matches.
Three Key Players for New Zealand: Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Trent Boult
World Cup 2021 Performance: Runner-Up
England
England were heavy favourites for the 2021 World Cup, but they were knocked out by New Zealand in the semi-finals. England have played five Twenty20 matches since last year's World Cup and all of them against the West Indies. They lost the 5-match series to the West Indies by 3-2. However, there is a reason England are the second-ranked team in the world; they have some outstanding T20 players. England will definitely be well-prepared for the upcoming event and will try to win their second Twenty20 World Cup.
Three Key Players for England: Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali
World Cup 2021 Performance: Semi-Finals.
Read ICC Player of the Month for May 2022: Check Out the Nominees
Pakistan
Pakistan have become a very competitive team across all formats in the last one and a half years. In particular, Pakistan's T20 side is very strong and has the ability to choke any opposition on their day. The Pakistan team was applauded for their brilliant showing in the 2021 World Cup and they will once again be one of the hot favourites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Pakistan reached the semi-finals in the last edition but lost to Australia by 5 wickets. Since then, they have only lost one match and won six. Pakistan’s main hurdle in the Super 12 round will be to overcome India and South Africa to finish top two in their group.
Three Key Players for Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
World Cup 2021 Performance: Semi-Finals
India
India were overwhelming favourites in last year's World Cup, but they lost steam after losing to Pakistan in their opening match. India will once again be one of the favourites in the upcoming edition and will try to win their second T20 World Cup trophy. India went onto to win twelve straight matches after their defeat to New Zealand in the 2021 World Cup, and they are currently the number one ranked team. The Indian side has some seriously talented Twenty20 players and they have plenty of options to pick an ideal playing XI.
Three Key Players for India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya
World Cup 2021 Performance: Super 12 (3rd Position in Group 2).
Read WI vs BAN Test Series 2022: Who has better record?
South Africa
The Proteas national team is rebuilding after losing some of its most prominent players in recent years. South Africa won the same amount of games as Australia and England in the Super 12 Round of the World Cup 2021. However, they were unable to qualify for the semifinals due to net run rates. There are some genuine power hitters on the South African side, as well as some efficient pacers. The Proteas T20 team is capable of winning the next World Cup.
Three Key Players for South Africa: Quinton de Kock, David Miller, and Tabraiz Shamsi
World Cup 2021 Performance: Super 12 (3rd Position in Group 1)
Aftermath
Australia will host a Twenty20 World Cup for the first time, which promises to be an exciting competition to watch. Australia and New Zealand will be big favorites to win the trophy since they are very familiar with the conditions and wickets. In addition, India, Pakistan, England, and South Africa have a good chance of winning the tournament's eight editions. The ICC T20 World Cup will begin on October 16 and finish on November 13, with the championship match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The semifinals will be held on November 9 and 10 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval, respectively.
Read BAN vs WI Test Series 2022: Five potential Bangladesh players to watch
School cricket has new champions: Shishu Niketon
Rangpur Shishu Niketon High School emerged as the new champions of the Prime Bank National School Cricket Tournament after beating Meherpur Government High School by 59 runs at the Shamsuzzoha Sports Complex in Narayanganj Monday.
Put in to bat first in the final, Shishu Niketon finished at 102/10 in 37.1 overs, and later they restricted Meherpur High School to 43/10 in 20.2 overs to lift their maiden title.
Ahmed Tejan Kaibya top-scored (28) for the champions. Arafat Aman Riyan of Meherpur picked up four wickets for nine runs.
Shishu Niketon captain and leg-spinner Shykh Imtiaz Shihab was adjudged man of the final for taking five wickets for 14 runs.
Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj Monjurul Hafiz was the chief guest at the final and distributed the trophy.
Managing Director and CEO of competition's sponsor Prime Bank Hasan O Rashid, former national cricket team captain and current national team selector Habibul Bashar Sumon, former national team pacer Hasibul Hossain Shanta, Tanveer Ahmed Titu, media committee chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and Iftekhar Ahmed Mitu, BCB umpires' board chairman, were also present.
Roll of honour of school cricket tournament
Year
Champions
Runners-up
Final venue
2021-22
Shishu Niketon, Rangpur
Meherpur Government High School
Narayanganj
2018-19
Cumilla High School, Cumilla
Police Lines High School and College, Bogura
Rangpur
2017-18
Police Lines High School and College, Bogura
Government Jubilee High School, Sunamganj
Sylhet
2016-17
Baliapukur Vidya Niketon, Rajshahi
Kashinath Alauddin High School and College, Moulvibazar
Rajshahi
2015-16
Tangail School and College, Tangail
Dinajpur High School, Dinajpur
Dhaka
WI vs BAN: Tour match ends in a draw after Mustafizur bags three
The lone warm up match of Bangladesh ahead of the series against the West Indies has ended in a draw. Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ebadto Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman shone well in this match.
