cricket
NZ abandons cricket tour of Pakistan over security concerns
New Zealand abandoned its cricket tour of Pakistan on Friday over security concerns that mystified the hosts, just before the Black Caps’ first scheduled match in Pakistan in 18 years.
New Zealand Cricket said it received a security alert from its government and made the decision to cancel the tour moments before the scheduled start of the one-day international series in Rawalpindi. Both teams stayed at their hotel.
“Following an escalation in the New Zealand government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisers on the ground, it has been decided the Black Caps will not continue with the tour,” NZC said on its website.
“Arrangements are now being made for the team’s departure.”
NZC declined to comment on the nature of the security threat.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke personally to New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern and informed her “we have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and that no security threat of any kind exists for the visiting team.”
“The Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan government made foolproof security arrangements for all visiting teams. We have assured the New Zealand Cricket of the same.”
PCB chairman Ramiz Raja hinted they will protest to the International Cricket Council against NZC’s unilateral decision.
“Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players,” Raja tweeted. “Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it’s not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC.”
New Zealand was to play three ODIs in Rawalpindi and five Twenty20s in Lahore. Both cities and the security arrangements were cleared by NZC’s security team last month.
NZC chief executive David White said the advice he received made the tour impossible to continue, and he was supported by the New Zealand Cricket Players Association.
“I understand this will be a blow for the PCB, who have been wonderful hosts, but player safety is paramount and we believe this is the only responsible option,” White said.
The PCB said it tried its best to convince the Kiwis, but “cricket lovers in Pakistan and around the world will be disappointed by this last minute withdrawal (of New Zealand).”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam expressed his disappointment at the cancellation, while former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar tweeted: “NZ just killed Pakistan cricket.”
England men’s and women’s teams are due in Pakistan for short two-match T20 series next month, and the England and Wales Cricket Board said it would make a final call on the tours this weekend.
England’s men have not played an international in Pakistan since 2005 while the women are visiting for the first time.
“We’re aware of New Zealand’s decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour due to a security alert,” the ECB said. “We are liaising with our security team who are on the ground in Pakistan to fully understand the situation. The ECB Board will then decide in the next 24-48 hours whether our planned tour should proceed.”
Pakistan was a no go zone for international cricket teams for a decade after terrorists attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009. The ambush killed seven people and injured several Sri Lankan cricketers, including Thilan Samaraweera, who is among the New Zealand tour management as the batting coach.
Since international teams resumed touring Pakistan in 2019, this is the first instance of a team having to abandon while in the country.
“The players are in good hands,” New Zealand Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills said. “They’re safe and everyone’s acting in their best interests.”
Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
India's charismatic skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday announced that he would step down as the country's T20 international captain after the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
The announcement comes just three days after local media reported that right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma may take over as India's one-day and T20I captain after the mega tournament, slated to take place in Dubai and Oman from October 17 to November 14.
"I have decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October," the 32-year-old said in a social media post.
Virat has, of late, faced questions over his batting and captaincy. He last scored a century in a Test match in November 2019. For 51 innings, he has not hit a hundred in any international format of the game.
Virat, who took over as India's T20I captain in 2017 after Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down from his position, said he took head coach Ravi Shastri into confidence before spelling out his decision, which he attributed to "immense workload" in all formats of the game.
Read: Superstar couple Anushka & Virat Kohli urge paparazzis 'to stay away from our baby'
"... considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for the last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI Cricket," he wrote.
However, Virat made it clear that he will continue to lead the team in Test cricket and ODIs."I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," he wrote.
A right-handed top-order batsman, Kohli is regarded as one of the best contemporary batsmen in the world. He has been the national cricket team's captain since 2013. Since October 2017, he has been the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world.
In 2018, Time magazine named Kohli one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2020, he became the only cricketer in the world to feature in Forbes list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world with an estimated earnings of USD 26 million.
Youth ODI: Bangladesh to play Afghanistan in 4th of five-match series on Friday
Bangladesh U-19 team will play touring Afghanistan U-19 side in the 4th match of the five -match Youth ODI Series at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The match will kick-off at 9 am (Bangladesh time).
The Young Tigers, which smartly clinched the series 3-0 with two matches to spare crushing the tourists by a massive 122 runs in the 3rd match last Tuesday featuring a century by Aich Mollah, now keep their birds eyes to the 4th match to make a passage for whitewashing the Afghans.
Also read: T20I Allrounder Ranking: Nabi dethrones Shakib
Bangladesh U-19 team earned the feat following the footprints of their seniors, who smartly won three consecutive T20 series against mighty Australia, and New Zealnad on home soil and an away series against Zimbabwe very recently.