Bangladesh batted first in the tour match in Antigua and declared their first innings at 310 for seven. Tamim scored 162, and Najmul hit a fifty for the visitors.
In reply, the Cricket West Indies President XI scored 359 for eight in their first innings before declaring. For Bangladesh, right-arm pacer Ebadot and left-arm pacer Mustafizur bagged three wickets each.
Also read: Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: Major Highlights of the Warm-Up Match
It was Mustafizur's first red-ball game after a long break. The pacer last played a competitive cricket match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season, which is a white-ball event.
In the long tour of West Indies, Bangladesh will take on the hosts in a two-match Test, three-match ODI and three-match T20I series.
The first Test of the series will begin on June 16 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and the second Test will be played at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia from June 24.
While the first two T20Is will be played at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica on July 2 and 3 respectively, the third T20I and all three ODIs will be played at Providence Stadium, Guyana on July 10, 13 and 16 respectively.
Also read: WI v BAN: Ebadot shines with ball in tour match
Shakib Al Hasan, the left-handed all-rounder, is set to lead the Tigers in the Test series. He returned to lead the Tigers after Mominul Haque stepped down as the captain.
In ODIs, Bangladesh will be led by Tamim, and in T20Is, Mahmudllah Riyad will be the skipper.
Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: Major Highlights of the Warm-Up Match
Bangladesh played a 3-day warm-up match against CWI President’s XI before the all-important 2-match Test series against the West Indies team. The main purpose of the warm-up match was to get a good preparation before the Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022. Besides, Bangladesh's team management has gotten a general overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the current squad. The match eventually ended in a draw. How Bangladesh players fared in the practice match is discussed in this article.
Major Highlights of the Bangladesh vs CWI President’s XI Match
The 3-day warm-up match between Bangladesh and CWI President’s XI will be held between June 10 and June 12. The match ended in a draw, where Bangladesh batted first and made 310/7d before declaring their innings. In reply, the CWI President’s XI declared their innings on 359/8d. Bangladesh finished the day with a score of 47/1. Let’s have a look at how Bangladesh's players performed in the practice match.
Batting
The veteran opener, Tamim Iqbal, had an outstanding outing and an ideal batting practice in the first innings of the match. Tamim remained unbeaten with 162* off 287 balls, striking the ball at a 56.45 rate. Tamim played 70.73% dot ball, which is understandable as it’s a longer-version format. Most importantly, with this knock, Tamim Iqbal has gained some necessary confidence, which will help him to perform even better in the actual contest.
Read BAN vs WI 2022: Five Reasons Why Bangladesh Can Win the Test Series Against West Indies
Tamim’s opening partner, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and out-of-form batter Mominul Haque, made ducks in the first innings. Najmul Hossain Shanto scored a fifty (54). A 140-run stand between Tamim and Shanto on the second wicket helped Bangladesh score a big total in the first innings. Shanto’s knock was good, but the team management wants him to focus more on playing long innings.
The selectors and batting consultant Jamie Siddons have full faith in him and believe the left-hander has the potential to thrive on the international stage. Najmul Hossain Shanto needs to step up in the absence of veteran Mushfiqur Rahim and out-of-form batter Mominul Haque.
Litton Das captained the Bangladesh side in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who joined the squad in the middle of the warm-up contest. Litton didn’t have a good time with the bat, making only 11 while Nurul Hasan Sohan played a 35 off 59 ball knocks.
Read Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: SWOT Analysis of Two Teams
Tamim Iqbal didn’t open the innings in the second innings. He let Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque open the innings for Bangladesh. Joy was super patient and remained unbeaten with 9*, but Mominul once again failed after scoring 4. In contrast, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was a bit aggressive. He was unbeaten with 32*.
In a nutshell, Tamim’s century was the major highlight of Bangladesh's batting. Apart from him, there was no encouraging sign from the batting unit. Bangladesh need solid performances from their batters, especially the top order, who need to be in good touch during the Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022.
Bowling
Two West Indian openers, Solozano and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (son of former Windies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul), made fifty each. Bangladesh had to wait till the 35th over of the match to earn their first breakthrough because of their century partnership. Cariah was the third player to score a fifty for the CWI President’s XI in their first innings.
Read BAN vs WI Test Series 2022: Five potential Bangladesh players to watch
Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain picked up three wickets each for Bangladesh, which is a positive sign. Both the players were a bit expensive and they needed to rectify their mistakes before the series started.
Bangladesh need their fast bowlers to perform at their best against the West Indian national side. Particularly in the absence of Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed, left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain have to step up during the series. Besides, Rajaur Rahman Raja and Khaled Ahmed bowled enough overs to testify to their skills on the Caribbean wickets and they were economical. Among the spinners, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz failed to pick up a wicket.
Bottom Line
Bangladesh team management needs to identify some of the weak points from this warm-up match and rectify these before the first match of the Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022. One of the weak points is Bangladesh’s wobbly batting line-up, which has even become more concerning in the absence of Mushfiqur Rahim. Besides, the Tigers need a firm performance from the pace bowling unit to get necessary breakthroughs and put constant pressure on the Caribbean batters. Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangladesh team should be well-prepared before taking on the Windies side for the first Test match on June 16 (Thursday).
Read WI vs BAN Test Series 2022: Who has better record?
IND vs SA 2022: India Eye to Win Third T20I to Stay Alive in the Series
South Africa have dominated the ongoing IND vs SA 2022 T20I series against India, which many didn’t expect prior to the contest. The Proteas T20I side clinched the first and second matches by 7 wickets and 4 wickets, respectively, against the host nation. More importantly, South Africa were comfortable while chasing India’s targets. This is certainly a big concern for India as they haven’t been able to stop the Proteas batters from scoring freely. The hosts have no choice but to make a strong comeback in the third match in order to stay alive in the series. The third match preview is discussed in this article.
Third Match Preview of IND vs SA 2022 T20I Series
The third match of the ongoing T20I series between India and South Africa will take place at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on June 14 (Tuesday). The match will start at 7.30 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
So far, only two matches have been played at this ground. India played both the matches, where they won against Sri Lanka but lost the other contest against Australia. Given the stats of these two matches, this ground seems to be more effective for the bowlers, which is unlike what was witnessed in the first two matches. In particular, the spinners will likely dominate the contest. Let’s take a look at the scenarios for both the teams.
Read: Shadab gives Pakistan ODI series sweep against West Indies
India
In the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Indian batters did relatively well in the first two matches. In particular, they were brilliant in the first match. However, it was the bowling department that let Team India down in both the matches.
The experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a terrible outing in the first contest but made a strong comeback in the second match. He picked up 4 wickets for 13 in 4 overs. But others couldn’t put pressure on the batting line-up and the Proteas sealed the match with ease.
Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Axar Patel have been the biggest letdowns for the Indian team. They need to show their best effort like Bhuvneshwar did in the second encounter.
Read BAN vs WI 2022: Five Reasons Why Bangladesh Can Win the Test Series Against West Indies
Probable Playing XI
Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (captain & wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal.
South Africa
Almost all of the major South African players played in the Indian Premier League 2022. Therefore, they have enough experience of Indian conditions and know what it takes to have a successful outing on Indian wickets. The Proteas national side are using their experience against the host Indian T20I team and have taken a 2-0 lead in the series. They now need one win in the next three matches to clinch the series, which would be a remarkable achievement.
Both South Africa’s batting and bowling departments have done pretty well for their side. In particular, batters have been superb at timing the ball quite effectively in the series. Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller were outstanding in the series-opening contest, while Heinrich Klaasen was ruthless in the second encounter.
Read: T20 series: Klaasen gives South Africa 2-0 lead over India
The South African top order batters have batted with confidence as they know the Proteas middle-order in the T20 format is arguably the best in the world. Quinton de Kock’s participation in the third match is in doubt, so Heinrich Klaasen will likely play the match, having had a great time with the bat in the last encounter.
The visiting side will be looking to wrap up the series with two games in hand when they meet the hosts on Tuesday in Visakhapatnam.
Probable Playing XI
Temba Bavuma (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Read Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: SWOT Analysis of Two Teams
Weather Forecast & Toss Prediction
The weather forecast indicates that there is no possibility of rain on Tuesday in Visakhapatnam. The match will start in the evening and pleasant weather conditions are expected during the contest. Since the pitch is likely to favour the slower bowlers, it would be better to bat second and chase a target. On the last two occasions, batted second teams won the contests.