Earlier, hosts Bangladesh team took 1-0 lead in the five-match series beating Afghanistan team by 16 runs in the first match and consolidated their claim to win the series beating the visitors by three wickets with 161 balls to spare in the 2nd match last Sunday.
Bangladesh U-19 team will play the remaining Youth ODI match on Sept 19, also at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet.
Also read: Aich Mollah's century guide Bangladesh to clinch Youth ODI series beating Afghanistan by 121 runs
The Young Tigers will also play a one-off Youth Test against their Afghan counterpart from Sept 22-25 at the same venue.
Lasith Malinga: The Illustrious Career of yorker king
One of the best white-ball bowlers of all time, Lasith Malinga had numerous memorable moments during his playing career that fans would remember for the rest of their lives. Malinga declared his retirement from both ODI cricket after the ICC World Cup 2019. However, he preferred to play T20 cricket for a few more years. Malinga last played for Sri Lanka against the Windies in March 2020, and he announced his retirement from franchise cricket in January 2021. Finally, he declared his retirement from all forms of cricket in September 2021. Let’s take a look at Lasith Malinga's illustrious career.
Lasith Malinga’s Background
Malinga was born on August 28, 1983, at Rathgama, Galle in Sri Lanka. He grew up in humble circumstances. In his boyhood, he used to play cricket with friends on the sand banks beside a river.
While attending Vidyaloka College in Galle, Malinga began his cricket career. Former Sri Lankan paceman Champaka Ramanayake found Malinga there. He extended an invitation to him to join the Galle Cricket Club.
Read:All-rounder Nasir eyes a national team comeback
Champaka Ramanayake had a huge impact in his initial cricket career. He aided him in his development as a bowler and fostered him during his early years.
At a Glance: Lasith Malinga's Cricket Career
Lasith Malinga is considered one of the best fast bowlers in cricket history. He is known as 'Slinga Malinga.' for his unique round-arm action. Lasith Malinga made his international debut in Test cricket against Australia in 2004 and impressed the great Australian team by bagging six wickets in the match.
Malinga made his ODI debut against the UAE in the 2004 Asia Cup, and he played his maiden T20I against England in 2006.
Read:Aich Mollah's century guide Bangladesh to clinch Youth ODI series beating Afghanistan by 121 runs
Despite an impressive start, Lasith Malinga retired from Test cricket in 2011 to focus on his limited-overs career. Malinga has 101 wickets in 30 Tests at an average of 33.15 before declaring his Test retirement. His best Test bowling figure was 5/50.
Lasith Malinga competed in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 ICC ODI World Cup, finishing runner-up in the 2007 and 2011 editions.
The 2014 T20 World Cup was Malinga's most successful tournament for Sri Lanka. He was named captain only before the competition because Dinesh Chandimal was suspended. Sri Lanka won a World Cup for the first time since the 1996 World Cup, thanks to Malinga's leadership.
Read England Clinch Series Against Sri Lanka; Windies Stun South Africa in the First T20I
Malinga later captained Sri Lanka in a number of series and tournaments, though without much success. The right-arm pacer was named to the ICC's team of the tournament several times. He also shared the most international hat-tricks with Pakistan's Wasim Akram.
Lasith Malinga was plagued by injuries throughout his career. He had to miss numerous international matches due to a knee injury.
Lasith Malinga was a popular player among the franchises in T20 leagues around the world. He regularly featured in IPL, BBL, CPL, and BPL. He now holds the record for most wickets (170) in the Indian Premier League and the best bowling figure (6/7) in the Big Bash League.
Lasith Malinga’s International Career
Test
Match
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
SR
5W
30
101
5/50
33.15
3.85
51.50
3
ODI
226
338
6/38
28.87
5.35
32.30
8
T20I
84
107
5/6
20.79
7.42
16.80
2
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read: Pakistan to tour Bangladesh later this year for three T20Is, two Tests
Notable Cricket Record of Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga broke several records and set up new records particularly in white ball during his almost two decades of professional cricket career. Here are some of the notable cricket records by the coveted right-arm medium pacer.
Stats in Numbers
3. The first and only bowler in One-Day International cricket history to take three hat-tricks.
4. Lasith Malinga is the only bowler to capture four-wickets in a succession in international cricket.
6. Malinga's best T20 bowling figures (6/7) came against Perth Scorchers for Melbourne Stars in the 2012-13 Big Bash League. This is also the best bowling figure in the history of the Big Bash.