Bottom Line
The Rishabh Pant-led Indian team hasn’t been able to dominate an aggressive-minded South African side in the ongoing IND vs SA 2022 series. One of the reasons is that the Proteas power hitters have enough experience to play against the Indian slower bowlers. They are well-equipped to face the Indian bowling line-up. Therefore, India will have to come up with a better strategy and game plan in the third match to overcome South Africa's strong batting line-up. Otherwise, this confident-looking South African side will easily seal the T20I series on June 14 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Read BAN vs WI Test Series 2022: Five potential Bangladesh players to watch
Shadab gives Pakistan ODI series sweep against West Indies
Shadab Khan’s brilliant all-round performance led Pakistan to a 53-run win over West Indies in the third one-day international on Sunday and a 3-0 series sweep.
Shadab’s career-best 86 off 78 balls revived Pakistan to 269-9 after the hosts chose to bat first and their top order stumbled against the surprise off-spin of Nicholas Pooran, who finished with 4-48 in 10 overs.
Also read: Australia beat Pakistan by 3 wickets in one-off Twenty20
West Indies' own struggle against spin continued as its middle order again capitulated against Shadab (4-62) and Mohammad Nawaz (2-56). The visitors were bowled out for 216 in 37.2 overs, losing by 53 runs under the DLS method. A dust storm in Multan suspended play for an hour during Pakistan’s innings and the match was reduced to 48 overs a side.
No. 7 batter Akeal Hosein smashed six sixes and two fours to top-score for West Indies with 60 off 37 balls before he was undone by Shadab’s sharp delivery and stumped.
“We executed our plans and got the desired results,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said. “We are trying different combinations with bat and ball. We will try to keep continuity and also test our bench strength.”
Thanks to Pooran, Pakistan had slipped to 117-5 halfway through its innings despite a good start. Imam-ul-Haq (62), who hit his seventh-straight ODI half century, added 85 runs for the first wicket with Fakhar Zaman (35).
But Pooran, who had bowled just three balls in previous ODIs, stunned Pakistan with his bounce and sharp spin.
Pooran had Zaman clean bowled in his third over and leg-spinner Hayden Walsh followed it up by successfully going for a leg-before-wicket referral against Azam, who was out for a rare single-digit score of 1.
Pooran then enjoyed the quick wickets of Imam, Mohammad Haris (0) and Mohammad Rizwan (11) before Shadab revived the innings with a gritty 84-run stand with Khushdil Shah, who made 34.
Shadab looked set for his first ODI hundred before he was clean bowled by Jayden Seales off a perfect yorker in the last over.
Pakistan's Shahnawaz Dahani, who made his ODI debut after Shaheen Shah Afridi was rested for the final game, didn't have to wait long to get his first wicket when West Indies started the chase. Kyle Mayers (5) was brilliantly caught low at point by Imam in Dahani's second over as West Indies also struggled against the pace of Mohammad Wasim (1-21).
The introduction of spin unsettled the middle-order batters with Pooran holing out in the deep for 11 while going for a big shot against left-arm spinner Nawaz.
Hosein gave West Indies a glimmer of hope when he added 49 runs for the eighth wicket with Romario Shepherd (16) before Shadab struck in successive overs and Hasan Ali (2-29) claimed the last wicket of Shepherd.
Also read: PAK vs AUS Series 2022: Pakistan will play Australia in One-Off T20I
“The last two games were disappointing for us,” Pooran said, referring to West Indies’ 120-run loss on Friday in the second ODI. “We played poorly with the bat. We did well as a team and going forward that will be the template.”
The series win lifted Pakistan to No. 4 on the points table — immediately above West Indies — in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. The top eight teams will directly qualify for next year’s World Cup in India.
The ODI series was postponed last year when West Indies flew back home after a COVID-19 outbreak in the visitors’ camp during the preceding T20 series in Pakistan.
T20 series: Klaasen gives South Africa 2-0 lead over India
Heinrich Klaasen hit 81 runs off 46 balls as South Africa beat India by four wickets with almost two overs to spare in their second T20 international Sunday.
The Proteas took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Klaasen's innings, including seven fours and five sixes, turned the game after South Africa struggled against the new ball. The visitors finished at 149-6 in 18.2 overs in reply to India's 148-6.
Put in to bat, India lost Ruturaj Gaikwad (1) in the first over. He was caught off Kagiso Rabada who returned 1-15 in four overs.
Ishan Kishan (34 off 21) and Shreyas Iyer then put on 45 runs for the second wicket. But it was a slow partnership, off 35 balls, on a tricky batting wicket.
Anrich Nortje (2-36) provided the breakthrough, with Kishan out caught. He hit two fours and three sixes in his innings.