15. He holds the record for most four-wicket hauls (15) in T20s.
100. The first bowler to take 100 wickets in all three formats of international cricket.
107. Lasith Malinga finishes the Men's Twenty20 Internationals as the highest wicket-taker with 107 wickets.
152. Malinga has the most 'bowled' wickets of any player in the T20s, with 152.
170. Lasith Malinga has the most wickets in the Indian Premier League (170).
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Team needs to improve three things before the tournament starts
Bottom Line
Lasith Malinga was an exceptional cricketer. Three things come to mind when fans think about Malinga; his curly hair, unorthodox bowling action, and unplayable yorker. The batters were always under pressure because of his unique bowling action. They were prone to making mistakes under pressure due to his incredible accuracy with the yorker. So, it's clear to understand how destructive he was. Lasith Malinga is arguably the greatest T20 bowler of all time and one of the top three finest bowlers in Sri Lankan cricket history. Malinga deserves praise for his contribution to cricket.
T20I Allrounder Ranking: Nabi dethrones Shakib
Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan dethroned Shakib Al Hasan from the ICC T20I Allrounder Ranking.
According to the latest update of the ranking, Nabi stood number one in the ranking with 285 rating points while Shakib was placed in 2nd position with 275 points.
Richard Berrington of Scotland, Khawar Ali of Oman and Rohan Mustafa of the UAE were placed in third, fourth and fifth positions of the ranking with 194, 159 and 152 rating points respectively.
Shakib is also in the top ten T20I bowlers, ninth, with 611 rating points while Mustafizur Rahman is in number eight with 626 points.
Also read: Shakib named ICC Player of the Month, No. 1 all-rounder in T20
Despite losing the top place of the T20 allrounders, Shakib is still the top allrounder of ODI cricket with 416 rating points which is 122 more than the second ODI allrounder Nabi who has 294 rating points.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz is the number five ODI bowler with 692 rating points.
Bangladesh are currently waiting for the T20 World Cup which will take place in Oman and UAE next month.
Read: Shakib first cricketer with 1000 runs, 100 wickets in T20I
Recently, Bangladesh beat Australia 4-1 in a five-match T20I series. They also beat New Zealand 3-2 in a five-match T20I series. Shakib played an important role in these wins.
The allrounder is currently busy playing in the IPL 2021 which will resume on September 19 in the. He will represent Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL while Mustafizur also is taking part in IPL for the Rajasthan Royals.
All-rounder Nasir eyes a national team comeback
Bangladesh all-rounder Nasir Hossain said he is eager to make a comeback to the national team and in order to impress the selectors he hopes to do well in the domestic circuit as the new season will kick off soon.
Nasir played a competitive cricket match for the last time back in January this year. But due to the hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, domestic cricket was on hold for a long time.
“There is no alternative to training hard,” Nasir told the media on Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. “I’ve been working hard on my fitness. We did not get enough facilities to train due to the pandemic, but from now on, we will get the chance to use the wickets. I hope I can prepare well.”
Nasir played his last international match in 2018, an ODI against Sri Lanka. Since then, he was out of the national setup. But the right-handed all-rounder said he is upbeat to make a comeback to the national side.
“I will put my best foot forward,” he said. “As long as I play cricket, I will keep pushing myself to the national team. It has always been a dream for me, and I will keep running for my dream to be fulfilled.”
Bangladesh domestic cricket will resume next month with the National Cricket League. Nasir said he will try to score the most runs in this event.
The all-rounder believes Bangladesh announced a balanced team for the T20 World Cup which will take place next month in Oman and the UAE. He said if the top-order batsmen and number seven do well in the World Cup, Bangladesh has a good chance to make the event memorable.
“I always want the Bangladesh team to win the World Cup. But it depends on many things. The T20 format is all about 120 balls, so the team that play well these balls win the match. I don’t think it’s (winning a World Cup) is impossible,” he added.
Nasir represented Bangladesh in 19 Tests, 65 ODIs and 31 T20Is. He has a century each in ODI and Test. He has 39 international wickets as well.
Aich Mollah's century guide Bangladesh to clinch Youth ODI series beating Afghanistan by 121 runs
A brilliant century by Aich Mollah guided Bangladesh U-19 team to clinch the five-match Youth ODI Series 3-0 crushing Afghanistan U-19 team by a massive 121 runs in the 3rd match at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Young Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series beating Afghanistan team by 16 runs in the first match and consolidated their claim to win the series beating the visitors by three wickets with 161 balls to spare in the 2nd match on Sunday
Bangladesh team will play the remaining two Youth ODI matches on Sept 17 and 19, both at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and will play one-off Youth Test from Sept 22-25 at the same venue.
The young Tigers earned the feat following the footprints of their seniors, who smartly won two consecutive T20 series against mighty Australia and New Zealnad on home soil very recently.
READ: Bangladesh continue domination against Afghanistan in U-19 series
In the day's match, Bangladesh opted to bat first after winning the toss and piled up a comfortable 222 runs for 6 in stipulated 50 overs, featuring 61 runs in the 3rd wicket stand by Aich Mollah and Mofizul Islam.
The 19-year old right hand batsman Aich Mollah came to bat in number four, hammered a century scoring 108 runs off 130 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes and was adjudged man of the match.
Besides, lower order Abdullah Al Mamun quick fired 20-ball 32 runs featuring one four and three sixes, Mofizul Islam made 93-ball 27 runs with two boundaries while Tahjibul Islam scored 27-ball 18 runs hitting one four and one six for home team.
Faisal Khab Ahmadzai claimed three Bangladesh wickets for 39 runs.
Chasing a huge target of 223 runs, touring Afghanistan youth team were bundled out cheaply for 101 runs in 39.4 overs to concede an embrasing defeat .
Among the Afghans, Bilal Sayedi (22), Ijaz Ahmed (21), Sulaiman Safi (18) and Zahidullah Salimi (13) were the notable batsmen reaching the double digit.
Bangladeshi slow left arm orthodox bowler Naimur Rahman made the major damage in Afghan innings grabbing five wicktets, conceding only 17 runs in his 7.4 over spell with a maiden.
Ripon Mondol captured three wickets for 17 runs while Ariful Islam took two for 23 runs.
Pakistan to tour Bangladesh later this year for three T20Is, two Tests
Pakistan national cricket team is all set to tour Bangladesh in November-December for a three-match T20I and two-match Test series, a media release of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Tuesday.
Pakistan last visited Bangladesh in 2016 for the Asia Cup. Bangladesh toured Pakistan last year, but the tour was disturbed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 around the world.
The visitors will start the tour with the T20 series with all matches taking place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka on November 19, 20 and 22. The first Test will be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on November 26 , the second Test will take place in Dhaka on December 4.
Also read: Mustafizur departs for Dubai to play IPL
The Test series will be marked as the start of Bangladesh’s World Test Championship second cycle.
Till the date, Bangladesh played 11 Tests against Pakistan and lost 10 of them, and one ended in a draw. The Tigers played 12 T20Is against Pakistan and won two of them while losing the other 10 matches.
Also read: Youth ODI series: Bangladesh look for series win against Afghanistan Tuesday
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Team needs to improve three things before the tournament starts
The UAE and Oman will host the seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in the next month. A total of 16 countries will compete in this competition. The top eight teams in the ICC T20I team rankings have qualified for the Super 12s. The remaining eight teams will be split into two groups to play qualifiers in order to be eligible for the Super 12s. Bangladesh team is hoping to do well in this year's competition. However, there are three things Bangladesh need to work on before the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 which are discussed in this article.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Things that Bangladesh Team Needs to Improve
Mahmudullah Riyad-led Bangladesh team will compete in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Only Tamim Iqbal will not partake in the main event among the senior players. Let's look at the areas that Bangladesh must address before the main event.
The Top order's Consistent Performance
The ICC encourages batsmen to score runs during the main event in order to attract spectators. Therefore, all four T20 World Cup venues will likely contain sporting pitches. It is expected that some run-fest contest will take place in this event and the Bangladesh team management would be prepared for this.
Read:Youth ODI series: Bangladesh look for series win against Afghanistan Tuesday
Bangladesh's first task is to ensure that the top order performs consistently. Half of the job will be done for the team tigers if the top order guarantees the type of start Bangladesh expects.
In the absence of veteran Tamim Iqbal, one of Bangladesh's openers would have to shoulder extra responsibility to anchor the innings during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Because the openers can set up the platform for Bangladesh innings.
We saw how Bangladesh's top order struggled in both the Australian and New Zealand series. Liton Das and Mohammad Naim were the only opening duo to reach 50 runs in the second match of New Zealand series. They made a 59-run partnership, and Bangladesh scored 141/6. The only time Bangladesh scored 140 or more runs in the previous ten T20Is.