Iyer top-scored for India with 40 off 35 as South Africa's bowlers squeezed the middle overs. He only added 20 runs with captain Rishabh Pant (5), who was caught off Keshav Maharaj (1-12).
Wayne Parnell bowled Hardik Pandya (9) before Iyer was caught behind off Dwaine Pretorius (1-40).
India were reduced to 98-5 in 13.5 overs before Dinesh Karthik steadied the innings. He scored 30 not out off 21 balls, including two fours and two sixes, but it was still a sub-par total for India. Only three batters for India crossed 20.
In reply, South Africa were reduced to 29-3 in 5.3 overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's burst of 3-10 in the powerplay overs pegged back the Proteas.
He bowled Reeza Hendricks (4) in the first over and Rassie van der Dussen (1) in the sixth over.
Skipper Temba Bavuma held anchor with 35 off 30, while Klaasen eased the pressure with some fierce hitting.
South Africa reached 57-3 at the halfway stage but Bavuma released the pressure with three fours off Hardik (0-31).
Klaasen took on the Indian spinners and brought up his half-century off 32 balls.
The duo added 64 runs off 41 balls for the fourth wicket before Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Bavuma.
Klaasen then teamed up with David Miller (20 not out) as the pair took 23 runs off Chahal's 17th over to turn the game in South Africa's favour.
South Africa won the first game in Delhi by seven wickets. India did not make any changes Sunday to their team from that game. South Africa made two changes. Quinton de Kock missed out due to a hand injury, and Tristan Stubbs was left out.
The third T20 is at Visakhapatnam Tuesday.
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School cricket final: Shishu Niketon face Meherpur High School Monday
The final match of the Prime Bank National School Cricket Tournament 2021-22 will be held Monday at the Shamsuzzoha Sports Complex in Narayanganj.
Rangpur Shishu Niketon High School will play against Meherpur Government High School in the title-deciding match that will start at 9am.
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Satellite Television Channel T-Sports will telecast the match live.
After the match, there will be an awards ceremony.
Captains of Shishu Niketon Shykh Imtiaz Shihab and Meherpur High School Ishtiaq Ahmed Zihan are confident about winning their first title in the national school cricket.
Earlier in the semifinals, Shishu Niketon beat Sunamganj Government Jubilee High School by 42 runs. Meherpur High School beat Khulna Gazi Memorial School by three wickets.
Three hundred and fifty school teams from all over the country took part in the district-level competition this year.
Later, champions of 64 districts and 16 teams from Dhaka metropolitan qualified for the divisional round. Finally, 16 teams participated in the national round.
The School Cricket Tournament 2019-20 was halted after the completion of the district-level competition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tournament did not take place in the next season due to the same reason.
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Roll of honour of Prime Bank National School Cricket Tournament (2015-2019)2015-16
Champions: Tangail School and CollegeRunners-up: Dinajpur High School2016-17Champions: Baliapukur Vidya Niketon, RajshahiRunners-up: Kashinath Alauddin High School, Moulvibazar2017-18
Champions: Police Lines High School and College, BoguraRunners-up: Sunamganj Government Jubilee High School2018-19Champions: Comilla High SchoolRunners-up: Police Lines High School and College, Bogura
Saifuddin confident after his injury hiatus
Right-arm pace-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin is confident of doing well in the limited-overs series in the West Indies after an injury hiatus. The allrounder is busy preparing for this series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Saifuddin played his last international match back in October 2021. Since then he was out of competitive cricket for a long time. He returned to cricket with the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. But another injury forced him to sit aside.
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“I may be a bit unlucky that I have to suffer from injuries unlike other pacers,” Saifuddin told the reporters on Sunday. “But this is the way of life. I have to keep it in mind. I don’t know how long I can play without being injured.”
Saifuddin got his international cap back in 2017. Bangladesh have played around 130 international matches after that, but Saifuddin was a part of the team in less than half of them. He often needed to stay out of the game due to injuries— sometimes he suffered a finger injury, sometimes he suffered a back injury.
In his cricketing career, Saifuddin never played in the West Indies for the national team. Ahead of his first international tour to the West Indies, the allroudner is excited and confident of doing well. He said he is preparing himself by watching videos of the matches that took place in the West Indies.
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“Since it’s my first tour to the West Indies, I don’t have any idea about the condition or wickets we may face there,” Saifuddin said. “But it’s the age of YouTube, so we can watch the matches we have played there. It will surely help to get some idea about the wickets there. I’m trying this way to get as many ideas as I can."