Read BAN vs. NZ T20I Series 2021: Report Card for Bangladesh Team
Mohammad Naim is likely to start the innings for Bangladesh in the World Cup, given his recent performances. Naim didn't play any big knock In the past three series, but he made sure that he stayed at the crease till the death overs.
Naim will be paired with either Liton Das or Soumya Sarkar in the World Cup. Because in the previous series, neither of them had been consistent. Whoever opens the innings for Bangladesh will be responsible for increasing the run rate at the start of the innings, while Naim's task will be to stay at the crease till the end.
Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has struggled with the bat since returning to international cricket in January. Shakib Al Hasan was in great touch with the bat at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, assisting Bangladesh in winning some matches. Shakib's batting will be hoped to re-ignite and enable Bangladesh achieve something special in the world cup.
Read:Bangladesh continue domination against Afghanistan in U-19 series
Power Hitting in Slog Overs
Bangladesh are short on power hitters in the death overs. That is why, Bangladesh usually fail to post a large total despite a strong start. As a result, they will need quality hitters in the middle order to help them accelerate run rates and put up a competitive score.
Bangladesh have Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, and Captain Mahmudullah Riyad in the middle order. Death overs are crucial in T20 cricket, especially when it comes to scoring a competitive total. Everyone should be able to hit big shot when required.
Nurul Hasan and Afif Hossain have shown encouraging performances in recent series. We should anticipate them to go all out during the forthcoming competition. In addition, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim would be vital for Bangladesh.
Read:See what we do well, not our errors, Shakib tells fans
Effective Bowling Performance
Bangladesh's bowlers must maintain a level of consistency. The bowlers' performances in the New Zealand and Australia series will not be replicated in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Because the pitches were heavily stacked in favor of the spinners. Even the pacers had rattled the batters using the sluggish nature of the wickets.
Mustafzur Rahman had shown his ability with the ball. Pacers Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin also had good outing. Among the spinners, Nasum Ahmed got the headlines most of the time with his brilliant spin bowling. Mahedi Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan did their job well.
However, we must keep in mind that the pitches in the ICC T20 World Cup would be more difficult for the bowlers. Batsmen may find ways to score runs, while bowlers would struggle to control run rates.
Read ESPNcricinfo’s Mohamad Isam to conduct online sports journalism course
Many cricket analysts were dissatisfied with the decision to offer bowling-friendly surfaces in both the Australia and New Zealand series. Bangladesh's think tank, particularly the bowling coaches, must plan a strategy to overcome the hurdle in the Wolrd Cup event.
The key task for Bangladesh bowlers will be to prevent run flow both in the power play and in the death overs. Bowlers must master the art of picking up wickets on flat tracks. They need to determine what kind of bowling may pose problems for the hitters on batting-friendly surfaces. Bangladesh bowlers will play to their full capacity if they can adjust to the conditions.
Read:Women in Afghanistan: Taliban Government to Ban Women's Sports in Afghanistan
Bottom Line
Bangladesh team's confidence is sky-high after three consecutive T20I series victories against Zimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand respectively. Not everyone is pleased with the pitches Bangladesh played against those opponents. Many pundits believe that spin wickets only helped Bangladesh win two cricket series against two formidable opponents. As a result, Bangladesh's preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 was insufficient. Bangladesh have a chance to reach the championship's semifinals if they play to their best ability. However, they must address the three things mentioned in this article prior to the major event.
Read Sheikh Kamal Memorial T20 Cricket promotes Bangladesh-US ties: Envoy
Mustafizur departs for Dubai to play IPL
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman left for Dubai early on Tuesday morning to play the remaining leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The left-arm pacer is representing Rajasthan Royals in this year’s multi-million dollar cricketing tournament.
Read:Nasum, Mustafiz take four each as NZ tumble for 93
Mustafizur was scheduled to depart for Dubai on Sunday night but due to some visa issues, he had to wait for one more day. His wife will accompany him during the IPL.
This year's IPL was deferred due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the players' bio-bubble, following which both Mustafizur and Shakib Al Hasan had to return home on a chartered flight.
Mustafizur has played seven matches so far in this year’s IPL and bagged eight wickets with the best figures of three wickets for 20 runs.
Of the seven matches they have played, Rajasthan won three, and they will start the remainder of the league being at five on the points table. Delhi Capitals are leading the table with 12 points from six wins in eight matches.
Read: Shoriful enjoys his partnership with Mustafiz
Another Bangladeshi star Shakib is playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in this IPL. He has played three matches so far and taken two wickets and scored 38 runs.
He was sidelined in the last four matches of Kolkata, who are currently at seven on the points table with only two wins in seven matches.